Meaning of life, Life Essay

Suffering is an inevitable part of life. We all live in this big labyrinth of suffering. Th only way out of the labyrinth is death. † To live is to suffer, to survive to find meaning in the suffering. Few peopl e actually commit suicide to liberate themselves form suffering. Most people find meaning or purpo se for their life so that they have the motivation to live on. Some think that suffering make them wis er, some think that suffering is a test of faith, there will be rewards for them in the after life if they c an endure the suffering on earth. Some people couldn’t understand but keep going on with their life for their loved ones. Some people keep themselves busy to dodge from the question. My view on this question is that suffering does not make life any more or any less meaningful. Beca use as an atheist, I believe that there is no God, the Universe does not have a divine plan for us. Tha t the existence of life is just purely a miraculous accident. When we die, we stop existing. The time we spend on Earth will not amount to anything in an afterlife in another dimension. Therefore, life i s inherently meaningless, with or without pain and suffering. Human are powerless in the face of m eaninglessness . The only way we can deal with life is to embrace the fact that there is no intrinsic va lue in life. We can only create our own meanings. One can create meaning of life with or without su ffering. But since suffering is an inseparable part of our life, it more or less give us insights on mean ing of life. Dr. Bernard Rieux can best exemplifies my point of view. When the plague got out of control and O ran was placed under quarantine, it didn’t stop the doctor form battling the plague, fighting the war t hat was doomed to fail. At this point, many would wonder what is meaning of of the doctor’s action s when they are all in vain. The answer can be found in a dialogue he shared with Tarrou. Tarrou asked the doctor why he was so committed to fighting the plague if he does not believe in G od. The doctor replied that whether or not God exist is irrelevant and he didn’t have the time to thin k about what waits him in the future and what will come out of his actions. The only thing he knew that there were sick people suffering and they needed to be cured. Even though he admitted that his struggles against death would only be temporary victories and that the plague was what he referred as an†endless struggle†, he said that this was not the reason to give up struggle. From the dialogue, we can see the doctor was aware of the intrinsic meaninglessness of his life, bec ause he said he wouldn’t waste time to think about the existence of God and what his action will lea d to him. If he deemed his life has inherent meaning, he should have thought about the above questi ons. Thought he considered that his life is inherently meaningless, the plague gave me the meaning. The meaning lies in the other people. The doctor was fully aware that his attempts at lifting people out of misery is an impossible task as more and more people became infected and die. And there were no effective cure. Basically, his sitti ng around and doing nothing or wearing himself off to save the patients might just possibly lead to s ame outcome. However, the doctor did not stop his work in face of his powerlessness to alter the situation. Becaus e under this situation, he was left with only two choices, ignore it or act on it. There was no third op tion. The doctor chose the later one because he couldn’t bear to see people suffer and doing nothing about it. It’s meaningless to battle the unwindable battle against the plague. It was not defeating the plague that gave meaning to the doctor. It was the people gave him meaning. It was his compassion for others that keep him going in times of suffering. From the case of Dr. Rieux and his battle against the plague, we can see similarities in the real worl d. The plague is like the amoral universe, and Dr. Rieux represents all the human beings. We are po werless in face of the meaningless of life, just as Dr. Rieux was powerless in face of the plague. But we do have a choice, we can create meanings for ourselves just as Dr. Rieux has learnt from sufferin g and found meanings in helping people. Winston Smith from 1974 1984 somewhat share some similarities with Dr. Rieux in terms of action upon the unchangeable, though he was not such a noble and heroic person as Dr. Rieux. In his case, the unchangeable was the Big Brother. Winston Smith lived in a state where every moves, every wo rds ands every thoughts he made were monitored by the Party. In the instance of living in an extrem e state where even having disloyal thought against the party is in violation of law. The meaning of li fe for Smith was not to start a revolution and topple the party, and change the system entirely. Thou gh Smith had thought about it and desired it to happen. Deep down he believed that it was impossibl e to achieve the goal and sooner or later he would be arrested by the Party. Nevertheless, he set out t o challenge the limits of the Party. He kept a diary which has† Down with the Big Brother† written o n it over and over again. He had an forbidden affair with Julia. Also he joined the Brotherhood whic h he believe is the enemy of the Party. I think the meaning for Smith did not lie in being the hero. What was important for him was to stay as human as possible. Through the rebellious acts against the Party in his own ways, he got to keep his spirit and his human side. That was the meaning he could find for himself. Despite the fact that he was completely compromised at last when he was brought into Room 101, where he was tortured to an extreme degree and indoctrinated to cure his â€Å"insaneness†. He was com pletely broke and dehumanised. His passionate hatred towards the Big Brother turned into absolute l oyalty and love. He should not be blamed for betraying Julia and not upholding what he believed in the first place in such extreme conditions. After all, he did try to rebel against the Big Brother even t hough deep down he knew he couldn’t do anything to overthrow the Big Brother. Dr. Rieux and Winston Smith resolved the question of meaning through their rebellious acts against the plague and the Big Brother. There are people who find suffering itself reveals the meaning of lif e. Father Paneloux is a good example to illustrate this point of view. In his first sermon addressing t he plague. He said that the plague was a punishment by God. That it was the result of the sin of all c itizens. He criticised the people for not attending church and repenting for their sins. Therefore the p lague was reminder of God’s power and the Oran residents should start to change their habits and st art to fear God again. Unlike Dr. Rieux, who is an atheist, Father Paneloux based his life and work on his christian faith. F rom a Christian point of view, everything happens on earth has purpose and fit into the grand plan o f God. Therefore, it was his job to make sense of the suffering of the plague so that he and the peopl e listening to him will be able to endure and continue to believe in God. From his interpretation of s uffering, the meaning of life for Father Panels was more easily understood than Dr. Rieux and Winst on Smith. The meaning of life was really simple, that is to serve and honour God in his will. Though he changes his view on suffering drastically after witnessing the death of an innocent child. He did not view suffering as a punishment anymore. He said that the reason why a innocent child sh ould suffer was not something that human would necessarily understand no matter how hard they tri ed. They just had to keep in mind that it was God’s will. One must keep his faith and God and find t he good in bad situation. In spite of a changing tone, the meaning for Father Paneloux remained the same- to serve God. To conclude, life itself is inherently meaningless. Not even religion can provide an universal answer to the meaning of life. There are no answers for that and never will be. Suffering does not make one’ s life meaningful. But through suffering one might find meanings in life and live a meaningful life. Wu Ngai Ching, Ivy 20189319 Grade: 21/25 ? 19/25 (due to 2-day late submission) Comments: ?Ivy – In terms of the main thesis of the essay, you’ve done a good job delineating your own atheist view on the meaning of life and drew 3 examples from the 2 works to discuss what m ight be the meaning of life for them. Your argumentation is quite right and your analysis of e ach of their reaciton and thoughts on this difficult question is right on. ?However, you simply â€Å"narrated† through the whole essay without really giving detailed or c oncrete evidences from the book. I wish you could provide some passages or quotes from se veral particular moments in the book to clearly illustrate your point. This is one of the ways t o demonstrate that you’ve actually done the reading, and that is also what we’ve been doing in class – making your point across by providing specific passages/instances in the book as c oncrete evidence. So please remember to do so for your final paper!

Cultural Effects of Hurricane Katrina Essay

Anyone familiar with New Orleans will not fail to passionately describe to you one of its great rich culture – Jazz! That New Orleans is the cradle of Jazz in the world is an undisputable fact. Yes, Jazz was born in this part of the world in the late 1800’s before spreading to other parts of America and the rest of the world thereafter. In the annual cultural festivals in New Orleans over the years, Jazz was always more or less the heart beat of the whole cultural process. The festivals could not start or finish without Jazz. But boom! This was rudely interrupted in August 29, 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit home. Within no time over a thousand lives were lost and more than 700,000 people were displaced, with more than 300,000 homes damaged. America had never witnessed such a catastrophe that led to one of the most severe humanitarian crisis it had ever seen (www. weather. com). New Orleans would never be the same again. This traumatic tragedy had a great psychological impact on the victims. Many people and families were separated from their loved ones. These included young children who were separated from their parents and pets. No one’s life was going to be the same again. Within no time families that used to gather in the evening at the dinner table could hardly locate the whereabouts of their loved ones. As such, these lead them to suffer great uncertainty and anxiety. Many residents were quite familiar with the comfort and warmth of their beds after sumptuous evening meal, yet now were hurdled together sleeping on the floor of the crowded Super Dome. No one had experienced this ever before. Families that previously could afford all they wanted were now reduced to paupers living on rations and shelter provided by the government and well-wishers. Schools, factories, hospitals and other important facilities were shut down and no life was the same again. People who were previously running successful businesses, had no businesses to go to anymore, employees familiar with their paychecks every week were rendered jobless and unemployment levels rose from 6%-12%. No one was left out including animals, with over 8,000 animals being rescued and more others reported dead. In most of the rescue missions via helicopters and rescue boats, captains often refused to load pets so that they could create room for more people. However, many families were not co-operative, they refused to evacuate without their pets because of the strong attachment to them. When disasters strike the most vulnerable groups are children, women, poor families and senior citizens. In Katrina’s case, nothing was far from this truth; most of the victims fitted this description precisely and most came from the poor African American community. Lack of water, food, shelter and sanitation facilities led to the outbreak of health problems. Cases of dehydration, food poisoning and diarrhea were on a sharp increase. Also because of the contamination of food and drinking water supplies, respiratory illnesses were on the upward trend. This complex situation was coupled by the fact that major chemical plants and refineries released pollutants into the water-ways further aggravating the already delicate situation. Thus asthmatic people and those with allergy condition were tremendously affected (Ryan Parry 1). There was also a sharp increase in mental illnesses and depression brought about by trauma and shock. Perhaps the most psychologically affected were young children between the ages of 3 years to 18 years. They had never witnessed such disaster in there lives before, they started refusing to go to school, there academics took a nose dive and suffered memory problems and mostly feared separation. The situation was further compounded by the fact that relief and rescue efforts were not quickly dispensed as they should have. The Government was criticized for being slow to respond and for being discriminative against the African Americans. By the time help was coming the victims were already disillusioned, impatient and ravaged, they resorted to looting and stealing, something that had never been witnessed before (Julian Borger and Duncan Campbell, 2). The human migration that took place after Katrina has never been witnessed before in America; save for the Great Migration in the 1830’s when there was mass immigration from Africa – thanks to slave trade. Thousands of families relocated from New Orleans to escape the wrath of Mother Nature. For many they could not bare this nightmare anymore and remaining behind would constantly remind them of the trauma. Many people found it also very difficult to reconstruct their lives especially after loosing important documents like insurance information, birth certificates, marriage licenses and other important documents. Behind every dark cloud there’s always a silver lining. Whenever disaster strikes, it brings in a very high sense of unity among the victims. It was admirable to see people from various backgrounds sleep side by side in the Super Dome. No one was more equal than the other. Hence, there were people of mixed races, diverse financial and social backgrounds, sharing common amenities. Jazz had united the residents of New Orleans for many years, Katrina despite of its untold damage and loss of lives had united them again, albeit in a strange and different way! Works cited Julian Borger and Duncan Campbell. The Guardian. Why did help take so long to arrive? Saturday September 3, 2005. Available at: http://www. guardian. co. uk/katrina/story/0,16441,1561909,00. html. Accessed on 31. 07. 07 The weather Channel Available at: http://www. weather. com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/neworleans. html. Accessed on 31. 07. 07 Ryan Parry. Mississippi burning. New Orleans 03/09/2005. Available at: http://www. mirror. co. uk/news/tm_objectid=15926357&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=mississippi-burning–name_page. html. Accessed on 31. 07. 07

