Individual report on a given case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Individual report on a given case study - Essay Example Disneyland mainly targeted the children because it could help the company to increase the footfalls. Children are not allowed to go by themselves by their guardians hence, the company received more visitors and the business had a profound effect in the company’s profit. The primary objective of Disneyland Paris was to attract the citizens of Europe to the large amusement park without facing any political disturbances (McCrie, 2011, p.7). The Disneyland Paris incorporated some changes in their theme park in order to attract the local visitors. The theme park consisted of the American cartoon characters along with a flavour of the French culture. Restaurants and snack bars had seating arrangements because the French preferred to sit and relax while dining. The Disneyland Paris also aimed at reducing long queues by providing diversion for people; for example, additional studios and theatres near the rides. Since Disneyland concept in Europe was new and it was an American theme pa rk, the company decided to hire most of the French as staffs. The quality of service was improved on a high scale and the visitors were taken care by the staffs with high level of courtesy. The operations management of Disneyland played a crucial role for the benefit of the company. The management department enhanced the quality of service and the restaurants. The staffs were taught to be very polite to the visitors because it was the only key to attract more customers and increase the revenue of the company. Since Disneyland Paris was a mega project established in Europe, special approaches were required to be taken in order to develop a positive reputation in the market. The staffs and the management of Disneyland Paris were able to create a courtesies environment in the work culture. The rides and the characters of Disneyland also played important role to gain the attention of visitors (Murthy, 2009, p.92). Overall the standard operating procedure of Disneyland was based on

The positive change Essay Example for Free

The positive change Essay Economic growth implies the positive change or increase in the level of production of goods and services by a given economy or country over a certain period of time. Economic growth can either be nominal economic growth or real economic growth. Nominal economic growth in an increase in production which also include inflation. Real economic growth in the increase in production excluding inflation. The nominal economic growth does not factor inflation and as such the growth is given in monetary terms in the market price whereas in the real economic growth, the growth is given in monetary terms but expressed in constants prices implying that the later expression does not suffer from the money illusion. The differentiating between the real and nominal economic growth is important because the unit in which its expressed, that is monetary terms is subject to changes that make its value to increase or decline, making it less reflective on the real physical increase in goods and services produced in a given country over a specified period of time. Causes of economic growth Economic growth therefore from the definition can be perceived as the change in the countrys Gross Domestic Product, and for this matter an increase in the Gross domestic product. From the expenditure approach of calculating the Gross Domestic product, the GDP is comprised of the sum of Consumption, investment, government purchase and also the net exports. The change in the components of the Gross domestic product is what that brings about the economic growth and this is according to QuickMBA Consumption is the largest component of the gross domestic product and it comprises the durable and non-durable goods and also services expenditure which are incurred by the ultimate users of the goods and the services. The term ultimate user has been used so as to avoid the double counting problem which may arise when estimating consumption, because one firms output can be used as an input in the other firm, and for this reason a mistake may be done of recounting the output which was already counted implying double counting. Consumption is however not affected by value of the goods which are imported. Investment implies the purchase of fixed assets which are expected to assist in the further production of goods and services, and also the increase in the inventory which means the increase in the number of goods and services that have been produced but not yet consumed. The inventories are perceived as being Investments because they are assets which are expected to be sold out for economic gain. The Investments are assumed to be financed by the savings that are made after the consumption. The government purchases implies the summation of all government expenditures and then subtracting the government transfer payments. The transfer payments imply the payments made to transactions which did not contribute to the production of goods and services, therefore they are subtracted from the government expenditure because they did not contribute to the GDP. Net exports imply the difference between exports and imports in a specified period of time. The imports are subtracted from the exports because imports are a kind of expenditure that is incurred but it does not benefit the locals, thus a form of cash outflow from the economy. Exports are included as part of the Gross Domestic product because the expenditure on them is likely to benefit the locals because the goods and services were produced in the country in question according to Barro and Robert . Therefore economic growth arises from the change in any of the components of the gross domestic product as illustrates above.

Blake Being a Man of His Time :: William Blake Poets Poems 18th Century Essays

Blake Being a Man of His Time William Blake was born in 1757, the third son of a London tradesman who sold knitwear (hosier). Blake lived in London which dominated much of his work. He was a British poet, painter, and engraver, who illustrated and printed his own books. He spent most of his life in relative poverty. He was very influenced by his brother’s death which he claimed he saw "ascend heavenward clapping its hands for joy" who died of consumption at the age of 20. He uses the illustrations and engravings in his work to express his visual, spiritual and psychic views about the society he lived in. Blake was tuned to the huge social and political forces of the late 18th century. This can be seen in Blake’s poem ‘The Tyger’ as he uses two symbols of revolution; French Revolution and the Industrial Revolution which both happened in the 18th century! The title ‘The Tyger’ is a symbol which was used in 18th century newspapers, similar to Blake’s symbolic description of the French Reign of Terror. The ‘Times’ newspaper talked about the Reign of Terror as a Tyger: â€Å"a tiger stalking the streets of Paris†. This ‘Tyger’ was used to symbolize the power, machinery, evil, violence and energy of the revolutions going on at this time. The description ‘Tyger Tyger burning bright’ is a pun because ‘burning’ could be seen to represent destructiveness whilst ‘bright’ is a deep, powerful word for revolution. In the third line ‘What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry?’ which has a questioning tone, means that Blake is awestruck on what kind of God would want or allow the French Revolution. In the second verse which talks about Satan’s energy, it starts with a questioning tone about heaven or hell ’deeps or skies’. The question ‘Burnt the fire of thine eyes’ is addressed towards Lucifer (the Devil). Verse two and three shows the imagery of the industrial revolution ‘In what furnace was thy brain’. Blake says God is a blacksmith who wrestles with power and energy which is beneficial and at the same time destructive. In the fifth verse: ‘When the stars threw down their spears And water’d heaven with their tears: Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee?’ This is saying that if there were only good and no evil, there would be no good because there would be no comparison to what is good and what’s not. He basically says man needs a bit of ‘lamb’ (goodness, kindness, peace) and a bit of ‘Tyger’ (power, strength). Blake’s poems don’t just speak about his current times but can apply

Individual and Society: Nuclear Weapons Essay -- Nuclear Weapons Essay

Individual and Society: Nuclear Weapons The background of atomic weapons begins in 1896 with the discovery of radioactivity by Beoquerel. The nuclear age however, really erupted in the 1940’s. since that decade, many individuals have contributed to developing the nuclear arms race. The evolution of nuclear weapons has made a large impact on society by causing a great deal of trauma, dispute and competition. Nuclear weapons developed in the 1940’s. Scientists in the 19th century discovered the splitting of the atom. Many individual scientists contributed to the development of the first atomic bomb. In 1942 President Roosevelt ignited the competition between countries by establishing the "Manhattan Project." At this time, the United States built the first atomic bomb in fear that Germany had already done so. Thousands of people helped construct this deadly device. On August 6, 1945 the Unites States dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, Japan under the authority of President Truman. The mass destruction on that day sparked a whole new lifestyle for the military and left society to live in fear. 118,661 civilians were killed that day, and 30,524 were injured. The entire city was essentially destroyed. Subsequent to World War II, the race between major powers originated. The Soviet Union and Great Britain began producing bombs. By 1950 the government and the military were completely obsessed with the production of bombs and weapons. Truman agreed at this time to increase military spending and planned attacks against the Soviet Union. Meanwhile, outside the military, society hoped and prayed each and everyday that there would be no surprise attacks that day. Children were forced to practice "bomb drills" at school ... ...s only one main device, society was scared. The public relies on individuals working as a collaboration. The distinct segregation that took place during the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s between the government/military and the people does not make for a successful and productive nation. Today, the military does a substantially improved job working together with the public. Works Cited Paczulla, Jutta. Surviving the Nuclear Age: a bibliography of nuclear weapons. Ottawa: Canadian Institute for International Peace and Security, 1990. Nuclear Age. Austin, TX: IELS Language School. Database on-line. Available from: http://www.iels.com/nuke.html. Accessed 9 March 1999. Phillips, Alan. Nuclear Weapons. Ottawa, ON: October 1995. Database on-line. Available from: http://www.geocites.com/Area51/vault/5862/Nuclear.html. Accessed 9 March 1999.

Cognitive component Essay

The cognitive component of SWB involves making judgments of one’s life: either satisfaction with life as a whole, or satisfaction with life domains such as work, family, leisure, health, and finances (Prince, & Prince 2001; Diener et al. , 1999). It can be viewed as how you think about your life (in contrast to the affective component: how you feel about your life). In this study, the cognitive component means the way the elderly perceive, think and assess their life and their beliefs and attitude toward life, world and God. Campbell (1976) suggested that individuals judge their objective situation in each of various life domains according to standards of comparison based on aspiration, expectations, feelings of what would be just, reference group comparisons, personal needs, and personal values. Domain-satisfaction provides useful information about with which aspects of life an individual may be happy or unhappy, but cannot be summed to give an overall impression of life satisfaction. This would mean that it is necessary to assess overall satisfaction with life, as well as life domains (Susan Hird, 2003). An idea that has long captivated writers is that how we perceive and think about the world determines our SWB. In the area of SWB, researchers find that one can dampen or amplify one’s emotions by what one thinks, and thereby experience more or less intense emotions (Larsen, Diener, & Croponzano, 1987). This approach relies on the standards of the individual to determine what is the good life and the personal choices the person make at the moment (Diener, 1984). People might increase their SWB by control of their thoughts. For example, perhaps SWB can be increased by believing in a larger meaning or force in the universe. Support for this proposition comes from findings showing that on average religious people are happier than nonreligious people (e. g. , Ellison, 1983; Myers, 1992, cited in Diener et al. , 1997). The study explored how the elderly think about their life or what thought processes, beliefs and attitudes predominantly helped the elderly to experience a sense of well-being at this point of their lives. Affective Components (Affect Balance) It is the second component or construct of SWB, which corresponds to what we generally understand as happiness. According to (Prince, & Prince 2001) affect is thought of as how happy or unhappy you are. It results from a balance between positive affect and negative affect (Christopher, 1999). As it has been already indicated, when we appraise how much we appreciate the life we live, we estimate our typical affective experience to assess how well we feel generally, which is referred to here in the study as affective component. In summary, the affective component can be thought of as how you feel about your life (Susan Hird, 2003). Suh & Diener (1997) observed that feeling pleasant emotions most of the time and infrequently experiencing unpleasant emotions, even if the pleasant emotions are only mild, is sufficient for high reports of happiness. Although people report being above neutral in mood the majority of the time (Diener & Diener, 1995), intense positive moments are rare even among the happiest individuals. Instead happy people report mild-to-moderate pleasant emotions most of the time when alone or with others and when working or at leisure. One thing is clear, that people need to understand that intense experiences are not the corer stone of a happy life (Diener, 2000). Mood and emotions are called ‘affect’, and there is contradictory evidence as to whether ‘pleasant affect’ and ‘unpleasant affect’ form two independent factors and should be measured separately, or whether they are interdependent (Diener et al. , 1999). The amount of difference between momentary pleasant and unpleasant affect is still debated, but the separability of long-term affective dimensions is less controversial. Diener and Emmons (1984) found that unpleasant and pleasant affect become increasingly separate as the time frame is increased (Diener et al. , 1999). In the case of the institutionalized elderly, the study examined the affective component in general, mainly how they felt generally about their lives that helped them experiencing a sense of well-being in their lives. As indicated by Christopher (1999), it is this second aspect of SWB that corresponds to what we generally understand as happiness and it results from a balance between positive affect and negative affect.

