“Panopticism” and “Our Secret” Essay

In Michael Foucault’s reading on â€Å"Panopticism† he breaks down the social/economical systems and explains that society’s mentality on the law system. He answers the â€Å"why question† in a way certain individuals act and think as they do. Many times his explanation is much branched off into a different level of thinking. In one paragraph in â€Å"Panopticism†, a disciplinary mechanism is described, which is considered the best way for one person to be punished, in the new knowledge and learning is gained by every individual. But in â€Å"Our Secret† by Susan Griffins she carefully constructs and describes history, particularly WWII through the lives of several different people. Such as David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky who had a difficult time grasping her concepts that says, â€Å"Griffin writes about the past on how we can know it, what its relation to the present, why we should care. In the way she writes, she is also making an argument about how we can know and understand the past.† Griffin strikes all of these aspects in her essay. What is most compelling about the essay is how she incorporated personal, family, and world history into a good story of narrative, without ever losing the factual evidence the story provides. In the paragraph on page 182 in Ways of Reading, Foucault explains how he feels a person should be disciplined and he looks at it from different angle to really understand. â€Å"This enclosed, segmented space, observed at every point, in which the person inserted a fixed place, in which the slightest movements are supervised, which all events are recorded in an uninterrupted work of writing links the center and periphery, in which the power is exercised without the division, according to a continuous hierarchical figure, that a person is constantly located, examined, and distributed among the living beings, sick, and the dead that constitutes a compact model of the disciplinary mechanism.† In the first sentence of the paragraph a description of how closely watched and evaluated the individuals are. All movement, all actions, everything would be analyzed. This is how he feels a disciplinary mechanism should be and is a key model to follow. Disciplining that way would make the individual a better person, which I believe; â€Å"exercising power without division† is an example. In her essay, Griffin incorporates stories of people from totally different backgrounds,  upbringings, including herself, all to describe the accounts of one time period. Each person history is somehow connected with the next, and each story contributes equally to the bigger picture of history. Griffin puts three types of histories in her text; personal, family, and world history. In her personal history, she describes her life, and childhood, which is intertwine with her family history. However, she not only talks about her histories, she talks about the histories of the other characters in the essay to bring across the world. One of the technique’s that Griffin uses to help the audience understand her concepts, is explaining two other story lines while telling her main story. The first on is description of a cell. Throughout the essay italicized sentences explaining the complex of a cell being placed randomly between passages. The description beings with a nucleus, and as the story progresses, so does the nucleus. She tells what happens to the nucleus, and how the inner cells work on developing a nucleus, which gave rise to many of other cells, that will eventually become an embryo. The other story line, were also italicize sentences, goes through the making and beginning of missiles. â€Å"The plague is met by order; its function is to sort out every possible confusion that is of the disease, which is transmitted when bodies are mixed together, that the evil is increased when fear and death overcome prohibitions.† Disease definitely confuses the society when two or more people come together and embrace there disease. Evil becomes very overwhelming when it cannot be controlled or prevented; with the help of the plague everything becomes more controlled. â€Å"It lays down for each individual his place, his body, his disease, and his death, his wellbeing, by means of an omnipresent and omniscient power that subdivides itself in a regular, uninterrupted way even to the ultimo determination of the individual, of what characterize him, of what belongs to him, of what happen to him.† The plague served as some sort of god to most of the people. It breaks everything down and describes â€Å"omnipresent and omniscient power.† Act as keeping an eye on the person that sort the test, show how an individual would react knowing that they are being watched regardless if they believe it or not. Just how they would adapt to their own surroundings. What are the most compelling aspects about Griffin essay is  the way she combine personal, family, and world, and etc. The reading is a novel, which helps the audience to understand the concepts with a clear and complete overall view of her world. Two other authors, Richard Rodriguez, and Ralph Ellison, who wrote about their life experience that’s better understood as an historical text that is view through the eyes of Griffin. Rodriguez explores his own educational history that called â€Å"The Achievement of Desire† and Ellison depicts his own journey and personal growth which is called â€Å"An Extravagance of Laughter†. Both their writing are seen through G riffin’s perspective, can be opened and examined from a different view, helping the people understand with more of a lucid view of history and what it is really about. â€Å"The mixture of the plague brings into play its power, which is on the analysis.† In this sentence it describes the strength that is considered power. Learning can only make you more intelligent and the more you know the broader you understand would be which in your mental state would make you stronger. â€Å"A whole literary fiction of the festival grew up around the plague: suspended laws, lifted prospect, individuals unmarked, abandoning their statutory identity and the figure which they had recognized, allowing some different truth to appear†. When the individuals were changing their personalities to fit into the containment, as I said earlier in the essay, their trying to adapt to their environment. But their also political dream of the plague, that got reverse. Not the collective festival, but strict divisions; not laws transgressed, but the penetration of regulation into even the smallest details of everyday life through the thoughts of complete hierarchy that assured the function of power; the masks were put on and off, but the assignment for each person was their â€Å"true† name, â€Å"true† place, â€Å"true† body, and â€Å"true disease†. This sentence talks about a different side of the plague, the â€Å"political side†. Instead of analyzing the people was forcing out the power to handle certain individual. This was the dream of many that instead of interaction and strict regulation of everything done. The separated story lines are placed in the story to explain the background and the past of everyone. The background and past are factors in developing the present and future, and the characters in the story and tendency to try  and forget their past, but not realizing that there are no escapes. Griffin illustrates the technique with Heinrich Himmler, a prominent Nazi figure during WWII. In every detail, she describes Himmler’s childhood, and the harsh ways of his father. She also trace his life, and evident there’s always a maker; base from his childhood that affect the decision made later on in his life. Griffins merely do this to help provide understanding on such behavior develops. The art of this technique being effective, however, that Griffin interconnects all three stories so the audience to understand other authors and texts. Richard Rodrigues is one author that already go through history, from an educational standpoint. He discusses his childhood, and how co ming from a working class family improved his learning process. He examines a bit about his family history and personal history as well. Rodriguez traces his family back to Mexico, their move to America, and the struggle of keep up with the America living lifestyle. He examine what was it like growing up in a Mexican American household. As he gets older he began to not like his background and roots at an early age. He was working on many ways to discard the Mexican persona and develop a stronger American one. Rodriguez hides himself behind an image of what he thinks he should be, but not who he really is. The aspect of his family and personal history into his world history. Both family and personal history with his family’s migrating to America. While the war was not in America, they had to endure racism and hardships in the comings to the United States. Another author that was looked at in the eyes of Griffin was Ralph Ellison’s â€Å"Extravagance of Laughter’s†. What was interesting about these two essays were not only that the histories, but a lot of the major themes were implied in the essays. Ellison has a vast personal history that surrounds by world history; however there is not too much evidence of his family history. His personal history begins in the south to the north in the early nineteenth century. He talks about accounts of racism that occur in both places, which fall into a larger picture in world history. He remembers racism happening throughout the country at the time. Ellison combines so much personal history and world that became so difficult to distinguish that his personal history effected world history. One of the themes that stayed incorporated throughout both essay was constant effort to hide the truth. Ellison had difficult time admitting and realizing his true place in society. He wore  Ã¢â‚¬Å"marks† to cover how he felt in certain situation that he was in. When Griffins talks about her family, she also speaks of a mask as well. She says, â€Å"I think of it now as a mask, not an animated mask that expresses the essence of the inner truth, but a mask that falls like dead weight over the human face, make face, making flesh a stationary object†. Both Ellison and Grif fin felt trapped in there mark, and it took there self-dignity in freeing themselves of the mask. It hit Ellison during a play and it hit Griffin after learning about her family history. All three authors are in a sense of historians. They write events that are in the past, which make it about history. The work they do are very good work, others use their writings as guideline of writing events in an historian context. The themes about finding the truth within one’s self are throughout working, and different types of histories are explored, making these text much more than just history. Ralph Ellison once said, â€Å"The way a person expresses both the agony of life and the possibility of conquering it through is the sheer toughness of the spirit. They fall short of tragedy only in that they provide no solution; offer no scapegoat but the self†. â€Å"The plague as a form at once real and imaginary, of disorder had as its medical correlative disciple. Behind the disciplinary mechanisms can be read the haunting memory of â€Å"contagious† of the plague can be used as effective way disorder†. The plague can be used as an effective way to discipline; it is how they would use it to effect even if it would be possible. Each author demonstrates the toughness of theirs spirit, and it is up to the person to decide whether history will repeat itself or not. They all did the part in providing solutions for history. Work Cited Foucault, Michel. Discipline & Punish: The Birth of the Prison Ways of Reading/(New York: Vintage Books 1995) Tenth edition. pp. 195-228 Griffin, Susan. â€Å"Our Secret†. Way of Reading Eds: David Bartholomae and Anthony Petrosky. Tenth edition. Boston. New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s 2002.