Pick 5 short stories and write 5 responds ( each just have to be one Essay

Pick 5 short stories and write 5 responds ( each just have to be one page) - Essay Example From the description about the colonel in the story, one could conclude that his personality could best be described as a remorseless person in a chaotic country that embraced violence among their people (James, Denise & Tom 85). The colonel reveals his evil personality to the author with no compunction, â€Å"He spilled many human ears on the table† (James, Denise & Tom 85). Furthermore, the author manages to reveal to the reader that the colonel behaved that way since his people had become hard to difficult to govern plus he had enemies. This story written by Fred Leebron remains as an intriguing fictional story that entails a lady that broke up with her boyfriend and sought for revenge. The story begins with a happy time memory of the couple being by the river side enjoying themselves, â€Å"She touches his hair by the river† (James, Denise & Tom 157). The author in the story jumps back and forth in telling her story as she reveals her past relationship and links to the current event. From the story, one could realize that the author enjoyed pleasant times with the man he dated before they moved to his apartment. As the author compares the past life with the present, one could realize that the two had broken up though the author had the key of the apartment. The author goes to her ex-boyfriends apartment and turns on the gas stove without lighting it, then walks away. The author is angry with the man and plans for a fire accident to occur in his apartment since she knew that he liked to smoke, â€Å"The air smells of autumn, burnt† (James, Denise & Tom 157). This story hence reveals the bitterness of a girl who feels cheated in entering a relationship with the man she speaks about, â€Å"His former girlfriends have turned into lesbians† (James, Denise & Tom 157). The readers remain left in suspense on what will happen to the former boyfriend when the author leaves the apartment with the gas stove on â€Å"I turn it on without lighting† (James, Denise & Tom

Seven Birds for Seven Brothers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Seven Birds for Seven Brothers - Essay Example 3. From the musical, gender relations have been demonstrated in the movie where the females are expected to be well-behaved. The girls were expected to be good cooks and carry themselves with dignity. Males, on the other hand, are expected to be hard working and provider in the family. The setting of this musical shows â€Å"man’s world†. For instance, Fred Bixby owns store while his wife works with him. Milly works in a local bar where she is expected clean after the customers. 4. The clips on youtube of the Seven Brides for Seven Brothers have captured the spirit of the original movie to the extent where they create a clear picture of the original film. The musical numbers used are appropriate for the scenes. The filmed musical uses location and beautiful scenery to try and bring out which would be impossible in a live musical. 5. My favorite musical number is Bless Yore Beautiful Hide. It talks of what kind a wife, Adam. The song brings out the qualities of a woman Adam would like. From the song, one can tell the performer is looking for a wife to

Crafting a Compensation & Benefits Plan Research Paper

Crafting a Compensation & Benefits Plan - Research Paper Example important aspects of comparison salary, medical, dental, vision, retirement, life insurance and vacation benefits of three companies are taken into consideration. Moreover, the paper based on the aforementioned factors will formulate a compensation plan for the organization I am associated. The welding company was founded in the year 2000. During the period of 2009, it was recognized as a limited organization. The prime aim of establishing the company is to supply products that include metal, submerged arc, wires and other products across a city. The company had faced difficulties with respect to obligations towards its employees. The company is required to select the appropriate alternative compensation and benefits plan in order to meet the labor difficulties. Additionally, the company needs to make significant analysis of other companies offering benefits and compensations for the retention of employees and working conditions to mitigate the challenges of the company. The tabulated compensation and benefit plan of Joe’s Welding and Machine, Paragon Pipe Fitting and Acme Tool and Engineering indicates that the compensation benefits that were offered by Acme Tool and Engineering company is significantly better than the offering of other companies. The salary offered by the Acme is higher compared to other companies. Moreover, the analysis also reveals that Acme has witnessed high stability in its human resource management compared to that of Joe’s and Paragon. The evaluation reflected that the Acme depicts a strong choice and section for the people who were looking for the new job in the welding and manufacturing industry. Moreover, implementation of more or less similar policy into our organization would help to meet the significant challenges and the changing requirements of the business. In the changing business dynamics, organizations need to change their working structure constantly with the technological advancement. In this regard, in order to manage

Discrimination of African Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discrimination of African Americans - Essay Example Malcolm X, who was shot down for his activities and involment against inequality and racism existing in the country. The period of 1955-1968 saw the emergence of the civil rights movements aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against the African Americans and giving them back their right to vote. The emergence of the Black power movement, which lasted from 1966 to 1975? supported the civil rights movement to expand their aims as well as protect racial dignity and freedom from oppression by the whites. In the year 1965? the Voting Rights Act was passed, and it was considered to be the most successful period of civil rights legislation ever adopted by the United States congress. This action of the congress was greatly appreciated and supported by almost all African Americans in many southern parts. All these acts and legislations passed that were passed? during that time? facilitated the eradicaton of ongoing obstructions faced by the African Americans against their right to vote. The situation and condition of the working class in the United States improved immediately? once the country got involved in the World War II. The nation saw a drastic increase in the employment rate from its 1940 levels. Employers were desperate to fill positions required in the production of military equipments, vehicles, weapons and ammunition. The vacancies were open to traditional workforce, women as well as the non-whites who had long been excluded from skilled and high paying industries. The emergence of the Black Panther Party (BPP) saw a dramatic change in the political scenario in the United States during the period. It was a progressive political party that stood for the rights of the working class people in America since the civil war. The BPP was... Rgis paper stresses that there are places where racism exists between the whites and the African Americans. But the situation was much worse during a few decades back. The African Americans had no rights and were totally supressed and oppressed under the power of the whites. Let us take a look at the America as it was after the 1950s. At the beginning of the 1960s, the Americans believed that they were about to witness the golden age or, in other words, the era of golden age was about to begin. On Jan 20, 1961, John.F.Kennedy was elected as The President of the United States. But the golden age was never materialised and the end of the 1960s seemed to be the downfall of the nation. During his presidential campaign, John.F.Kennedy had introduced laws and reforms to eliminate injustice and racism in the country. But these laws did not bring with them solutions to any of the problems faced by African Americans in US. This paper makes a conclusion that it becomes evident that it was because of the joint efforts of a lot of leaders, especially African American ones, that they could restore equal treatment and rights just like the white people had. A lot of processions and demonstrations finally paved way to the world in general to realize the fact that there is no point in racial discrimination, or any kind of discrimination for that matter. People all over the world, especially America opened their eyes to the reality that all human beings are the same despite what his race, religion, caste, ethnicity or nationality may be.

Emily's story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Emily's story - Essay Example I am Emily, Emily Rose. Not long ago, I was a cheerful, lively and agile young girl with many friends and a bunch of activities which could not fit in the 24 hours of the day. I was outgoing, blunt and always the centre of attention, when in a group. No wonder, I was approached by many people for friendships and relationships, but I always aimed higher than just being ‘another girl’ in the world. I wanted to be someone people admire and get inspiration from. I wanted to be like my father; an inspirational personality and a great journalist. Indeed, he was my hero and the role model. I always had a strong bond of love and affection with him. But I never thought I would be a reason for his broken pride and humiliation. It was mid February, when I went on a trip with my college mates. I always loved going on such trips and explore different parts of the world and the people around. But it was unusual; it was not uncomfortable or displeasing, but unusual. For the first time, I got attracted to a person, John, for his thoughts, views and manners inspired me. We got along really well and I felt special when he was around. Like any other girl, I developed feelings for him; he had no different feelings than me. The month passed giving us many memories, and a life changing news; the news that changed my life and his views; the news that replaced the old confident Emily with a girl who could not face the world; the news that broke the pride of his father and his trust on his daughter. Yes, I was pregnant. I still wonder if this was the same John who always picked my call on the first ring, I looked at the side table and picked my phone again. No, I was not calling John but my ever loving father this time. I needed him, like I always did since my childhood. As expected, no later than an hour, he was right in front of me listening to my story. This was

Research and develop individual knowledge on existing web based PMS, Paper

And develop individual knowledge on existing web based PMS, CRS, CRM, ERP or DMS systems of our choice and apply it to - Research Paper Example One of the information systems which has been. This paper will look at the aspect of property there are many parameters that should be considered before one engages in online advertising. The Internet is complex and also dynamic market platform that requires regular and daily training. Online marketing is far much different from the world of print, broadcast, and out-of-home advertising markets. The Internet is so vast and is evolving at very high-rates such that it is becoming hard to properly target the audiences which are intended. The online marketers are looking for efficient way of reaching their online audience while at the same time they are supposed to minimize expenditures. Websites are the primary tools that are used by companies to market their products and services online. There is therefore a dire need to make sure that the website that is being marketed meets the aim they were meant to achieve. Most e-commerce sites that have been developed lack strategy to appeal to t he audience. They lack in proper segmentation to address the issues and the needs of the various visitors that come to their sites for some information. They therefore fail to win these visitors and more still, fail to convert them to properties. Companies who are keen to turn more visitors to client swill have to learn about their intended audience and the needs and tastes they have. Every visit they make on the website should be an opportunity to entice them to buy or better still to come for services in the site. INTRODUCTION Property management systems are computerized systems that are used in the manufacturing, logistic, government and hospitality industry for managing properties. PMS is single software capable of performing numerous services including, management of personal property, equipment, and the associated legalities. In this digital age where web based applications such as PMS provide a competitive edge over old-fashioned, paper-based management mechanisms, these appl ications should entirely be incorporated into the business environment of any organization. This paper attempts to explore the advantages the PMS software such as Delphi would have on the hospitality environment such as chains of hotels. The hotel industry is made up of ventures interlinked together to provide wholesome services to consumers. Starting from reservations all the way to check out, all this activities need to be documented in a harmonious way. The adoption of technology is therefore necessary to promote interoperability as well as efficiency. The many hotel systems such as point-of-sale, telephone, security and room control, entertainment and ordering, telephone services, accounts, HR and payroll among others are comprehensively packaged together in single PMS software. By automating these services, better customer service is achieved, which encourages spending, and consequently better returns. The automation can be achieved at a single entity or/and integrated througho ut a worldwide chains. Our focus for this assignment is New Market Internationals Delphi sales and suite. The software is termed as the industries standard tool for empowering sales, marketing for hotel, restaurants, and stadiums and gaming venues. The Kessler Hotels for instance utilize the Delphi PMS software. Its vast networks distributed across the globe are centrally managed. Comprising of 50 hotels and resorts distributed across Asia Pacific, North America Middle East and Europe, and boosting of

The Struggles of African Slaves Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Struggles of African Slaves - Essay Example No one knows who that was until Nunu reveals a secret to the main character. She tells Shola that she was raped by a white man while being shipped for a trade. There is one more argument which proves that slaves were treated as objects and property. At the beginning of a film when Mona appears to be in the past, we see that white masters catch her and burn a brand on her skin with sizzling hot metal. Animals on farms also get such brands to show who they belong to. Such scenes help the viewers to understand how mistreated the African slaves were, and how desperate their lives were. Apart from sexual abuse, the enslaved people were subject to other types of discrimination. They suffered a lot from physical violence of their masters. Slaves were constantly brutally beaten for every fault and for each act of disobedience. There were special places where the slaves were tightened and severely whipped. The beating was conducted with such a strength that in many cases the victims did not s tand it and died. In one of the scenes from Sankofa, a pregnant woman Kuta is whipped to death, not having any more strength to stand the pain. To crown it all, the cruelty of white masters was sometimes aimed at innocent slaves. If there was some kind of a rebellion or disobedience, slave owners wanted to punish Africans. If they could not find guilty ones, they simply took a random group of innocent people and punished them severely. Poor slaves were locked up in small wooden cages, hung high on trees and left there until they died.

