Forensic Psychology and Serial Murders Term Paper

Forensic Psychology and Serial Murders - Term Paper Example Whether it is fiction or truth, the serial killer has always found a place in modern society. Eventually serial killers are caught and it is often forensic evidence that puts them in prison. Once they are captured, they give the police who capture them important information to use into how to find others who commit these crimes. The purpose of this research is to examine the forensic psychology that may go into gaining a conviction of some of the most famous serial killers. The challenge is that this information is not always available and the researcher must examine what they can find and see how forensic psychology fits into it. In the cases of most of the famous serial killers, they did something that put the police on their trail. As an example, John Wayne Gacy and Jeffrey Dahmer had police come to their homes after someone escaped from their grasp. When the police entered their living quarters, they found evidence out in the open (though Gacy's was buried in his crawl space) tha t eventually led to their conviction. In this paper, I will examine some of the most famous serial killers: John Wayne Gacy, Ted Bundy, Stephanie Wernick, Jeffrey Dahmer and David Berkowitz. Each of these killers hunted other humans and they were subsequently hunted by the police, the FBI and forensic teams. Each was eventually found through something that they did, but forensic psychology had a hand in establishing their guilt and finally putting them in prison where they belonged. 1. Defining Forensic Psychology Although many people may think that forensic psychology is only about profiling criminals, there is more to it than profiling. In reality, forensic psychology blends several areas. It combines the civil and criminal sides of the justice system with the clinical and experimental aspect of psychology (Roesch, Zapf and Hart 3). Because of this blending, it has been difficult for experts to find an exact definition of this science. Instead, different organizations have created their own definitions. According to the American Board for Forensic Psychology, the definition for this science "is the application of the science and profession of psychology to questions and issues relating to law and the legal system" (as qtd. in Roesch, Zapf and Hart 4). This is a very vague definition and there are none that are more specific. In this paper, this definition will be used. 1.1 The Beginnings of Defining Serial Killers The term serial killer is not as old as people may think. It was actually coined during the David Berkowitz ("Son of Sam") hunt by an FBI Agent, Robert K. Ressler, who was an expert on serial murders (Simon 252). According to the FBI there are only about 200-500 people who are committing serial murders and they kill approximately 3500 people a year (Simon 19). The most heinous seem to be the ones that most people hear about in the news. There are many categories of serial killers. Some kill for sexual pleasure, some are mentally ill, and others are considered psychopaths. To convict serial killers, forensic evidence must be used to attach information that the police have found to the individual charged with the crime. 2. The Common Characteristics of Serial Killers All serial killers have similarities especially when they are categorized into the type of serial killing they do. According to Forensic Psychiatrist Robert Simon, serial

Request for Sponsorship Essay Example for Free

Request for Sponsorship Essay Alcaraz Group Sales Manager-Area 1 Splash Direct Sales Division Splash Corporation Highest Fraternal Greetings! As a part of our fervent campaign in bringing forth excellence from every individual and celebrating the freedom of thought and self-expression of every people, we, the Kappa Sigma Kappa Delta Sigma Confraternity, a duly recognized confraternity in the University of the Philippines, will be holding our annual HIMIGSIKAN on 26th of February 2013, 7pm, at Meanwhile Bar, Balibago Angeles City. HIMIGSIKAN, our confraternity’s major event, is the much-awaited student-oriented musical affair not only for UP students but for the youth and all music lovers as well that highlights a coveted acoustic performance competition from different student organizations in our university. This year’s theme shall be Sarap at Pait ng Pagsasama, Ilalahad sa Awit ng Barkada In line with this, we are cordially asking for your assistance for the success of our event’s endeavor. Rest assured all solicitations will only be used to enhance and to further improve our plans for the event. We are looking forward to you for being a part in this fervent cause. We are hoping to hear from you soon. May God’s richest blessings be unto you! Sincerely Yours, Teddy Calilung Grand Lord Sigman Kenn Carlov Twano Sigman Master Scribe [pic] [pic] University of the Philippines Extension program in Pampanga Claro M. RectoHighway, CSEZ,Pampanga Co. reg. no. CN200618309 Co. TIN 006-532-105 www. kappasigmafraternity. net [emailprotected] com KAPPA SIGMA-KAPPA DELTA SIGMA CONFRATERNITY VDFGCOSFGCONFRATERNITYCONFRATERNITY Council of Masters and Lady Sigmans A. Y 2012-2013 Grand Lord Sigman: Teddy Calilung Deputy Grand Lady Sigman: Jessa Claire Pangilinan Sigman Master of Initiation: Michael John Aguas Sigman Lady of Rites: Ila Bernice Malenab Sigman Master Scribe: Kenn CarlovTwano Sigman Lady Master of Scroll: Monica Del Puerto Sigman Lady Master Bursars: Jhoane Capili Janne Kazel Punzalan Sigman Lady Master Herald: Analyn Pineda Prof. Penelope Nalo Faculty Adviser