Memorandum International management associated Essay

Businesses have crossed borders, and it has been growing rapidly in recent decades because of the liberalization of government policies, and technological expansion. To satisfy the global demand of customers, it requires strong managements skills, sensitivity to cultural issues, and intercultural competence. As the multinational corporations grows and improve the quality, and operate at international level, this is why managers should ask three critical questions, first why should I expand internationally? Second where should I expand? Finally, how to expand? Which will help to achieve successful strategic objectives. `In this memorandum the Board of Directors for ABC Complete Kitchens, Inc. concerns of the board of directors of the plant relative to international sales of products of for ABC Complete Kitchens, Inc will be examined. This memorandum analyzes the international management considerations associated with the plant. ABC Complete Kitchens, Inc is anticipating nearly twenty percent of the sales from the international and overseas market. Therefore, the board of directors has expressed their concerns about the management of  international aspects for the plant. Some issues have been identified in overseas management procedures, and considerations for the same are to be provided. This memorandum expresses the concerns for the same. The ABC, Inc needs to adopt international management strategies to sustain its competitive position in the market via adequate cultural, technical, political, and economic environment. Localization Concerns After knowing why to expand either to increase sales or to cut costs or for other reasons . The ABC, Inc, should decide which countries to enter first, which type of countries to chose, what criteria to follow to make these choices. The best suggestion for ABC, Inc is enter the countries with the largest potential customers for its products, however managers should also think about how likely they are going to success in particular foreign market, and how to measure not only the geographic distance, but language, cultural, administrative, and economic distances as well. Language Concerns Language affects the way of employees, customers and business partners communicate with each other. Based on the level of foreign language knowledge–basically the English–in the country’s society, the ABC Inc. must carefully decide whether it can use English as a working and advertising language or if its management has to learn the country’s own language and build the strategy on that language (Kozenkow). Cultural Concerns The habits, behaviors and consumer preferences of every society are determined with Culture. While implementing a business strategy overseas, ABC Kitchen Inc, should consider all the cultural characteristics of the targeted society. When entering new country the t firm should ask if the customers want the same thing, or it will have to modify the product to fit their satisfactions. . Therefore, for increasing overseas sale, ABC Inc, must plan its overseas strategy keeping in mind of the culture of the country for which the strategy is being planned. Administrative and International Laws concerns The ABC kitchen, Inc, need to abide and respect the different regulations,  government policies, and legal systems, because countries vary widely on these dimensions, which require the firm to has a deep understanding on how to meet those regulations to avoid failure, even if the firm has the best products in the markets. Technical development concerns Differences among the technical development and facility of markets internationally or within the United States determine fundamentally the opportunities of production, sales and marketing of the operating businesses. Management can build your advertising and promotion strategy exclusively on the Internet if the majority of the national population or local community uses the Web as its primary source of information. Economic concerns An other important factor is economic concern which is the average of purchasing power customers in different countries, and how elastic this power is, therefore, it means how much demand for the product changes, as the price goes up and down, because this is a big deal for the firm to know who are used to buy products in the market, where every one is wealthy. In other hands, may people with low wage should be a target. Economic differences like these have a major influence on what type of products will be demanded. Supply Chain Management Supply chains are an integral part of global quality and cost management initiative, because a typical company’s supply chain cost can represent more than 50% of assets and more than 80% of revenues. (Ball, 2010), in other word, the ABC, Inc should reduce the inventory of chain supply to reduce the cost. In order to do that the Board of Directors of ABC Inc. has to expresses reconsiderations for management across business functions in supply chain management. Managing the flow of raw materials, supplies as well as finished products are equally important as the management of sales and marketing. Competition Another concern is the competition in overseas market. Local products tend to be cheaper than the internationally exported products due to various forms of taxes included in them. Therefore, how will be the completion met in the  overseas market and what the management plans to do with the taxes and prices in the overseas market, the board of directors should be interested in knowing these aspects. Finance and Accounting Another factor that the firm should take it on consideration is the accounting practices and standard changes across the national borders, it is an obstacle to merge subsidiary financial results with those at the parent company, this is why there is a growing movement toward convergence of accounting standards across countries (Ball, 2010). This convergence will help the financial management to be more integrating, because the statements will be comparable. ABC complete Kitchen Finance management is particularly a concern point, as overseas countries change in value in terms of each other based on currency exchange rates. How will the ABC Inc. comply with financial laws and regulations in the host country, the concern particularly addresses following questions to be answered: What management is doing to understand how fluctuations in currency value change international business transactions? What is the process for financial tools such as derivatives, hedges, payment timing, exposure netting, price adjustments, balance sheet neutralizing, and swaps, and how they affect business performance? When and how to pay exporters in forms other than money; buyers frequently prefer payment rendered in the form of goods or services (countertrade)? Human resource concern Board of directors of ABC complete Kitchen Inc. has expressed interest and concern about the strategies of management and have questioned that how will be the needs of the resources and workers will be met across different countries. Furthermore, what is the best way to meet the needs of these employees and also best utilize their skills and talents to keep the business functioning smoothly? (Business) Ethics and Society Concerns After the ABC kitchen,Inc established a business global plan for marketing, operations, and human resource management , should now establish an ethically and socially business plan among its international management considerations. â€Å"The purpose of the firm is not simply to make profit, but to create value for all of its stakeholders, business success is judged not simply by company’s financial, but by how well it serves broad social interests† (Laweren, 2008). In other words if ABC ,Inc want to successes internationally, it should adopt strategy that apply ethical values and the respect of people on its global environment and for different people that affect the company, from the stakeholder ,to the shareholders, employees, customers, and society. To achieve that the Broad Director of the firm should adopt a stakeholder theory that consists on: identifying the relevant stakeholders group, determining the stake of each group, determining how the expectation of each group are met, finally look for the stakeholder interests. By following these steps the firm will build a good relationship with the shareholder, moreover will build reputation and trust that will enhance its performance. Finally, f or the hiring process the ABC ,Inc should put values and ethics as requirement to hire new employees, because it will not just help the organization but the global market place. Conclusion In summary, getting global strategy wright can be very difficult, because it requires matching the wright reasons for going global with the wright places and the wright strategies. The ABC Complete kitchen, Inc should follow the steps suggested while managing significant differences between countries, and responding to the intense rivalry from both global and local competitors, however when the challenges are great, the ABC Inc should get it wright, to win in a really big way. References Ball,G. (2010). International business: The Challenge of global competition,12th Edition, New York, NY: the McGraw-Hill Companies Boundless.com. (n.d.). Considerations-when-managing-a-global-corporation. Retrieved from https://www.boundless.com/management/textbooks/boundless-management- textbook/globalization-and-business-14/managing-international-corporations- 107/considerations-when-managing-a-global-corporation-499-10752/. Business, R. f. (n.d.). International Management. Retrieved from http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/management/Gr-Int/International- Management.html. Kozenkow, J. (n.d.). International Management Challenges. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/international-management-challenges-56168.html. Lawerence,W. (2008). Business and Society: Stakeholders, Ethics, Public Policy, 12th Edition. New York, NY: The McGraw-Hill Companies. Sullivan, D. (2011). Business strategies for organizational effectiveness within the global Perspective. Pearson Education, NJ: Prentice hall.

Job description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Job description - Essay Example Appropriate skills and qualifications must also be determined to be able to put the right person for the task. Knowing what needs to be done results to better employee recruitment. Employee and performance planning means that there is a way to develop a certain Job Description for every position in the organization. A Job Description is a list of tasks that this personnel must perform while employed. It enumerates key results areas, and systematically itemizes what exactly must be performed to be considered effective. The Job Description also includes a list of required skills and even educational background for an applicant to be considered qualified. This way, the hiring officer will have a ready list of reference when screening for applicants. Only the qualified applicants will be matched to this position, making use of their credentials and previous work experiences as a way to equate them with the requirements. Doing this would help the hiring officer find the right person for the job, and would eventually help this person undertake his responsibilities once on board. Conducting a job analysis usually triggers the creation of job descriptions (Employee Job Descriptions 2010). Job descriptions can be made only when the job requirements are analyzed and the end results identified. Once appropriate employees are hired, they begin to undertake the responsibilities required of their positions. While a Job Description serves as a general tool for the employee to determine their roles in the workplace, this employee must also use his skills and abilities to look for means to improve his key results areas. To do this, he must be made to understand his roles in the workplace, and the organization should provide the needed support in order for the employee to perform these roles effectively. Next important thing to be done is to create ways to measure effectiveness of the person hired

The Cost of the Modern Olympics Far Outweighs the Benefits Research Paper

The Cost of the Modern Olympics Far Outweighs the Benefits - Research Paper Example The perceived benefit of the Olympic Games is a major reason why more countries are investing into the bidding process to become the next country to host the event (Malfas, 2004). Another reason for increased financial investment into Olympic Games is increased commercialization of sports as a whole (Malfas, 2004). However, countries miscalculate and overestimate the expected benefits of hosting such events and join the bidding process in the hope of achieving long-term benefits (Baarclay, 2009). Rosenblum (2009) notes that those who receive the benefits are construction companies, local politicians and IOC, while the people facing costs are local residents, TV Networks and local economy representatives (Rosenblum, 2009). Rosenblum (2009) also notes that the representation of figures given by IOC is inaccurate and shows underestimated figures of cost. The costs that a country bears during this event are immense. The host country may perceive that they would get a huge amount of reven ue; by building infrastructure and due to tourists visiting the country economy will get better. But in reality this is not the case. It is a temporary solution to the lavish costs that are spent on the projects within the context of the Olympic Games. Olympic Games require construction of stadiums, roads and infrastructure, which may not have been needed should there be no Olympic Games taking place in the host country (McHugh, 2006). Instead, such costs and labour could have been used up on public projects. By giving up on public projects and taking up work to create stadiums just for hosting a two weeks’ event creates an opportunity cost that is not accounted when calculating the overall cost of the project. The Olympic book indicated that the estimated cost of athletic venues for Vancouver Olympics was $366 million, such lavish cost for a limited utility. The primary reason for a country to host such a mega-event is to show the world its prestige and power and if it is an emerging country than the major reason is to display its ability to host such an event and gain limelight (Zarnowski, 1992). It is agreed that the infrastructure of a country gets better, more tourists visit the country and it is a colourful spectacle but what about the problems the local public communities face and the delay in public projects? The costs that a country actually bears when hosting an Olympic event are the event costs and infrastructure costs. The benefits that may be counted are the infrastructure benefits and tourism demand in the secondary market (McHugh, 2006). Event costs are bidding, administrative, security, translation, promotion, opening and closing ceremony costs, as well as insurance costs (Billings & Holladay, 2012). Infrastructure costs are costs of housing, venues and supporting transit (McHugh, 2006). McHugh (2006) in his model took into consideration all the event benefits and the direct event costs associated with deriving of those benefits for Vanc ouver Winter Olympics. The cost-benefit analysis pointed to a negative benefit of $101 million showing that the cost of the project far outweighed the benefits associated with the project. Owen (2005) notes that the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta provided a small boost to the economy and that too was short lived. It has not been seen

The Preference of Music and its relationship to Culture, Personality, Annotated Bibliography

The Preference of Music and its relationship to Culture, Personality, and Mental Health - Annotated Bibliography Example The study indicates that there is a difference in the preference of culture, and the more one is familiar with the music you tend to like it. Furthermore, someone’s peer might affect the preference of music but it depends on his or her age. This source is important because it analyses the same subject that I want to write about. The author is writing detailed information about his research, with supporting tables and statistic numbers. The source is considered long but with credible information that is gathered from highly accurate measure called Continuous Response Digital Interface (CRDI). The paragraphs are organized with subtitles and celerity stating the facts and evidences. The objective of this study is to investigate if the preferred music can affect listener’s behaviors, self-harm, and drug use. It surveys and discusses the relevant literature on music preference and audience music listening behaviors, and their links ones mental health. It states that different genres of music have a different impact of antisocial and drug use in listeners, and it provides example regarding each genre. Also, it studies the link between music preference and suicide; it shows that music can indicate emotional tendencies to suicide but not a cause to it. Moreover, it describes listeners personalities depending on which music they prefer. For instance, it gives an established relationship between rap music and antisocial behaviors, vulnerability to suicide and drug use. The author uses events that have happened in the past to bring out the relationship existing between rap music for example and drug abuse for example, teens instigating a school shooting. This article is helpful in my work since it looks at the effects of the behaviors that might arise from lyrics incorporated in the music and how it is transforming our culture. The article talks about how we react to music and how it affects our

Executive Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Executive Report - Essay Example The construction of the EOS lends itself to gathering data on a wide range of topics. It provides executives the opportunity to offer anonymous observations on the overall economy, as well as local governmental policies that support or infringe upon development. The tabulation of this data is particularly helpful in drawing conclusions on specific in-country governmental policies that support competitiveness. The benchmark comparisons yield a clear view of which nations are facilitating growth, and those countries that can improve competitiveness and growth through policy adjustments. My first recommendation is that the EOS be shortened in length. While it is a very thorough data collection tool, consideration should be given to the respondents. These members of senior management have significant duties and time constraints. The EOS would increase the likelihood of a higher response rate if it would permit the executive to complete the questionnaire in a shorter amount of time.