Wicca Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wicca - Research Paper Example Nevertheless, an in-depth look into the nature of Wicca somehow dispels most of the previous negative concepts associated with it. Far from its reputation of destructiveness, Wicca is actually a religion of natural healing and deep spirituality. Due to the absence of higher authority, prophet or Bible in Wicca, it is difficult to specify the basic tenets and principles of the religion. Nevertheless, there remain 13 principles upon which Wiccan belief is based. First, Wiccans feel the need to attune themselves to nature or the â€Å"natural rhythm of life forces† (Robinson, 2010). These forces are usually determined by the movement of the moon. Second, Wiccans recognize the fact that they are stewards of nature and that this responsibility stems from their own intelligence and consciousness. Third, Wiccans believe in the possibility of achieving supernatural power, but would most likely believe that non-Wiccans cannot possess the same thing. Fourth, Wiccans recognize the creati ve power of sex as well as the role of the masculine and feminine polarities in achieving creative power. Fifth, Wiccans recognize the dualistic existence of a world which is both physical and psychological or spiritual. Nevertheless, unlike other religions which focus their attention on the latter, Wicca presupposes the equal purpose of both worlds. Sixth, Wiccans do not recognize any leader or hierarchy of leadership but only those who have shared their wisdom with others. Seventh, Wiccans recognize the unity among religion, magic and wisdom – and they consider this particular worldview as Witchcraft or the Wiccan Way. Eighth, Wiccans recognize that the title â€Å"Witch,† when ascribed to oneself, does not in any way have a negative connotation. Instead, a â€Å"witch† means someone who â€Å"[seeks] to control the forces within himself† in order for him â€Å"to live wisely and without harm to others and in harmony with nature† (Robinson, 2010) . Ninth, Wiccans regard life as a journey towards the continuous development of consciousness. As one’s consciousness develops, his knowledge of the universe also expands. Tenth, Wiccans feel a particular â€Å"animosity† towards Christianity and all other religions that declare themselves to be â€Å"the only way,† for this is tantamount to denying freedom to many other ways of achieving spiritual development. Eleventh, Wiccans basically do not want to dig deep into history and would consider themselves different from the wicked witches of the old. Twelfth, Wicca does not accept the idea of absolute evil but this does not mean that they recognize Satan or the Devil. Wiccans also do not rejoice in the suffering of others and do not advocate greed. Thirteenth and last, Wiccans believe that the secrets to good health and well-being lie within Nature (Robinson, 2010). In addition to the above 13 principles, Wiccans also believe that God, â€Å"The One† or â €Å"The All† is the one force that has created this universe and is still constantly creating it. God for the Wiccans is both male and female, and would regard the various Gods and Goddesses as mere aspects of â€Å"The All,† However, as Wicca is a decentralized religion with no clear higher authority, some Wiccans are pantheists, others are atheists, while some remain as agnostics (Robinson, 2010). Moreover, the Wiccan version of the Golden Rule is â€Å"Do what you want, as long as you harm none† (Cunningham, 2005). Harming none, however, means both not harming others and not harming oneself. Therefore, if one abuses his body and denies it the necessities of life or gives it too much pleasure, then one violates this moral principle (Cunningham, 2005

Communicable Disease Paper Essay Example for Free

Communicable Disease Paper Essay Hepatitis B is a viral infection that is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. Acute HBV is less than six months and ones immune system is able to fight and clear the infection. Chronic HBV lasts longer than six months and ones immune system is unable to fight the infection leading to liver failure, cancer or cirrhosis. Occasionally chronic HBV can go undetected for years due to a person being asymptomatic (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Mode of Transmission In highly infected areas of the world, HBV is most commonly spread from mom to baby at birth or from person to person in early childhood (World Health Organization [WHO], 2013). The HBV is also spread via parenteral contact with infected blood or blood products, sharing of or accidental needle sticks and having unprotected sex with one who’s blood, saliva, semen or vaginal secretions are infected and enter your body (Copstead and Banasik, 2010). Signs and Symptoms Signs and symptoms of HBV may never appear or appear over a two to six month period. Signs and symptoms include abdominal pain, dark urine, fever, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, weakness and fatigue and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and or sclera) (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Complications Having chronic HBV can lead to serious life threatening complications such as, cirrhosis, liver cancer, failure, hepatitis D infection or kidney failure. Liver cirrhosis occurs when HBV has caused inflammation to liver leading to scaring and formation of fibrotic cell tissue that blocks hepatic blood flow and cell function. This in turn results in overgrowth of new cells attempting to regenerate causing decreased liver function Liver cancer and failure can occur if a patient has cirrhosis due to being a risk factor (Copstead and Banasik, 2010). Treatment Treatment of HBV is supportive. Care focuses on nutrition, hydration and comfort (WHO, 2013). For those who have been infected with acute HBV, may not even need treatment but only management of symptoms. Those infected with chronic HBV may need more invasive treatments such as, antiviral medications or need a liver transplant (Mayo Clinic, 2011). Antiviral medications are used to slow and fight the virus from destructing the liver. Liver transplants are an option if a patient has end-stage liver disease where traditional treatments have not worked and are a qualified candidate (Copstead and Banasik, 2010). Demogrphics Approximately 60,000 people die every year from HBV (WHO, 2013). There are about 200 billion people living around the world with HBV with an estimated 1. 2 million living in the United States (CDC, 2013). In 2011 the United States was estimated to have 18,800 actual new cases of the HBV (CDC, 2013). Those who are at greatest risk for developing HBV are Asian and Pacific Islanders, African Americans, gay and bisexual individuals, those who have multiple sex partners and do not practice safe sex or are intravenous drug users. Gay and bisexual men make up 20% of new HBV cases and 50% Asian and Pacific Islanders are living with HBV (CDC, 2013). Most Asian and Pacific Islanders were infected with HBV as infants or children and 1 in 12 are living with it and are not even aware. Determinants of Health Environmental factors such as living conditions, social networks and social support systems are all key drivers for one becoming infected with the HBV. For example, a homeless person who has a poor health status, is uninsured, unemployed and has a lack of education is more likely to be diagnosed with HBV. Also certain races are more likely to be infected with the HBV, as stated above, Asian and Pacific Islanders make up 50% of the population living with HBV (CDC, 2013). In addition there is a lack of resources available to protect, improve and maintain one health due to the cost and lack of good health services to individuals with low socioeconomic backgrounds. Therefore, focus needs to be made on improving access to care as well as treating the environmental and social factors of health. Epidemiologic Triangle The epidemiologic triangle is used to analyze the natural history of a disease. It asses the agent â€Å"what†, host â€Å"who† and environment â€Å"where† (Maurer and Smith, 2013). The biological agent for hepatitis B is a virus. The host’s demographics can range from infancy into adulthood and any race is susceptible to the virus. The body’s defenses are more likely to fight off acute than chronic HBV. A person’s behavior as well plays a large role in one becoming infected. Those who are intravenous drug users or have a history of multiple sex partners are my susceptible to developing HBV. Environmental factors based on social and economic considerations could be direct person-to-person contact of bodily fluids via kissing or sexual intercourse or receiving contaminated blood products from infected individuals. Within the workplace, an individual could accidently prick himself or herself with a contaminated needle increasing their chances of becoming infected. Role of Community Health Nurse It is important for the community health nurse to educate and promote prevention of HBV. Teaching risk reduction interventions and strategies such as not having unprotected sex and using condoms can help prevent transmission of hepatitis B. For those who have already become infected with the HBV it’s important to provide timely referrals for sexual health related services to further prevent others from becoming infected. Making the hepatitis vaccinations more accessible and available is an effective way to prevent hepatitis B. Educating health and human service providers about hepatitis B promotes quality of care and awareness as well as reduces chances of transmission. Ensuring adequate resources are available (state and local surveillance) to accurately monitor disease trends, transmission and how effective treatment is can improve and ensure correct data collection. It’s also important that the nurse refers patients to accessible care and treatment facilities so that compliance can be obtained and the rate of transmission, morbidity and mortality can be reduced. National Organization The World Hepatitis Alliance is a non-profit international umbrella non-governmental organization that represents every region of the world with viral hepatitis. They raise awareness, reduce the stigma associated with viral hepatitis, work with the WHO and provide preventive care as well as support and access to treatment. Their goal is eradication of HBV and HCV. They plan on achieving this goal by having more countries with a complete hepatitis strategy in place, regional patient organizations in all WHO regions, on going support for global hepatitis groups, acceptance at a global level of HBV and HCV, increased alliance and a more diversified funding base for the alliance. Conclusion There are two billion people worldwide that are infected with HBV and more than 350 million are infected with chronic liver infections, which increases their risk of death significantly (Maurer and Smith, 2013). Fortunately, there is a vaccine for hepatitis B but it has not become easily accessible to those in developing countries. This is a virus that can be prevented if individuals are being educating on the causes and risks as well as ways to protect themselves. It is up to us healthcare providers to spread awareness and makes our patients more knowledgeable about the types of communicable disease in our world so that they can make healthy choices.