Microsoft is acquiring LinkedIn! What do you think it means for you

Microsoft is acquiring LinkedIn! What do you think it means for you Today Microsoft and LinkedIn announced that Microsoft will be acquiring LinkedIn for $26.2 billion. LinkedIn shares jumped 47% following the news, while Microsoft shares slipped slightly by 3.2%. This deal comes on the heels of a weak performance by LinkedIn in the first part of the year, from which the social media platform was already starting to recover. I am no business acquisition expert, but I do see that Microsoft might benefit from a wide social networking platform. LinkedIn’s millions of members will give Microsoft a huge audience into which they can tap for their cloud business. For LinkedIn, the acquisition seems to be a boon. LinkedIn’s CEO and other employees will stay in place and the company will retain their autonomy, at least for now. I’d like to open up a discussion here. What do you think about this deal? What are the pros and cons for Microsoft? For LinkedIn? What do you think this new structure will mean for you as a LinkedIn user? What are your fears about having Microsoft as LinkedIn’s new owner? What might the future look like with Microsoft behind the curtain? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comment area below!

What Is the IB Curriculum What Are IB Diploma Requirements

What Is the IB Curriculum What Are IB Diploma Requirements SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you're reading this article, I assume you know a little bit about the International Baccalaureate (IB) program. If not, I encourage you to read our other article What is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Program? before reading this article. As a brief refresher, the IBO started this program in the 1960s to be a rigorous, internationally recognized diploma for entry into universities that students all around the world could earn. In the US today, there are 873 IB Diploma Programme High Schools. At these schools, some students complete the full IB curriculum in pursuit of an IB Diploma (which I will explain in-depth below). At some of the schools, students are allowed to take a couple of IB classes without being enrolled in the full IB curriculum (ask your local IB school’s IB coordinator if this is permitted, find their contact information in our article Complete List of IB Schools in the USA, by State). As an IB Diploma Recipient, I'll discuss what it entails to complete the full IB curriculum and receive your IB Diploma. What Are the Main Components of the IB Diploma Programme Curriculum? There are two main components of the IB Curriculum: the class requirements and the core. The Class Requirements: To earn an IB diploma, you have to take courses from six subjects, one each from groups 1-5, and either one from group 6 or a substitute from one of the other groups. Group 1: Language A: literature, Language A: language and literature, and Literature and performance. Group 2: Classical languages, Language B, and Language ab initio Group 3: Business management, Economics, Geography, History, Information technology in a global society, Philosophy, Psychology, Social and cultural anthropology, World religions, and Global Politics Group 4: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Design Technology, Environmental systems and societies, Physics, and Sports, exercise and health science Group 5: Mathematical Studies SL (known as Math Studies), Mathematics SL, Mathematics HL, and Further Mathematics HL Group 6: Dance, Film, Music, Theatre, and Visual Arts For a full list of courses from each group with descriptions, check out our article on The Complete List of IB Courses and Classes. You must take at least 3 at a higher level (study 250 hours instead of 150 hours). Each class culminates in an exam. IB tests are graded on a scale of 1-7 with a 4 considered passing. For more information on this grading scale/score criteria, check out the IBO’s website. The Core To complete your diploma programme, you also need to complete what is known as the core in addition to the class requirements above. The core consists of 3 components: a class known as Theory of Knowledge, an essay known as the Extended Essay, and a project known as Creativity, Action, Service. Theory of Knowledge/TOK: This is a class that is a mix of philosophy, and IB says that the class "encourage[s] students to reflect on the huge cultural shifts worldwide around the digital revolution and the information economy." This class makes you think about what is important to you and think about big world issues. I LOVED this class! I think your teacher is critical to enjoying the class, and Mr. Fresco, you are the best! For the class, there is no exam. Instead, you write a paper and give an oral presentation. You can take it online through Pamoja Education. Extended Essay/EE: A 4,000-word mini-thesis. You choose a topic that needs to be approved by IB (which is not very difficult). You get an advisor (an IB teacher preferably at your school, although you can also get access to one at another school through the Pamoja Education). Write about something you enjoy because you will be spending a lot of time on it. I loved British theatre and ended up writing mine about a revolution in post-WWII British theatre. #theatrenerd. I really encourage anyone who pursues an IB Diploma to take the Extended Essay seriously. I ended up receiving a full-tuition merit scholarship to USC’s School of Dramatic Arts program, and in my interview for the scholarship, I spoke passionately about my Extended Essay. I genuinely think my Extended Essay helped me get my scholarship. Creativity, Action, Service/CAS: A three-part project that forces you to get involved in extracurricular activities. Creativity, getting involved in something creative, learning an instrument, acting in a play, writing a short story, etc. As long as you can argue it is creative (since you have to do a report), you can use it as your creativity part. I acted in a few plays, which counted for my creativity hours. Action: Generally sports-related activity, sports in a wide sense (could be anything outdoorsy like rock-climbing or hiking). I played on my school’s varsity tennis team and that counted for my activity hours. Service: Think of this as traditional community service, you can volunteer to feed the homeless, host a fundraiser for brain cancer research, host a drive to collect prom dresses for Becca’s Closet, etc. Are Those All the Requirements to Get Your IB Diploma? No, you also need to hit certain score markers on your exams in order to get the diploma. You must score 24 points or more between all of your IB exams to get a diploma. If you score 24 points or more, you will receive your diploma if: All CAS requirements have been met. There is no "N" awarded for theory of knowledge, the extended essay, or a contributing subject. There is no grade E awarded for theory of knowledge and/or the extended essay. There is no grade 1 in any subject/level. There are no more than two grade 2s awarded (SL or HL). There are no more than three grade 3s or below awarded (SL or HL). Overall, there are no more than three grades 3 or below. At least 12 points have been gained on higher level subjects (for candidates who register for four higher level subjects, the three highest grades count). At least 9 points have been gained on standard level subjects (candidates who register for two standard level subjects must gain at least 5 points at standard level). The final award committee has not given the candidate a penalty for academic misconduct. How Difficult Is It to Meet These Standards? Well, the international IB Diploma Rate (The Diploma Rate is determined by the percentage of the students who receive IB diplomas out of those who were diploma candidates) is only 80%. So, about 20% of students, who complete the IB Curriculum outlined above, do NOT receive an IB Diploma. Also, the IB Diploma Rate varies drastically between schools (some have 95% diploma rates while others have less than 5% diploma rates), so I recommend contacting the IB school you are considering attending to find out their specific diploma rate. For more information on this, check out our article on Complete List of IB Schools in the USA, by State. What’s Next? Trying to figure out what extracurricular you should do? Learn more about participating in Science Olympiad, starting a club, doing volunteer work, and joining Student Government. Studying for the SAT? Check out our complete guide to the SAT. Taking the SAT in the next month? Check out our guide to cramming. Not sure where you want to go to college? Check out our guide to finding your target school. Also, figure out your target SAT score or target ACT score. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Bushs Failed War on Terror essays

Bush's Failed War on Terror essays As Vice President of the United States, Dick Cheney was at the center of Bushs "War on Terror." Along with then Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, he was the chief architect of the plan and attack against Saddam Hussein and Iraq. Cheney advised and convinced President George W. Bush to include Iraq in the administrative plans to retaliate after the 9/11 attacks in New York. Cheney and his staff supported the reliance on uncorroborated evidence and accepted this evidence as solid enough reason for waging the war on Iraq. In addition, Cheney was instrumental in obtaining the legal briefs from the Justice Department that empowered the President to wage war without the authorization of Congress. Cheney advocated the use of controversial interrogation techniques to obtain information that would link Saddam Hussein to the 9/11 attacks. In the documentary, Cheney and Rumsfeld supported a Pentagon-led alternative that resulted in their decision to invade Iraq. Cheney also was involved in securing controversial, secret legal opinions from the Justice Department that would grant President Bush unrestricted, broad authority to wage war without the consent of the U.S Congress. Cheney supported the use of enhanced combat and interrogation techniques against captured combatants. President Bushs fixation on invading Iraq was borne out of his distrust of Saddam Hussein. Bush stated in the documentary that Saddam was an evil man who gassed his own people. In reference to Saddam Hussein, Bush declared after the 9/11 attacks, that his administration would hunt down the Islamic fundamentalists and, those who harbour them. Bush believed that Saddam Hussein was providing support for Al-Qaeda. The intelligence information that was used as a predicate to the invasion was manipulated in order to justify the war. This invasion policy was hatched and promoted chiefly by Chen...

Basic elements of a photo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Basic elements of a photo - Essay Example Successful images depend on the basic elements of a photo that helps create emphasize about different aspects in the photo that the photographer wanted to bring forward. The main tools of a photo are line, form, design, shape, color, depth, lighting and symmetry. The photographer may pay attention to some of these elements depending on what he or she wants to emphasize. The picture does not necessarily need to include all these tools but can include one or two depending on the intentions of the photographer (Bowden 15).The above image employs particular elements of a picture that focuses the attention of the viewer to the main point that the photographer was bringing forward. The most vivid element is the symmetry, where the road is placed at the middle of the photo. A part from the road being at the central of the image, symmetry is brought about by the middle of the road that runs at the middle of the tarmac road dividing it into two halves. The use of symmetry helps to create stri king photos and create points of interest (Bowden 18). The other tool seen in the above photo is lines, which run through the tarmac road. The other lines are on side in the farms on both sides of the road. Lines help create a form of a picture that, in turn, brings about the body of the image. The lines above are horizontal, which brings about a feeling of restfulness, stability and permanency.Most photos have an aspect of color and the above photo is not an exceptional.

Tequila, Vodka, Rum and Cordials Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tequila, Vodka, Rum and Cordials - Assignment Example The paper tells that Spirits and Wine remain much more important on the dollar share basis. For the past five years, the consumption of spirits and wine has been growing significantly while the rate of beer consumption has been on the decrease. Through the same trend, spirit brands of Tequila, Vodka, Rum, and Cordials have grown significantly in their popularity and sales. Each of these spirit brands has its unique history, Tequila, Vodka, Rum, and Cordials are subject to produce through similar methods. Variations may only occur in the raw materials and the skills employed in creating these portables, but the basic stages involved in their production of all these spirits brands follow the same methods of production. Tequila, Vodka, Rum and Cordial's spirit brands have their distinctive character, distinctive aroma, and distinctive flavors. Vodka has a distinctive aroma, taste, and character that make it unique and original in the market. Rum, is popular in South America is produced through distillation from fermented molasses or sugarcane with its light flavor making it a unique drink in the market. Tequila gets its popularity from the flavors it has and being a drink of Mexican origin adds to its popularity. Cordials enjoy its popularity from its sweet taste with flavors of various botanicals. Since each of these spirits has their unique flavors and history, it gets the attention of the consumers and thus contributing to their growth in the market.