Information Systems Use Security Policy Assignment

Information Systems Use Security Policy - Assignment Example When a company begins to address the proper use of its information systems, the challenges that emerge also expose the firm’s administrators to problems ranging from time delays, poor product performance and overruns in costs which come as a surprise. For a growing company, the many problems and opportunities that arise may demand different ways of approaching them. A solution that worked one year ago may no longer work in future. In a growing business, the source of information that a company uses when conducting its research needs to come from the right source. Using ineffective information systems makes it extremely difficult to get information and the purchasing behavior of customers analyzed. Even when the company begins to use and implement its information systems successfully, the systems may not present the proper view of the firm’s increased efficiency (Sousa & Effey, 2014). An excellent example in an organization is the use of emails. The use of emails is a trend in most firms, but their increases in volumes are no doubt a source of time drain for the individual and the organization. As the IT services manager for Sunshine Machine Works, I propose the use of the following guidelines. An increase of employees to more than 100 staff members and computers shows that the company is growing at a successful rate. A written policy on use of computers by all staff members in the organization is one of the best ways of preventing breach of sensitive information such as financial data, personal employee data. A guideline will also ensure that there is a centralized file storage system in the firm. Time limits: The first guideline to consider when creating this policy would be the time limits. As the administration panel in the organization, the Chief Executive officer, Chief Financial officer and general manager would be required to lead by example. Computer time should be strictly reserved for certain period, such as when files

The Advantages and Trials of Effectively Introducing a VLE at a Assignment

The Advantages and Trials of Effectively Introducing a VLE at a University in Saudi Arabia - Assignment Example A Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) is a software program devised to facilitate instructors in the management of courses for their students. It aims at helping students and teachers with course administration. It can also track the student’s progress which can be monitored by both the learners and instructors. VLEs are mostly viewed as being helpful in distance learning but in practice they are equally beneficial in supplementing face-to-face classroom. Typically, the application of VLEs enables the users to easily upload their materials and resources, offers an integrated set of internet tools and provides a consistent look and feel that can be customized by the user. Therefore, the employment of technology to support learning is largely prevailed by the use of VLEs. In this paper, the main concern will be how VLE has been used in EFL teaching and how it can be employed in EFL studies at the University of Ha’il. EFL (English as a Foreign Language) courses among a vari ety of other courses offered in institutions of higher education, have witnessed changes in the recent years which include high enrollment rates, increasing diversity of students and less resources. In addition, EFL courses are likely to be enrolling students who are mature, possessing other qualifications other than the already existing A-levels or at times studying part time (M.Owen, 2000). These students have different backgrounds, preferences and skills in the way they learn. Moreover, these students have expectations of studying current and new trends in technology. In the United States, for example, the EFL population has been raising over the past years (K. Sharma, 2010). Therefore, the language need of EFL and ESL students have prompted teachers to devise new and innovative methods of educating these students. The Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) have come up with accessibility standards that will apply to EFL and ESL students. They argued that all EFL students should have access to services provided by their institutions, should be given appropriate curriculum, and have equitable and fair assessments. They should also be offered a positive learning environment. Recently, a majority of EFL tutors have chosen VLE as an aid in meeting and satisfying the above standards. In EFL pedagogical issues are more common in the employment of technology. Pedagogical content knowledge focuses on the strategies used in teaching, that is, those strategies that bring about the best learning experience for every learner. It involves learning different teaching approaches that make the learning process more suitable to the students. In this case, the tutor should be flexible in adjusting instructions to cater for the various learning styles, interests and abilities. The major essence of pedagogical studies is to know how to best teach a concept so that the learners will receive the best learning experience. The different teaching approaches empl oyed may differ from one tutor to the other (Salmon, 2005). In EFL courses, teachers can use pedagogical studies and include technology knowledge. This is referred to as technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPCK). The development of TPCK by tutors is crucial to effective teaching with technology. EFL teachers are emphasized in TPCK since they are viewed as autonomous agents with the power to significantly

Legalizing Prostitution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Legalizing Prostitution - Research Paper Example First of all, several individuals note that prostitution should remain illegal, so as preserve morality within a given community. Many people especially with families do not want their children growing up knowing that prostitution is acceptable and it is a moral practice within the society. Analysts argue that Christians are among the groups of people that look down upon prostitution and perceive it as immoral. The topic of whether prostitution should be legalized or not has become very contentious. This essay will undertake a study of the advantages and disadvantages of prostitution in an attempt to decode the best stand for the society at large. Legalized prostitution has been documented to promote safety in the neighborhoods. The police and the government authorities will not only put restriction measures in the brothels and prostitution institutions but also offer protection services. In situations where prostitutes rob clients, the client will be in a better position to report to the authorities for action and punishment. The prostitutes, on the other hand, will not fear reporting crimes committed to them. The legal measures put in place will deter prostitutes from committing crimes to their clients.Legalization of prostitution will reduce the rates of crime within the society. When a woman is accused of prostitution, she feels intimidated and will not seek for employment due to embarrassment. This makes them get involved in crime, the reason many women are jailed in this contemporary era. Unlike when prostitution is legalized, women will be free to conduct prostitution thus reducing the rate of unemployment and crime rates among women. With legalization most of the crimes committed to the prostitutes and clients will reduce because women will have specific protected areas to do their business. Legalization of prostitution will put law enforcement measures to better use. For instance, instead of the government using the law enforcement resources in curbing prostitution in the society, they can make use of the resource to fight other serious crimes committed against persons or property (Clark p.86). Lots of resources are more often than not put in place to curb prostitution but, all these efforts seem to go to waste because prostitution is still rampant. If prostitution is legalized, then the government would have an easier time dealing with prostitutes in the society. It m ay be said that the fight against prostitution is doomed to fail, since there are no well established ways of dealing with prostitutes, as well as clients. The authority may harass the prostitutes, but will not stop them from doing what they do best. A study conducted by the Rand Corporation in the city of Los Angeles found that the authorities have done nothing except push the prostitutes across the city's boundaries (Pheterson p.105). This shows that there is a immense predicament within the society in relation to the legalization process. There are those individuals who are not ready accept the process not considering that the vice affects their lives in one way or another. The governments around the world should protect other individual rights, like right to property rather than getting too concerned with issues of prostitution that are difficult to control. Studies indicate that prostitutes go through a very difficult time whilst conducting their day to day activities. Some pro stitutes are normally beaten, harassed and with no resources dedicated towards protection of their rights; they end up suffering a great mile. With legalization and free market for prostitution to take place, the prostitutes will have rights to police protection and to legal provision of resources.