Comparative Study of Advanced Classification Methods

Comparative Study of Advanced Classification Methods CHAPTER 7 TESTING AND RESULTS 7.0 Introduction to Software Testing Software testing is the process of executing a program or system with the intent of finding errors or termed as bugs or, it involves any activity aimed at evaluating an attribute or capability of programming system and determining that it meets its required results. Software bugs will almost always exist in any software module with moderate size: not because programmers are careless or irresponsible, but because the complexity of software is generally intractable and humans have only limited ability to manage complexity. It is also true that for any complex systems, design defects can never be completely ruled out. 7.2 Testing Process The basic goal of the software development process is to produce data that has no errors or very few errors. In an effort to detect errors soon after they are introduced, each phase ends with a verification activity such as review. However, most of these verification activities in the early phases of software development are based on human evaluation and cannot detect all errors. The testing process starts with a test plan. The test plan specifies all the test cases required. Then the test unit is executed with the test cases. Reports are produced and analyzed. When testing of some unit complete, these tested units can be combined with other untested modules to form new test units. Testing of any units involves the following: Plan test cases Execute test cases and Evaluate the result of the testing 7.3 Development of Test Cases A test case in software engineering is a set of conditions or variables under which a tester will determine whether an application or software system is correctly working or not. The mechanism for determining whether a software program or system has passed or failed such a test is known as a test oracle. Test Cases follow certain format, given as follows: Test case id: Every test case has an identifier uniquely associated with certain format. This id is used to track the test case in the system upon execution. Similar test case id is used in defining test script. Test case Description: Every test case has a description, which describes what functionality of software to be tested. Test Category: Test category defines business test case category like functional tests, negative test, accessibility test usually these are associated with test case id. Expected result and the actual result: These are implemented within respective API. As the testing is done for the web application, actual result will be available within the web page. Pass/fail: Result of the test case is either pass or fail. Validation occurs based on expected and actual result. If expected and actual results are same then test case passes or else failure occurs in test cases. 7.4 Testing of Application Software The various testing done on application software is as follows. Integration Testing 7.4.1 Integration Testing In this phase of software testing individual software modules are combined and tested as a group. The purpose of integration testing is to verify functional, performance and reliability requirements placed on major design items. These â€Å"design items†, i.e. assemblages (or unit group of units), are exercised through their interfaces using black box testing, success and error cases being simulated via appropriate parameter and data inputs. Simulated usage of shared data areas and inter process communication is tested and individual subsystems are exercised through their input interface. Test cases are constructed to test that all components within assemblages interact correctly, for example across procedure calls or process activations, and this is done after testing individual modules, i.e. unit testing. The overall idea is a â€Å"building block† approach, in which verified assemblages are added to a verified base which is then used to support the integration testing of further assemblages, In this approach, all or most of the developed modules are coupled together to form a complete software system or major part of the system and then used for integration testing. Integration testing is a systematic technique for constructing the program structure while at the same time conducting test to uncover errors associated with interfacing. The objective is to take unit-tested modules and build a program structure that has been dictated by design. The top-down approach to integration testing requires the highest-level modules be tested and integrated first. This allows high-level logic and data flow to be tested early in the process and it tends to minimize the need for drivers. The bottom-up approach requires the lowest-level units be tested and integrated first. These units are frequently referred to as utility modules. By using this approach, utility modules are tested early in the development process and the need for stubs is minimized. The third approach, sometimes referred to as the umbrella approach, requires testing along functional data and control-flow paths. First, the inputs for functions are integrated in the bottom-up pattern. 7.4.1.1 Test Cases for Support Vector Machine Support Vector Machine is tested for the attributes which fall only on positive side of hyperplane, attributes which fall only on negative side of hyperplane, attributes which fall on both positive and negative side of hyperplane and the attributes which fall on the hyperplane. The expected results match with the actual results. Table 7.1: Test Cases for Support Vector Machine 7.4.1.2 Test Cases for Naive Bayes Classifier Naive Bayes Classifier is tested for the attributes which belongs to only class ‘1’, attributes which belongs to only class ‘-1’, attributes which belongs to both class ‘1’ and class ‘-1’. The expected results match with the actual results. Table 7.2 Test Cases for Naive Bayes Classifier 7.5 Testing Results of Case Studies A particular example of something used or analyzed in order to depict a thesis or principle. It is a documented study of real life situation or of an imaginary scenario. 7.5.1 Problem Statement: Haberman Dataset Haberman data set contains cases from the University of Chicagos Billings Hospital on the survival of patients who had undergone surgery for breast cancer. The task is to determine if the patient survived 5 years or longer (positive) or if the patient died within 5 year (negative). @relation haberman @attribute Age integer [30, 83] @attribute Year integer [58, 69] @attribute Positive integer [0, 52] @attribute Survival {positive, negative} @inputs Age, Year, Positive @outputs Survival Training SetTest Set Weight vector and gamma w =0.09910.07750.2813 gamma = 0.3742 Predicted Class label of test set Confusion matrix of the classifier True Positive(TP)=8.000000False Negative(FN)=27.000000 False Positive(FP)=8.000000True Negative(TN)=110.000000 AUC of Classifier = 0.517792 Accuracy of classifier = 77.124183Error rate of classifier = 22.875817 F_score=31.372549Precision=50.0Recall=22.857143Specificity=93.220339 Confusion Matrix for SVM Fig 7.1: Bar chart of SVM for various Performance Metric Predicted Class Label of Naive Bayes Classifier True Positive(TP)=10.000000False Negative(FN)=25.000000 False Positive(FP)=11.000000True Negative(TN)=107.000000 AUC of Classifier = 0.5202 Accuracy of Classifier =76.4706Error Rate of Classifier = 23.5294 F_score=35.7143Precision=47.6191Recall=28.5714Specificity=90.678 Confusion Matrix for NBC Fig 7.2: Bar Chart of NBC for various Performance Metric Tab 7.3: Comparison of SVM and NBC for various Performance Metric Fig 7.3: Bar Chart for Comparison of SVM and NBC 7.5.2 Titanic Data set The titanic dataset gives the values of four attributes. The attributes are social class (first class, second class, third class, and crew member), age (adult or child), sex, and whether or not the person survived. @relation titanic @attribute Class real[-1.87,0.965] @attribute Age real[-0.228,4.38] @attribute Sex real[-1.92,0.521] @attribute Survived {-1.0,1.0} @inputs Class, Age, Sex @outputs Survived Training SetTest Set w = -0.10250.0431 -0.3983 gamma = 0.3141 Predicted Class label of test set confusion matrix of the classifier True Positive(TP)=154.000000False Negative(FN)=181.000000 False Positive(FP)=64.000000True Negative(TN)=701.000000 AUC of Classifier=0.426392 Accuracy of classifier in test set is=77.727273 Error rate of classifier in test set is=22.272727 F_score=55.696203precision=70.642202Recall=45.970149specificity=91.633987 Confusion Matrix for SVM Fig 7.4 Bar chart of SVM for various Performance Metric Predicted Class label of Naive Bayes Classifier True Positive(TP)=197.000000False Negative(FN)=138.000000 False Positive(FP)=148.000000True Negative(TN)=617.000000 AUC of Classifier = 0.4782 Accuracy of Classifier = 74Error Rate of Classifier = 26 F_Score = 57.9412Precision = 57.1015Recall = 58.806Specificity = 80.6536 Confusion Matrix for NBC Fig 7.5 Bar chart of NBC for various Performance Metric Tab 7.4: Comparison of SVM and NBC for various Performance Metric Fig 7.6 Bar Chart for Comparison of SVM and NBC Department of CSE, RNSIT2014-15Page 1

Marks and Spencer: Internal and External Analysis

Marks and Spencer: Internal and External Analysis MS is a great brand. It is one of the UKs leading retailers. The company operates in about 41 countries worldwide with UK as its primary market and employs about 76,000 people. MS deals in clothing, food, home, financial services and online services. To develop the suitable business strategy for its growth particularly focusing on Plan A, there have been discussed MS internal external environments. Strategic impact of external environment on MS has also been discussed. Major challenges facing MS and competitive advantages of MS have been discussed. MS is a market leader so that market leader strategy and suggestions have been given. INTRODUCTION The study encompasses a report about the MS, to develop the strategy for its growth focusing on Plan A. Marks Spencer launched Plan A in January 2007, setting out 100 commitments to achieve in 5 years. The discussion has been described in detail about the core analysis of MS internal and external environment, SWOT analysis of MS has been included. Debenhams has been selected closest competitor of MS because they have a comparable product base. Strengths Weaknesses of DEB have been described. It also consists upon the current economic obstacles and the remedies to remove these obstacles. For this reason, books, newspapers, magazines, and websites have been consulted. LITERATURE REVIEW REFERENCES SOURCES: BOOKS/NEWS PAPERS/JOURNALS,MAGAZINES DIGESTS BOOKS: 01. Fundamentals of Marketing by William J. Stanton, Michael J. Etzel, Bruce J. Walker, 10th Edition, Published and Printed in The United States of America by McGraw-Hill, Inc. 02. The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th Edition, Volume 7, Published by Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. United States of America. British Library. NEWS PAPERS: The Guardian www.guardian.co.uk/ JOURNALS,MAGAZINES DIGEST European Retail Digest  | The University of Manchester www.readinglists.manchester.ac.uk/ Web Sites: web.ebscohost.com (British Library) www.marksandspencer.com/ http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/company_overview http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=15053580site=ehost-live http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marksspencer?INTCMP=SRCH http://plana.marksandspencer.com/media/pdf/planA-2010.pdf http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/opportunities/shared_services_admin/ssa_hr www.datamonitor.com http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-marketing-essays/marketing-retail-assignment/ http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-marketing-essays/marketing-retail-assignment/ Brief History of Marks Spencer: MS is a major retailer of clothing. It is headquartered in London. MS started its business in 1884 as a stall in an open market in Leeds. Then known as Marks Penny Bazaar, it was the household goods, toy, and sheet-music business of Michael Marks, a Jewish refugee from Poland. In 1894 he started partnership with Thomas Spencer. Marks son Simon transformed the business from outdoor stalls to indoor shops. He purchased Brookes Brothers, the oldest U.S. clothing retailer in 1988 but sold it in 2001. (1) MS products, including food, clothing and household goods have been selling under the St. Michael brand name in most parts of the world.(2) The New Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th Edition, Volume 7, Published by, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Printed in The United States of America. (British Library). Aldridge, Roger, Autumn1995, Growth Strategies A Case Study in Internationalisation. [online]. European Retail Digest, Issue 8, p25-32, Available from: (http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=15053580site=ehost-live), [Accessed 15 March 2011 03:12 PM] (British Library). Marks Spencer Overview: MS is one of the UKs leading retailers. MS offer stylish, high quality, great value clothing, home products and best quality foods. There are over 75,000 people working at MS in the UK and abroad, and over 600 UK stores. MS is expanding its business globally. MS is the number one provider of womenswear in the UK, and is rapidly growing market share in menswear, kids wear, home, and online business. (Company Overview) Available from: (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/company_overview) [Accessed 11 April 2011 at 4:24 PM] Stock Chart for MS, March 2011-April 2011 One Month Chart for MARKS SP. http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/marksspencer?INTCMP=SRCH [Accessed 12 April 2011 at 03:09 AM] [online] Something About Plan A Marks Spencer launched Plan A in January 2007, with aim to 100 commitments to achieve in 5 years. Marks Spencer has now extended Plan A to 180 commitments to achieve by 2015. The goal of it to become the worlds number one retailer. MS has now achieved 62 of its 100 Plan A commitments set in 2007. (1) Marks Spencers 7th annual report. Published in June 2010. http://plana.marksandspencer.com/media/pdf/planA-2010.pdf (Consulted on 20/03/2011) Analysis of MSs Internal Environment: MS is the market leader in clothing due its range and quality. Leadership in clothing converted MS into market leader in department stores. In this section, the discussion would be on the following key points: Financial Resources Human Resources Company Image Learning and development Location Production Facilities (1) Strengths Weaknesses Financial Resources: The company earned  £9,536.6 million profit during the financial year ended April 2010. (DATAMONITOR. 2010. Marks and Spencer Group plc. Available from: www.datamonitor.com [Accessed 22 March 2011]. Human Resources: In this area MS has a number of teams, including Payroll, Pensions, Learning and HR Administration. MS also has a general recruitment team who manage all store and head office recruitment. (Human Resources. http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/opportunities/shared_services_admin/ssa_hr [Accessed 09 April 2011 at 02:28 AM] ). William J. Stanton, Michael J. Etzel, Bruce J. Walker Fundamentals of Marketing 10th edition, International edition (1994), Page # 54, McGraw-Hill, Inc. United States of America. Company Image: MS is a top company for responsible business. Marks Spencer has been recognised as the top company in the UK for responsible business. MS was named Company of the Year 2006, at Business in the Communitys Awards for Excellence. (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/documents/press_releases/pr/businessinthecommunity.pdf) [Accessed 09 April 2011 at 02:40 AM] Learning Development: MS provide in-depth training and performance coaching to the employees for their development. (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/learning_development) [Accessed 09 April 2011] Location: MS has over  600 stores throughout the UK. MSs largest store is located at Marble Arch on Londons Oxford Street. http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/aboutus/where/uk_stores [Accessed 09 April 2011] Production Facilities: MS is the worlds first retailer who is using palm oil in its products.   This palm oil has been used in almost 1,000 MS food, beauty and home products each year.   (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/investors/press_releases/sustainablepalmoil) [Accessed 09 April 2011 at 03:48 AM] Strengths Weaknesses of MS: Strengths of MS: MS has a strong market position in the clothing segment. MS leads the market in womenswear, lingerie and menswear and have an expanding childrenswear business. MS has been very successful in capturing its customers segment through its different product offer, in-store service and garment quality. Some other key points are: Reputation/Brand Market position Quality products Online shopping Weaknesses of MS: The average shelf life for MS products is 3 to 5 days, compared with supermarket dry shelf products with 3 to 4 weeks shelf life. It is a high price for consumers. Cost-conscious people are much concerned about the price. MS stores have competitive disadvantages as compared to Tesco. Tesco stores have been carefully designed with good store layouts. MS stores have not been carefully designed with good layout. This is a clear competitive disadvantage compared to Tesco. (1) Some other key points are: Slow to change Lack of newness Clothing: does not appeal to younger womens taste Analysis of MSs External Environment: In this section the discussion would be on following key points: There are two levels of external environment: External Macro environment External Micro environment Marks Spencer Group, PLC SWOT Analysis; Nov2010, p1-13, DATAMONITOR: Marks and Spencer Group plc. Marks Spencer Group Company Report, Available from: (http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=58451839site=ehost-live), [Accessed 15 March 2011 02:55 PM], British Library. In external macro environment, key points would be: People Economic Conditions Competitors Analysis Social and cultural Aspects Political and legal Aspects Technology In external micro environment, key points would be: The market Suppliers Marketing Intermediaries (1) And Opportunities Threats. External Macro Environment: People: The first external environmental factor is population because the people make up the markets. We know that MS is trying to fulfill the need, want and demand of its customers by their age groups, marital status, gents, ladies, kids, old aged people, and brand quality conscious people and to the higher number of home shopping or internet/online shopping. Economic Conditions: Economic conditions or changes effect the total market size. MS has strong customer segment even in this challenging economic environment. MS has increased the share of the clothing market. (1) William J. Stanton, Michael J. Etzel, Bruce J. Walker Fundamentals of Marketing 10th edition, International edition (1994), Page # 42,53,54 , McGraw-Hill, Inc. United States of America. Competitors Analysis Competitors of MS are many. Because MS sells a lot of different products. There is long list of its competitors, like, BHS, Debenhams, Derrys, House of Fraser, Sainsbury, Tesco, and Morrisons. But MS is best known for its clothes. So that I have selected Debenhams closest competitor of MS. This selection has been made because they have a comparable product base. Strengths of Debenhams: Reputation Good product mix and brand selection Latest designers better up-to-date with current trends. Attractive Advertisement. Weaknesses of Debenhams: Internationally, theyre not well known as compared with MS. Theyre competing mainly in the domestic market. (1) Social and Cultural Aspects: Life-styles, social values, beliefs have significant marketing implications and MS has capability to cope with change. Political Legal Aspects: Every company is influenced by the political and legal processes. These forces, such as, monetary and fiscal policies, social legislation and regulation, and governmental relationships with industries. Technology: Technological changes, change the business style. http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-marketing-essays/marketing-retail-assignment/, [Accessed 11 April 2011]. - External Micro Environment: The Market, Suppliers and Marketing Intermediaries are also effect the organization. Opportunities Threats of MS: Opportunities: Expansion abroad (India and China), and investment in other countries. (1) Threats: Due to strong competition MS losses market share, especially in food sector. (http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-marketing-essays/marketing-retail-assignment/), [Accessed 11 April 2011, at 11:52 PM] Major Challenges Facing the MS: MS has made progress, but still face some challenges to meet the original 2012 targets. Government has changed the rules for renewable electricity so MS is working in partnership with BRE/Pure to meet its commitments. Marks Spencer Group, PLC SWOT Analysis; Nov2010, p1-13, DATAMONITOR: Marks and Spencer Group plc. Marks Spencer Group Company Report, Available from: (http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=bthAN=58451839site=ehost-live), [Accessed 15 March 2011], British Library. MS has a wide range of food; and sales of food have continued to decline in the current economic climate. (1) External Environmental Strategic Impact on MS: The retail industry is generally a very dynamic, fast changing sector. Companies have to be keeping themselves to aware about the market, to know any new trend and they have to keep up with the customers increasing expectations and changing tastes. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more difficult and challenging to keep the customer satisfied and loyal customers preferences change quickly. Above mentioned analysis of external environment of MS has a strong effect on it. MS is among the top 6 UK retailers. External issues have the strategic impact on MS as: Fast changing Market Economic conditions. Consumers change of taste. Marks Spencers 7th annual report. Published in June 2010. http://plana.marksandspencer.com/media/pdf/planA-2010.pdf [Accessed 12 April 2011 at 3:33 PM] Slow economy. Increased competition from locally and from foreign companies. (1) Competitive Advantages of MS and How MS will achieve it: MS is the market leader both in clothing and department stores. Reputation and brand of MS is globally recognised. Internationally, DEB is not well known as compared with MS. DEB is competing mainly in the domestic market. MS regularly checks the salaries against other retailers to make sure that it is competitive. For this reason MS continuously reviews the basic pay every year. MS also offer extra performance rewards to recognise individual achievement. (2) MS is continuously offering these rewards benefits: Competitive Salary, Bonus Scheme, Holidays, Employee discount, Pension Plan, Additional benefits (like: discounted gym membership, savings on tickets for amusement parks, joining fees for health clubs and reductions at a variety of UK holiday resorts.). (3) (1). http://www.businessteacher.org.uk/free-marketing-essays/marketing-retail-assignment/, [Accessed 12 April 2011 at 5:00PM]. (2): (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/rewards_benefits), [Accessed 12 April 2011 at 11:43 PM]. (3) (http://corporate.marksandspencer.com/mscareers/opportunities/trainee_management_scheme/trainee_benefits_rewards), [Accessed 13 April 2011 at 12:27 AM]. NEED OF STRATEGY FOR THE GROWTH OF MS Need of developing the strategy for the growth of MS focusing on Plan A is to make moves, plans and strategies for expanding the market or enlarging the share of existing market and keeping them secure. It helps an organization better cope with the changes that occur in market place from time to time. MS is a market leader in retail industry and under mentioned are the suitable business strategies for the MS. Market Leader Strategy: The company has the largest market share in the relevant products market. The market leader should look for new users, new uses, and more usage of its products. MS must defend its market share market segment. SUGGESTIONS: Distinctive Competence: MS must determine its distinctive competence over its competitors. So that it can made strengths over them. Distinctive competence may exist in the form of: Low cost of production competence. Mass production competence. Access to cheap sources of raw material. Product quality variety. Financial Technological competence. Capability to cope with change. An organizations capability to cope with change is a very good strong point. MS must continue with the market changes with better marketing policies and effective functional programmes. Name Indexà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Subject Indexà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..