Are Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws Effective Research Paper

Are Sex Offender Registration and Notification Laws Effective - Research Paper Example Notifying the public about sex offenders whether they are imposing high or low risks, will lead to meddling with the treatment of the sex offenders, as a result deteriorating safety of the public. This also wastes funds which can be spent on those sex offenders who are precarious and are most likely to rebel. Under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act of 2006 (SORNA) all the states need to take on a unsympathetic policy that is the same for every sex offender regardless how dangerous they are or what the consequences may be, or else they will lose Byme Grant funds. The SORNA laws were passed with no hearings. This act was passed without consulting all the states and the laws in progress in the states were not thought about. Institutes that had knowledge in regard of sex offenders were not given any consideration; one can believe that it is not too late to review this faulty law. (Baron, 2008) Under the third part of the Adam Walsh Act which is a part of the Sex Offender Resgistration and Notification Act a cataloguing system was created for the sex offenders. A Tier I sex offender is different from the Tier II or Tier III sex offender. Sex offenders who come under Tier II are those offenders who are found guilty of committing such crimes that are against a minor, for example sex trafficking, bullying, transporting with the intention to get the minor involved in some criminal sexual activity, violent sexual contact, using the minor to perform some sexual presentation, asking a minor to get involved in prostitution or using the minor for pornography. Tier III sex offenders are those offenders who are found guilty of committing criminal acts of maddened sexual violence, sexual abuse, violent sexual contact against a minor below the age of thirteen or kidnapping of the minor. (Wright, 2008)

Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Business Plan - Assignment Example K2 Fitness aims at supporting a healthy lifestyle for the people of United States and also to make available them with a comfortable, clean and judgment free place where they can pursue an active lifestyle. Offering low membership costs and extending opening hours have been issues of concern that will help the company register more members.  Their mission is to become the  leading health fitness provider within United States and beyond. Geared towards improving the health of the health conscious people in the United States, K2 provides a variety of equipment to its members for both cardio and strength training. The company has provided televisions on the cardio machines  with ports  to allow the health conscious to plug in headphones and tune to the television or radio station that they want to listen. The company also provides services such as massage, health and fitness training and providing cools drinks to its customers. Its slogan of judgment free zone coupled with its low monthly membership costs has enabled the company to get many customers joining to be members in the company. On demographic bases, the company targets people aged between 40-60 years because these people tend to grow old and may not be at a position to involve themselves in activities that help improve their health. Moreover, it targets the female gender more than the male gender. The company views this gender to be inactive when it comes to issues with maintenance of a fit and healthy body. They have the view that this gender leads a comfortable lifestyle in which they do not get their bodies involved in co-curricular activities. According to Dibb, & Simkin, (2008), considering that the willing customers located in a large populated area guarantees the company high profit. Psychographic system of targeting the customers puts K2 Fitness Company at a better position  by targeting customers using this system.  They give them the intuition that if they have any health complications that

Kenya Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Kenya - Essay Example Most of the arts and crafts made from woodcarvings, kisii soapstones and clay. The arts, jewellery, traditional clothes, and crafts signify decoration, adornment and traditional lifestyles of the communities (Sobania 22). Ethnic communities like Samburu, Turkana and Maasai prefer physical beauty in their artistic expressions. Samburu and Maasai communities wear traditional dressings that are decorated with traditional beads and animal skins. The decoration beads signify social status and different stages of passage and initiation. In addition, Maasai morans (men in early adult stage) are expected to carry cultural rungus (clubs) and wrist knives. The Kamba ethnic community is internationally known for its wood crafting skills and traditional kiondos (baskets). The Kisii ethnic community practice soapstone handcrafting from locally quarried soapstone and some items carved includes soap dishes, ashtrays and egg cups. Some of the places that visitors can find cultural artifacts include Nairobi gallery, Nairobi National museum, Gedi ruins, Nairobi railway museum, Fort Jesus, the Bomas of Kenya, Banana hill art gallery, and Karen Blixen Museum that is owned by Baron Blixen (Sobania 56). Kenya has numerous globally recognized films and accomplished filmmakers. Some Hollywood films filmed in Kenya include the snows of Kilimanjoro that features Gregory Peck and Out of Africa Hollywood’s film that features Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. Other international films that feature Kenya include Bob Rafelson’s mountains of the moon, German’s nowhere in Africa and BBC’s big cat diary. The rich savannas, Great Rift Valley, dense forests and glacial mountains offer unique locations for filming internationally recognized films such as US TV series like Survivor Africa and constant gardener. Kenyan has a strong oral and literature traditions that pass to generations through poems, plays and books by reputable Kenyan writers (Saffer 78). Many poets revo lve around early ancestors, folk stories and colonial influence in the country. One of the best-known poets is Ngugi wa Thiong’o whose work is based on struggle for independence and subsequent dictatorial regimes in the country. For instance, his work on weep not child and wizard of the crow has attracted him global recognition. Kenya has a variety of music and dances that are associated with different ceremonial occasions. The Maasai sing traditional dances during occasions such as thanks giving, and initiation ceremonies. The Luhya people have the Isukuti dance that entails drum beating and blowing animal horns during cultural festivals such as bull fighting (Pateman 256). The Chuka and Kamba tribes have a distinctive dancing style that involves beating drums clasped between the thighs and acrobatic dancing while Kikuyu people have the Mugithi dance (Sobania 89). The Luo people dances include the ohangla music that comprises some beats borrowed from Congolese lingala and be nga music. Internationally recognized musicians include Fadhili Williams, Daudi Kabaka and Eric Wainaina. Different communities in Kenya have different cuisine. However, cultural communities prefer boiling, steaming and roasting their traditional foods such as Nyama Choma meat. Coastal communities prefer fish while tribes living in mountains prefer tubers, arrowroots, cassava and cereals (Pateman 223). Nomadic ethnic groups like Maasai still eat raw cattle milk, raw blood and raw meat preserved

Business Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Business Plan - Assignment Example K2 Fitness aims at supporting a healthy lifestyle for the people of United States and also to make available them with a comfortable, clean and judgment free place where they can pursue an active lifestyle. Offering low membership costs and extending opening hours have been issues of concern that will help the company register more members.  Their mission is to become the  leading health fitness provider within United States and beyond. Geared towards improving the health of the health conscious people in the United States, K2 provides a variety of equipment to its members for both cardio and strength training. The company has provided televisions on the cardio machines  with ports  to allow the health conscious to plug in headphones and tune to the television or radio station that they want to listen. The company also provides services such as massage, health and fitness training and providing cools drinks to its customers. Its slogan of judgment free zone coupled with its low monthly membership costs has enabled the company to get many customers joining to be members in the company. On demographic bases, the company targets people aged between 40-60 years because these people tend to grow old and may not be at a position to involve themselves in activities that help improve their health. Moreover, it targets the female gender more than the male gender. The company views this gender to be inactive when it comes to issues with maintenance of a fit and healthy body. They have the view that this gender leads a comfortable lifestyle in which they do not get their bodies involved in co-curricular activities. According to Dibb, & Simkin, (2008), considering that the willing customers located in a large populated area guarantees the company high profit. Psychographic system of targeting the customers puts K2 Fitness Company at a better position  by targeting customers using this system.  They give them the intuition that if they have any health complications that

Bugatti (Veyron) Marketing Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bugatti (Veyron) Marketing - Case Study Example The company has some exclusive strategies which add to the brand value and creates strong brand equity in the customer mind. If a potential buyer is deemed serious enough to buy the car then the company brings in Pierre-Henri Raphanel , grand prix driver, to give the potential customer a test drive. Also the company keeps on bringing out ‘Special edition’ models like the EB 16.4 Veyron pur Sang, Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermes or the EB 16.4 Veyron Sang Noir. The company depends on various environmental forces, which affect its business. Competitor might produce technologically superior products or the prevailing economic rescission might have some effects on sales, though its buyers are comparatively less affected by it. Though the company has strong and powerful competitors in the shape of marquee names like Mercedes, Porsche, Lamborghini and others, yet the fact that Bugatti produces the fastest and the most expensive car in the world creates huge brand pull for the com pany and helps in adding an exclusivity factor to its positioning. The Bugatti brand and therefore the Bugatti Veyron brand follows core values of elegance, exclusivity, power and excellence in design. One of the foremost and prominent strategies of the brand has been to focus on exclusivity of the brand. The fact that it is the fastest and the most expensive car on the planet is itself a strong marketing pitch for the brand. Moreover form time to time the company has focused on coming out with exclusive special version Veyrons like the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermes, EB 16.4 Veyron pur Sang or the Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermes. Another strategic move has been to expand its brand value by introducing the Bugattio Collection which consists of car accessories and fashion items, which are designed by equally exclusive and world famous artistes or designers (Displaying timeless style and elegant details , while