A Show About Nothing :: essays research papers

A Show About Nothing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the artcle, â€Å"Is Seinfeld the Best Comedy Ever?†, author Jay McInerney agrees with Seinfeld the best comedy on television. Seinfeld is a real life show. The behaviors of Jerry, Kramer, George and Elaine, the failed communication, and the everyday embassassment represent â€Å"nothingness† but a peculiar everyday life. These â€Å"nothingnesses† happen to all of us, but when it is put on TV, people will laugh at these. Besides, the author appreciates the fact that Seinfeld is a New York story but it is filmed in Los Angeles. â€Å"The lumpy texture of life in the city, the random looniness of the street, the idioms and speech inflections of Manhattan, and the claustrophobia of New York apartment living† in the show fascinates the New Yorker as it is so real and funny. Seinfeld takes those little nothings and combines them to create something realistic. Nothingness and reality give the author the reasons to believe that it is the b est comedy ever.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When people consider Seinfeld as a â€Å"show about nothing†. It could be humorous that â€Å"nothingness† can provide such an interesting topic for the comedies of life. In life people care about details and worry about trouble, the little nothings made are soon forgotten. Thus, these â€Å"nothingnesses† are actually fragments of out real life. Seinfeld gathers the nothingness into a show, and it spreads out the idea that everything in the show that actually happens all around us. For example, losing the car in a parking garage, working for an eccentric boss and coping with the trials and tribulations of dating, it is common for a lot of people. And these realities come into the nothingness of Seinfeld.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Seinfeld, the fabulous four characters George, Kramer, Elaine and Jerry share the nothingnesses which life have granted them. George cannot attract thr girl because of his limitiations as a short, bald, fat man. Kramer struggles with the fact that he has not achieved anything in his life yet.. Elaine worries her hold on to a good boyfriend and a good job for long. And Jerry, living with his nothing friends, as well as his own LEX Luthurs which seem to always abstract his plans to find his own Lois Lane and live the life of Superman. The four were cramped in small apartments of New York and live a life of nothingness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Besides, even the settings in Seinfeld for great adventures appear muchlike nothing.

E-Commerce :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

E-Commerce E-commerce is rapidly becoming an excellent way to do business. It incorporates elements which are similar to those of regular commerce. The hype surrounding this new way of doing business is constantly increasing for many reasons. There are some barriers to e-commerce, but the benefits seem to far outweigh the risks. There are many elements necessary to e-commerce. First of all, you must have a product. It is also necessary to have a place. The web sit displays the product and acts as the place. There must be a way to get people to view your web site. You can market your site both on and off the web. There should also be a method of accepting orders such as and on-line form. A secure ordering page and a connection to a bank are necessary for accepting payment. It is also necessary to have a fulfillment facility to ship products to customers. However, if you are just selling software or information, fulfillment can occur with a file download mechanism. It is also important to be able to accept returns and handle warrantee claims if necessary. There should also be a method of offering customer service through e-mail, on-line forms, on-line knowledge bases, or any other on-line mechanism. Many of these elements are necessary to perform commerce, but the specifications around e-commerce are noteworthy. There is a lot of hype surrounding e-commerce. "On the retail side alone, Forrester projects $17 billion in sales to consumers over the Internet by the year 2001." According to O'Reilly and Associates, "Worldwide business access to the Web is expected to grow at an even faster rate than the US market from 1.3 million in 1996 to 8 billion by 2001." It is also documented that, "Dell currently sells about $14 million in equipment everyday, 25% of which is over the Web." The hype concerning e-commerce is justified by many of its aspects. There are many reasons why e-commerce continues to grow at an exceeding rate. E-commerce has lower transaction costs by using automating processes. It is also documented that consumers participating in e-commerce have larger purchases per transaction. A web site that is well-integrated into the business cycle can offer customers more information than previously available. A company can build a catalog on the web exceeding what would be impractical for ordinary mail order businesses.

Destruction with Total Control Essay

In the book Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell shows the thesis to be that totalitarianism is destructive. He shows this by the rather unfortunate setting which has been put this way because the lack of concern. The conflict with the characters shows how a place being led by totalitarianism will unravel even what were at some point the closest relationships. Also with the plot development, eventually the government will destroy everything, including your brain throughout threats and torture. One of the first things it starts off with is the physical being of the city, the setting of the novel. Winston notices how the apartments could use a lot of work and they need constant fixing such as;â€Å"The plastered flakes fell constantly from ceilings and walls, the pipes burst in every hard frost† (22). The government could care less about what the city looks like and peoples wellbeing so most of the average people have to deal with problems like that with their homes. Winston mentions â€Å"On each landing, opposite the lift shaft the poster with the enormous face gazed on the wall†¦Big Brother is watching you, caption beneath it ran† (1-2). This is showing the complete take over by the frightful posters being plastered everywhere making sure everyone knows they aren’t safe. The city was filled with telescreens that would watch their every move, â€Å"It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any place within range of a telescreen† (65). The telescreens made it so that people had no place to think freely because there were practically no places where you weren’t under constant surveillance. Which is how totalitarianism destroys the setting in the novel. The destruction of relationships though conflict plays a big role in the book. Mr. Parsons, Winston’s neighbour, talks about his daughter who â€Å"Heard what [he] was saying and nipped off to the patrols the next day† (245). He was sleep talking about bringing Big Brother down, because his daughter had been taught to be a spy she reported him, not even thinking of the fact that she was getting rid of her own father. After Winston was being tortured because of the thought crime he committed and O’Brian was sent to change his ways â€Å"O’Brian drew back the lever on the dial. The wave of pain receded almost as quickly as it had come† (257). Even though he had been in the brotherhood with him O’Brian still betrayed Winston because he knew if he didn’t he would be the one enduring all of the pain. Winston and Julia were very close, in love even, but when asked after the torture â€Å"he had confessed in the most trivial detail everythin g that happened at their meetings† (286). Instead of being a good person he completely turned against her because of what the government had done to him. Showing how with totalitarianism comes the destruction of relationships. The plot really ties the whole idea that eventually after destroying everything else the totalitarian government will destroy the mind. They twist words to make it seems as though they are always right and even if it’s not true make it seem like you’re in the wrong. â€Å"Shall I tell you why we have brought you here? To cure you! Make you sain!† (265). Even though Winston had the right idea to betray Big Brother O’Brian makes him think he’s not mentally well for doing so. The government made sure that the mental change would be permanent â€Å"What happens to you here is forever†¦We shall crush you down to the point from which there is no coming back† (266). Giving you no way to change your mind after if you did not agree, making it as though they had complete control over you. Finally after Winston had been though all of the physical and mental tortures, what he said he would rather die than do, he did. He finally said â€Å"he had won the battle over himself. He loved Big Brother† (311). This proved they had completely destroyed and remade his brain, breaking down all of his morals and changing his outlooks on life. All proving how the destruction of your brain is inevitable with a totalitarian society. Throughout exploring some key traits of the book such as the dreadful setting which could only have put people in a bad mood. All of the conflicts with the characters putting them through so much torture and mind control to teach them to betray practically anyone other than Big Brother. As well as the plot of the destruction of the mind and how to accomplish that, Orwell proves his thesis to be that totalitarianism is destructive. From the outside in eventually you will be destroyed.