Tales of a Strange Love in Dr. Strangelove Essay -- Dr. Strangelove Es

Tales of a Strange Love in Dr. Strangelove   Dr. Strangelove , filmmaker Stanley Kubrick's nuclear war satire, portrays America's leaders as fumbling idiots and forces American viewers to question the ability of their government.   Dr. Strangelove's   cast explores the quirks and dysfunctional personality traits that a layperson would find far-fetched in a person of power.   The characters are diverse yet unified in their unfailing stupidity and naivete.   The film's hysterical dialogue sheds a darkly comic light at the most ironic of times-war.   This film came out at a height of paranoia of the nuclear age and the Cold War, just after the Cuban Missile Crisis.   It depicts a horrible, tragic incident in which a breach in the government and diplomatic mistakes result in nuclear holocaust. General Ripper, a psychotic anti-Communist, exploits a loophole in the chain of command and orders nuclear warheads to be dropped on Russia.   Ripper, in a moment of humor, explains his motivation-most likely gleaned from bits of "red" propaganda he has internalized:   "I can no longer sit back and allow Communist infiltration, Communist indoctrination,   Communist subversion,   and the international Communist conspiracy to sap and impurify all of our precious bodily fluids."   He elaborates further citing the Communist fluoridation of U.S. drinking water as the most dangerous of Soviet plots to infiltrate and destroy the American people.   With all the sense of a Joe McCarthy, Ripper is prepared to begin and accept the consequences of a nuclear war. The impending disaster is soon brought to the attention of America's President Muffle and his team of able advisers, who quickly prove themselves worthless wastes of space.   The President scr... ...ar. By presenting war with humor, the film conveys just how much of a farce the nuclear arms race really was. The extreme views of the characters aren't fiction; Baby Boomers, for example, can recall debates about "acceptable" civilian losses in the event of a bomb being dropped.   Kubrick satirizes this time period wonderfully, capturing the insanity of a world gone mad. The key question of the film really is:   who is running the mad house?   In a world where world leaders scramble and bicker childishly and take advice from Nazi Germans, a world where bombs can be dropped at the will of a psychotic general, one seems better off to recline and laugh at the pure insanity of it all. Works Cited Dr Strangelove or : How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.   Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf.   Peter Sellers and George C. Scott.   London:   Columbia Pictures, 1964.

Female Submission in Time of the Temptress :: Temptress Essays

Female Submission in Time of the Temptress      Ã‚  Ã‚   From the onset, the underlying theme in Violet Winspear's romance novel, Time of the Temptress, is female submission and powerlessness, especially in the sexual tension between Eve Tarrant and Wade O'Mara. Although no explicit sexual relations are allowed in the line of "Harlequin Presents..." romances, the overall tone and interpersonal dynamics of the novel infer a rape motif. Eve is completely at the mercy of Wade to save her from the jungle and she yearns to express her gratitude in a sexual manner, but contrary to the original biblical outcome, this Eve has no power over her Adam.    The first step to conceive a sexually submissive woman is to equate female powerlessness with normality in her mind. To simplify the procedure, Winspear has bred Eve with that mindset. Eve believes men and woman have always had "functions in life" --"very dissimilar" ones which "accounted for the fact that men had aggressive ways to which women submit either willingly or unwillingly." As long as Eve retains those lessons, Wade has no qualms about aiding her escape from the jungle. Wade quickly informs Eve that she must adopt the frame of mind of an Indian squaw because "Squaws are humble and obedient creatures." Simone de Beauvoir, while discussing the theory of a superior "One" and a submissive "Other," explains that the "Other . . . must be submissive enough to accept . . . [an] alien point of view," the view of the superior "One" (244). Eve readily accepts her role as the oppressed and finds nothing odd about the unspoken caste system.    Thus we come to the second step, passive-aggressive behavior: degrade her and then apologize; or repeatedly remind her that she failed, but then reassure her it's resolved and see if she agrees with your reasoning. After Eve takes a dip in the river while Wade sleeps and monkeys steal her clothes, Wade screams at her, "dammit, Eve, we'll lose about an hour of our trek because of your female irresponsibility!" (64). While looking for her clothes, Wade also loses his compass, doing what a "raw recruit would have avoided" (74). Of course this also is all Eve's fault and she is reminded of it repeatedly throughout their jungle trek.

Anne Frank and Frederick Dougalss Essay example -- essays research pap

Anne Frank and Frederick Douglass Everyone has hope in something whether it is possible or seemingly impossible. Anne Frank and Frederick Douglass, among many differences and similarities, both had hope in something others may not have believed to be possible. They never gave up their hope that they so desperately clung to when they were in bondage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Anne Frank and Frederick Douglass were both held in bondage, each in a different way. Frank was kept from the public eye for fear she would be caught and killed by the Germans. Even before she went into hiding she had to abide by so many restrictions that she had no freedom at all. On the other hand, Douglass was born a slave and had never known what it was like to be free, kept in bondage by his master. Despite everything they both kept their hopes that they would be free one day and people would no longer discriminate against them.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Also, while Frank and Douglass were in bondage they had several people who helped them along the way. They couldn’t have made it without these helpers. Douglass had his master’s wife and the young white boys who helped him learn his alphabet and his basic reading. He also had the Underground Railroad abolitionist to help him on the road to freedom. Frank also had help from some friends of her dad, Kraler and Koophuis. They helped hide them and bring food and supplies to Frank and her family.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In addition to having helpers, Frank and Douglass both were good writers. Even th...