Literary Criticism of Uncle Toms Cabin Essay Example for Free

Literary Criticism of Uncle Toms Cabin Essay Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Toms Cabin in order to persuade the readers that slavery was bad. Her Christian views led her to do this and depict her characters as every-day life as she could and not be too over dramatic about everything that happened. Her story could be interpreted as a non-fiction if the reader does not know the history of it all, because she uses a very subtle approach to get to reader through making all events in the book seem very real as if she had really seen them. Stowes relationship with the book is that the book are her thoughts through a story. Not just any thoughts, but her abolitionist views and how much she disagreed with slavery. Stowe not only uses the book as a whole to convince of slaverys evils. She uses individual characters and their journies (emotional, physical, etc.) to get into the readers head and make everything believable to the point where one thinks that the book is non-fiction.. She doesnt use a very abrupt way of getting her message across. She tells things like they are. Not all southerners are evil, and northerners arent angels either. Every scene that Stowe needs to, persuades the reader that slavery is evil and non-Christian. Uncle Tom, the protaganist of this book, is used by Stowe to introduce slaves as not being ignorant, rag-wearing, illiterate people. Tom is a pious fellow as stated by Arthur Shelby: No; I mean, really, Tom is a good, steady, sensible, pious fellow. (Pg.4). Stowe also shows that Shelby is a good man himself, by showing that he actually cared for his slaves, and didnt treat them like objects. But, you could get a bit confused by Shelby when he showcases Elizas little boy to Mr. Haley as if he were some type of circus act, Now, Jim, show this man how you can dance and sing. (Pg.5). By giving two different views of Shelby at such an arly stage of the book, one cant really get a grasp on whether or not he really has sentiment, until further on in his and Mr. Haleys conversation. Mr. Haley, on the other hand is shown to be a wanna-be higher class type of man: He was a short, thick-set man, with coarse, commonplace features, and that swaggering air of pretension which marks a low man who is trying to elbow his way upward in the world. (Pg.3). Haley also seems to be a man who is very persuasive to get what he wants, but seems to make hollow promises: Howsomever, Ill do the very best I can in gettin Tom a good berth; as to my treatin on him bad. you neednt be a grain afeard. If theres anything that I thank the Lord for, it is that Im never noways cruel. (pg.33). When the reader is first introduced to Haley, he seems to be a kind slave trader who only wants Shelby to give him slaves, because of a debt. But, he decieves the reader, and ends up being a man that mistreats his slaves often through violence. The first a reader gets to see of Haleys ill-mannered side is when he has found out that Eliza has escaped with her son Harry (the child that was to be sold to him). Haley is enfuriated and cariies himself in an awful manner: I say now, Shelby, this yers a most extrornary business! said Haley, as he abruptly entered the parlor. It seems that gals off, with her young un.' (Pg.44). Even though it might not be much to read of somebody yelling, this incident does open the door for much more disastrous occurances further in the book. Elizas escape is not the beginning. Eliza Harris plays an enormous role that makes the reader think and also sympathize. Eliza is a young, beautiful, courageous slave. But nor only is she a slave. She is a mother and wife also. Elizas biggest part in the book is when she shows the reader what maternal attachments influence a woman to do when she knows her child will be taken from her. After discovering that her son is going to be sold to a slave trader in order to pay a debt, she decides that the only reasonable thing to do is take him, and escape so she can be by her childs side and never be separated from him. She consults Tom, and he says that he will not fight the decision made by his master to be sold, but he encourages his friend to, so she will not be away from her son. Eliza leaves and heads towards the Ohio river and Haley is looking for her. But, two slaves that Mr. Shelby sends with him to guide him lead him the wrong way to stall, but somehow ended up crossing paths with her and alert her. Once this happens. one of the biggest scenes in the book is shown: The huge green fragment of ice on which she alighted pitched and creaked as her weight came on it, but she staid there not a moment. With wild cries and desperate energy she leaped to another and still another cake; stumbling-leaping-slipping-springing upwards again! Her shoes are gone-her stockings cut from her feet-while blood marked every step; but she saw nothing, felt nothing, till dimly, as in a dream, she saw the Ohio side, and a man helping her up the bank. (Pg.62). Stowe draws a vivid image through her writing of this scene, of a mothers struggle to keep sons life with her and not in the hands of anybody else. Struggle is also seen, not just for life, but for what was morally right as a Christian. Senator John Bird was one of the people who voted in favor of the Fugitive Slave Act, clearly showing that he was not about to help any type of runaway slaves. But, his wife was a very Christian woman with morality that ran through her veins, and she lived by the Bible. Her struggle was to convince her husband that slavery was wrong and he should not agree with the law passed, because the Bible says that good will to all men was a must. Mrs. Bird informs, Now, John, I dont know anything about politics, but I can read my Bible; and there I see that I must feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and comfort the desolate. (Pg.82). By this, the reader has already been influenced positively and negatively by so many of the characters that Stowe brings into this well thought out persuasive piece of art. Christianity was what influenced her, and powered her abolitionist views. It led her to take abolitionism into her own hands, and educate the country (and in hopes, the world) of how negative slavery was. Being raised in a very strict Presbyterian home, she was taught all about the value of life through the gospel. Stowes religious views were imprinted into her mind and soul, and they set a path for her. Her path was to enlighten the southerners that agreed with slavery and were cruel to the people they held captive to do their bidding. Uncle Toms Cabin was written in response to the acts passed against slavery (e.g. Fugitive Slave Act). Each page of the story contains journey, experience, growth, development, and so much more with each and every character. With her characters, she uses them as her source of persuasion of the views opposite from the southern views. Stowe doesnt come straight out and say, Slavery is evil! Dont agree with it! She is very implicit with spreading her outlook on slavery (even though it is known that she is an abolitionist). Characters such as Quakers seem to invoke Harriet Beecher Stowe as a whole, for the simple fact that they are just as she was. Quakers are religious persons that helped slaves, because the Bible said they should help anybody and everybody that needed help. All the characters talked about before, seem to also take Stowes viewpoints. Even her bad guys have her point of views too. If you think about it, all that she is against is embodied in the slave traders and evil southerners of the book. Stowe does a phenomenal job of taking all her abolitionist views and putting it on paper, and conveying her deepest hates for slavery in such a well thought work of art. Her persuasion is easily seen through her characters. They grab you, shake you, and bring tears to your eyes. Stowe seems to know how to get into peoples heads. She does it just like when you have a set of headphones on and youre listening to your favorite song, and it sticks with you forever.

Domestic Marketing And International Marketing Marketing Essay

Domestic Marketing And International Marketing Marketing Essay Tesco operates globally; in addition to UK it operates in Republic of Ireland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey and Poland. Tesco also operates in Asian market which includes; South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Japan and Taiwan. Tesco performance is highly influenced by the above countries government legislations including EU. For operating in these countries, Tesco has to develop the job opportunities for the local people in order to grow the business in these countries. Economic: Like any other organisation the Tesco is also influenced by economic factors, one of the most influential factors is a high unemployment level in the market, which has effectively decreases the demand for many products. These economic factors are externally generated and is not in companys control, but the effect of these economic factors are on performance and marketing mix of the organisation. Tesco is expanding internationally and expecting to contribute great amount to tescos profit but still highly dependent on UK market. Social/Cultural factors: Due to current trends of market customers have moved to One-Stop and bulk shopping practice which is in response of variety of social changes. In result of this change Tesco has increased the amount of non-food products available for sale. The existing demographic changes where there is an increase in female workers and result in decline the home meal preparation the Tesco focused on added value products and services for the customers. Customers are becoming more health conscious and their attitude towards the food is constantly changing, the example is increase demand of organic products. Technological: Technology is a major macro-environmental factor which has influenced the production and development of many products of Tesco. This benefits both customer and the organisation in shape of goods are readily available, personalised services and convenient shopping experience. Due to launch of Efficient Consumer Response the Tesco stores are utilising the following technologies; Wireless devices Intelligent scale Electronic shelf labelling Self checkout machine Radio frequency identification Environment: One of the main societal issue which has affected and threatening the food retailers was environmental issues, the core area for the organisation to act in a social responsible way. Due to these ethical stance Tesco social responsibility is concerned with the ways that an organisation exceeds the minimum stakeholders specified obligations by regulation and corporate governance. Tesco focuses on the strategy for sustainable consumption and production of cut waste and reduce the consumption of resources to minimise the environmental damage. Legislative: Like any other organisation Tesco is not free of Governments various legislations and policies which directly influence the Tesco performance. For example The Food Retailing Commission, has suggested the enforcement of Code of Practice has banned many current practices of Tesco. In order to apply the politically correct pricing policies, Tesco offers consumers price reduction on fuel purchases based on the amount spent on groceries at its stores. Segmentation, targeting and positioning model of Tesco: Market Segmentation: It is process through which the organisations identify the different portions of the market according to how the market will respond to various products and services features. Segmenting any market is a vital part for any organisation to identify their customer needs and wants. Tesco has entered the market with a range of segmented products and services based on demographic, geographic, psychographic and behavioural. The reason for dividing the market into small segments is to address the needs and wants of smaller groups based on various factors and to produce according the consuming habits of the buyers. Tesco has segmented the market in such a way, which covers all kind of population regardless of social, aging, gender and environment. Tesco has segmented the market by providing food and non-food products to the buyers to give options to everyone. Targeting: Tesco entered to the market with the range of options including targeted to the richer (Tesco finest) and poorer end (Tesco value) ends of the market, which has taken significant number of customers from Sainsbury. Tesco has also targeted to the multi-cultural customers; for instance, by providing Indian currys food which has increased the number of customers in Tesco by having an option of food variety. Positioning: Positioning plays an important role when attracting customers, this is a process where customers build an image of the brand and are able to understand the uniqueness of the particular brand or product when compare to the other brands or products. Tesco has positioned its markets through different ways; for instance, Tesco Extra larger market, Tesco supermarket sized standard large supermarket, Tesco metro in between Tesco express and Tesco supermarket, Tesco Express neighbourhood convenience store. Tesco is large organisation providing every kind of product to the customers and opened in every town that is convenient for everyone. Select two products in different markets and make justified recommendations for which market segments should be targeted. There are number of alternate products that consumer buy due to their cultural and religion reasons. If we take an example of meat and halal meat to justify why market segments should be targeted. Taking into account that there are many multinationals lives in the UK from different cultural and religion background. Tesco is providing a wide range of food products which also includes the meat. Considering the segmentation when we divide the market into small segments to justify and fulfil the needs of consumers its very important to look into what type of markets organisations are targeting based on the demographic and behavioural aspect. Some of the markets targeted are based on muslim community who do not eat pork and the meat providing the stores are not halal, considering the fact that not every customer is buying a meat just due to the religious reasons the organisations should target the local market where they segment the products. If Tesco segment the market in such a way that fulfil the locals requirement it will be more effective to the organisation to target the market. The prime example is Asda, inspite that it is also one of the superstore it provides the halal meat for those who can not buy meat because of religious reasons. They feel comfortable to go to Asda and do the meat purchase. Considering this example the organisations should target the markets through segmentation. Select two different buying situations and explain how buyer behaviour affects the marketing activities. Explaining the situation where buyer behaviour affects the marketing activities the tobacco is a prime example of certain situations where customers prohibits the smoking and banned the advertisement which influences the youngsters. The buying behaviour has changed the marketing activities since the policies about the sale of tobacco came into effect. In any store the tobacco is not sold unless the consumer is above 16 years old. This restriction has changed the marketing terminologies for the suppliers. Propose new positioning for a selected product/service. Launching any new product or service it is very important that the organisation has done the marketing process. Understanding the customer needs and wants is very important to conduct the research and design the strategies to fulfil the market demand. When positioning any product of service there are number of factors involve to consider, from which the cultural and religion factors are key areas. When position any product in the market it is very important to understand the cultural and social values of the targeting market. For example as we have discussed earlier that muslim community go for halal food, similar to successfully positioning the market in India the organisation needs to make sure that providing the vegetarian products to the consumers. Task 3 The extended marketing mix: The marketing mix model is used as a tool to assist in defining the marketing strategies to the marketers. Some marketing mix models follow the 7 Ps but we consider only 4 Ps which are most common variables used in constructing a marketing mix that includes; price, product, place and promotion. In context of Tesco, its entry in Chinese market should adapt to the culture of the customers in the China. However, the company should keep itself on the organisations own policies and grounds. Product: considering the Chinese market, once the Tesco take control of their shops the management should set off their strategies by marketing their products in such a way to boost the companys market presentation and market share. Tesco needs to consider revising their strategies and models of their products to provide Chinese customers what they need and want. By developing such strategies to customise the products to fulfil local requirements Tesco will build its image in Chinese territory. Price: by looking at Tesco situation, as its an established super store but launching in Chinese market one way is to acquire the cost advantages by enhancing the efficiencies process, expanding the large suppliers contacts on lower cost materials. If the rival super markets will be incapable to lower their costs of products by a comparable quantity, the chances for Tesco to sustain a competitive advantage anchored cost leadership. Place: placing the product with attractive price is very important for an organisation. since Tesco is placing its products in Chinese market to develop its successful operations it should make an investments in store expansions in low-income areas. Through this the Tesco will be able to open sites in economically disadvantage areas in China and this will enable the company to gain the trust of local luminaries favour from the local government by providing employment to the locals. Promotion: Tesco should constitute the approach, which is based on long-term strategic plan that centres on generating value to expand the loyalty of their customers. Tesco should not only strapping in non-food as food products and services but also establishing and extending the long-term good relationship with the consumers by ensuring a competent provision of its products and services. Task 4: Plan marketing mix for two different segments in consumer markets: As market segmentation is the process of dividing a total market into market groups consisting of people who have relatively similar product need. The market mix of various market segments sometime vary. The organisations have to customise the prices and features of the products according to the needs and wants of the target market segments. The 4 Ps are the parameters of marketing that the manager has to control, depend on internal and external constraints of the marketing environment. Applying the marketing mix into two different segments is one of marketing managers role. Through applying the customise marketing mix according to the market segments give an organisation a competitive advantage to attract the local buyers. The objective of marketing mix is to make a decision that centres the four Ps on the customers in the target market in order to create perceived value and generate a positive response. Segmenting Indian market: If we segment Indian market, we have to consider all the variable factors involved in making marketing mix decisions, as India is one of the emerging markets in the economy the marketing mix decisions will be base on all the pestle factors as well as swot analysis. Product decision: Product refers to tangible or physical product as well as services. When taking the product decision to segment Indian market one should consider the following: Brand name Functionality Quality Packaging Warrantly Styling Above are some of factors to be consider while making product decision. When segmenting an Indian market, we should consider the cultural and social environment of the country also the localities where we open the stores. What kind of audience we are targeting to segment the product. Is it based on age, cultural or belief factors. Price decision: Pricing is also one of the important element, when segmenting the Indian market the marketing manager has to consider following aspects; Pricing strategy Suggested retail price Cash and early payment discounts Bundling Price flexibility Price discrimination When look at Indian market, we should consider the fact either introduce the pricing strategy based on skimming or penetration, again depends on what type of audience we are the targeting. Place decision: Distribution is about getting the products to the customer. When targeting Indian market we need to consider the following channels; Distribution channels Market coverage Inventory management Warehouse Distribution centres Transportation Order processing Promotion decision; Promotion represents the various aspects of marketing communication that circulates the information about the product with the objective of generating a positive customer response. Making decisions to do product promotion in India one need to consider what strategy should be adopted. It includes: Promotional strategy Advertising Personal selling and sales force Sales promotions Publicity Marketing communication budget The differences in marketing products and services to business rather than consumers: The difference between the two concepts is that business marketing tends to concentrate on the sales of goods and services between businesses on the other hand consumer marketing is to concentrate on the sale of goods and services to the end consumers. The way reaching the business customers needs to be different than approaching consumers. Business to business usually use the direct marketing methods where as end consumers uses indirect method of marketing; Business to Business marketing approach: Networking Selling Tenders/proposal Presentation Seminars Telemarketing Consumers marketing approach: Advertising Signs Media relations Sponsorship Website Word of mouth The difference between domestic marketing and international marketing: International marketing is facing more complex environment. Domestic marketing is conducted in the country of resident and faced corresponding structure of market environment is relatively simple, which consist of the familiar factors to companies, such as domestic political, economic, legal, cultural, environmental and legal issues. However international marketing is facing more complex environments, its a market with multi-level structure and inevitably be subjected to the world market environment including worlds political, military, economic, technological and other aspects.