China and WHO essays

China and WHO essays This essay was written for the Model United Nations (MUN) application at the American School of Doha, Qatar, by Hossein Moshfeghian in the 01-02 schoolyear. The debate over Chinas human rights violation has been an ongoing issue in the international communities for the past decade. One way to show the international communitys disapproval of the human rights violations in China that comes to mind would be to prevent it from joining international organizations, such as the World Health Organization. However, due to the nature and role of the World Health Organization, and the nature of Chinese politics, government, and social atmosphere, I strongly recommend Chinas acceptance to the World Health Organization, despite the countrys supposed human rights violations. The following support my argument. First, the situation of human rights in China needs to be examined. According to the US Department of State, The People's Republic of China (PRC) is an authoritarian state in which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the paramount source of power. At the national and regional levels, party members hold almost all top government, police, and military positions. Ultimate authority rests with members of the Politburo. Leaders stress the need to maintain stability and social order and are committed to perpetuating the rule of the CCP and its hierarchy. Citizens lack the freedom to express peacefully opposition to the party-led political system and the right to change their national leaders or form of government. This view is shared by most western nations and many other countries throughout the world. Even assuming this view to be completely factual and accurate still does not justify a refusal to admit China into the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization is a special agency of the United Nations with a goal of improving the level of health of all people worldwide. It was established for the benefi...