The Skillful Teacher Essay Example for Free

The Skillful Teacher Essay Introduction There has been a great deal of change taking place in the field of education over the past few years. It seems that every time we turn around a new approach is being heralded as the best in terms of teaching and helping students to excel. Most of these works come and go, as they more often than not, involve fads of sorts. With books like â€Å"The Skillful Teacher† by Stephen D. Brookfield and â€Å"Teaching Tips† by McKeachie there is hope that we can find the teacher that we always wanted to be within us. In Brookfield’s book we see a personal approach to teaching students and an approach that not only takes the students into account, but also the teacher. In McKeachie’s book we find many helpful tips that we can take into the classroom, no matter what the age of the student. In the following paper I will share with you some of the things that I have learned from these books and how I can utilize them in the classroom. Experiencing Teaching. Brookfield essentially asks the reader, the teacher, to look at teaching, to examine what they love about teaching, perhaps why they got into teaching, and use that knowledge as a foundation for the process. Brookfield offers suggestions, but seems to primarily rely on the intelligence and passion of the reader for the development of their own unique vision as it involves teaching. Learning is not a predictable and stable reality. There are rhythms to learning and students, as well as teachers, will often find themselves at a point where they are essentially stagnating as they have reached a level of burn out to some degree. Brookfield does not ignore these realities but presents the reader with ways in which to provide new motivation for learning, new motivation that helps students, and teachers, out of established patterns. Brookfield’s method of a textbook in a narrative form is a novel idea for future teachers who can gain more from a â€Å"story† than a theory book. I found the section on muddling through to be enlightening. As teachers we never know what is going to happen in a classroom on any given day so the best we can do sometimes is muddle through and hope that we make the right decisions. As a teacher I find myself doing this sometimes but I thought it was because I havent been teaching very long. I had no idea that there were actually teachers out there that have the same. Brookfield states that â€Å"this is going to be an opinionated, some would say polemical, book† (p. 3). I believe at this point in our career, when we are either teaching or getting ready to teach the opinions of those who have experience are more helpful to us than the theory that we learn. Real live experiences tend to stick in our mind better than a theory or formula that we might be able to incorporate into the classroom. Brookfield points out how important it is to gain the trust of the students. The teacher is, after all, the teacher, not the student. The teacher’s position, in this respect, can be very fragile if the students do not trust the teacher to do their job well, but also maintain an intelligence that is above the students to some degree. If a student does not trust that the teacher knows what they are doing, they will not listen to what the teacher presents. The example that Brookfield used (p.4, 5) regarding how to get students to open up and actually take part in a discussion is a breaking point for all teachers. This information will be helpful to me in â€Å"ALL† future classes. As an instructor at the college level, the only way that I know if my students understand the material that I have given them is an open discussion of the material. Unfortunately at times the silence is deafening. While I understand that Brookfield’s work primarily addresses adult students, college students many of the things that he mentioned can apply to students of any age. Again, this is an important aspect of teaching and learning for a student who feels motivated to become involved in discussions will feel that they are part of the process, that they are part of the teaching process. And, along the way they, as well as the other students, learn more than they thought they would. As Brookfield points out, too often students are not approached as though they were adults, a reality that Brookfield sees as very damaging to the teacher and learning process. Bearing this aspect in mind we see this first chapter as intriguing and very enlightening for college students do not need to be forced to learn, as though they were children. Students need to be approached as adults, from a teacher who is an adult and who is passionate about the entire learning process. Brookfield admits that emotional problems, emotional outbursts will occur while teaching. He does not avoid these realities, but addresses them and provides many helpful perspectives a teacher can take in dealing with such. Feedback Since some students really do have a hard time with open discussion in the classroom the one minute paper is a tool that can be utilized to find out if the teacher is actually getting pertinent information across to the students. We all know that students shake their heads in agreement so they can get out of class, but we never know if they actually understand what we are talking about. This is a tool that I plan on implementing in my classroom in the future, several times within the semester just to make sure that everyone is able to understand the information that I am trying to relay. I believe that the muddiest point (Brookfield, p. 38) will also be a significant point within this one minute paper. While I know that we should not try to control what the students write, because it inhibits their critical thinking, they might actually need some structure as to what they should put into their paper. In my experience, when asked to do a paper of any type, students always want to know what is expected of them so I might just throw things out for them that they might include in this one minute paper such as: â€Å"What was the most confusing thing that we covered today†; â€Å"Do you think anything that we discussed today will be important to you in your future? If so, what and why? †; â€Å"Tell me what I could have done today to help you learn the information better†. Since I teach an oral communication this will be a new experience for both the student and me, but I feel that I can glean good feedback by utilizing this method. Participation/Nonparticipation In McKeachie’s â€Å"Teaching Tips† (p. 45) the section on nonparticipants was something that I could relate to because it is so difficult sometimes to get some of the students to participate in any type of discussion. You never know if they have actually read the material assigned or if they just dont like to talk in class to a bunch of strangers. I really dont like to think that my students are bored but when students have a textbook for another class out reading it while you are lecturing, you have to wonder if you are that boring or if something else is just more important at the moment. In the discussion monopolizer section (McKeachie, p. 48) it stated that â€Å"if you have worked on nonparticipation effectively, the discussion monopolizer is less likely to be a problem†. Unfortunately there seems to always be that one student who wants to be the center of attention and they wish to talk (a lot) even if what they say has no relevance to the subject at hand. There have been times in my classes when I ask questions and continually have the same person answering the questions that I actually say; Now someone besides (blank) give me an answer. Sometimes teachers have to do this, not in an effort to embarrass the student but more so to give other students an opportunity to speak. The section in McKeachies â€Å"Teaching Tips† (p 45) about nonparticipants was extremely important to me. Because â€Å"most students are used to being passive† it is very difficult to get them to participate in an oral communications class. There is always so much apprehension from students that is difficult to get some of them to participate in anything that the class does. I spend a huge amount of time coming up with ways to get the students to participate in a manner that relieves their apprehension and anxiety. Some students right out of high school just dont have the experience in public speaking or people meeting skills that they need to get involved. Another instructor in my department gave me the idea to pair students up or put them in small groups of four or five and give them an opportunity to do different exercises to get everyone involved without having to be the center of attention for the whole class. Having rant sessions seems too pull these students out of their comfort zone of silence, because there is generally something that everyone has bottled up inside that theyre just waiting to get off their chest. Brookfield (p 141) talks about grading for participation by establishing clear criteria for effective participation. He states that this should be done in the syllabus but I do not think that it has to be that specific in the syllabus. There are different ways to have participation such as in groups. I like to break my class up into small groups of 4 or 5 on a regular basis to have them discuss issues and solve problems. Sometimes its just easier for shy people to talk in a much smaller group. I guess that what Im doing here also ties into the scaffolding discussion and the circle of voices (Brookfield, p 143). Lecturing Planning lectures and developing power points are an important part of teaching. In order for students to be able to learn they should not rely solely on the power points for their notes. Note taking is a valuable skill that students need to learn and keep throughout their college careers. Teachers should put key words on the power points and sometimes fun things that will get their attention. When planning a lecture an instructor should try to make sure that they use words that everyone understands and use everyday examples in them. I always make sure that Im asking the students questions as we go along to make sure they understand, even if its just What do you think or â€Å"Can you think of any examples of this? . It seems that teachers too often merely teach. They merely recite the information the student should know, expecting that the students are listening and taking notes. They do not stop to listen to whether or not the students are actually responding to anything that is being taught. And, conversely, what happens is that the teacher has no real response to teaching. As such, Brookfield illustrates how teachers can become aware of what they are doing, and approaching the entire endeavor of teaching from a responsive position. Brookfield offers suggestions to the reader for encouraging students to listen, for creating new ways to lecture that can get the students’ attention. Lecturing has often been a difficult part of teaching, as Brookfield indicates, due to the fact that learning habits instill in the student the belief that a lecture will be boring and will offer no sense of creative thought. As far as lecturing creatively, I read Chapter 6 (Lecturing Creatively) with great interest because I want to make sure that I am doing things in my classroom that work out best for my students. Brookfield stated that we need to be clear about why we lecture (p 99). Having been in classes where the lectures absolutely put you to sleep, I want to avoid this in my classes. I tell my students to look over the chapter(s) that we will be covering in class the next session, with the motive being open discussions. McKeachie (p 56) tells us to make sure we present up-to-date information, to summarize the material, adapt the material to the students, help the student read more effectively and to focus on key concepts or ideas. When lecturing, teachers should try to break the material down into language that the students understand and make it as concise as possible. Talking to the students and then asking questions to get them to try to discuss things seems to be a better way to try and get the information across to students. I always try to give them several examples of anything that I am trying to teach them (any new concepts). This opens the door for more discussion, especially as the semester continues and the students get more comfortable with the instructor and their classmates. Testing and Assessments  McKeachie (p 73, 74) discusses methods of assessment. He talks about being open to trying something different and I think that this will be beneficial to the students. History tells us that if a student fills their head with information that they will be asked to regurgitate on a test and it is not interesting to them, they will not retain this information any longer than necessary. Unfortunately some departments require that you administer tests in order to dole out a grade. In my case there are specific guidelines that are given, that we as instructors are supposed to teach and test on to meet certain criteria. Sometimes the information in a basic text book can be confusing if there is not any discussion that goes along with it. Giving students an opportunity to ask questions about what will be covered on the test and encouraging them to think about it for several days before the test so that they can get any questions answered is a method I use to get see what information the students know and do not know. I think that one of the most common methods for checking for understanding is tests or quizzes that we give our students. I like McKeachie’s (p 300) approach of having students paraphrase things for you. This is a method that I utilize quite. I don’t want to test my students to death because some students have test apprehension and I don’t want to stress them out by thinking, â€Å"Oh, no. Another test! † McKeachie also talked about not just knowing how to learn, but also wanting to learn and I believe that this is a major setback for some students. Unfortunately some students are in college because their parents told them they were going. You always see some students who appear to be very intelligent but just really don’t want to be in the classroom. Class Discussions. I think that Brookfields chapter on discussion (Chapter 7) had some good ideas. It can be very difficult to get students to participate in discussion, especially undergraduate students. There are always some students in a class that just really dont have any desire to participate in any form of discussion. Im not sure if this is because they are afraid that they might say the wrong thing or that it might generate a question that they arent able to answer. Brookfield (p117) said that if a teacher makes part of the grade participation that the students think that they have to be involved in discussion to meet this obligation. I dont know if that is what all teachers expect. I dont think that any student should be put on the spot with having to come up with some type of discussion if they dont feel led to. We, as instructors, never truly know why someone doesnt talk much in class. It might just be their nature that they dont talk much. Brookfield stated (p 134) that â€Å"some students are so shy and introverted that nothing short of therapeutic intervention will embolden them to speak†. They might be the type that listens all through the class to digest the information and then wants to talk about it at the next class session. Brookfield (p 134, 135) talks about students being worried about â€Å"looking stupid†. Teachers should be aware that this might be the reason that some students dont speak up as readily. Brookfield said that instructors should announce in the class that there are no stupid questions. This should be one of the first things that students are told every semester and it should be repeated several times throughout the semester. Brookfield (p 135) recommends putting together a panel of former students for a discussion with current students to help put them at ease and I believe this something that I can incorporate into my classes. Group Learning Teachers do not use the group learning system as much as they should. I tend to believe that students learn better from each other than they do the instructor most of the time. ODonnell (McKeachie, 192) stated it right when she said that â€Å"peer learning has the advantages of interaction with a peer† and this is extremely important for young people. It sometimes builds their confidence in the information that they know. Some of the students who are less vocal might actually open up to a peer and share what they know. As far as peer tutoring I think this is something that should be encouraged in  classes. I believe that if we were to set up groups with the students who do well and those that dont do so well (as far as tests are concerned) to have them study together that it would improve the grades because I think that the peers can sometimes get the idea across to students on a level they understand. Writing McKeachie (p 214) discussed the various types of low stakes writing and that the most obvious thing to do is ask students to write about is things they are comfortable with, casual things, just exploring a topic and to encourage the students not to struggle with this too much. Low stakes writing should help build confidence in students regarding their writing. This method of writing can be used in class or out of class. Out of class this writing could be a journal. I plan to use this method of low stakes writing in my classes by having them keep a journal, probably of humorous things that happen to them, because it will go along with one of the aspect of communication where I teach about short term and long term memory. High-stakes writing requires more on the part of the student, as well as the teacher. High stakes writing requires that the writing has to be good which involves research on the part of the writer. McKeachie (p 217) points out that most readers of his book are not trained as teachers of writers. I can relate to this because I teach oral communication but there are times when I require students to write research papers so I need to become more comfortable with this type of writing. As a student myself, I have experience in writing research papers where the instructor wanted me to do exactly what McKeachie said (217) â€Å"regurgitate material from textbooks or lecture†. I believe that for high stakes writing topic selection will be the key to how good the writing actually is. I like the idea of multiple papers and drafts because I believe that the only way for you to learn to write better is to get constructive criticism. Having the opportunity to turn a paper in early for constructive criticism in order to rewrite it makes for a better final paper. With todays technology our writing suffers greatly because we depend on our software to find all the mistakes, whether spelling or grammar. Unfortunately the software might not always recognize that a word is not the correct word and it definitely doesnt always find grammatical errors. The old standby method of printing things off and reading them line by line and then paragraph by paragraph is still the best way to proofread. Technology Brookfield’s Teaching Online (p 191) was interesting but I am not a huge fan of online classes. I prefer the human interaction that you get in the classroom. I think that Brookfield (p 195) was correct when he said that it is an advantage to take an online class before you teach one. Before instructors put together an online course they should keep the three core assumptions that are mentioned in mind: good teaching is whatever helps the student learn, good teaching is critically reflective and how students experience their learning. If the students dont learn anything from an online class then it is not worth it to take the class. If there is no interaction between students and instructors, just how much is it helping the student? A good online course should require a specific number of posts expected each week in order to create good discussion. The instructor may have to guide the discussions so that everyone participates. Brookfield talks about organizing the online course work and I think that this is very important. The instructor must put just as much work into organizing and keeping up with what the students are doing in an online class as they do in the classroom. How far technology is going to take us in education? Sometimes not being in the classroom is not always the best way to learn. In other classes we have talked about the millennium student who wants to stay in their dorm room or apartment and do all their classes on line. This can be a benefit to both instructor and student or it can be a detriment to both. The teacher doesnt need to lose the people skills that they have developed after time in the classroom. In times of inclement weather though this can definitely be an attribute since colleges dont have make-up days and generally the department expects you to get through a certain amount of information. Learning Facilitating active learning in a large class is something that instructors should take seriously. The idea of forming small groups and the think-pair-share method (McKeachie p 269) is a good thing to utilize in large groups. If we put the students into smaller groups where they can discuss the material they will get more out of it. It is virtually impossible for the instructor to get the point across to every student in a large class, but students tend to learn better from their peers, probably because they are not as afraid to ask questions in small groups as opposed to in front of the entire class. Having a goal as a student is very important to our career as a student. As instructors we need to help the students realize that they will benefit from each of the classes that they are taking in some way and at some point in their life. As an oral communications instructor I not only teach them how to communicate in the business world but also teach them how to communicate with friends, family and their significant others. Building their self confidence in the classroom will only help them in the long run in the â€Å"real world†. Conclusion Brookfield’s book is a very diverse book that approaches topics not adequately addressed by other books. It is a work that touches on some of the most basic aspects of teaching. It does not focus on the political realities of teaching, nor does it set out to illustrate how all other methods of teaching are wrong. It is a thoughtful book that treats the students and the teachers as individuals, not merely part of an institution. Of course, the opinions and perspectives presented are only those of this particular writer. In light of this the student should use the information presented as a tutorial to assist them in development of their own perspectives concerning Brookfield’s book. McKeachie’s â€Å"Teaching Tips† is a valuable guide book that no teacher should be without. All teachers should have a copy of this book before they ever teach their first class. While some students sell their books at the end of each semester, this is one book that should be kept for references, no matter what age student is being taught. This book covers many (if not all) things that will be encountered in the classroom. REFERENCES Brookfield, S. D. (2006). The Skillful Teacher on Technique, Trust and Responsiveness in the Classroom (2nd ed. ). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. McKeachie, W. J. Svinicki, M. (2011). McKeachie’s Teaching Tips (13th ed. ). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Toxoplasma Gondii Infection Among Pregnant Females in Lahore