Londons Social Class in Robert Louis Stevenson Strange Case of Dr. Jek

London's Social Class in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde One Victorian sentiment was that a civilized individual could be determined by her/his appearance. This notion was readily adopted by the upper classes and, among other things, helped shape their views of the lower classes, who certainly appeared inferior to them. In regards to social mobility, members of the upper classes may have (through personal tragedy or loss) often moved to a lower-class status, but rarely did one see an individual move up from the abysmal lower class. Although poverty could be found almost anywhere in Victorian London (one could walk along a street of an affluent neighborhood, turn the corner, and find oneself in an area of depravity and decay), most upper-class Londoners, who tended to dwell in the West End, associated the East End with the lower class. Writers like Henry Mayhew (London Labour and the London Poor) and Jack London (The People of the Abyss), and artists like Gustave Dore (London) and John Thomson (Street Life in London) - all chroniclers of the desperate conditions of those in the East End - helped enlighten many around world - particularly those who lived just beyond the permeable boundaries of that notorious area - as to the needs of the city's unfortunate members of society. Their works called out - whether directly or indirectly - for some sort of radical social reform, but there was little immediate response. The East End continued throughout the 19th century to exist as a symbol for the deterioration of society and the degeneration of humanity. In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the reader is given vivid (and often depressing) images of London's East End: Two doors from one corner. . . the line was broken by the e... ... desires (i.e., sexual opportunities). Those like Jekyll, however, who were of the upper classes and who harbored secret and socially forbidden desires, nonetheless had to control these desires in order to maintain an elite appearance. As Henrik Hansen notes, "A man was considered to be civilized if he was able to repress the animal instincts within him. . . and the Victorian elite could thus claim to be more civilized than the lower classes" (par. 2). The novel, then, can be perceived as a commentary not only on the distinctions between these sides of London but also on the hypocrisy of the upper-class men who struggled to conceal their homosexuality and who, in spite of whatever rhetoric they spoke among their class against the End End, sought to fulfill their lusts in areas like Soho and Regent Street - where their anonymity would be almost certainly secured.

The Outcast in Mark Twains The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Essay

Life as an Outcast in Huckleberry Finn One of the themes that has been addressed by writers since the beginning of civilization is the issue of the split between living in society and living by oneself. We see this in that peculiarly American genre of books known as "road books", in which the protagonist embarks upon a long journey or period of time away from society in order to "find themselves." One of the quintessential examples of this type of book is Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, technically a "river book" rather than a "road book". In it, as in many "road books" before and since, spending a long period of time away from society allows the protagonist to see the difference between the rules of mainstream society and the freedom of the wilderness. Through his journey, Twain illustrates the futility of living within society as contrasted to the freedom of being an outcast. It is interesting that Huck's morals are much stronger when he is on the river than on the shore. Huck's "attacks of conscience" only occur on the river. For ex...

Better Than Essay Essay

Education is one of the most important factors that determine where we go and succeed in life. While private schools have a limited acceptance rate, public schools by law are to accept all children. Public schools have a larger variety of subjects available than most private schools. There are many reasons why public schools are better than private schools. Even though attending a private school may seem luxurious and prestigious, the reasons why most people choose public schools over private schools is because it saves money, education is guaranteed, offers a variety of programs, teaches students responsibility and independence, and prepares individuals to be critical thinkers. A reason why most people believe that public schools are better than private schools is because there is no cost for school tuition. Public schools allow free education, which enables everyone to have the equal opportunity to be educated. Instead of paying thousands of dollars on education in a private school , most parents choose to save that money to pay for their child’s college tuition. Attending a private school can be very costly, for example Oaks Christian’s school tuition is approximately $30,000 a year. The cost of attending that school is just about the same price as attending a college or a university. There are families who struggle with the economy and are put under difficult financial situations. This makes it difficult for the parents to pay for their child’s high school and college. This is one of the greatest advantages about public schools. The main purpose of public schools is to educate everyone. In 2001, the United States Congress reauthorized the No Child Left Behind Act. This act included Title 1, which is the government’s aid program for the disadvantaged students. This act makes sure that no child is left behind from education. The act also requires the state to develop assessments in basics skill that is given to each child in different grade levels. There are multiple families who come from different countries that place t heir child into a public school. The child cannot be denied the right of education due to law and obtains the equal rights of education just like  everyone else. While most private schools have certain requirements for a child to be accepted into the school, public schools ensure that every student is given education. There are multiple programs for all different types of students who attend a public school. There are programs for children with specials needs and disabilities, which allows them to have opportunities like others. Sparkles, which is a national special needs cheerleading program offered at most public schools, allows those who are disabled to feel like they belong and are a part of the student body. However, at private schools they offer a limited number of classes available that one can take, while public schools have a wide range of classes that one can choose from. A great thing about public schools is that they offer different level courses, which allows students to challenge themselves and discover what they are capable of doing by going the extra mile. While in school, kids with special needs and disabilities have the opportunity to have teachers who can work with them individually and help them grow as a student as well as an individual. There are a number of programs such as Data, Honors, IB and AP classes that are available to students who are interested in challenging themselves academically. Public schools deliver real world surroundings with an environment that is much more diverse. Students are more prepared and have a sense of adult life in a public school setting. Most private school classes are small, which gives each child the individual attention they need. From prior experience, a teacher at a private school gives much more attention to students than needed. The guidance that they give towards the students are not particularly helping, but preventing one from taking responsibility and retaining independence. Teachers at a private school have a closer watch on their students’ day to day actions and are concerned with how students should act in a certain way. In public schools, kids are left to distinguish on what is right and wrong. This helps students become more mature young adults and requires students to take responsibility for their own actions. In public schools, students are exposed to greater ideas that allow them to be more creative. Public schools help students figure out who they are as a person individually. While attending a private school, there are certain requirements and standards on how a student should be. There are more strict rules and regulations, which keeps students away from obtaining  outside knowledge. There is not a great amount of creativity and everyone is expected to act and behave a certain way in a private school. Religion is one of the huge aspects that shape the school’s view. Everyone is expected to follow and obtain the same beliefs, whereas a public school, it is based on your point of view. While parents are paying for their child to obtain a greater education with much needed help and care, it is also hurting the child academically from gaining their own knowledge and independence. Due to a public school class size compared to a private school, students have teachers who are constantly available to help and assist each individual. Compared to a public school class, students in a private school class are being spoon-fed by teachers, who attempt to help students succeed but are actually not enabling students to think on their own. Even though public schools have a substantial amount of students compared to private schools, this allows students to be more exposed to the school environment and to be more critical thinkers. Later in your adult life, it is up to you to make wise decisions. No one is going to tell you what is wrong and right. Public and private schools are very discrete from each other. In life, everyone is faced with various obstacles that require making right decisions with a great sense of responsibility. With the exposure to a diverse community and place of creativity, it will help prepare you towards your road to success and to become a critical thinker in the future. These are reasons to consider why attending a public school is so much better than a private school. It teaches you to have self-determination and to become a successful individual.

Analysis of Pawn Stars

Pawn Stars is a show set in a pawnshop in Las Vegas. The show goes through a day in the life of the workers. It shows all of the interesting people and items that walk through the door, and tells us a little of the history behind them. In the show pawn stars the coding and other elements in the background have a very profound effect on the show as a whole. All of the elements of the show can be broken down by the TAP model, which has three main elements text, production and audience. In the show the characters never look at the camera while they are buying and selling in the shop.The point of view is from a third person bystander. This is to give the feel that the cameraman and crew have no part in the day to day life of the characters. This third person view is broken however in the interviews and asides that the characters have. Most of the sellers of extravagant strange or expensive items are interviewed about there items using the outside as a backdrop to give the feel that the i nterview was very informal as they were walking up to the shop. The guys in the pawnshop are also interviewed. In which they give us specific information about the history of the objects and their opinions.It is all portrayed in a way to show that the guys who work at the pawn shop are very knowledgeable while the public is not. Every episode seems to be about one day at the pawnshop. They take all of the more interesting customers and objects from the previous week or month and put them into one day. They also have flash backs to earlier in the day, the lighting is different for these scenes, as they are more of a sepia color to signify the time difference. The lighting for most of the show is bright and welcoming, like they are encouraging you to walk right in.The music in Pawn Stars also takes a huge role in setting the mood. You have intense suspenseful music when Rick or one of the guys is negotiating, that then switches to happy music once an agreement is made. The element of music has made a huge impact on the more recent episodes as the producers strive to make the show more interesting, to attract more viewers. In previous episodes the coding was more low key, allowing the show to have more straight facts with out all of the drama. The opposite is now true in more recent episodes.Pawn stars is clearly a â€Å"reality show† while the facts and artifacts are real the sellers and every thing else for the most part is staged. There is a huge difference in the show’s dynamic when it first came out and where it is today. Originally it was simple and to the point there was very little drama and the show focused on the neat artifacts and collectibles being bought and sold at the shop. But over time they ran out of â€Å"real† costumers bringing in one of a kind collectibles. So they cheated a little by bringing in actors and merchandise.The level of drama and interactions or little quarrels outside the business has increased. Most new epi sodes have at least one very disgruntled customer or seller swearing at the camera and running off. There has been so much more drama and suspense added in in order to increase their viewers. A quick internet search shows its possible to get just about anything with the Pawn Stars logo on it, they even have short video games and books related to it. The main purpose of the show is to make money by maximizing profits with out losing viewers.The original audience for the show was the typical History Channel audience, male viewers. But in order to get more viewers they have taken a more true reality TV approach, put as much drama as possible in it to make it suspenseful and interesting. I do not like this approach and typically do not like shows that have so much â€Å"fake† drama. This TAP model is a great way to break down a media form into its basic elements in order to fully understand it I will never look at TV shows or other media the same way again.