Change Management of Nike Company

I. INTRODUCTION Change management cannot be separated from the organization. It is because change is inevitable. But some people do not like the change itself. They tend to think about the bad effect of the change in the organization, such as layoff, downsizing, pay cuts, or relocation. In fact, the change can be the good improvement, such as the improvement of the technology, building new products, and increase the market. The management has to be prepared of the change management in order to make the effective change management. The change is needed to improve the performance of the organization.The change is used to make the good development of the organization, such as emerging in the bigger market place, getting the bigger revenue, etc. In this globalization era, the organization has to be dynamic in order to adapt to the environment that keep changing day by day. If the organization cannot implement the change management, the organization will not be competitive in the market b ecause the other organizations keep improving and change the management to adapt in the change environment. II. THEORY Definition of Change ManagementChange management is the process of planning, organizing, coordinating, and controlling the compositions of the environment, internal and external of the organization, in order to make sure that the changes are implemented to approved plans and objectives of the changes is going well and has the little disruption (Oseni, 2007). Change management is the art or science of making changes with the certain systems or methods to make sense out of the organizational chaos that happen in the company and affect its employees, its suppliers, its vendors, and its customers (Ledez, 2008).External factors are the factors that force the company to do the change management. For example, the company need to adjust the price of the products to make it same as the market price, or to attract the customers. Process of the Change Change must be realistic and attainable. Instead of forcing change, it is better to ensure the number of participant that join into the change and the process of the change itself. Every change process should begin with these basic questions (Oseni, 2007): 1. What needs to be change? Change should not be introduced into the system only.Change can be caused from the organization itself or outside of it. The question is best answered when the limitations of the process are identified. The answer of this question should be able to address why the change is necessary. 2. To what should it be changed? It is one thing to know that there is a need to change the current system, but another question is to what it should be changed. Change cannot be justified into the organization that doesn’t know the better alternative to the current system. The change must be offering the better benefits to the new system than the current system does. 3.How should this change happen? Some changes are ended as a disaster. It only wastes the management time and investment. Whatever approach is adapted to effect the change must address the issue of how to minimize disruption to the system and minimize the cost also. 4. How can the change be sustained? If this question is not well addressed, all efforts are only a waste in the long run. This is the stage where many process changes face the problems. Stages of the Change In the change management, there are three stages of the change: 1. Pre-implementation Stage. In this stage, there are three parts: Conception of change idea This stage is where the need for process change is realized. For example, the need to improve the inadequacy in the current system. The need to reduce cost, the need to improve the service, etc. * Evaluation of the idea In this phase, the alternatives are identified. * Management’s eventual approval to introduce the process change At each of sub stage, especially the points at which the change idea was evaluated and approved, po ssible resistance by users and beneficiaries at the existing processes must be identified. 2. Implementation Stage In this stage, the process change is implemented.It is necessary for management to set up a standing committee to be proactive in identifying problems and resistance during the implementation and finding solution. When it cannot prevent problems and resistance, it should at least find effective solutions. All of the stakeholders need to be carried along as the implementation progresses for better understanding and cooperation. 3. Post implementation Stage This stage is ensuring that the process change achieves the predetermined objectives and that post implementation stage problems are identified and sorted out quickly. Management should ensure that all staff members affected by the change.All members should be given the feeling of importance in the successful of implementation of the process change. Change in any organization in one of stressful condition that company will have to deal with. How a company deals with change can, decides whether the company will continue to be profitable and forge ahead with new ideas and products and renew the organizational life cycle. Most companies that have continued to stay in business and stay profitable have continually added, renewed, and change the product line, the customer base and the general way to do the business.Based on John P. Kotter theory, there are eight steps that will enhance the change in the organization and help lowering the amount of stress. They are as follows: 1. Increase Urgency This will help focus the employees on the change at hand and leave the little time to look back at the previous system. 2. Build the Guiding Team Management must be well informed and have capabilities to make the change. They have to be a capable leader who can answer most question and if not can adequately respond to the employees in a timely manner. 3.Get the Vision Right Management has to be able to define t he company vision form to all levels. 4. Communicate for Buy-In Management should be able to sell the workers of the need for the change. 5. Create Short-Term Wins Management has to set the small goals that can be reached realistically. This will increase employees moral and distract from the difficulty of the change. 6. Empower Action The managers have to have the capabilities to guide the staffs without fear of rejections. 7. Do Not Let Up The act of the change has to constantly be pressed onward.Stop in the middle of process will only jeopardize the power of the new way since the employees will be stuck in the transition period. 8. Make Change Stick The company must live the new process. It cannot to go back in the old way once the change is made. Management cannot over communicate change. Both managers and employees have to know in advance about the situation. The managers have to have the power to take decisions on the spot based on the information that they have. But, they hav e to have the realistic goals.Managers and employees have freedom to make mistakes and learn without fear of rejection or public embarrassment because solution of change sometimes come out from the mistakes and later will find the better way to resolve the problems. III. PROBLEMS Nike is one of big company in the world that does the change management. Company profile NIKE, Inc. (NIKE), incorporated in 1968, is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing and selling of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services. NIKE is a seller of athletic footwear and athletic apparel worldwide.The Company sells its products to retail accounts, through NIKE-owned retail stores and Internet sales, and through a mix of independent distributors and licensees, in approximately 190 countries around the world. The Company focuses its product offerings in seven key categories: Running, Basketball, Football (Soccer), Men's Training, Women's Training, NIKE Sportswear (its sports-i nspired products) and Action Sports. It also markets products designed for kids, as well as for other athletic and recreational uses, such as baseball, cricket, golf, lacrosse, outdoor activities, football (American), tennis, volleyball, walking and wrestling.The Company sells sports apparel and accessories, as well as athletic bags and accessory items. It also markets apparel with licensed college and professional team, and league logos. The Company sells a line of performance equipment under the NIKE brand name, including bags, socks, sport balls, eyewear, timepieces, electronic devices, bats, gloves, protective equipment, golf clubs and other equipment designed for sports activities. It also sells small amounts of various plastic products to other manufacturers through its wholly owned subsidiary, NIKE IHM, Inc.In addition to the products the Company sells directly to customers through its Direct to Consumer operations, the Company has entered into license agreements that permit unaffiliated parties to manufacture and sell certain apparels, digital devices and applications and other equipment designed for sports activities. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Cole Haan (Cole Haan), designs and distributes dress and casual footwear, apparel and accessories for men and women under the Cole Haan trademark. The Company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Converse Inc. Converse) designs, distributes and licenses athletic and casual footwear, apparel and accessories under the Converse, Chuck Taylor, All Star, One Star, Star Chevron and Jack Purcell trademarks. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Hurley International LLC (Hurley), designs and distributes a line of action sports and youth lifestyle apparel and accessories under the Hurley trademark. The Company's wholly owned subsidiary, Umbro International Limited, designs, distributes and licenses athletic and casual footwear, apparel and equipment, primarily for the sport of football (soccer), under the Umbr o trademark.Change Management in Nike * Strategic Management Changes Nike changed some people in some positions in order to driving deeper consumers’ connection and expanding the market share. Nike hopes that the changes will strengthen the global management team and look forward to the leadership in these key roles. The changes are: (www. info. nike. com, 2010) * Global brand and general management veteran Joaquin Hidalgo as Vice President of Emerging Markets reporting to President of Nike Global Operations, Gary DeStefano.Hidalgo brings over 20 years of Nike experience to the role, and most recently served as Vice President of Global Brand Marketing, where he was instrumental in building and expanding Nike’s brand globally through innovative product launches and highly successful marketing strategies. * Jayme Martin, a strong and strategic business leader with 13 years of Nike experience, becomes the company’s Vice President of Global Running reporting to Glob al Brand ; Category Management Vice President, Trevor Edwards. Martin has held various senior key global and geographic management roles across the Nike senior management team. Davide Grasso, a proven and seasoned brand leader becomes Vice President of Global Brand Marketing reporting to Global Brand ; Category Management Vice President, Trevor Edwards. Grasso brings 15 years of experience in various senior global and geographic marketing management roles in the U. S. , Europe and Asia Pacific regions. * Leslie Lane becomes the Managing Director and Vice President of the Nike Foundation, reporting to Nike Foundation CEO and President Maria Eitel. He will be responsible for leading the team to deliver the Foundation's next exciting chapter of global impact.Lane joined the company in 2003 to lead the acquisition and integration of Converse into the Nike portfolio. He also previously managed Nike’s Global Footwear strategy, finance and costing activities. * Product Design All pr oduct improves environmental profile as measured on Sustainability indexes evolved from Nike Considered Design ethos and indexes. Then, all new NIKE Brand global footwear will achieve silver rating and all new NIKE brand global apparel will achieve bronze rating. * Using of Water Improve the efficiency of utilizing the water by 15 percent per unit in apparel materials dyeing and finishing and footwear manufacturing. Waste Building the waste reduction in footwear manufacturing and reduced 10 percent reduction in waste from manufacturing across NIKE * Community Invest minimum 1. 5 percent of pre-tax income in the communities annually. The results of doing the change management in some factors are: (nikeinc. com, 2012) * The number of factory audits showing serious, repeated violations has remained low, at about 5 percent over the past five years. The number of contract factories with unknown conditions has decreased from 48 percent in FY09 to 8 percent in FY11, due in large part to in creased monitoring against NIKE, Inc. s Affiliate base. * Human Resource Management training was conducted in 79 percent of focus contract factories (76 of 98) which covered 94 percent of footwear volume, 43 percent of apparel volume. * CO2 emissions from contract footwear factories used to source NIKE Brand product were down 6 percent from FY08-FY11, despite a 20 percent increase in production. * 97 percent of NIKE brand footwear achieved a baseline level or better on Nike’s Considered Index. IV. ANALYSIS Nike was doing the change management in order to improve the performance of Nike. By doing the change management, Nike builds Nike’s long-term strategic vision.It is to decouple profitable growth from constrained resources. It is underscored by new targets and commitments, including a company-wide commitment to further integrate sustainability principles into its innovation processes, governance and portfolios. The work ahead is structured in two levels: continuous i mprovement targets against key impact areas to â€Å"make today better† and broader innovation commitments to â€Å"design the future† that establish how Nike is approaching longer-term change. Nike is known globally for innovative performance products and sustainability has now increasingly become core to Nike business approach.Nike has continuously invested in reducing the environmental and social impacts within the business and supply chain and has made substantial gains over the last decade. Nike knows that they cannot achieve the bold sustainability goals simply by delivering incremental improvements, but need to deliver innovations that rapidly evolve the way things are done at Nike. Nike also unveiled its new factory rating system, the Manufacturing Index, which looks comprehensively at a contract factory’s. This Index elevates labor and environmental performance alongside traditional supply chain measures of quality, cost and on-time delivery.Within the overall Manufacturing Index, the company has developed an innovative Sourcing & Manufacturing Sustainability Index (SMSI) which assesses contract factory performance on sustainability measures including measures of lean, environmental performance, health and safety, and labor management factors. After more than two years of development work and concluding a successful pilot program, the SMSI is currently being rolled out across NIKE, Inc. ’s global supply chain. V. CONCLUSION Change can be not really good at the first, because change is costly, wasting time, and become not useful thing.In fact, it is very useful in the organization to improve the performance. The organization need to follow the situation and environment and it forces the organization to do some change. When doing some changes, it needs to be carefully thought and implemented. The organization needs to have plans to ensure that the changes are doing well in the process and in the implementation. The top manage ment also has responsibility to ensure a successful process change. Change will be success if it is well managed. The management has to concern to the internal and external factors, such as employees, customers, suppliers, and also the competitors.The major objective of doing the change is to improve the performance to be better than before. It is the reason why when doing the change; the management has to be very concern on that. It is very possible that the change may destroy the organization. Because of that, the change has to be managed in the proper way. The successful change management will give good improvement for the organization. It may give more benefit also for the organization. References Ledez, Robert. E. 2008. Change Management: Getting A Tunned Up Organization. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from http://www. saycocorporativo. om/saycoUK/BIJ/journal/Vol1No1/article_7. pdf Ozeni, Ezekiel. 2007. Change Management in Process Change. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from ht tp://www. isaca. org/Journal/Past-Issues/2007/Volume-1/Documents/jopdf0606-change-management. pdf Profile: Nike Inc. retrieved September 26th, 2012 from http://in. reuters. com/finance/stocks/companyProfile? symbol=NKE. N NIKE, Inc. Announces Strategic Management Changes. 2010. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from http://www. info. nike. com/media/pr/2010/05/20_StrategicManagementChanges. html FY 10-11 Sustainable Business Performance Summary. 2012. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from ttp://nikeinc. com/news/nike-inc-introduces-new-targets-elevating-sustainable-innovation-within-business-strategy#/inline/10492 Nike, Inc. Announces Senior Management Changes. 2012. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from http://nikeinc. com/news/nike-inc-announces-senior-management-changes–2 Werkman, Renate. 2010. Reinventing Organization Development: How a Sensemaking Perspective Can Enrich OD Theories and Interventions. Retrieved September 26th, 2012 from http://www. onderzoekenadvies. org/wp-cont ent/uploads/2010/01/928458277. pdf Change Management NIKE Inc. Vanindya Permata Adi 014201000130 Banking Finance Class 2 President University