Toxoplasma Gondii Infection Among Pregnant Females in Lahore The present study was conducted on 190 pregnant females attending Government, Lahore General Hospital and from a private setup named as Fatima Memorial Hospital coming for their antenatal checkups during first trimester. The detailed results are shown in the appendices. The summary of results is given in Tables 1- 20 and Figures 1- 6. Figure 1 shows the frequency of IgG in pregnant females. Out of 190, IgG antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii were present in 60 (31.58%) females. Figure 2 shows the frequency of IgM in pregnant females. Out of 190 pregnant females, IgM antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii were present only in 9 (4.73%) females. Table 1 shows the comparison of age, gestational age and gravida between IgG positive and negative females. The mean age of IgG positive group was 28.19 Â ± 4.70 and the mean number of gravida and gestational age of IgG positive group was 3.26 Â ± 1.84 and 9.28 Â ± 3.14 respectively. Whereas the mean age of IgG negative group was 25.92 Â ± 5.00 and the mean number of gravida and gestational age of IgG negative group was 2.63 Â ± 1.85 and 9.36 Â ± 3.20 respectively. There was no statistically significant differences in mean gestational age between IgG positive and negative groups (p-value = 0.753). The mean age of IgG positive group was statistically significant and higher as compared to IgG negative group (p-value = 0.005) similarly the mean gravida of IgG positive group was statistically significant and higher as compared to IgG negative group (p-value = 0.012). Table 2 shows the comparison of age, gestational age and gravida between IgM positive and negative groups. The mean age IgM positive group was 29.44 Â ± 5.20 and the mean number of gravida and gestational age of IgM positive group was 2.56 Â ± 1.51 and 9.33 Â ± 3.74 respectively. Whereas the mean age of IgM negative group was 26.49 Â ± 4.97 and the mean number of gravida and gestational age of IgM negative group was 2.84 Â ±1.88 and 9.33 Â ± 3.16 respectively. The mean age of IgM positive group was generally higher as compared to IgM negative group and the mean gravida of IgM positive group was generally lower as compared to IgM negative group but these differences were not statistically significant (p-value = 0.074 and p-value = 0.806 respectively). Similarly there were no statistically significant differences in mean gestational age between IgM positive and negative groups (p-value = 0.792). Table 3 shows the IgG positivity in pregnant women according to family income and there was statistically significant association between IgG antibodies and family income (p-value

Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour - A Big Story in a Small Space :: The Story of an Hour

Story of an Hour – A Big Story in a Small Space  Ã‚      Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour", tells the story of a woman trapped in a repressive marriage, who wants desperately to escape. She is given that chance, quite by accident, and the story tells of the hour in which this freedom is given her. The story is very short (only two pages), so is interesting to look at as a minimalist piece of literature, and the surprise ending offers an opportunity to look at Chopin's use of foreshadowing. The story is very short, but every word has import in the story and each line has great depth of meaning. It is possible to infer a great deal about the woman's life, even though we are given very little on the surface. A telegraph and a railroad are mentioned in the first paragraph, so there is some idea of the time the story takes place. We are also given her married name and the full name of her husband. The fact that she is referred to only as "Mrs. Mallard", while her husband's full name is given, coupled with what we learn on the second page, gives some indication of the repression she's had to suffer through and the indignity society placed on woman in those times. We also learn in the first paragraph that she lives in a man's world, for, though it is her sister that tells her the news, it is her husband's friend who rushes over with the story. Even after his death, she is confined to the structures she adopted with married life, including the close friend's of her husband. It can also be assumed that Brently Mallard was fairly well off, because they live in a home with an upstairs, comfortable furnishings, and he has occasion and reason to travel. Also, they can afford a doctor's diagnosis that she has a "heart condition". The most important idea that is conveyed in the story is summed up in two sentences, near the end of the story, "There would be no powerful will bending hers in that blind persistence with which men and women believe they have a right to impose a private will upon a fellow-creature. A kind intention or a cruel intention made the act seem no less a crime as she looked upon it in that brief moment of illumination".

The 904: Reflection Paper -- Crime

In 2005 Jacksonville gained the title of â€Å"Florida's murder capital† (Florida Times-Union, 2005; Murphy, 2005). According to the results of â€Å"The 904 Project† in 2011 Jacksonville still holds the title. According to Sherriff Rutherford during the time the study came out Jacksonville has shed that title (Patterson, 2011). Does Jacksonville hold the title or not? It depends on who you ask. In reflecting on what the 904 Project has brought us it is important to not only look at the results of the study, but also what we already know about media and the criminal justice system and what the study might have inadvertently illustrated about Jacksonville’s media, it’s leaders, and the crime problem itself. What research shows is that media and crime are intertwined and that there is an effect on the criminal justice system and its policies. Surette discusses the two tenets concerning criminal justice and the media. The first is the â€Å"backwards law† which states that anything the media portrays is in fact the opposite of what is really happening (2010, p. 182). He goes on to explain that this distortion is due to how news is presented in either an episodic format, the following of a single incident or case, or thematic format, a flowing of trends, and how both formats only show a small fraction of the reality (p. 183). The other is the â€Å"rule of immanent justice.† Surette defines immanent justice as â€Å"the belief that a divine higher power will intervene, and reveal and punish the guilty while protecting the innocent† (p. 186). He argues that the media perpetually illustrates that criminality is inborn and that society seeks immanent justice and supports crime fighters, such as police, in helping combat the issue of crime (pp. 186-187). While... ...e&db=edsbl&AN=RN066843348&site=eds-live Surette, R. (2010). Media, crime, and criminal justice: Images, realities, and policies Cengage Learning. Treen, D. (2006a, Girl's killing sparks pleas for an end to the violence community and city leaders discuss plans to stem the killings. Florida Times-Union, the (Jacksonville, FL), pp. A-1. Treen, D. (2006b, Murder rate on grand jury list shorstein says he has discussed it with panel. Florida Times-Union, the (Jacksonville, FL), pp. A-1. Treen, D. (2011, Results are in: Duval no longer murder capital miami-dade takes title as violent crimes in duval county down 19%. Florida Times-Union, the (Jacksonville, FL), pp. A-1. UNF Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice. (2011). No longer #1? Retrieved January, 2012, from http://www.unf.edu/uploadedFiles/aa/coas/ccj/904_project/No%20Longer%20number%201%20-%20Data.xls

Clothing in Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter Essay -- essays research pa

Clothing: A Form of Rebellion â€Å"Symbols are objects, characters, figures, or colors used by the author to represent abstract ideas or concepts.† Symbolism in literature is the depth and hidden meaning in any piece of work. The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a powerful and evocative novel laced with symbolism. The most obvious is the symbol of the scarlet letter itself, representing Hester’s sin of adultery. Hawthorne’s other symbols are less obvious and are very often obscured in the novel. Clothing is an important but often forgotten symbol in The Scarlet Letter. Clothing is defined as â€Å"garments collectively, clothes, raiment, apparel†¦ a covering† (dictionary.com). The second part of the definition, which describes clothing as â€Å"a covering† is the most relevant to its symbolism in the novel (dictionary.com). Hester is a seamstress and uses it as her source of income to support herself and her daughter Pearl. Hester uses clothing as a covering or escape from her sentence of having to wear the scarlet letter on her bosom all the time. The connotation of the word throughout the novel is a form of rebellion. Her work supplies an outlet for Hester’s artistic sensibilities, which she exercises in the work she does for others and in the clothes she embroiders for Pearl. With Pearl’s attire, Hester can give â€Å"the gorgeous tendencies of her imagination their full play† (Scarlet). Hester dresses Pearl in bright colors rather than the dark, drab colors that were so prevalently worn in Puritan society. In Chapter 1, the beginning scene of the novel, Hawthorne describes a group of Puritans in front of the prison. They were wearing â€Å"sad-colored garments and gray†¦hats.† Some were wearing hoods (Scarlet 42). Already Hawthorne is sh... ...l anyone of his crime. Moreover, clothing has vague significance because the reverend is wearing a black veil, like Chillingworth who wears black all the time, and that gives insight to his evil nature. In conclusion, clothing is used for multiple reasons in the novel. Hester uses it as a form of rebellion, it is her way to express her feelings through garments. In addition, it is her way of rebelling against Puritan society, by dressing Pearl in colors much not the norm to the society. In addition, clothing is also used to reflect character and situation in the novel. The clothes worn by Chillingworth and by the witch foreshadow their character. Colors of clothing are also important. The use of bright colors, such as crimson, and gold conveys how dissimilar Hester and Pearl are viewed by the Puritan society, which generally dresses in plain, emotionless colors.

Why We Should Ban Cell Phones And Driving

Every day, millions of people get in their vehicles and drive. Some are mothers, some are fathers, some are students, yet all are in danger from preventable accidents caused by cell phones. For proof that cell phone accidents are increasing, people simply need to look at sections of websites devoted entirely to car accidents caused by people using cell phones while driving (Car Accidents). We live in the now generation. We want everything as soon as possible and preferably before we know we want it.Imagine how many people turn their cell phones on and call people the instant their plane lands, minutes before their plane reaches the gate. Cellular phones feed into our need to have information and always be connected, but that need is only safe as long as common sense is used. When common sense is not in effect, driving while using a cell phone can be dangerous. Problems Cell phone accidents injure 330,000 people a year and kill 2,600 a year (Britt 2005). Most people have seen someone talking on a cell phone and driving erratically.They are typically not hard to see because they are usually weaving into the next lane or have poor reflexes when confronted with a red or green light. We ban drinking and driving because there are so many deaths and injuries caused by it, so why do we continue to ignore the dangers of calling and driving? The problem has not gone unnoticed. The government has recognized the risk of driving while calling and have enacted legislature to counteract the increasing number of people involved in accidents caused by distracted drivers.Yet each state has different laws regarding cell phones and driving. Based on the most recent statistics (2008), some states like California talking on the phone (unless it is on the speaker) while driving, and certain groups of people from using the phone. Other states, like Louisiana, do not have any restrictions on using cell phones while driving (Edgar Snyder and Associates). Statistics Cell phones have made our lives more convenient but also more dangerous. Cell phones have 250 million users in the United States, a number that is increasing yearly at a rate of 40%.Studies have also discovered that cell phone use while driving increases the chance of a car accident. Even the task of dialing numbers can cause a person to potentially lose control of the vehicle. Incidentally, most people who were in car accidents while driving were on the phone. Out of the plethora of accidents where cell phones were involved, the drivers hit large objects that would have been avoidable had the driver been focusing on the road (Edgar Snyder and Associates). People who believe that they have excellent reflexes and can avoid a crash are incorrect.It was found that a 20-year-old driver talking on a cell phone has the reflexes of a 70-year-old driver not talking on a cell phone (Britt 2005). People who use hands-free cell phones also contribute to the heightened danger on the road. The mitigating factor in a ccidents involving cell phones is distraction. The problem is that the drivers can see the road, but they are not involved in what is happening on the road. As strange as it seems, a study found that it is categorically safer to have a person driving with a blood alcohol level greater than .08 on the road driving than to have a person talking on a cell phone driving (Britt 2005). How to Help Now that we know the extent of the problem, what can we do to prevent those unnecessary accidents from claiming more lives, maybe even the life of someone we love? With inconsistent legislation among the states regarding cell phone use and driving, there is a chance that you have driven in a state with very relaxed or nonexistent laws about driving with cell phones. There are several ways people can protect themselves when driving with a cell phone.A spokeswoman for the California Highway Patrol, Anne Da Vigo suggests pulling off of the road for extended phone calls, to tell the person you are t alking to on the phone that you are driving, ask any passengers accompanying you to do the talking, keep the call short and only use the phone when you need to. (Goepel 2003). Legislature Even though those steps are beneficial when using a cell phone while driving, it is not enough to keep the safe cell phone drivers away from the dangerous ones. We need to petition our government to ban any form of cellular phone use while driving.The government will not know how concerned we are about the dangers of driving while calling unless we bring more attention to the situation. Twenty-two of the 50 states have no legislature banning driving while on a cell phone. That means that people in 44% of the states in the United States are at in increased danger of being in an accident caused by a driver talking on a cell phone (Edgar Snyder and Associates). The first steps for legislation come from the citizens, businesses, lobbyists, elected officials, etc. (Nevada Legislature).If we decide to ig nore the initial steps to have a bill passed because we are confident someone else will do the work, we are wrong. We need to be a collective voice that lets our government know that we are tired of having innocent citizens hurt by distracted drivers. It is time for us to have our government to listen to what we have to say. We need to be proactive so we do not lose more people from our communities to senseless accidents. References Britt, R. R. (2005). Drivers on Cell Phones Kill Thousands, Snarl Traffic. LiveScience. Retrieved July 18, 2009 from LiveScience database. Car Accidents.Cell Phone Accidents Pictures & Stories. Retrieved July 18, 2009, from http://www. car-accidents. com/cell_phone_car_accidents. html . Edgar Snyder and Associates. Car Accident Cell Phone Statistics. Retrieved July 18, 2009, from http://www. edgarsnyder. com/auto-accident/auto/cell/statistics. html . Goepel, J. (2003). Crashes caused by inattentive drivers are nothing new. Cell phones are the latest dist raction. Via AAA Traveler’s Companion. Retrieved July 18, 2009 from VIA Magazine database. Nevada Legislature. How a Bill is Passed. Retrieved July 18, 2009, from http://www. leg. state. nv. us/General/im_just_a_bill. cfm .