Mills-pennisula radiology program Personal Statement

Mills-pennisula radiology program - Personal Statement Example I have a strong passion for working at the hospital but I have not been able to achieve my objectives due to some licensing issues. I write to ask for your kind consideration since this is the only program that can help me reach my goal of becoming a radiology technologist. This is also in consideration of the fact that my dream of becoming a qualified and registered radiologist and to practice in this area wholly depends on my ability to work and be awarded a well recognized certificate from a reputable institution. Before joining MRI school, I worked with the United Airline for more than 9 years in different positions. For instance, I worked at the customer service where I interacted with the clients for quite some time before being promoted to the position of customer service supervisor. In this position, I was able to gain some skills such as management skills that involve being able to mobilize resources in order to ensure the organization achieves its targets. This position also involved interacting with the clients, and therefore my social interaction skills were greatly improved considering the fact that I need to have good communication skills. Due to my high adaptability and flexible nature, I was further promoted to the position of resource supervisor. Working in this position made me learn vital management skills; it made me learn how to manage resources such as time, materials, and people. I was entrusted with all the organizational responsibilities, all of which I was able to carry out effectively. Carrying out these responsibilities improved my leadership skills, communication skills, and my ability to lead and supervise subordinates effectively. I have also learned how to run projects from the planning stage to their completion since the organization had some projects to complete. I have also worked at the MRI clinic which gave me a realization that it means a great deal being in a

Court system in England and Wales Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Court system in England and Wales - Essay Example This provides the judge with an opportunity to grow his knowledge and expertise on the basis of the experience of hearing similar cases; this has supported his understanding of and familiarity with the subject matter. This procedure has saved out the time required by the previous judges to educate themselves for the variety of cases, the fundamental benefit of Specialist court is that it has reduced the duration of hearings, and reduced the costs for litigants, courts, and administrative staff. The procedure will develop the command and affiliation of a particular judge towards a particular issue and reference, the fact that the specialist judge is familiar with the particular area of law has frequently enabled the court to resolve and reach the conclusion at an early stage, through case management at a directions hearing, to ensure that only the core issues are pursued, and thus the reduction in the number of issues can be expected. (Graeme C. Moodie. The Government of Great Britain . 1961. Crowell. pp.241) The strong and comprehensive understanding of the respective judges with the case material has ensured greater consistency in the decision making phase, and the outcome of the proceedings is more predictable. This is especially important in certain fields, such as family law, where the ultimate decision usually requires the exercise of a discretionary judgment. The practice has resulted in the uniformity of decisions and verdicts; the uniformity of the decision is expected to further improve by judges having a collegiate association with each other. The consistency of the decision is required especially in family cases, where the court's decision may well impact forcefully on the parties. If such consistency of the decision is not reflected by the court, it is feared that people and families will develop lack of confidence in the court system, and subsequently the court's authority will dilute. (Edward Cazalet. Specialised courts: Are they a "quick fix" or a long-term improvement in the quality of justice A Case Study. 5th March, 2001) DEVELOPMENT OF CORPS OF SPECIALIST ADVOCATES The Court system of England and Wales, has recommended the establishment of Specialized Court, provided that there is sufficient amount of work, which will be followed by the development of a corps of specialist advocates. The purpose and existence of the court is compulsory, so as to assist and support the running court. Furthermore, the practice of the specialist court will enable the newly appointees of specialized court in identification of the important issues relevant to the case, and thereby give to the parties concerned a more informed prognosis about the outcome of the case. The Court system has further reduced the caseload of generalist courts, which are often overburdened. The specialist court is responsible for relieving the general court in case, a new legislation in particular field require thorough interpretation by the court. The specialist court is also responsible for ensuring that the mainstream of litigation is not impeded. (Philip Norton. The British Polity. 1984. Longman. pp.152) INCREASED MOMENTUM OF LITIGATION The adopted Court system has resulted in the increased momentum of litigation and saved costs. According to reports, the benefits of case management through the family court have been seen

Pizza home delivery business Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

Pizza home delivery business - Case Study Example Our Objective: The objectives of Pizza Home delivery are to generate a profit, grow at a challenging and manageable rate, and make a margin of 15% within the first year of operation. The long term objective is to expand and become and become a leading Pizza home delivery service within the UK The timing is right for starting this new venture. In phase of the collapse of the traditional family settings and the London Olympic coupled with stringent and 'difficult credit facilities offered by banks' regulations set forth by regulatory bodies, this firm has come to give its prospective clients just the services they much desire. The demand from our clients, as well as our ambition and passion for Pizza making business, and the procurement of highly professional and qualified chef, has made this venture one of great potential. Pizza home delivery is a new business venture. It is an establishment to be based in Cambridge the sole distribution of Pizza at peoples home a private home delivery Pizza service and restaurant for affluent young families (parents and children). A "third space" for mothers and fathers who can relax in their houses and with a phone call they are served. It would be positioned as a home away from home, without being too far away. There is no other offering in Cambridge, United Kingdom at the moment. It is a for-profit business that provides a range of tailored services to new and young families all under one roof. It is envisioned that the usage of the services will be working and busy people of all works of life within different age groups however when fathers/male carers use the restaurants and the facilities, they must feel comfortable, welcomed and entertained. We will provide three class of pizza and sizes, for individuals, family, and for parties. The Pizza home delivery services will be facilitated by our home delivery vans. The Market There is definitely a market opportunity for Pizza home delivery restaurant services. The size of the market right now in terms of finances is sitting at there are 2241 businesses within the ABS Classification of Interest Groups and over the last 4 years has experienced an average growth rate of 4%. The total revenue in for this industry has been estimated by an independent market analyst to be more than 1billion GBPs. In terms of customers there are more than 6,735 families living withing the target market Cambridge that comprise our target market; couples with young children under the age of 10 with a household take home income of over 750GBP per week on average. It is estimated that the potential market share will be 10% with projected member take up of 500 members in the first year due to pent up demand. Continued growth

Opportunity cost Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Opportunity cost - Essay Example Opportunity cast can them be defined as the act of forfeiting acquisition of a product or a service for utilization while in the same breadth opting for another that according to the prevailing circumstances you believe can best satisfy your need. Opportunity cost then is reached by an individual after weighing all the options in a circumstance and opting for only one, in this sense, it can be appreciated that the opportunity cost comes with the aspect of choice and scarcity in equal measure. The concept of the opportunity cost is a culmination of the major economic problem which involves the ever limited resources in the society and that needs to satisfy the ever increasing unlimited demand for the products and services. Economists thus are faced with the problem of deciding what product to be produced in what quantity by the limited recourses available to satisfy an envisaged demand. Opportunity cost can also take the aspect of time; demand and supply is all dependants and is affected by the time and thus opportunity cost can be effectively applied in reference to time (Ojediran 114). The video clip that was view and summarized in this paper explains the sense of opportunity cost. It considers the opportunity cost of travelling from state collage to Florida during spring break engaging a bus and the other engaging a plane. In the in-depth explanation of how to calculate the opportunity cost, Dirk takes his class through an integrated determination of opportunity cost by using empirical figures to clearly and vividly connote the essence of opportunity cost. He asks the class to determine the variables that will be considered in when gauging the opportunity cost of travelling from state collage to Florida and he advanced two options; a plane and a bus. He gets the response from the students that cost of the journey with reference to the two

Employee Training Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Employee Training - Term Paper Example Some of the main force that influence a company’s training and developments are: ‘economic cycle, globalization, additional emphasis on intangible assets and human capital, focus on link to business strategy, changing demographics and delivery of work force, talent management, customer service and quality management, new technology, high-performance work systems’ (Noe, 2010, p. 10). Influence of Technology on Employee Training: As it has been just seen, that one of the forces that can influence training and development of employees in an organization is new technology. The discussion, here, is about the influence of technology on employee training and development. A look around us will show how people are getting trained on/off-jobs by computers, i-pods, i-pads; and through internet. Therefore the impact of technology is mainly on delivery of training programs. Methods of training employees also have gone through many changes due to the advancement of technology. But use of technology also follow the same basic principles of learning as the traditional methods do . for example, technologies like multimedia, interactive software etc. ‘appeal to multiple senses and allow employees to pace themselves, receive feedback and reinforcement, and find information from experts on as need basis’ (Noe, 2010, p. 337). ... Training could be delivered anywhere: at office or at home, a distant location or at hometown. Technology has given freedom to the employees of choosing when or where they receive training. They can access their training materials on need basis. A simulation of work environment at the learning environment can make employees better equipped for their job. Keeping training records, documentations and other formalities involved in employee training and development could be taken care of by computers. This will cut a lot of paperwork and official activities. Employee’s progress in the training could be better monitored (Noe, 2010, p. 297). Influence of Technology on Learning Environment: The traditional classroom learning environment is linear and not as dynamic as the technology learning process. In the traditional learning process the instructors gives information to the learners; and practice and use of the information is done after the instruction process is finished. This lea rning environment includes only the trainers and the trainees, not the experts or the resources. The learners are passive and the instructors are active members. There is a one way communication from the trainer to trainees. The learners have to wait for the instruction to end to access the resource materials and the experts that is beyond their course material. The communication among the learners happens only outside the training environment. But in a technology based learning environment the training process is dynamic and multidirectional. Here, the learner plays an active role; and the instructor plays minor role. In this learning environment the resource matter and experts are also included. Internet has made a technology based learning environment possible. Internet

Effects of Christianity on Behaviour, Attitude and Lifestyle Essay Example for Free