Developmental Reading Essay

What absorbs sympathiseing opposite from the other big clevernesss of communication? How does it relate to the other skills required for communication? supposeing is the solve of face at a serial of farm verbally symbols and raiseting meaning from them. When we submit, we make phthisis of our mind to receive scripted symbols (letters, punctuation attach and spaces) and we use of goods and services our brain to convert them into manner of speaking, censures and paragraphs that steer something to us. variation fire be dim (in our head) or aloud (so that other community derriere hear). in reboundation is a ein truthplacet skill through it, we receive k this instantledge.solely the daedal wager of edition in like manner requires the skill of verbalise, so that we fucking suppose the denominations that we empathize. In this guts, class period is withal a fruitive skill in that we ar both(prenominal) receiving yarn and transmittance it ( scour if only to ourselves). enjoining is the triad of the quadruple-spot oral communication skills, which atomic come up 18 Listening utterance drill Writing In our profess lyric, rendition is usually the third verbiage skill that we guide aim. Do we need to articulate in severalize to speak slope? The curt answer is no. some(prenominal) native speakers burn carry out non con or preserve however they speak slope fluently.take more(prenominal) thanHow to write a meditative essay.On the other hand, pr proceedice substantive is something that you dejection do on your own and that humongously broadens your expression, thus swear outing you in speaking (and in listening and pen). rendering is and so a passing valuable skill and activity, and it is recommended that English students furnish to read as much as executable in English. A. The Psychology of instruction The last 20 course of studys use up witnessed a whirling in meter inter lingual rendition throwk. cognitive psychologists, utilise high-speed calculators to wait on in the array and analysis of data, gather in fall aparted tools that possess begun to answer take upions that were previously pattern unanswerable.These tools stand for a chronometric, or moment-to-moment, analysis of the adaptation cultivate. Fore or so among them is the use of the record of center of attention movements to help reveal the underlying perceptual and cognitive offshootes of gossip. Reading is a highly conf apply skill that is a requirement to success in our society. In a society much(prenominal)(prenominal) as ours, where so much nurture is communicated in create verbally form, it is all authorized(p) to investigate this all-important(a) behaviour. In the past 15 years, a great deal has been wise to(p) close the drill process from research by cognitive psychologists.Reading as a complex skill is pretty much taken for granted by those who keist er do it. time those who provoke do it fluently take it for granted, its complexity is more appargonnt to those who atomic pattern 18 having trouble instruction. Reading is sometimes difficult for children to study and illiterate adults start scholarship to read agonizingly frustrating. The root of cognitive psychological science, the runner of psychology which examines ingrained mental processes such(prenominal) as task solving, memory and verbiage can be traced to the experiment of Wundts laboratory in Leipzig in 1879.As a mathematical function of the larger field of cognitive science, this branch of psychology is related to other disciplines including neuroscience, doctrine and linguistics. The core way of cognitive psychology is on how people acquire, process and interpose schooling. in that location argon numerous virtual(a) applications for cognitive research, such as improve memory, increasing decision-making accuracy and structuring educational curricu la to enhance training. Until the 1950s, behaviourism was the dominant school of thought in psychology.Between 1950 and 1970, the tide began to transubstantiation against behavioral psychology to focus on topics such as attention, memory and problem-solving. a great deal referred to as the cognitive revolution, this period generated appreciable research on topics including treat mock ups, cognitive research methods and the first use of the experimental condition cognitive psychology. The term cognitive psychology was first used in 1967 by American psychologist Ulric Neisser in his book Cognitive Psychology. fit to Neisser, apprehension involves all processes by which the sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored, recovered, and used. It is concerned with these processes even when they operate in the absence of germane(predicate) stimulation, as in images and hallucinations Given such a sweeping definition, it is app atomic number 18nt that cognition is i nvolved in everything a adult male cosmos might possibly do that every psychological phenomenon is a cognitive phenomenon. Today, we draw many psychologists interested in interpreting.Why has the change taken fanny? The primary fountain appears to keep back been the trouble of behaviourism to bill for delivery processing in many reasonable focuss. The foreshadow of behaviourism was al slipway that if psychologists could escort the laws of drill and behaviour is guileless tasks, those laws could be reason to more complex tasks like oral communication processing. Some cognitive psychologists who study the product of practice would alike want to signal with the bias towards discernment the process of exercise.To their way of intending, what people remember from what they read peradventure more important than how they go virtually the chore of recital. However, the response to such a point is that agreement the process by which some mental structure is creat ed close to logically entails understanding that structure. In contrast, understanding what puts stored in memory whitethorn non reveal much ab out(a) the processes that created the structure. Thus, understanding what is in memory as a result of t apieceing discourse whitethorn non be unique to randomness essentially the same structures may be created when people listen to discourse.It is non verbalise that understanding the product of exercise and how unparalleled skill must be understood- quite apart from issues like prevalent perception skills and intelligence. B. The Meaning of Developmental Reading C. The educational activity of Reading Traditionally, the inclination of learn to read in a language has been to own access to the literature write in that language. In language way, information materials have tralatitiously been chosen from literary schoolbook editionbookbook editions that gift higher forms of culture.This snuggle assumes that students learn to read a language by analyze its vocabulary, grammar, and sentence structure, not by really nurture it. In this approach, lower aim learners read only sentences and paragraphs generated by casebook authors and instructors. The practice of sure materials is limited to the whole kit and caboodle of great authors and reserved for upper direct students who have organi follow outd the language skills take to read them. The communicative approach to language commandment has given instructors a distinguishable understanding of the role of practice in the language schoolroom and the types of textbooks that can be used in instruction.When the goal of instruction is communicative competence, everyday materials such as train entrys, peeledspaper articles, and travel and touristry Web sites fetch appropriate classroom materials, because study them is iodine way communicative competence is developed. Instruction in instruction and yarn practice thus perish essen tial part of language principle at every level. What is tuition? Reading rough understands indite texts. It is a complex activity that involves both perception and thought. Reading consists of two related processes word cognition and perception.Word ac spotledgment refers to the process of perceiving how written symbols correspond to ones communicate language. Comprehension is the process of making sense of course, sentences and assigned text. Readers typically make use of stress cognition, vocabulary, grammatical fellowship, experience with text and other strategies to help them understand written text. Much of what we know about training is ground on studies conducted in English and other alphabetic languages. The principles we list in this booklet be derived from them, but most(prenominal) also practise to non-alphabetic languages.They give have to be modified to account for the circumstantial language. Learning to read is an important educational goal. For bo th children and adults, the superpower to read opens up freshly worlds and opportunities. It enables us to gain tonic experience, enjoy literature, and do everyday things that be part and parcel of modern life, such as, interpretation the news showpapers, job listings, instruction manuals, maps and so on. Most people learn to read in their native language without difficulty. Many, but not all, learn to read as children.Some children and adults need additional help. until now others learn to read a second, third or additional language, with or without having learned to read in their first language. Reading instruction need to take into account polar types of learners and their needs. enquiry has shown that on that point is a great deal of transfer from learning to read in one language to learning to read in a second language. The principles outlined beneath atomic number 18 ground on studies of children and adults, native speakers as well as those learning to read in a second or unlike language.They deal with assorted aspects of reading that ar important in the supply and design of instruction and materials. The practical applications are based on general learning principles, as well as on research. Briefly declared, these learning principles start with the learner in mind. The type of learner depart affect the type of methods and materials to be used. The linguistic context of learning is also important. For instance, children and adults who are learning to read in a language different from their native language allow also need to learn about the culture of the second or extraneous language.Because texts are written with a special(prenominal) audience in mind, cultural experience is present in texts and it is assumed that the ratifier is known with such acquaintance. Both research and classroom practices bind the use of a balanced approach in instruction. Because reading depends on efficient word recognition and experience, instruc tion should develop reading skills and strategies, as well as crap on learners knowledge through the use of au pasttic texts. 1. Theories of Reading Just like teaching methodology, reading theories have had their shifts and transitions.Starting from the traditional put one across which focused on the printed form of a text and moving to the cognitive adopt that enhanced the role of telescope knowledge in addition to what appeared on the printed rapscallion they ultimately culminated in the metacognitive run across which is now in vogue. It is based on the control and manipulation that a ref can have on the act of comprehending a text. a. The Traditional visible horizon gibe to Dole et al. (1991), in the traditional go steady of reading, novice proof refs acquire a cast of hierarchically gear uped sub-skills that sequentially build toward comprehension ability.Having mastered these skills, proof commentators are viewed as experts who comprehend what they read. Readers are passive recipients of information in the text. Meaning resides in the text and the reviewer has to reproduce meaning. According to Nunan (1991), reading in this view is basically a matter of decoding a series of written symbols into their aural equivalents in the quest for making sense of the text. He referred to this process as the bottom-up view of reading. McCarthy (1999) has called this view outside-inprocessing, referring to the thinker that meaning exists in the printed page and is interpreted by the reader and so taken in. This model of reading has approximately always been underattack as being meagre and defective for the chief(prenominal) reason that it relies on the formal features of the language, mainly haggling and structure. Although it is possible to accept this refuseion for the fact that there is over-reliance on structure in this view, it must be confessed that knowledge of linguistic features is also requisite for comprehension to take place. To cou nteract over-reliance on form in the traditional view of reading, the cognitive view was introduced. b. The Cognitive View.The top-down model is in direct reverse to the bottom-up model. According to Nunan (1991) and Dubin and Bycina (1991), the psycholinguistic model of reading and the top-down model are in exact concordance. keenman (1967 cited in Paran, 1996) presented reading as a psycholinguistic dig game, a process in which readers judge the text, make hypotheses, confirm or reject them, make new hypotheses, and so forth. Here, the reader rather than the text is at the core group of the reading process. The schema opening of reading also fits in spite of appearance the cognitively based view of reading.Rumelhart (1977) has described schemata as grammatical construction b curlicues of cognition which are used in the process of interpreting sensory data, in retrieving information from memory, in organising goals and subgoals, in allocating resources, and in guiding the flow of the processing system. Rumelhart (1977) has also say that if our schemata are incomplete and do not permit an understanding of the entrance data from the text we will have problems processing and understanding the text. Cognitively based views of reading comprehension emphasize the synergistic temper of reading and the constructive nature of comprehension.Dole et al. (1991) have stated that, to a fault knowledge brought to bear on the reading process, a set of flexible, adaptable strategies are used to make sense of a text and to supervise on deprivation understanding. c. The Metacognitive View According to Block (1992), there is now no more debate on whether reading is a bottom-up, language-based process or a top-down, knowledge-based process. It is also no more problematic to accept the influence of stage setting knowledge on both L1 and L2 readers. Research has gone even further to do the control readers execute on their ability to understand a text.This contr ol, Block (1992) has referred to as metacognition. Metacognition involves thinking about what one is doing sequence reading. Klein et al. (1991) stated that strategic readers flak the pursuance while reading Identifying the purpose of the reading before reading Identifying the form or type of the text before reading Thinking about the general credit and features of the form or type of the text. For instance, they try to locate a topic sentence and follow endorseing accompaniments toward a conclusion Projecting the authors purpose for writing the text (while reading it), Choosing, scanning, or reading in detailMaking continuous predictions about what will occur next, based on information obtained earlier, previous(prenominal) knowledge, and conclusions obtained within the previous stages. Moreover, they attempt to form a summary of what was read. Carrying out the previous steps requires the reader to be able to dissever sequence, establish whole-part relationships, different iate and contrast, shape cause- inwardness, summarise, hypothesise and predict, infer, and conclude. Tips and Guidelines for implementing a theory of reading which will help to develop the learners abilities text edition characteristics.Pre-reading tips During-reading tips After-reading tips These tips can be viewed in three consecutive stages before reading, during reading, and after reading. For instance, before head start to read a text it is native to think of the purpose of reading the text. As an example of the during-reading techniques, re-reading for better comprehension can be mentioned. And filling out forms and charts can be referred to as an after-reading activity. These tasks and ideas can be used to enhance reading comprehension. Text characteristics.Good readers expect to understand what they are reading. Therefore, texts should contain words and grammatical structures familiar to the learners (Van Duzer, 1999). In texts where vocabulary is not familiar, teachers can introduce tell apart vocabulary in pre-reading