A Biography of Lieutenant General Sir George Prévost

A Biography of Lieutenant General Sir George Prà ©vost Early Life: Born in New Jersey on May 19, 1767, George Prà ©vost was the son of Major General Augustine Prà ©vost and his wife Nanette. A career officer in the British Army, the elder Prà ©vost saw service at the Battle of Quebec during the French Indian War as well as successfully defended Savannah during the American Revolution. After some schooling in North America, George Prà ©vost traveled to England and the Continent to receive the remainder of his education. On May 3, 1779, despite being only eleven years old, he obtained a commission as an ensign in his fathers unit, the 60th Regiment of Foot. Three years later,  Prà ©vost transferred to the 47th Regiment of Foot with the rank of lieutenant.    A Rapid Career Ascent: Prà ©vosts rise continued in 1784 with an elevation to captain in the 25th Regiment of Foot.   These promotions were possible as his maternal grandfather served as a wealthy banker in Amsterdam and was able to provide funds for the purchasing of commissions.   On November 18, 1790,  Prà ©vost returned to the 60th Regiment with the rank of major.   Only twenty-three years old, he soon saw action in the Wars of the French Revolution.   Promoted to lieutenant colonel in 1794,  Prà ©vost traveled to St. Vincent for service in the Caribbean.   Defending the island against the French, he was wounded twice on January 20, 1796.   Sent back to Britain to recover,  Prà ©vost received a promotion to colonel on January 1, 1798.   In this rank only briefly, he earned an appointment to brigadier general that March followed by a posting to St. Lucia as lieutenant governor in May.    Caribbean: Arriving on St. Lucia, which had been captured from the French, Prà ©vost earned praise from the local planters for his knowledge of their language and even-handed administration of the island. Falling ill, he briefly returned to Britain in 1802.  Recovering, Prà ©vost was appointed to serve as governor of Dominica that fall. The following year, he successfully held the island during an attempted invasion by the French and mounted an effort to reclaim St. Lucia which had fallen earlier.   Promoted to major general on January 1, 1805, Prà ©vost took leave and returned home.  While in Britain, he commanded forces around Portsmouth and was made a baronet for his services. Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia: Having established a track record as a successful administrator, Prà ©vost was rewarded with the post of lieutenant governor of Nova Scotia on January 15, 1808, and the local rank of lieutenant general.   Assuming this position, he attempted to aid merchants from New England in circumventing President Thomas Jeffersons embargo on British trade by establishing free ports in Nova Scotia.  In addition,  Prà ©vost endeavored to strengthen Nova Scotias defenses and amended the local militia laws to create an effective force to work with the British Army.  In early 1809, he commanded part of the British landing forces during Vice Admiral Sir Alexander Cochrane and Lieutenant General George Beckwiths invasion of Martinique.   Returning to Nova Scotia following the successful conclusion of the campaign, he worked to improve local politics but was criticized for attempting to increase the power of the Church of England. Governor-in-Chief of British North America: In May 1811, Prà ©vost received orders to assume the position of Governor of Lower Canada. A short time later, on July 4, he obtained a promotion when he was permanently elevated to the rank of lieutenant general and made commander-in-chief of British forces in North America. This was followed by an appointment to the post of Governor-in-Chief of British North America on October 21.  As relations between Britain and the United States were increasingly strained, Prà ©vost worked to ensure the loyalty of the Canadians should a conflict erupt.   Among his actions was the increased inclusion of Canadians in the Legislative Council.   These efforts proved effective as the Canadians remained loyal when the War of 1812 commenced in June 1812.    The War of 1812: Lacking in men and supplies, Prà ©vost largely assumed a defensive posture with the goal of holding as much of Canada as possible.   In a rare offensive action in mid-August, his subordinate in Upper Canada, Major General Isaac Brock, succeeded in capturing Detroit.   That same month, following Parliaments repeal of the Orders in Council that had been one of the Americans justifications for war, Prà ©vost attempted to negotiate a local ceasefire.   This initiative was quickly dismissed by President James Madison and fighting continued in the fall.   This saw American troops turned back at the Battle of Queenston Heights and Brock killed.   Recognizing the importance of the Great Lakes in the conflict, London dispatched Commodore Sir James Yeo to direct naval activities on these bodies of water.   Though he reported directly to the Admiralty, Yeo arrived with instructions to coordinate closely with  Prà ©vost. Working with Yeo, Prà ©vost mounted an attack against the American naval base at Sacketts Harbor, NY in late May 1813.   Coming ashore, his troops were repulsed by Brigadier General Jacob Browns garrison and withdrew back to Kingston.   Later that year,  Prà ©vosts forces suffered a defeat on Lake Erie, but succeeded in turning back an American effort to take Montreal at Chateauguay and Cryslers Farm.   The following year saw British fortunes dim in the spring and summer as the Americans achieved successes in the west and on the Niagara Peninsula.   With the defeat of Napoleon in the spring, London began to transfer veteran troops, which had served under the Duke of Wellington, to Canada to reinforce  Prà ©vost.    The Plattsburgh Campaign: Having received over 15,000 men to bolster his forces, Prà ©vost began planning a campaign to invade the United States via the Lake Champlain corridor.  This was complicated by the naval situation on the lake which saw Captain George Downie and Master Commandant Thomas Macdonough engaged in a building race. Control of the lake was critical as it was required for re-supplying  Prà ©vosts army.   Though frustrated by naval delays,  Prà ©vost began moving south on August 31 with around 11,000 men.   He was opposed by around 3,400 Americans, led by Brigadier General Alexander Macomb, which assumed a defensive position behind the Saranac River. Moving slowly, the British were hampered by command problems as  Prà ©vost clashed with Wellingtons veterans over the speed of the advance and niggling matters such as wearing proper uniforms.    Reaching the American position, Prà ©vost halted above the Saranac.   Scouting west, his men located a ford across the river that would allow them to attack the left flank of the American line. Planning to strike on September 10, Prà ©vost sought to make a feint against Macombs front while assaulting his flank. These efforts were to coincide with Downie attacking MacDonough on the lake.   The combined operation was delayed a day when unfavorable winds prevented the naval confrontation.   Advancing on September 11, Downie was decisively defeated on the water by MacDonough.   Ashore, Prà ©vost tentatively probed forward while his flanking force missed the ford and had to counter-march.   Locating the ford, they went into action and were having success when a recall order from Prà ©vost arrived.   Having learned of Downies defeat, the British commander concluded that any victory on land would be meaningless.   Despite strident protests from his subordinates,  Prà ©vost began withdrawing towards Canada that evening.   Frustrated with  Prà ©vosts lack of ambition and aggressiveness, London dispatched Major General Sir George Murray to relieve him in December.   Arriving in early 1815, he delivered his orders to  Prà ©vost shortly after news had arrived that the war had ended. Later Life and Career: After disbanding the militia and receiving a vote of thanks from the assembly in Quebec, Prà ©vost departed Canada on April 3.   Though embarrassed by the timing of his relief, his initial explanations of why the Plattsburgh Campaign failed were accepted by his superiors.   Shortly thereafter, Prà ©vosts actions were severely criticized by the Royal Navys official reports as well as by Yeo.   After demanding a court-martial to clear his name, a hearing was set for January 12, 1816.   With Prà ©vost in ill health, the court-martial was delayed until February 5.   Suffering from dropsy, Prà ©vost died on January 5, exactly a month before his hearing.   Though an effective administrator who successfully defended Canada, his name was never cleared despite his wifes efforts.   Prà ©vosts remains were buried in the St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard in East Barnet.    Sources War of 1812: Sir George PrevostNapoleon Series: Sir George Prevost1812: Sir George Prevost