 The Traits of Winston and Julia from Orwell’s 1984

Throughout one’s life, there are people whose similar and contrasting personalities help one to learn more about themselves. In George Orwell’s 1984, Orwell demonstrates a character foil between the protagonist Winston and his love-interest Julia. Although Winston and Julia’s views on life, and the Party are different, they are similar in their hopes to rebel against the Party, leading to their overall downfall and doomed relationship. Throughout 1984, Orwell contrasts Winston and Julia’s views on life. Winston is concerned with the future of Oceania.He analyzes all hope for the future and finds that it lies in the Proles. He begins to see beauty in everything free, for he longs to be free himself. This is shown when he finds beauty in the old Prole woman. â€Å"It had never occurred to him that the body of a woman of fifty [†¦] could be beautiful. † Although her appearance may have not been completely attractive, Winston sees that her beauty w ithin was great. He has an appreciation for her and the freedom that she signifies. Winston saw the true beauty within the woman, as opposed to Julia. Julia could find nothing beautiful about the woman.This is shown when in sight of the woman Julia says, â€Å"She’s a metre across the hips, easily†. Julia only sees things as they appear and cannot find a deeper meaning for the important things in life. As well, Julia is young, as opposed to Winston, therefore she has less experience about how the world works. This is thought of by Winston after a conversation about Winston’s wife, Katharine. â€Å"She was very young, he thought, she still expected something from life, she did not understand that to push an inconvenient person over a cliff solves nothing†.Julia is naive and believes that when there is a problem it is best to be fixed the easiest way possible. Julia and Winston both recognize their different views on life. As the conflict rises in the novel , one sees how Julia and Winston have different levels of intellect and on their thoughts towards the Party. Winston is a very intellectual man and he thinks his decisions over thoroughly. He knows that his actions have consequences. This is shown when he says, â€Å"We are the dead. † He has experienced what happens to those who commit crimes and he knows it is only a matter of time until both Julia and  he are killed.He sees life only as the little time he has left and is constantly living in the past, and regretting the bad things he had done. Julia on the contrary is a carefree woman and can be impulsive at times. She simply lives in the moment. This is shown when she says, â€Å"Don’t you enjoy being alive? Don’t you like the feeling: [†¦] I’m real, I’m solid, and I’m alive! † She is also naive because she does not think about the repercussions of her actions. She doesn’t understand what will happen to her once she is caught by the Thought Police and she focuses on enjoying life while she can.Winston and Julia’s views on the Party became an obvious difference in their relationship. Throughout 1984, one sees how Winston and Julia both demonstrate the possession of a rebellious trait. Although they both make it their goal to rebel against the Party, both characters do it in different ways. Firstly, to other Party members Julia appears to be completely orthodox. She is a member of the Junior Anti-Sex League and appears to love Big Brother, but in reality Julia rebels against the Party by having illegal sexual affairs with other Party members, leading her to Winston.As well she has a great amount of hatred for Big Brother. Her entire character is a contradiction. This is shown when Julia says to Winston, ‘You thought I was a good Party Member. Pure in word and deed [†¦] It’s this bloody thing that does it’ she said, ripping off the scarlet sash of the Anti-Junior Se x League and flinging it onto a bough. † The act of her throwing off the Anti-Sex League sash, demonstrates her ability to rebel and deceive the Party. As Julia allows Winston to see her form of rebellion, Winston begins to believe it is healthy and normal to rebel against Big Brother.Winston rebels by keeping a secret diary in which he writes messages against the Party and his hopes for the future. He eventually devotes his life to the Brotherhood and commits thoughtcrimes against the Party. This is shown when Winston writes, â€Å"DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER†. His thoughtcrime focuses on the downfall of the Party and the end of totalitarianism. One sees that both characters aim to rebel against the Party, while Julia rebels on a personal level, only doing so from the waist down and Winston commits his crimes by hoping to make an impact on the Party and change for the future.In conclusion, Winston and Julia’s relationship is formed through their similar need to rebel against the Party, while their different views on the Party and life strengthens the particular character Orwell portrays them to be. Although both characters chose to rebel, they each do it in a different way. Winston finds beauty and appreciation in freedom , while Julia is blinded by her own needs. As well Julia lives in the moment while Winston is constantly remembering his past. The personality traits of a person can depict their future, including their achievements and downfalls.

The Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs will try to avoid their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling Minnesota Wild tonight at Air Canada Centre. Don't miss a moment of the action live on TSN, beginning at 7pm et/4pm pt. You can also talk hockey and get game updates with TSN. ca's Game Night blog. The Maple Leafs had won a season-high four straight games before losing regulation decision against Buffalo, the Rangers and Ottawa. It is Toronto's fourth three-game slide of the year, but the first one with all three losses coming in regulation. Toronto, which is three points behind Florida and Pittsburgh for the final two playoff spots in the Eastern Conference, hasn't dropped four in a row since an 0-3-1 stretch from Nov. 26-Dec. 2 of last season. The Wild have also lost three straight (0-2-1) and are just 2-10-4 in their last 16 trips to the ice. Minnesota is currently ninth in the Western Conference with 51 points after leading the NHL with 43 points on Dec. 10. Toronto scored the first two goals in Tuesday's game against visiting Ottawa, but the Sens scored three unanswered goals and Craig Anderson made 37 saves to lift the visitors to a 3-2 decision. Joffrey Lupul and Matthew Lombardi scored for the Maple Leafs, while James Reimer made 18 saves in his first start since December 31. â€Å"We let them hang around,† Lombardi said. â€Å"They took advantage of their opportunities and stuck with it. We got away from our game a few times and it bit us in the end. † Toronto has lost the first two tests on a five-game homestand and is 12-7-4 as the host this season. The team will look to Jonas Gustavsson in goal this evening, who is 0-2 with a 3. 03 goals-against average and . 91 save percentage in his last two outings – a lose to the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres. Minnesota, meanwhile, played Tuesday night in Philadelphia and was dealt a 5-1 setback by the Flyers, who went 2-for-6 on the power play and outshot the Wild, 34-26. Former Flyer Darroll Powe supplied the lone goal for Minnesota, while Josh Harding surrendered five goals on 34 shots in the loss — the 10th in row on the road for the Wild. †Å"Bad things happened to us when we were in first place and we were winning a lot of hockey games [because] we overcame them. Right now we let those affect us in a very negative way,† said Wild head coach Mike Yeo. Minnesota is just 10-11-4 as the visiting team this season and is completing a four-game road trip tonight. The Wild's last road win came on Dec. 10 at Phoenix and the club is 0-8-2 as the guest since then. Tonight's tilt marks the one scheduled meeting between the Wild and Leafs this season. Toronto posted a 3-0 win in St. Paul last year and has taken six of the nine all-time meetings in this series. The Wild earned their first-ever win in Toronto when the clubs last met at the ACC on Nov. 10, 2009.