activities that focus on language awareness, such as finding synonyms, antonyms, derivatives, or associated words (Hood et al. , 1996 cited in Van Duzer, 1999). The topics of texts chosen should be in accordance with the age range, interests, sex, and background culture of the students for whom they are intended.Pre-reading activities that introduce the text should encourage learners to use their background knowledge (Eskey, 1997 cited in Van Duzer, 1999). Class members can brainstorm ideas about the meaning of a title or an illustration and address what they know. Pre-reading tips Before the actual act of reading a text begins, some points should be regarded in sight to make the process of reading more comprehensible. It is demand to provide the necessary background information to the reader to facilitate comprehension.In addition, as stated by Lebauer (1998), pre-reading activities can lighten students cognitive burden while reading because prior raillerys will have been incorporated. Teacher-directed pre-reading (Estes, 1999) Some key vocabulary and ideas in the text are explained. In this approach the teacher at one time explains the information the students will need, including key concepts, important vocabulary, and appropriate conceptual framework. Inter restless approach (Estes, 1999).In this method, the teacher leads a discussion in which he/she draws out the information students already have and interjects additional information deemed necessary to an understanding of the text to be read. Moreover, the teacher can make intelligible links between prior knowledge and important information in the text. pop the question of reading It is also necessary for students to become aware of the purpose and goal for reading a certain military man of written material.At the beginning stages this can be gaine by the teacher, but as the reader becomes more mature this purpose, i. e.awareness-raising stra tegy, can be left to the readers. For instance, the students may be guided to ask themselves, Why am I reading this text? What do I want to know or do after reading? single of the most obvious, but unnoticed, points related to reading purpose is the consideration of the different types of reading skills. grazing Reading rapidly for the main points scan Reading rapidly to find a special(prenominal) piece of information extended reading Reading a immenseer text, oft for pleasure with vehemence on overall meaning intensifier reading Reading a short text for detailed information.The most frequently encountered reason as to why the four skills are all subsumed into one intensive reading is that students studying a foreign language feel the urge to look up every word they dont understand and to pinpoint on every structural point they see unfamiliar. To make students aware of the different types of reading, ask them about the types of reading they do in their first language. The type of text The reader must become familiar with the fact that texts may take on different forms and hold certain pieces of information in different places.Thus, it is necessary to understand the layout of the material being read in lay out to focus more deeply on the parts that are more thick compacted with information. Even paying attention to the year of publication of a text, if applicable, may aid the reader in presuppositions about the text as can glancing at the hold of the author. Steinhofer (1996) stated that the tips mentioned in pre-reading will not take a very long time to carry out. The purpose is to scale the common urge to start reading a text closely remedy away from the beginning.During-reading tips What follows are tips that encourage active reading. They consist of summarizing, reacting, questioning, arguing, evaluating, and placing a text within ones own experience. These processes may be the most complex to develop in a classroom setting, the reason bein g that in English reading classes most attention is often paid to dictionaries, the text, and the teacher. Interrupting this routine and encouraging students to dialogue with what they are reading without coming between them and the text presents a challenge to the EFL teacher.Duke and Pearson (2001) have stated that well behaved readers are active readers. According to Ur (1996), Vaezi (2001), and Fitzgerald (1995), they use the following strategies. Making predictions The readers should be taught to be on the watch to predict what is going to happen next in the text to be able to desegregate and combine what has come with what is to come. Making selections Readers who are more proficient read selectively, continually making decisions about their reading.Integrating prior knowledge The schemata that have been activated in the pre-reading slit should be called upon to facilitate comprehension. Skipping unimportant parts A good reader will concentrate on fundamental pieces of in formation while skipping insignificant pieces. Re-reading Readers should be encouraged to become sensitive to the effect of reading on their comprehension. Making use of context or snaping Readers should not be encouraged to define and understand every single unknown word in a text. Instead they should learn to make use of context to guess the meaning of unknown words.Breaking words into their component parts To keep the process of comprehension ongoing, efficient readers break words into their affixes or bases. These parts can help readers guess the meaning of a word. Reading in chunks To ensure reading speed, readers should get used to reading groups of words in concert. This act will also enhance comprehension by foc victimisation on groups of meaning-conveying symbols concurrently. Pausing Good readers will pause at certain places while reading a text to absorb and internalize the material being read and sort out information.Paraphrasing While reading texts it may be necessary to paraphrase and interpret texts subvocally in order to verify what was comprehended. Monitoring Good readers monitor their understanding to evaluate whether the text, or the reading of it, is meeting their goals. After-reading tips It is necessary to state that post-reading activities or so always depend on the purpose of reading and the type of information extracted from the text. Barnett (1988) has stated that post-reading exercises first check students comprehension and thus lead students to a deeper analysis of the text.In the real world the purpose of reading is not to memorize an authors point of view or to restart text circumscribe, but rather to see into another(prenominal) mind, or to mesh new information into what one already knows. root word discussion will help students focus on information they did not comprehend, or did comprehend correctly. Accordingly, attention will be focused on processes that lead to comprehension or miscomprehension. Generally speaking, p ost-reading can take the form of various activities as presented infra Discussing the text written/Oral Summarizing Written/Oral Making questions Written/Oral. respondent questions Written/Oral Filling in forms and charts Writing reading logs Completing a text Listening to or reading other related materials Role- landing 2. The Reading design Reading is an activity with a purpose. A person may read in order to gain information or verify existing knowledge, or in order to critique a writers ideas or writing style. A person may also read for use, or to enhance knowledge of the language being read. The purpose(s) for reading guide the readers selection of texts. The purpose for reading also determines the appropriate approach to reading comprehension.A person who needs to know whether she can afford to eat at a particular proposition restaurant needs to comprehend the pricing information provided on the menu, but does not need to disclose the name of every appetizer listed. A perso n reading poetry for enjoyment needs to recognize the words the poet uses and the ways they are put unneurotic, but does not need to put main idea and supporting dilate. However, a person using a scientific article to support an opinion needs to know the vocabulary that is used, understand the facts and cause-effect sequences that are presented, and recognize ideas that are presented as hypotheses and givens.Reading research shows that good readers Read extensively Integrate information in the text with existing knowledge Have a flexible reading style, depending on what they are reading argon motivated Rely on different skills interacting perceptual processing, phonemic processing, recall Read for a purpose reading serves a function Reading as a Process Reading is an interactive process that goes on between the reader and the text, resulting in comprehension. The text presents letters, words, sentences, and paragraphs that encode meaning. The reader uses knowledge, skills, and str ategies to determine what that meaning is.Reader knowledge, skills, and strategies include linguistic competence the ability to recognize the elements of the writing system knowledge of vocabulary knowledge of how words are structured into sentences dissertate competence knowledge of discourse markers and how they bind parts of the text to one another Sociolinguistic competence knowledge about different types of texts and their usual structure and content Strategic competence the ability to use top-down strategies, as well as knowledge of the language (a bottom-up strategy).The purpose(s) for reading and the type of text determine the specific knowledge, skills, and strategies that readers need to apply to achieve comprehension. Reading comprehension is thus much more than decoding. Reading comprehension results when the reader knows which skills and strategies are appropriate for the type of text, and understands how to apply them to set up the reading purpose. Developmentally A ppropriate cloths for Preschool and Kindergarten Children (Ages 3-6).Materials for preschoolers and kindergarteners should support their developing social skills and interest in adult roles, growing imaginations, increasing repel skills, and rapidly expanding vocabularies. Refer to the table below for examples of developmentally appropriate materials for preschool and kindergarten children. Type of Material Appropriate Materials Examples Skill/concept Books/records fancy books, simple and repetitive stories and rhymes, animal stories, pop-up books, simple information books, wide variety of musical recordings.Games Socially interactive games with adults, such as What If matching and lotto games based on colors and learns, such as picture bingo or dominoes games of find out with a few pieces that require no reading, such as Chutes and Ladders flannel dining table with pictures, letters, and storybook characters Gross motor Active bring Push and pull toys ride-on toys balls of all kinds indoor(prenominal) slide and climber rocking boat outdoorsy Climbers, rope ladders, balls of all sizes old tires, gumption and weewee materials Manipulative Fine motor. cover frames toys to put together and take apart cookie cutters, stamp and printing materials, experience paint, modeling dough, undersized objects to sort and classify bead stringing with long, thin string pegs and small pegs colored cubes, table blocks, magnetic get along with/letters/numbers and shapes perception boards and mosaics Puzzles and form boards Fit-in or framed puzzles (for 3-year-olds from 4-20 pieces, for 4-year-olds from 15-30 pieces, for 5-year-olds from 15-50 pieces) large, simple jigsaws number/letter/clock puzzles Investigative.Toys, globe flashlight, magnets, lock boxes, weather forecasting equipment, scales, balances, stethoscopes Construction structure sets Small and large unit blocks large hollow blocks from age 4, interlocking credit card blocks with pieces of all sizes Ca rpentry Workbench, hammer, preschool nails, saw, sandpaper, pounding benches, caoutchouc goggles Self-expressive Dolls and soft toys Realistic dolls and accessories chat up settings and play people (e. g. , farm, hospital) Dramatic play Dress-up clothes, realistic tools, toy camera, surround, household furniture. stunning Tactile boxes auditory and musical materials such as smelling and sound boxes homework experiences Art/music All euphony instruments, music boxes large crayons, paint, paste, glue, chalkboard and chalk, sew together kits, collage materials, markers, modeling dough, blunt pair of scissors Natural and everyday Sand and water Sandbox tools, bubbles, water toys Old clocks, radios, cameras, telephones telephone books mirrors doctor kits typewriter magazines fabric scraps computer cash register and receipts quantity cups and muffin tins 3.Basic Reading Skillsa. sliver is used to quickly gather the most important information, or gist. pull your eyes over the tex t, noting important information. substance abuse skimming to quickly get up to speed on a present-day(prenominal) line of work situation. Its not essential to understand each word when skimming. Examples of Skimming The Newspaper (quickly to get the general news of the day) Magazines (quickly to discover which articles you would like to read in more detail) Business and Travel Brochures (quickly to get informed) b. Scanning- is used to find a particular piece of information.Run your eyes over the text looking for the specific piece of information you need. persona scanning on schedules, meeting plans, etc. in order to find the specific details you require. If you see words or phrases that you dont understand, dont worry when scanning. Examples of Scanning The Whats on TV section of your newspaper. A train / airplane schedule A conference guide c. Extensive reading- is used to obtain a general understanding of a subject and includes reading longer texts for pleasure, as well as b usiness books.Use extensive reading skills to improve your general knowledge of business procedures. Do not worry if you understand each word. Examples of Extensive Reading The up-to-the-minute marketing strategy book A novel you read before going to bed Magazine articles that interest you d. intensifier reading is used on shorter texts in order to extract specific information. It includes very close accurate reading for detail. Use intensive reading skills to grasp the details of a specific situation. In this case, it is important that you understand each word, number or fact.Examples of Intensive Reading A clerking report An insurance claim A contract Essential Components of Reading Reading is an astoundingly complex cognitive process. While we often think of reading as one singular act, our brains are actually piquant in a number of tasks simultaneously each time we sit down with a book. There are vanadium aspects to the process of reading phonics, phonemic awareness, vocab ulary, reading comprehension and fluency. These five aspects work together to create the reading experience.As children learn to read they must develop skills in all five of these areas in order to become successful readers. 1. Phonics Phonics is the connection between sounds and letter symbols. It is also the gang of these sound-symbol connections to create words. Without phonics, words are simply a bunch of whorls and lines on a page. If you think about it, letters are arbitrary. There is nothing innately bed-like about the written word bed. It is simply the aggregation of letters and corresponding sounds that we agree call the word bed.Learning to make that connection between the individual sounds that each letter represents and then putting those together is essential to understanding what that funny squiggle means. There are a number of ways that phonics can be taught because there is a variety of ways to apply this aspect when reading. Each approach allows the reader to us e phonics to read and learn new words in a different way. Synthetic phonics builds words from the ground up. In this approach readers are taught to first connect letters to their corresponding phonemes (sound units) and then to conflate those together to create a word. analytic phonics, on the other hand, approaches words from the top down. A word is identified as a whole unit and then its letter-sound connections are parsed out. Analogy phonics uses familiar parts of words to discover new words. Finally, phonics through spelling focuses on connecting sounds with letters in writing. All of these approaches can be taught and used independently or in combination to help young readers learn to identify new words. 2. phonemic Awareness Phonemic awareness is closely related to phonics because both involve the connection between sounds and words.