German New Years Greetings Wishes

German New Year's Greetings Wishes The German expression,  Frohes neues Jahr  literally translates to Happy New Year. It is widely used in German-speaking countries, particularly in the northern and western states of Germany. Indeed, New Years Eve and New Years Day are big holidays in Germany, with events ranging from fireworks to Rummelpottlauf, where children (or adults) go from house to house singing silly songs and begging for sweets (or schnapps), to parties as well as special drinks and foods. But if you have family or friends in Germany or German-speaking countries to whom you want to send New Years greetings, you may find yourself struggling to find the right words. Sending such greetings can be challenging, especially if you want to get creative. Creative New Years Wishes You may find yourself writing a card or even an email to a German friend or family member with New Years wishes. But you likely want to avoid writing the same New Years well-wishes year after year. Try some of the following more poetic and creative ways of wishing a happy New Year to a friend or loved one. In order to make the English greetings flow, some of the translations are not literal. New Year's Wishes in German German Phrase English Translation Sonne, Mond und Sterne, alles liegt in weiter Ferne, doch das Gute das ist ganz nah – ein glà ¼ckliches und schà ¶nes neues Jahr! Sun, moon and stars, everything lies at a great distance. However, goodness is just ‘round the corner – have a happy and lovely New Year! Das alte Jahr ist jetzt bald futsch, drum wà ¼nsch ich dir einen guten Rutsch. Glà ¼ck soll uns das neue Jahr gestalten und wir bleiben hoffentlich die alten! The New Year will soon be gone, and so I wish you a good year. May luck the New Year us bring and we the same old pals still be. Es wackelt spt durch Nacht und Wind, ein Ferkelchen das lacht und singt. Es wà ¼nscht nur eines, das ist klar: Alles gute im neuen Jahr! Shaking through the darkness and the windis a piglet which laughs and sings. It is clear to see, it is wishing one sole thing: All the best may the New Year bring! Ich bin die kleine Silvestermaus, steh leider nicht vor deinem Haus. Drum schick ich dir aus weiter Ferne, eine Hand voll Zaubersterne. Alles Gute fà ¼r 2011! I am the little New Year’s mouse, who unfortunately can’t be in front of your house. That’s why I’m sending you from afar, a handful of magic stars. All the best for 2011! Heut’ an Silvester will ich dich grà ¼ÃƒÅ¸en – und Dir mit einem Kuss den Tag versà ¼ÃƒÅ¸en. Doch nicht nur heute denk ich an dich, das ganze Jahr bist Du der Sinn fà ¼r mich. Today on New Year’s, I want to greet you and sweeten your day with a kiss. But today is not the only day that I’ll be thinking of you - you are to me the whole reason for being the whole year through. Endlich ist das alte vorbei, das Neue kommt, ich bleib dabei. I wà ¼nsch dir ein frohes neues Jahr! Finally the old has passed, the new is coming and I’m standing by. Happy New Year! Am Himmel leuchten die Sterne so klar, ich wà ¼nsch dir ein frohes Fest und ein gutes neuesJahr! The stars in the sky shine so clear, I wish you a happy celebration and a happy New Year! Hab Dir bei der Zukunftsbank aufs Konto 2011, 365 Tage Liebe, Glà ¼ck und sà ¼sse Trume einbezahlt. Viel Spass beim Ausgeben und einen guten Rutsch ins neue Jahr! This is what I deposited in your 2011 bank account in the Bank of the Future: 365 days of love, luck and sweet dreams. Have fun doling them out and all the best for the New Year! Lebe! Liebe! Lache! Auf diese Weise mache Dein neues Jahr zu einem Fest, das Dich Dein Leben feiern lsst. Live, love and laugh! In this way, you make your new year a celebration of your life.

Coral Reef Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Coral Reef - Essay Example Coral reefs therefore are mostly found in the oceanic environment where there are large quantities of calcium carbonate. Structure of the Ecosystem; Biotic and A biotic Coral reefs consist of both the biotic and a biotic factors and this determines the living and the non-living parts of the ecosystem respectively. The biotic factors encompasses all the life forms that are within the coral reefs and this includes the following; the density of the coral polyps, fish population in the waters, the wide range of the mollusks population, all the populations of echinoderms, the population of zooplanktons and those of benthic crustacean. All these constitute the biotic par t of the coral reefs (Nichols and Williams 41). With regard to a biotic factor, there are also a number of conditions mostly environmental that constitutes a biotic factors, they include; water temperature, the PH of the water, water salinity, the dissolved mineral in water, the suspended particles of inorganic matter in w ater. There are also other factors such as the strength of the current, the sunlight reaching the coral reefs, the degree of dissolved oxygen in water as well as depth/ pressure of the water on coral reef. Carbon and Nitrogen cycle of the Ecosystem Coral reefs contribute to the carbon cycle through calcification process, they release carbon dioxide gas that eventually reacts with other bases until equilibrium is reached, and this depends on the buffering capacity of the water. The coral reefs through cycling of the nitrogen molecules through water and the atmosphere in cycles and continuous manner also necessitate nitrogen fixation. Disturbance and Recovery of the Ecosystem Coral reefs suffers unprecedented disturbance from the human and other natural occurrence in equal measure. With reference to the human disturbance, a legion of activities results into the disturbance considering the fragility of the reefs (Davidson 62). Some of the ways through which disturbances occur through h uman are; industrial discharges into the lakes come with a number of chemicals that are detrimental to the development of the corals and kill them. Construction activities in the ocean environment also facilitates activities that disturb the growth of the coral reefs, such activities includes; port development, dredging, reclamation works, and industrial development. Port activities also increase the disturbance of the coral reefs through spills of cargo and the associated petrochemicals (Nichols and Williams 59). There are also natural factors that affect coral reefs and this includes; ocean currents, strong oceanic currents may sweep the corals and disintegrates them leading to their disturbances. Unfavorable a biotic factor such as light wavelength, pressure, and poor oxygen distribution in the ocean can also lead to disturbances in growth and development of the corals. Ecosystem recovery based on Resilience mechanism and the theory of Secondary Succession Coral reefs faces a num ber of disturbances and needs to recover from the shock that manifest to them in daily occurrence, there are fishing activities in the ocean, global warming menace is also another factor that is a effecting the coral reefs and once this happens. The life of the coral reefs are placed in danger and they need to recover from t