Effects of Christianity on Behaviour, Attitude and Lifestyle Essay There could be no such things as prison in a truly Christian society. I think a truly Christian society is based on the life and teaching of Jesus, this means we must follow the 10 commandments and the gospel values. At the heart of Christian society there should be existence of love, forgiveness, mercy, justice to criminals. Jesus command was to Love your God, Love your neighbour and Love yourself. By obeying these commandments we are being Christ-like which is what the Christian society is all about. Forgiveness does not mean letting people walk all over you! But it is important. Christianity follows Jesus teaching in stressing that forgiveness is vital. It may be very hard, particularly for the victim of a crime. The Prodigal Son was a parable that showed forgiveness. The prison is the means to deliver the punishment, the denial of freedom. The convicted are imprisoned as a punishment, not for punishment. Her Majestys Prison Service serves the public by keeping in custody those committed by the courts. Our duty is to look after them with humanity and help them lead law abiding and useful lives in custody and after release. HM Prisons Services Mission Statement 1988. Three principles in prison craft: Security- to hold securely those sent to prison. Humanity- to treat prisoners with humanity, prisoners lose their liberty they should not lose their humanity. They are still human beings with the rights that their nature awards them. Assistance- to help make prisoners law abiding and give them useful lives. Prison can exist in a truly Christian society but not always, poor prison conditions do not lead to reform, they only serve to make prisoners worse. To become better people they need first and foremost their dignity, remember Jesus command to love self, this means having a good self-esteem. Prisoners have a right to feel safe, the opposite happened in Fletham Young Offenders Institution. March 2000, 19 year old Zahid Mubarek was beaten to death by his cellmate, Robert Stewart had a history of racist and violent behaviour. This evidence does not allow for fostering self-esteem or provide opportunities to rehabilitate. For prison to uphold Christian principles the reform of the offender is of paramount importance. Practical measures such as education, drink and drug therapy and counseling are required. There is evidence that education effects personal change in prisoners, not only through the acquisition of practical skills and knowledge, but also through fostering self-esteem and skills in communication. Mike Hart, Category A prisoner, killed a 20 year olds woman in an armed robbery. Whole in prison he become a born again Christian, and has worked on projects while inside to help young people be aware of what prison is really like in an attempt to turn young people away from the life of crime or potential crime. One such project, Better Out than In was a drama presentation re. The image of prisoners and prisons, depicting the harsh reality. How effective his work been, very difficult to assess but anecdotal evidence suggests that it is. There could and couldnt be such things as prison in a truly Christian society, it depends on the type of prison and what happens in the prison as to whether prison has a place in a truly Christian society. For prisons to co-exist in a truly Christian society they need to have therapeutic regime employed to rehabilitate the offender rather than punitive one. Not many people can uphold the mission statement, so it needs to be looked at and improved in order to fit into a Christian society. If we look ahead Christians today can also help reform prisoners like the Howard Penal League, where prisoners where able to reform by their help. During the 19th Century Elizabeth Fry Quaker who was a Christian went to prison to help rehabilitate criminals.