Chocolate business plan Essay

Introduction The market leader of the chocolate industry in India, Cadbury, is a British subsidiary of the American multinational confectionary, food and beverages conglomerate â€Å"Mondelez International†. Cadbury, is the second largest confectionary company in the world, close on the heels of Mars, Inc. In India, Cadbury owns a market share of 66 %, significantly ahead of the other multinational company operating the same space for many years, Nestle India, as well as other national, international and regional brands like Amul and Ferrero. Cadbury India began its operations in India in 1948, and has been a trusted and favored brand for decades in India. The market share has decreased from 70-80% in view of entry of other international chocolate companies in the Indian market, however it is still significantly large. Cadbury figures in the Brand Trust Report, 2011 in the Top 100 Most Trusted Brands in India. While Cadbury sells products in several categories such as candy, gum, beverages and chocolate confectionary, this report is aimed at studying the marketing strategy employed by Cadbury India in view of its chocolate confectionary business. Some of the products in this category include the highly popular Dairy Milk, Dairy Milk Silk, Bournville, Temptations, 5 Star, Dairy Milk Shots, Celebrations, Perk and Toblerone. In order to analyze the marketing strategy for Cadbury, this report begins with a SWOT analysis of the company. Environmental Analysis Political Food Safety Act 2006: Detailed and exacting regulations, for standards of production as well as imported chocolates, exist in India. Opportunity. Cadbury is better equipped to follow standards in production than smaller regional or local brands. Strength. Expand into the rural areas before local or regional companies focus on the rural market. Import Tax Rates on Chocolates: A tariff rate of 30% is levied on chocolates. Opportunity. Strength. Demand for premium chocolates at affordable prices can be encashed before foreign entrants can grow their roots within the Indian industry by introducing and aggressively marketing domestically manufactured premium chocolates. Economic Per Capita Spending Patterns: The biggest consumption category in India is Food. Spending in this amounts to almost 21% of the Gross Domestic Production. People, on average, spend 31% of their budget monthly, on food. 70% of the food spending is on agri-products, which incorporates candies and confectionary including chocolates. Two-thirds of this spending is on processed products. Domestic spending on food is expected to grow at a compounded 3 annual growth rate of 4% and billed to reach approximately 320 billion US dollars in value within the next 7 years. USD 841 million is spent on chocolates and confectionary in India. Opportunity. In households across income groups, a large share of money spent goes towards processed agricultural products including chocolates and other confectionary items. This can be encashed by developing effective channels to reach out and sell to lower and lower middle income groups. Strength. Socio-Cultural Social and cultural acceptability of products: There is an increasing acceptance of chocolates as an equivalent of traditional sweets in urban areas. Chocolates are, however, still seen as a luxury food item in rural areas. Opportunity. Chocolates are increasingly being seen as an equivalent or substitute for traditional sweets in terms of the convenience it offers when used for gifting on occasions. Strength. Cadbury is already working on this approach to sell to urban consumers. Rural consumers can also be reached out to and offered chocolates as a new gift item replacing sweets leading to increased sales. Technological Constantly improving technology in chocolate making leads to better tasting products as well as more convenient storage. Opportunity. Strength. Cadbury has the financial capability to invest in R&D and has already produced products that are better suited to Indian tastes and storage conditions that other foreign entrants into the industry are not yet as well adapted to. Natural factors. Climate for Cocoa Production: Cocoa, used to produce chocolates can only be grown in regions 15 degrees to the north or south of the equator. Cocoa, originally a crop native to the Amazon basin, can only be grown in the southern states of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. It is not a commonly grown crop. Threat. Lack or scarcity of domestic cocoa producers can affect production costs of chocolates within the country. Strength. Cadbury has encouraged farmers in Kerala to produce cocoa since the 1970s and is now in the process of promoting Cocoa as an inter-crop plant for coconut growing farmers. Successful pursuance of this connect with the farmers would help Cadbury procure raw material at lower prices within the country. Consumer behavior Age composition: 66% of the population is below the age of 35. Opportunity. It implies that a huge part of the population can be encouraged to take up consumption of chocolates more frequently and will be met with less resistance than that put up by older consumers with already set eating habits. Strength. 4 Competition Traditional Sweets: Very widely available and traditional choice, but inconsistent in hygiene levels and taste. Threat. Build on image of chocolates being a better and more hygienic choice, which adheres to food safety standards set out by the Govt. Build on image that chocolates are a more sophisticated choice for gifting carrying greater meaning than ‘mithai’ from neighbourhood sweet shops. Strength. Confectionary items like candies, cakes and icecream: Candies are easily available and appeal to children who have traditionally been the target consumers for chocolates. Threat. Cadbury can emphasize more strongly that chocolates are not meant only for children but for adults as well who may not prefer to eat candies. Cadbury chocolate can be offered as an experience, that is not replicated by eating candies and conectionary items. Strength. Entry of several foreign players: As India is seen to have a rapidly growing chocolate consuming country, with people willing to spend not only on inexpensive smaller packs of chocolates, but also premium chocolates as well, foreign players have started foraying into the market with the hope of establishing a presence in the premium sector at least. Threat. Cadbury can increase its foothold in the premium sector of chocolate industry by launching and promoting premium chocolate brands with higher cocoa content which could be priced a bit lower than the foreign brands. In fact, Cadbury is already in the process of implementing such a strategy through the introduction of Bournville and Toblerone. Strength. Suppliers Global network: Half of the cocoa sourced for chocolate making by Cadbury is from sources around the globe, including countries like Ghana, for its famous brand Bournville. Opportunity. Cadbury can source the majority of its cocoa from farmers in India through contract farming, while importing from foreign countries specifically for certain brands only. This will help reduce loss due to global fluctuations in cocoa bean prices and also reduce transport or shipment costs. It will also help create an even more positive image in the eyes of the Indian population. Strength. Dealer network: Cadbury has CSR activities directed at the farmers who are producing cocoa on contract for Cadbury in the state of Kerala. Opportunity. Cadbury is now in the process of extending these activities to farmers in 3 more southern Indian states. This will help cement positive relations between the cocoa growers and the brand, which may put it at an advantage when compared to new foreign entrants in the country like Ferrero or Mars, Inc. Strength. 5 Advertising environment Use of role models: Trustworthy role models in the media, when used as Brand Ambassadors, give a much needed push to the further acceptance of a product. Opportunity. Cadbury has been able to utilize this by roping in celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, thus emphasizing the idea that even adults can have chocolates, since even a person of Amitabh Bachchan’s stature has not shied away from having them. Cadbury also has the financial power to rope in more high profile celebrities for the same. Strength. Availability of media and ad agencies: Several media channels like TV, Radio, newspapers are available for Cadbury to advertise on. Opportunity. Cadbury has been advertising its chocolates heavily throughout, to keep the brand on top of the mind recall. There have been innumerable ads by Cadbury that have long stayed on people’s minds and even evoked nostalgia, indicating a deep connect of the brand with the audience. Strength. Segmentation Cadbury segmented the consumer based on age. Till the 1980s, chocolates were seen as a luxury item which were eaten only on special occasions or used to reward children with. Despite being the market leader already at this time, Cadbury decided to reshuffle their marketing strategy and position chocolates as a snack and an everyday item of consumption rather than a special treat. In order to do this, the first step was to segment the consumers. Geographic or occupation based segmentation would have proven less relevant in helping raise revenues generated from chocolate sales. The segmentation was done on the basis of age. The existing segment of choice for Cadbury had been children up to the age of 14 who had been driving the consumption of chocolates until the 90s. The other segment that the consumers could be grouped into was the adult population. Targeting The decision made to target a segment is based on gauging the segment attractiveness of the segment. During the 90s, with a rise in the population of the 15-35 year olds, combined with a surge in income and spending power due to the simultaneous opening up of the economy, made the adult segment an attractive one and since then, it has been targeted by Cadbury. Being the market leader already, switching to this target consumer group was not a difficult move for them, in terms of channel attractiveness of the segment. The existing channels which served the consumers until the 90s, such as kirana stores, need no resource intensive special adaptations to serve the youth consumer group as well. Alongside this, competitive attractiveness of the youth segment was also high since no other chocolate company had targeted this consumer group so far. Although this meant 6 Cadbury needed to put in extra marketing effort to change the social acceptance of chocolates in this group, it also translated into a first mover advantage for them. Positioning Positioning is the decision of how the brand wants to be perceived as by the target consumer group vis-a-vis competitors. Cadbury has positioned itself to cater to specific needs and attributes that the target consumer group looks for. Cadbury’s objective was to engage the customers of the adult age group. In the early 90s, Cadbury had the leading share in the market but the volume of sales in terms of per capita consumption was very low compared to western countries. This was also because consumption of chocolate by children was strictly governed by adults and hence increasing per capita consumption within the children consumer group was not a feasible option. In order to widen the net of consumers, Cadbury had to increase the social acceptance of chocolates in the adults age group. This was done through the means of extensive and successively huge ad campaigns which eventually lowered the attitudinal barrier that existed. Cadbury had wanted to and has successfully moved from the perception of chocolate being a children’s product to a celebratory/gifting product, and more recently an indulgence product (For instance Cadbury Silk). In 1992, Cadbury launched a series of aggressive ad campaigns starting with ‘Real Taste of Life† which showcased adults eating the chocolates on their own and not in a parent role or buying it as a reward or a way to say sorry to loved ones. This included the famous ad â€Å"Kuch khaas hai zindagi mein† which showed adults enjoying the taste of chocolates on their own. Later on, Cadbury launched a campaign for Perk which said â€Å"Thodi si pet pooja† which emphasized the use of the chocolate as an any time snack to satisfy hunger, which was a marked shift from the earlier perception of chocolates. Later, to promote Cadbury chocolates as an alternative to traditional desserts, the â€Å"kuch meetha ho jaaye† campaign sought to change perceptions once again, this time including the entire family consisting of elderly grandparents also in the ad to show acceptance of the Cadbury chocolates as dessert. By tying chocolates to Indian customs, and festivals, like Celebrations especially for Raksha Bandhan and Diwali, Cadbury has come a long way from the â€Å"Real Taste of Life† campaign, and â€Å"Indianized† itself in order to entrench itself within the minds of the adult population in India. Marketing Mix – 4 Ps Product/Service Product There are four types of products by Cadbury India, and this report is focused on the Chocolates category. These aim to satisfy the hunger need as well as relaxation and convenience need (easily available snacking option). In order to satisfy these needs, the 7 product is available very easily, at least in the urban markets and in various sizes. Cadbury chocolates are branded so as to represent some emotional core values like family values, and togetherness, but at the same time, they are also branded as a fresh, satisfying, convenient product. Place Cadbury has 6 company-owned manufacturing facilities: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Thane Induri (Pune) Malanpur (Gwalior) Bangalore Baddi (Himachal Pradesh) Hyderabad There are 4 sales offices, one each in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai. The corporate office is in Mumbai. In terms of distribution, Cadbury chocolate products are sold directly to wholesalers and retailers. The network comprises roughly 2100 distributors and 4,50,000 retailers. The chocolates are sold through Kirana stores, gift stores, medical stores, canteens, paan shops, bakeries and so on. Price The generally established price point for chocolates in India is Rs 5 and Cadbury has 4 products at this point including Dairy milk, 5 star, gems and perk. This price point accounts for half of chocolate sales in India. At the same time, Cadbury sells multiple differently sized packs on a range of prices, going up to higher, premium priced products as well such as Bournville. In this way, Cadbury has a hold on various price points available to various groups of consumers based on their appetite for spending. Promotion Cadbury promotes its products through various media channels. It uses mainly television ads with strongly featured taglines that get associated with the products easily. There is some amount of seasonality in the market in the way that demand ideally goes up during festive season due to gifting needs and Cadbury launches special ad campaigns around those times to encash on this increased demand. National level competitors like Amul have been unable to match up to the scale of promotions undertaken by Cadbury. Regional players hardly advertise on a big scale through campaigns. However, its MNC competitor Nestle has its own promotional ads and campaigns that seek to rival Cadbury’s and sometimes directly challenge the Cadbury ads. 8 Recommendations 1. In view of the recent entry of foreign players in the market, though Cadbury does not face the threat of losing a significant amount of its existing customers, for instance, those who buy Dairy Milk or Perk, there is a possibility of losing out on potential customers who are interested in premium chocolates. Since this is a rapidly growing industry, and being the established market leader, Cadbury should focus on its premium chocolate brands in a big way through more visible ad campaigns and promote their products based on the brand equity they have built through the years. 