The British Government, the Bank of England, and the British Economy Essay

The British Government, the Bank of England, and the British Economy - Essay Example Presently, it is the bank in charge of the financial activities of the U.K government (Capie 2010). The bank has its headquarters at London, and has been the case since 1734. As from 1946, the bank was nationalised, and it has since monopolized the provision of banknotes in England and the Wales. The Bank’s roles of managing the country’s monetary policy are overseen by the Monetary Policy Committee (Goodwin, 2013). During times of public interest issues and economic adversity, the committee is authorised by the parliament and the treasury to employ the strategies it deems fit towards correcting the issue or situation in question. The major roles of the bank include supporting the country’s price and economic stability. Monetary stability is pursued through employing strategies to ensure that price increment does not go beyond the inflation projections of the government. Financial stability is pursued, by the bank, through the well-timed neutralization of the thr eats facing the country’s financial system. Financial and monetary stability are attained through the stimulation of the economic system and the manipulation of policy instruments. These strategies entail the bank’s cooperation with the treasury and the FSA (Financial Services Authority) (Capie 2010). The British Economy 2011 was a difficult year for the global economy with the UK not spared. In effect, this forced many forecasters to revise their yearly forecasts throughout the year. An example is the case of the OBR (Office for Budget Responsibility), which cut its GDP projections for the period between FY 2011 and 2013; it cut the projections from 2.4 percent, for the previous year, to 1.2 percent for a financial year, during November 2011. Furthermore, the events that followed continue to raise questions as to whether the revised figures will be realised following the worsening of the situation by the crisis in the Euro zone (Goodwin 2013). This outlook demonstrate s that the financial and the monetary strategies that are altered by the bank of England, which works under the directives of the British government particularly the parliament and the treasury, which determine the stabilization strategies adopted. The poor outlook of the economy shows that the two actors have not been effective, in manipulating financial and monetary instruments to the favour of stabilizing the British economy (Gordon, Scanlon, Travers and Whitehead 2009). The Double Dip of 2012 The UK economy entered year 2012 from a weak point. The preliminary projections of GDP growth from the fourth quarter of 2011 showed that the output of the economy had contracted by 0.2 percent at the end of year 2011. The monthly output projections from official reports demonstrated that manufacturing capacity had reduced throughout the summer time. The reports showed that the service sector had demonstrated higher resilience during the same period. However, the worsening of the Euro zone crisis, starting July of 2011, triggered a sharp price decline and an increase in the volatility of equity pricing that consequently affected the outlook of both consumers and businesses. These changes demonstrate that the British Government and the Bank of England had failed in controlling price levels, and employing the strategies of containing price volatility. Partly, the situation could have been triggered by the Euro zone crisis, but it demonstrated a lack of competitiveness and skilfulness, among the two economic controllers, in manipulating financial and monetary policy to favour the resultant economic outlook (Goodwin 2013). The adverse effects of the non-controlled economic outlook were evident from the downturn evident among many businesses,

To be Determined Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

To be Determined - Essay Example Their joy therefore reflects their perfect and pure relationship they behold. The two lovers portray the fulfillment one gets in loving the partner. Porphyria is quite in love and even lacks words to express it to the lover. Later on, the lover finds out that she is much deep in love with him, when he says "at last I knew Porphyria worshipped me".{Browning}. In Rossetti's poem, the theme of love and passion has been explored in a unique manner. This is because the image of love and passion has taken two dimensions, such that the author is bringing out Kate's engagement as perfect and standing the test of time. While her cousin's is doomed after what she held precious is lost. She talks of leading a shameless shameful life and not even the neighbors have regard for her. This changes the theme to that of Hate because she rail against the fact that she was lured by wealth and would not have taken her love's hand when she knew that she would treat her like a rag and plaything. This purposefully reveals to us the sufferings one can be faced with when they fail in finding a true love that cares and values them. Rossetti's poem is therefore driving in some important message of love and suffering intertwined together. Such that not all love come to blossom especially if one is lured by wealth and not real love, i.e. if it's bought. Styles brought out In regard to the two poems, the major style explored is imagery. It is clearly brought out in the Browning's in which we are able to visualize the setting of the poem and even the passion shared by the two. The beach because we are told that she withdrew the dripping cloak and shawl. A clear picture is brought out when porphyria's lover gives a vivid description on the way his love blazes up a gloomy grate and warms up the cold lodge. This enough tells us how much she is of value to him. Imagery in Christina's poem is brought out through the woman who has been deserted by the lover. The suffering can be seen in her choice of regretful words. We are also able to see the kind of peaceful and lovely life her cousin Kate is leading with her love which was described as planted in sand yet hers was founded in great love and wealth. Imagery in this poem has also been portrayed through the use of metaphor and simile. She has indirectly compared Kate's love with writ in sand, "You love was writ in sand" {Rosssetti}.meaning that her love was not founded on a strong ground but later survived. She even refers to Kate as 'fret' to mean that she is simply a trouble. This shows how resentful she feels towards her cousin Kate for having succeeded in her relationship. There is also use of similes to directly compare a person or situation, for example. "He wore me like a silken knot" "He changed me like a glove" These two comparisons give us an idea about the value that was accorded to the woman by the lover. In that he manipulated her according to his desires and later on dumped her just like one can throw away a used useless glove. Therefore this style can be said to be laying a lot of emphasis on the theme of hate since the woman does not only hate the lover but also dislikes the cousin for having a good life. Besides, it's