Holistic Development of a Child

Holistic Development of a Child Understanding how children develop is an important obligation for all those who work in early years practise. Practitioners need to develop an understanding of the implications of childrens developmental processes in order to meet individual needs. The key to this understanding is the development of skills in observing children and of interpreting those observations. Throughout the observations the aim is to compare their abilities to the norms of a child their age and to compare and analyse the results against what child development theorists have understood through relevant reading and understanding gained from experiences, also to explain how the characteristics of the child and features of his/her environment may interact to influence growth and development. A holistic approach to child development seeks to simultaneously address the physical, emotional, relational, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of a childs life. The importance of the Holistic Approach is that it Children learn different things at different stages, e.g. walking, talking, fine motor skills etc. Holistic development is the overall development of all areas of development in children. There are many proven techniques used in observing children. Depending on the reason for the observation some methods will relay the information more clearly, the observation that have been taken have been done in the free description written record method, checklists, web diagram. The free description is observed when a specific task is set, appropriate to the age and stage of development of the child. It is a description of an event unfolding face on, written in the present tense so that the reader can appreciate what has happened. The disadvantages are that may not be able to convey everything you see as it happens and sometimes it is difficult to keep up with what is happening and it may produce an unwieldy amount of information this can be seen in Appendix 1. Checklist or developmental guides are often used for assessing a child on one particular day, but can be used over a long period of time. Checklists often highlight areas of a childs development that have previously gone un noticed. For example in Appendix 5, I was able to concentrate closely on what the children were doing and could observe things as they unfolded as I was looking for them. The advantages of the checklist method are that it is a quick way of presenting a great deal of information. The disadvantages are that care must be taken to maintain objectivity. The role of the childcare and educational practitioner in a home placement stays the same as it would in a school or nursery and we still have to abide by the confidentiality policies. The 1989 United Nations Convention on the rights of the child sets out 54 Articles. The Articles that relate particularly to observing children are: Article 12: Children have the right to say what they think should happen when adults are making decisions that affect them, and to have their opinion taken into account. Article 13: Children have the right to receive and to share information, as long as the information is not damaging to them or to others. Article 16: Children have the right to privacy. The law should protect them from attacks against their way of life, their good name, their families and their homes Under the Data protection act 1988 the observations taken will require to comply with the eight data protection principles: to be fairly and lawfully processed, to be processed for limited purposes, to be adequate and relevant and not excessive, to be accurate and finally not kept longer than necessary. The placement setting is in a loving family with both parents present. The mother aged 32 is not working as she is still on maternity leave; the father age 33 works full time Monday to Friday. There are four children in the placement family. Child D the oldest female age 5 attains reception in the school down the road, Child C the middle female child age 3, attains pre-school half a day Monday and Tuesday and stays with a child minder all day Wednesdays. At the end of the placement Child C is attaining pre-school all day Monday and Tuesdays, she also has Hypermobility. The twins Child B and Child A age 6 months on first day of placement. Child B is male and the younger of the twins. Child A is female and also suffers from Hypermobility. The placement is over a period of 4 months in which I shall being observing Child A and Child B. The mothers pregnancy was healthy with no problems. Her first child, Child D she was in labor for 26 hours, the second, Child C it only lasted about 30 minutes, she says I was afraid that I was going to have her down the toilet! The labor for the twins was also very quick only lasting 1 hour. The mother explains that during the beginning of the pregnancy you couldnt even tell I was pregnant and I felt fine but when it came to 28 weeks I got very big and it became very heavy and uncomfortable. She went full term of 39 weeks. Child A weighed 6lbs 10oz and came out head first with no complications. Child B weighed 5lbs 15oz and tried to come out sideways because of the extra round after Child A left, the midwife had to push the baby back and turn it around inside the mothers womb. There was 18 minutes between Child A and Child B. When Child B came out he was black and blue but was breathing but the doctors were unsure whether he would survive because his Apgar score was 3. The very first test given to your newborn, the Apgar score occurs right after your babys birth in the delivery or birthing room. The test was designed to quickly evaluate a newborns physical condition after delivery and to determine any immediate need for extra medical or emergency care. Although the Apgar score was developed in 1952 by an anaesthesiologist named Virginia Apgar, you may have also heard it referred to as an acronym for: Activity, Pulse, Grimace, Appearance, and Respiration. The Apgar test is usually given to your baby twice: once at 1 minute after birth, and again at 5 minutes after birth. Rarely, if there are concerns about the babys condition and the first two scores are low, the test may be scored for a third time at 10 minutes after birth. Five factors are used to evaluate the babys condition and each factor is scored on a scale of 0 to 2, with 2 being the best score: activity and muscle tone pulse (heart rate) grimace response (medically known as reflex irritability) appearance (skin coloration) respiration (breathing rate and effort) Doctors, midwives, or nurses add these five factors together to calculate the Apgar score. Scores obtainable are between 10 and 0, with 10 being the highest possible score. (www.kidshealth.org/parent/newborn/first_days/apgar.html). Children that have a score under 6 rarely survive. The mother believes in a constant routine and that her children behave the way they are because she does not smother them and entertain them when they cry, she encourages them to play by themselves as to establish independence from an early age. She says let the babies cry for a bit and they will sort themselves out. But obviously if the child has hurt themselves or really needs attention she will give them love and care. There are not many socio-economic factors within the family as the children were all planned, although the mother obviously didnt predict twins, she explain thatthey are lucky to be in a position to be able to give their children a happy and healthy lifestyle. During the placement the father got a new job in which he is going to be earning more. The mother explained that they were considering her going back to work but she they want to give stay out of work until the twins are in school. Also during the placement the parents made a very important decision that effects there life forever, they had decided that the father was going to get a vasectomy. They made that decision that they have had the number of children that they want for their family. The mother also gets allot of help from the family as both parent have parent walking distance from the house and the house is always full of family members. Physical development: The different areas of development that the observations will be focused on are- physical development, this is divided into gross motor development, and how children grow and acquire physical skills, from gaining head control to full agility. Fine motor development linked with vision and hand-eye coordination. (Frankel, Hobart, 2004) A childs physical development depends just as much on nurture as it does on nature. On the one hand a child is born with a genetic map that will guide such matters as height and general muscle development but on the other the childs environment will influence overall health and activity levels which contribute to physical development. (http://www.kidsdevelopment.co.uk/EncourageChildsPhysicalDevelopment.html) The developmental norm for a baby aged between Birth to 9 months are: Birth gross motor reflexes rooting, sucking and swallowing reflex. Grasp reflex. Walking reflex. Moro reflex Birth fine motor reflexes pupils reacting to light, open eyes when held upright, blinks or opens eyes wide to sudden sound, startle reaction to sudden sound, closing eyes to sudden bright light. 1 month gross motor reflexes In prone, lifts chine. In supine, head moves from side to side. Arm and leg extended on face side. Begins to flex upper and lower limbs. 1 month fine motor reflexes Hands fisted. Eyes move to dangling objects. 3 months gross motor reflexes Held sitting, head straight, back and neck firm. Lower back still weak. When lying, pelvis is flat. 3 month fine motor reflexes Grasps an object when placed in hand. Turns head right round to look at objects. Eye contact firmly established. 6 month gross motor reflexes In supine, can lift head and shoulders. In prone, can rise up on hands. Sits with support. Kicks strongly. May roll over. When held, enjoys standing and jumping. 6 month fine motor reflexes Has learned to grasp objects and passes toys from hand to hand. Visual sense well established. (Frankel, Hobart, 2004 p.178-179). From Appendix 5 we can see that Child A has developed slower in the physical development area. She is able to do all the norms for a baby aged6 months but after 6 months her brother starts to develop quicker and we can see that may be crawling before she does. When observing Child A it seems that she doesnt seem to understand where her feet are, is could be because of the Hypermobility is when Connective tissue proteins such as collagen give the body its intrinsic toughness. When they are differently formed, the results are mainly felt in the moving parts the joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments which are laxer and more fragile than is the case for most people. The result is joint laxity with hypermobility and with it comes vulnerability to the effects of injury. These may cause troublesome and persistent problems, but do not affect the vital organs and thus do not pose a serious threat to life. (http://www.hypermobility.org/whatishms.php). Child B is developing physically at a norm al rate. Looking at appendix 5 we can see that he is eager to crawl and is progressing well. If I was to return to the placement family in a couple of months I predict that Child B will be crawling and able to sit unaided. One of the many main theorist that surround child development is Jean Piaget he believed that, knowledge comes from personal experiences, he recognised four individual stages. The first two years of a childs life the sensorimotor stage when babies and toddlers knowledge and understanding are chiefly drawn from physical action and their senses sight sound taste touch and smell. He suggested that throughout this stage children remain egocentric but become aware of object permanence. (Pound, 2005, p.37) Piagets first stage of development (Sensorimotor stage) is only relevant to these observations as it is aimed at children aged from birth to 2 years old. This is the stage where a child does not know that physical objects remain in existence even when out of sight. (http://www.funderstanding.com/content/piaget) Early on, children are only able to perceive things that are right in front of them, but as they mature, they understand that if a ball rolls under a chair and they can no longer see it, it still exists, under the chair. This is an especially important understanding for children, helping them to have an increased sense of safety and security since they can now grasp the fact that when mum leaves the room, she hasnt disappeared, but will soon return. (http://www.kidsdevelopment.co.uk/EncourageChildsPhysicalDevelopment.html) Both children seem to understand that when the toy is put behind mums back its not there, but they still try and reach for it as they know that mum is hiding it. But when the toys are packed away they understand that its gone. At the beginning of the placement Child B would cry when mum left the round and he continuously looked around for her, towards the end of the placement he stopped doing this. The same thing happened when they were in the buggy, Child A and Child B should start to cry as they were unable to see mum but they both could hear here. Later this stopped. Their ability to grasp objects is still developing and they are doing a lot of physical movement. They find comfort in playing with objects around them. Child A and Child B are developing an awareness of space from rolling from side to side and distance as they both reach for things. There is one toy that will engage both childrens interest and they seem to be comforted by this particular toy. The childrens mobility is developing as they are aware that reaching and moving will get them what they want and the satisfaction when this is achieved shows on their faces. Child B is able to handle and grasp object while Child A is struggling. The children become rigid, throw their limbs in the air when something has upset them, when they want to be picked up they reach out for the person. Child A and Child B have been making eye contact with their peers giving them confidence, physical, psychological and emotional comfort. The children observed enjoy the company of others and like to copy facial expressions and sounds that those around them make. Cognitive and Language development: Language development, which is from the first cry, through the growth of verbal communication skills, to true speech and understanding. Also Intellectual/cognitive development, the development of childrens ability to think and learn through interacting with their senses and experiences (Frankel, Hobart, 2004) The developmental norm for a baby aged between Birth to 9 months are: At birth Cries vigorously with some variation in pitch and duration. 1 month Cries become more differentiated to indicate needs. Stops and attends to voice, rattle and bell. 3 months Regards hands with intense interest. Beginning to vocalize. 6 months Finds feet interesting. Vocalises tunefully. Laughs in play. Screams with annoyance. Understands purpose of rattle. (Frankel, Hobart, 2004 p.178-179). From Appendix 2 we can see that Child A is developing more in the communication area as she is chatting all the time and has already said da da several times. This is encouraged by the family. Child B is not developing as fast in the language norm as his sister as he is only communicating his feelings through crying and giggling, while Child A is able to chat and sing and is now developing coping noises. Child B likes attention, looking at Appendix 2 we can see that he uses his crying language to gain attention and to be picked up. Burrhus Skinner worked on the Behaviourist theory, which humans act to avoid punishment and gain reward. Skinner emphasised reward. He believed that punishment was counter-productive. Skinner also applied behaviourism to language. He believed that all language was learned by reward. How Children Learn, Linda Pound 2005. So Child B understands that his crying will eventually lead to reward of being picked up which is what he wants. The mother in the placement is trying to stop this as she believes that children should be left to entertain themselves. Chomsky was so opposed to Skinners views that he developed a theory, based on the idea of language development as an innate process. He hypothesised that we are born with a language acquisition device which gives us an inbuilt understanding of language structure. Noam Chomsky proposed that all humans have a LAD, (language acquisition device). The LAD contains knowledge of grammatical rules common to all languages. The LADÃÆ'‚Â  also allows children to understand the rules of whatever language they are listening to. Chomsky also developed the concepts of transformational grammar, surface structure, and deep structure. -www.languagedevelopment.tripod.com Noam Chomskys theory that humans are born with a special biological brain mechanism, called a Language Acquisition Device (LAD). His theory supposes that the ability to learn language is inborn, that nature is more important than nurture and that experience using language is only necessary in order to activate the LAD. (Fifty Major Thinkers on Education from Confucius to Dewey, Joy. A. Palmer). So therefore Child A and B are already aware to what is being said around them and have some understanding of language, they would definitely sense tone of voice and both children can recognise their mothers voice as a comfort noise. Appendix 3 also shows cognitive development in that both children are use to their bath time routine and like the experience. The children make sounds in social interaction. Their interaction with Child C (older sibling) creating interest and they enjoy interacting with her. Sound levels are intriguing when there is a sudden noise. Lev Vygotsky is also another important child development theorist he emphasised the importance of families, communities and other childrens influences on children. Vygotsky believed that language and thinking were key; talking about everyday experiences would help children learn more about communication. The zone of proximal development is what a child can do alone and what they can do with someone more skilled or experienced. The social context for learning is when child learn through interaction with others. How Children Learn, Linda Pound 2005. Social and Emotional development: Emotional development, from initial total dependence to full independence and autonomy. Social development, from close bonding to full and rich relationships with a complex network of children and adults. (Frankel, Hobart, 2004) The developmental norm for a baby aged between Birth to 9 months are: At Birth Bonding/attachment. 1 month Watches mothers face with increasing alert facial expression. Fleeting smile may be wind. 3 months Reacts with pleasure to familiar situations/routines. 6 months Takes everything to mouth. Responds to different emotional tones to chief caregiver. (Frankel, Hobart, 2004 p.178-179). Erik Erikson, whose influences mainly came from Anna Freud, Sigmund Freuds daughter, was largely concerned with how personality and behaviour is influenced after birth, not before birth, and especially during childhood. In the nature v nurture (genes v experience) debate, Erikson was firmly focused on nurture and experience. His theory of eight stages of psychosocial development basically asserts that people experience eight psychosocial crisis stages which significantly affect each persons development and personality. -www.businessballs.com. Erikson created a wider and more educationally relevant theory of psychodynamics by integrating social and cultural factors into his writing. His work also stimulated interest in self-identity and adolescence. (Pound 2005) Erikson explained that things that happen when we are children affect us when we grow up. For example, we know that orphans who werent held or stroked as infants have an extremely hard time connecting with others when they bec ome adults and have even died from lack of human contact. During the first year of life, a baby forms their first feelings about the world and whether or not it is a safe place based on the level of consistent care provided by the primary caregivers. When trust develops successfully, the child gains a sense of security but if this sense is not developed, a fear and inner mistrust of the world is formed. Anxiety and insecurity are indicative of an unsuccessful beginning. (http://www.kidsdevelopment.co.uk/EriksonsPsychosocialDevelopmentTheory.html) Babies like putting everything into their mouths, and their senses of taste, are the primary sensory organs until about the age of 8 months. And even afterwards its still a first stop in terms of exploring things (touch is a very important first sense, too).Mouths are useful for exploring the texture of things, too. As we can see from Appendix 2 and Appendix 6. Child A and Child B both like to explore objects by putting them into their mouths. While Bronfenbrenners theory, in line with the social constructionist theories of Vygotsky, Urie Bronfenbrenner (1917-2005) developed the ecological systems theory to explain how everything in a child and the childs environment affects how a child grows and develops. He labelled different aspects or levels of the environment that influence childrens development, including the Microsystems, the mesosystem, the exosystem, and the macrosystem. (http://www.mentalhelp.net/) Child A and Child B are beginning to understand their environment as the family have a routine, which we can see from Appendix 4, that the children are aware of the routine and that putting them down on the carpet means time to move about. Jay Belsky believed in high-quality child care, he produced an evaluation of the Sure Start programme and a report published in 2005 inform that in Sure Start areas the most underprivileged groups had managed rather worse that similar groups in non-Sure Start areas. The next report issued in 2008 showed much greater improvements. Belsky reported that the risks are that more hours in any kind of childcare across the first four-and-a-half years of life and, independently, the more time in childcare centres, the higher the levels of problem behaviour(and) that children who spend more time in non-maternal care through their infancy, toddler and pre-school years experience somewhat less harmonious mother-child relationships through their first three years. They start school being somewhat more aggressive and disobedient than children with less non-maternal experience. How Children Learn 3, Linda Pound 2005. Appendix 4 shows that Child C attained a child minder on Wednesdays. The placemen t mother has spoken about her believes in making her children more independent which is why her first two children have gone to a child minder one day a week and she is going to take the twins to a child minder to. As she thinks it is good for the children to be able to interact with other people not just mummy, it helps them build confidence. There is a definite attachment with the mother and the children but there is also an attachment with the older siblings and the grandmother, who visits a lot. John Bowlby developed the Attachment Theory, when children show preferences for closeness to a small number of adults and these attachments are a normal and universal part of human development. We need that attachment from birth as babies seek out such attachment with the aim of being fed and protected as it brings the feeling of being safe. The attachments we have at childhood may determine our relationships as adults. How children Learn, Linda Pound 2005. From comparing the observations to the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) Child A and Child B are developing an understanding of themselves and what they are capable of doing. This is recognisable during observing them in all types of situation such as carpet time, bath time and feeding. Recommendation are to let the children continue to stretch and grab things on the carpet, maybe using different material such as shining objects, crinkly objects, light, soft and heavy objects, to encourage the children to be confident and explore new objects. Babies need to develop some sense of self-identity in order to develop self-confidence and self-esteem. A starting point in this journey is to find ways of helping babies recognise themselves. (Practical EYFS Handbook, Penny Tassoni). Child B is finding it harder to gain confidence in playing solely so the mothers approach to encouraging him to do so is an ongoing process, babies cry fact but Child B needs to learn that he cant be cuddled all the time. Letting children touch things to work out for themselves what it is and letting them choose what they want and not giving in to their cry if they cant reach as they might if you give them time. Playing games with the Child A such as touching the parts of the body as you say them will help them to develop a greater understanding of where their body parts are and helps to create a happy game to play. Also playing feet moving games and moving her legs around helps stimulate her limbs. Being physical and close to your children and making eye contact with them and having conversations with them about anything provide ideal opportunities to develop language skills, especially with Child B. Using key words helps babies to develop language and singing songs and rhyming. Child B is also call another nick name which is endearing but may confuse him in developing recognition of his name. Through this observations they have lead me to believe that the children are at a normal level of development, Child A is less able to grasp an hold object and her physical development is less than Child B, as Child A has Hyper mobility which means that she will develop physical ability such as standing, crawling and sitting up straight slower than her brother (Child B). But she is communicating and talking more than her brother which could indicate that she is developing quicker in the language and communication area. There is nothing to worry about with the childrens development rate although one is developing quicker at something then the other could be because of the fact that one has hypermobility so she will definitely take longer to develop physically but also because one is female and the other male may also be a factor. The role of the practitioner is crucial in observing and reflecting on childrens spontaneous play, building on this by planning and resourcing a challenging environment which supports children and extends specific areas of learning and extends and develops childrens language and communication in their play in a safe environment. The observations taken have helped explain why the children carry out certain behaviour and have leaded me to understand more about child development theory. The most success full observation was the checklist type as it gave me direct answer, the free disruption was effective but I felt that I was missing things as they happened as I was still writing when they happened. Throughout the placement I have enjoyed the experience and I have gained experience with babies and have found that they are not as fragile as I first thought and that I do understand what their noises mean and I can distinguish between a hungry cry and Im sad I need attention, cry. I have also learned that it is healthy for babies not to be seen to straight away when they first start to cry, that they can indeed sort themselves out and ignoring and leaving the children to cry helps them to become more independent.