2. While leveraging the lower cost of Cadbury premium chocolates vis-a-vis foreign chocolates, Cadbury must take care to ensure it does not go the Tata Nano way, as lower prices in the premium segment may be perceived as lower quality in the product delivered as well. 3. As it has already managed to successfully position chocolates as a snack for children’s as well as adults’ consumption, it can now focus on activating the elderly consumer segment which is typically more resistant to chocolates compared to traditional sweets and feel guilty on indulging in chocolates even if not restricted by health reasons. 4. Cadbury can now change the positioning of certain specific products or introduce new products to cater to â€Å"instant energy† giving needs similar to Mars bars abroad. 5. Recently, a 20-calorie chocolate has been developed in the UK which is now being sold at Michelin starred restaurants. Cadbury can also direct some of its R&D endeavors towards developing a similar product which would give the company a distinct edge over competitors and help tap into a new markets and increase their consumer width. 9 NATIONAL BRAND 10 Introduction Amul is an Indian dairy Co-operative based out of Anand in Gujarat. The co-operative started off as the Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers Union in December 1946. The Co-operative was set up by the milk producers of the Kaira district of Gujarat who felt cheated by the unfair trade practices. The co-operative collected processed and marketed milk and was co-owned by the milk producing farmers of the district. The brand Amul was used by the Kaira District Co-operative to market its brand of milk products. By the 1970s the Co-operative model had become highly successful and spawned similar Co-operative in other district s of Gujarat. In order to combine together and expand their market while not competing with each other, the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF), an apex marketing body of these district co-operatives was set-up in 1973. The brand name of Amul which was held by the Kaira Union was transferred to GCCF. Today, the GCCF is the largest food product marketing organisation of India. The co-operatives collect around 10 million litres of milk per day from around 3 million milk producer members of the Co-operative. Its current turnover is around Rs. 140. 0 billion. Amul started producing and marketing chocolates in 1970. It currently markets 6 different chocolate brands namely Congtas, Fundoo, Chocozo, Bindaaz, Rejoice, Almond Bar, Fruits and Nut and Amul Cooking Chocolate. Current market share of Amul chocolates is just 4% as compared to market leader that is 66%. The main reason behind such low market share is lack of promotion and more focus on dairy products. Environmental Analysis Strengths ? ? ? Raw material (milk) security: Major raw materials for the production of chocolates are Cocoa, milk and sugar. Milk supply is secured for the company which protects it from any volatility in prices. High brand awareness: Amul through its concerted marketing over the last 5 decades has created a brand that is synonymous with good quality. The brand has also become a symbol of successful Indian entrepreneurship that has positively impacted the lives of millions of small farmers, hence there is a sense of patriotism and pride associated with the brand as well. Strong distribution network: Amul has been marketing and supplying milk through a pan India distribution network which supplies milk and milk products to independent retailers but also to its own milk parlours. 11 Weakness: ? ? ? Low market share: Amul chocolates have a low market share in the Indian chocolate industry. The brand, though having a strong recall value, is not primarily associated with chocolates. The market leader in the chocolate industry in India is Cadbury with 70% market share followed by Nestle at 20% market share. Co-operative structure of Amul: Due to the Co-operative nature of GCMMF, there is limited capital infusion in the company. As a result there is a limited scope for aggressive product launches or diversification. Volatility in Cocoa prices: Unlike the major chocolate producing companies in the world, Amul does not own a cocoa plantation. The prices of cocoa are volatile in nature as they are dependent on the international demand supply dynamics. Not having a cocoa plantation of its own exposed the company to volatility in prices of this raw material. Opportunities: ? Huge untapped market: The per capita consumption of chocolate in India has increase from 40 gm per person in 2005 to around 110 gm per person currently. Though this is impressive growth in itself it is still much lower than the per capita chocolate consumption, in countries like Ireland or Belgium which have a chocolate consumption per person of more than 11 kilograms or even USA or Australia which have chocolate consumption per person of around 5 kilograms. There is thus a huge untapped market for growth in the chocolate industry in India. Corresponding Strength: Since Amul has a strong â€Å"Brand awareness†, people would be willing to buy new products launched under its brand name. Amul can launcha variety of new chocolate products for youth and kids. ? Gifting: Gift hampers consisting of chocolates has been a successful marketing strategy by companies like Cadbury. Amul too has the ‘Rejoice’ brand especially for this purpose however there is scope to launch or aggressively advertise this. Corresponding Strength: Since, Amul is a strong brand name and has a strong distribution network, It can very well advertise the gift packs like rejoice and can introduce new brands catering to the same need. ? Advertising: Amul need to advertise and carry out lot of promotional activities to inform the consumers that still exist and can provide them with what they want. It’s been years that Amul’s chocolate advertisement has been telecasted on India’s major television channels. Sales promotions like discounts and free samples can also help them to increase the Brand awareness and attract customers to switch brand from competitors. Big brands use a celebrity as a Brand Ambassador for its product. 12 For example Amitabh Bachchan for Cadbury & Rani Mukherjee for Nestle, Amul can also use a brand ambassador for the promotion of its chocolates. Corresponding Strength: Amul has a huge turnover of around Rs 140 billion and is a financially strong company and has enough funds to carry out the needed advertising campaign and promotions. By spending a small percentage of revenue on advertising campaigns Amul can increase its market share to a large extent. ? Low rural penetration of chocolates: There is significant awareness of the Amul brand even in rural India. The company can leverage these launch cheaper brands targeted at the rural segment which has till now stayed away from chocolate consumption. Corresponding Strength: Amul has been marketing and supplying milk through a pan India distribution network. It has a strong distribution network in rural areas. Amul can leverage this strength and can launch cheaper products in rural market. Threats: ? Strong competition from foreign multi nationals: There is significant potential in the Indian chocolate industry which has been attracting international competition. Companies like Cadbury have been launching premium swiss chocolate brands. Also other premium chocolate brands like Ferrero Rocher are making their presence felt in India. Corresponding Weakness: Since â€Å"Amul† is mostly related to its milk products and has not made its presence felt strongly in the chocolate industry, its still far behind its competitors like Cadburys which is a very aggressive player in the chocolate industry. Amul faces tough competition and to handle the same it needs enormous marketing and advertising campaign and introduction of new chocolate products under its brand name. ? Low brand loyalty in chocolate industry: Chocolates are impulse purchases and compete with categories of soft drinks, snacks and other beverages. Although people may like a particular type of chocolate (dark, milk, white, etc. ) there is not a significant brand loyalty. Hence this presents a threat to established players in the market. Corresponding Weakness: Since Amul has significantly low popularity in chocolate industry and also people are picky while selecting a chocolate, there is not a single chocolate brand product under its brand which enjoys strong loyalty from consumer side. Also, people like to try different kinds of chocolates and are not necessarily inclined towards a single chocolate product. Since, Amul does not offer a large variety of chocolates; therefore it is at a weaker position in the chocolate industry. 13 Segmentation Geographic segmentation: Chocolate consumption is concentrated in urban areas of the country. Chocolate consumption in rural areas of the country may be considered negligible. Chocolates are still considered as a luxury product by the population and are hence consumed by the middle and the upper classes of society which reside in the towns, cities and metropolitan centres of the country. Amul chocolates are thus marketed in these areas of the country. Demographic segmentation: Amul chocolates are mostly segmented its consumers into various age groups like the children, adolescent and youth segments of the society. Since, chocolates are particularly liked by children and middle aged and older generations refrain from eating it citing health concerns due to high sugar content of chocolates. Targeting The brands of Amul chocolates like Fundooz, Bindaaz, Congrats etc. have been named to be attractive to the younger generation who use these words in their daily lexicon. There has been a strategy by the company to provide a young, dynamic and fun loving character to its chocolate through such branding. Amul chocolates also markets two brand namely Amul Cooking Chocolate which is targeted towards the homemakers and professional cooks and chefs. Positioning Positioning is the decision of how the brand wants to be perceived as by the target consumer group vis-a-vis competitors. Amul has positioned itself as an affordable, â€Å"value for money† chocolate. Since, it has mostly targeted kids and youth, it is still considered as a snack unlike cadbury’s product like Celebrations which is considered as gifting option. Amul has not positioned itself as an alternative to sweets or has not developed its product to actually cater to an emotional need. It is simply a chocolate available at a lower price. Marketing Mix. Product Amul has a very low range of products in its chocolate business. There are only 8 chocolate brands that Amul offers as of now in the market and these are Congrats, Fundoo, Chocozo, 14 Bindaaz, Rejoice, Almond Bar, Fruits and Nut and Amul Cooking Chocolate. The problem is that there is no clear differentiation between the products that it offers. For example Cadburys is catering to a different need corresponding to its individual Chocolate product. ? ? ? ? ? Product Dairy Milk Dairy Milk Shots Bournville 5 Star Perk Need Milk Chocolate (Basic taste and style). Small balls of chocolate (Circular unlike chocolate bars) Dark Chocolate Sweeter in taste with honey as an ingredient Crispier with wafer inside However, Amul completely ignores such kind of differentiation between its products and hence their product can be easily substituted by their own products apart from the competitor’s product. Another important factor is packaging because majority of the consumers is kids and youngsters who like attractive packaging. Most kids buy chocolates not just because they like chocolates but also because of the attractive wrappers. Packaging used by Amul stands low on appearance parameter. Also, it lacks a common theme or â€Å"top of the mind† recall point. For example, Cadburys is strongly associated with blue wrapper and more than brown it’s the colour blue that we associate with a chocolate. As compared to this, Amul’s packaging is weak and lacks lustre. Amul needs to make changes to its product (chocolates) like introduction of more flavours and attractive packaging because the wrappers Amul uses is not at all attractive compared to those used by Cadbury and Nestle. This would keep them in competition with competitors like Cadbury and Nestle. 15 Pricing Second P of marketing that is Price is often confused with blindly lowering the prices of different products and completely relying on this strategy to increase sales. However it is of extreme importance to divide the target group on the basis of their price sensitivity and purchase power. Every customer segment has different price expectation from the product. To maximize the returns, it is important to identify the right price level for each segment and then progressively moving through them. Amul has launched various chocolate products to cater to different segments of population. Pricing must take into account the competitive and legal environment of the industry. Majority of people in India live in villages and have low disposable income. With such a heavy competition in the chocolate market, Price plays a very important role. Amul pricing strategy has been â€Å"Value for Money†. Amul’s believes in giving value for money to its customers and it has always followed that principle. Its products are of high quality and available at affordable prices. For example, Cadbury’s â€Å"Fruit n Nut† is priced at Rs 35 per 42 gm pouch whereas Amul’s Fruit and Nut is sold at just Rs 25 per 40 gm. Amul offers same quality at a price 30% lower than its competitor. Amul has not launched any premium (high price) product in its chocolate business. Place Place in marketing is considered as the channels of distribution through which products move from the manufacturer to the consumers. The channels of distribution mean intermediaries or middlemen who act as a link between the manufacturer and the consumers. Factors that need to be considered when choosing the place are the characteristics of the product, characteristics of the buyers, control and competitors channels. Since chocolate is an edible product, Amul should adopt an intensive distribution strategy wherein they will manufacture products and make it available at various shopping malls, food joints, local stores, Chocolate parlours etc. Corresponding to its strong distribution channels, Amul currently has very low visibility. It needs to increase the visibility through offering discount to retailers along with buybacks to convince them to store the Amul Chocolates. Since Amul is a â€Å"value for money† brand it can be placed anywhere from small kirana shops to big malls. Amul has a big brand name because of its dairy products. They can easily use it to increase the awareness of its chocolates using various distribution channels. 16 Promotion Promotion refers to exchange of information between an organization and the consumer of its products. Consumers here include Customers, shareholders, employees, government and other parties related to the products like trade union and media. The aim of promotion is to inform the consumers, differentiate from other products and to persuade them to buy. There are many techniques of promotion like Advertising, Sales promotions, Direct Marketing & Personal selling. Amul has been criticised for lack of promotion. Amul has a strong brand name because of its dairy product leadership. Amul must advertise its chocolates using media like newspaper, television and internet to inform the public about the quality & the price of its product. Amul has totally shifted its focus from chocolates towards milk and other milk products and have totally ignored chocolates. Using the mediums like Television and newspaper the company needs to remind the public that they are back with improved products at an affordable price. 17 Recommendations 1. Amul needs to introduce new varieties of chocolates and improve its existing ones. 2. They should introduce milk chocolates like Nestle’s Milky Bar, Chocolates with fruits and nuts like Cadbury has its Fruit and Nuts, Mint chocolates like Nestle’s After Eight etc.