Using Life Story Work to Enhance Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Using Life Story Work to Enhance Care - Essay Example The idea of life story work could be traced to the 1960s or just before this period. However, many of the discussions on the use of this intervention on dementia patients, foster care and adoption children became more widespread in the 1980s and later years. Due to these discussions, life story work is currently a well documented concept, especially in the UK where the concept has even been integrated into the adoption legislations (Rusell & Timmons, 2007). Academic and professional discussions and debates have not discussed the application of life story work but also the professionals supposed to be involved in life story work. One of these professionals is the social worker. In this regard, social workers are required to take the critical role of making certain that clients such as children under adoption care or soon to be adopted have a life story record or book. Since social workers are perhaps the bearers of the most accurate information on a child’s background and upbri nging and the reasons for which such children were placed under foster or adoption care, it is essential that such information is availed for use in life story work interventions. Besides social workers, the other people expected to use life story work are foster care givers, residential support workers and adoptive parents. In addition, children’s carers have the best information on their daily lives and achievement, which they should give for the benefit of life story work. Birth parents are also important bearers of children’s life events and achievements and should provide such information for use on adopted children or on their own children (Rusell & Timmons, 2007). In addition to the named groups, any willing adults or bearers of any important information on the lives and times of life story work clients should come forward and present such materials. Importantly, such a person should be willing and able to spend time with such a client or a child so that a stron g and trusting relationship is built between them. Nonetheless, some stakeholders opine that untrained persons should not support clients with life story work even if they are nurses, social workers or foster carers. A point worth noting about life story work is that the gender, ethnicity, religion or culture of the parties to a life story work should be taken into account and respected (Rusell & Timmons, 2007). The Principles and Benefits of Life Story Work As a social and medical intervention, life story work is based on several core principles, which practitioners such as nurses and social workers should uphold. As must have been understood by now, life story work targets people (children and adults) who may have forgotten or have a fragmented idea or understanding of their own history or a broken sense of themselves. Thus, life story work seeks or attempts to assist such people to have a redeemed or stronger sense of their history and identity, in the process helping them make s ense of their lives, situations and history. In general, life story should aim at answering clients’ and carers’ questions regarding what happened, when, how and why certain events occurred to clients. Thus, a rather holistic approach to life story work is recommended. In this approach, the influences that every individual in a person’s life may have on his or her life and experiences are

Critical Analysis of Tourism Websites Assignment

Critical Analysis of Tourism Websites - Assignment Example With that said, I found the official tourist website for Greece and took a look around. The website is mediocre and the web designer must have used a strange layout code because mousing around causes weird changes to the layout. The header has four tabs: Home, Site Map, Newsletter Subscribe, and Contact. The homepage itself offers additional tabs: Greece (which expands to include links to History, Civilisation[sic], Geography, General Info, and Before You Travel), Explore (which expands to include links to Destinations, Culture, Sea, Nature, and Religion), Enjoy (which expands to include links to Activities, Leisure, Touring, and Gastronomy), Specials (which expands to include links to You in Greece, Downloads, and Newsletters), and GNTO (which expands to include links to About Us, Business Newsletter, Links, and Competitions). There is so much information, at first the website can seem a bit daunting. There are all kinds of related links, a plethora of historical information, most w ith links to outside websites that offer tourist trips, and an events calendar (though it didn’t seem to be functioning on the several visits I made to the website). Most notably, the website offers a large column of social networks that they hope you â€Å"like† them on—which seemed distracting, actually. I came to the site to learn more about Greece, not worry about their Google +1 or Twitter status. The website does include some photos of Greece and its monuments, though I was severely disappointed in quality, number, and size. Essentially, this website looked like they took their â€Å"Travel Greece† brochures and turned them into a website. Nothing special, too many choices that lead to the same places, and a distracting layout that makes choosing a tab to visit next confusing. Most frustrating, is that getting into the culture of Greece is nearly impossible, simply from the lack of visual evidence. Over and over I second-guessed this choice as the m ain tourism website for Greece, but GTNO stands for Greek National Tourism Organisation[sic], which is supervised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Overall, if I hadn’t seen Greece in movies and literature previously, I wouldn’t want to visit there if this were the only site available. The lack of visual evidence is frustrating, and though they offer a large amount of historical information about the cities and monuments, the information is not, ironically, very informative. At just about every opportunity, the website links you away from the main site to give the real information. From this tourism website, I’ve gotten a sick feeling about Greece. I’ll keep it as my destination because I believe the country is far more beautiful than the tourist site lets on, but I was highly disappointed because it seems—at least it should be this way—that the main tourism site’s only function is to attract tourists and visitors to their landm arks. Nightmare Excursion: Israel Sure, it may be the fount of the world’s oldest and most prominent holy site; but it’s guaranteed to be wrought with civil war and unfathomable dangers to the average tourist. With that said, I took a gander at Israel’s official tourism site which bears the promise, â€Å"Israel: Come find the Israel in You.† The Ministry of Tourism’s site is actually quite impressive, not at all what I expected. Obviously, their website wouldn’t be openly promoting their thousand-year-old holy wars, but the aesthetic was far more pleasing than imagined.

Using Life Story Work to Enhance Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Using Life Story Work to Enhance Care - Essay Example The idea of life story work could be traced to the 1960s or just before this period. However, many of the discussions on the use of this intervention on dementia patients, foster care and adoption children became more widespread in the 1980s and later years. Due to these discussions, life story work is currently a well documented concept, especially in the UK where the concept has even been integrated into the adoption legislations (Rusell & Timmons, 2007). Academic and professional discussions and debates have not discussed the application of life story work but also the professionals supposed to be involved in life story work. One of these professionals is the social worker. In this regard, social workers are required to take the critical role of making certain that clients such as children under adoption care or soon to be adopted have a life story record or book. Since social workers are perhaps the bearers of the most accurate information on a child’s background and upbri nging and the reasons for which such children were placed under foster or adoption care, it is essential that such information is availed for use in life story work interventions. Besides social workers, the other people expected to use life story work are foster care givers, residential support workers and adoptive parents. In addition, children’s carers have the best information on their daily lives and achievement, which they should give for the benefit of life story work. Birth parents are also important bearers of children’s life events and achievements and should provide such information for use on adopted children or on their own children (Rusell & Timmons, 2007). In addition to the named groups, any willing adults or bearers of any important information on the lives and times of life story work clients should come forward and present such materials. Importantly, such a person should be willing and able to spend time with such a client or a child so that a stron g and trusting relationship is built between them. Nonetheless, some stakeholders opine that untrained persons should not support clients with life story work even if they are nurses, social workers or foster carers. A point worth noting about life story work is that the gender, ethnicity, religion or culture of the parties to a life story work should be taken into account and respected (Rusell & Timmons, 2007). The Principles and Benefits of Life Story Work As a social and medical intervention, life story work is based on several core principles, which practitioners such as nurses and social workers should uphold. As must have been understood by now, life story work targets people (children and adults) who may have forgotten or have a fragmented idea or understanding of their own history or a broken sense of themselves. Thus, life story work seeks or attempts to assist such people to have a redeemed or stronger sense of their history and identity, in the process helping them make s ense of their lives, situations and history. In general, life story should aim at answering clients’ and carers’ questions regarding what happened, when, how and why certain events occurred to clients. Thus, a rather holistic approach to life story work is recommended. In this approach, the influences that every individual in a person’s life may have on his or her life and experiences are

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

Folk Rock - Research Paper Example Groups like the Beatles were largely known at the time. Dylan was considered an influential man when it came to the pioneering of this genre of music. At a festival that was held in the year 1965, he decided to appear at the festival with an electric backing band. This was considered the turning point in the development of folk rock (Logan and Woofinden 39). The previous influences that encouraged the growth and development of folk rock into what is heard today should be applauded. Creativity put into bringing these different genres of music together to make one common, lovable genre is viewed as a symbol of ingenuity. This is by all those whose love for music grew immensely, and they could relate to it. This paper will review some of the influences that existed which led to the growth of this genre in music. Also, it will look at the role it has played in influencing music that developed much later. Some of the influences that led to the growth and development of folk rock were seen in the form of vocal groups. Others came in the form of revival of rock and roll. This was largely in the United States. After the invasion of the British, this growth seemed to be propelled further where there was the popularization of protest music. This was done, at the time, to achieve some political edge. Inspiration among groups during that period grew as many seemed to form groups that popularized folk music (Logan and Woofinden 43). The performances of these groups were aimed at a popular, mainstream audience. This audience, at least, would appreciate their stage performances. Tight vocal harmonies are what these groups exhibited when they performed for their audiences. At times, there were mild comedic routines that were performed. During the 1960’s, the main thing that set American folk rock apart from other genres, was the clear harmony singing. This singing was originally from some of the philosophies present. They were pioneered by a movement known as the colleg iate folk. Traditional folk songs heightened level of exposure for people aspiring to be entertainers during that period (Unterberger 37). Many of the well-known folk rock artists began their careers as folk revival group members. This saw them get the experience well needed to champion this genre of music to modern times. Some of the traditions among the American people were not largely accepted. This prompted some artists to start composing songs relating to the current situation. These songs, in their own right, could have been termed as protest songs. Social issues were addressed in some of these songs. An example of an artist who composed and wrote lyrics that dwelled on these issues was Bob Dylan. Some of the issues were based on the real life experiences that he went through during his lifetime. This led to the acceptance of his music by the audience who could relate to what he sang. He earned the title of singer-songwriter after this period. This propelled his fame, and the fame of the music he pioneered. In the United Kingdom, an equal force was at work. Traditional folk singers led to the growth of such a genre of music. During the late 1950’s, groups sprang up and started performing on known well-known instruments (Unterberger 40). Examples were the harmonica, the banjo, the acoustic guitar among others. The music they tried was known as the skiffle. It was a blend of music that incorporated jazz and had some roots in traditional African-American folk music.

Organizational change Essay Example for Free

Organizational change Essay Organizational change is everywhere, and its pace is increasing. Its objectives or why it is important is because after certain years of existence and evaluations there are areas and aspects in the organization that needs to be improved. Taking for example its quality of work life, at a certain point it needs to be elevated from where it was before. It can happen that during hiring time people are designated to wrong positions. Organizational change will enable the company to put the right people in the right place, to make them better people as their efficiency and utility will be to the maximum. In this way the company can adjust salary scale on the basis of the performance or output of employees. In the same way also in terms of personnel management, it can be an occasion for studying more specific positions for possible promotion or for trimming down extra baggage. Competition is so tight and for a company to meet the demands of the market an organizational change is important to have a higher quality of productivity and to improve certain strategies as to be in tune with the times. Technology comes and after sometimes new innovations are on the line again, to remain in ones business beliefs and practices the company will be left behind. Organizational change is important as it seeks to enhance its beliefs, values, attitudes, also its structures so that the organization can better adapt to competitive actions, technological advances, and the past pace of other changes in the business world. Another necessity for organizational change is brought about by some failures in the past in the training and orientation of the employees. The attempt to bring them to work without being able to let them carry or support the vision and failure to let the employees see that they are the central element of the organization brings poor result. Organizational change therefore is crucial to allow interplay of structure, technology and people working in it, to result to a higher quality of work life, adaptivity, effectiveness, better marketing strategies, and excellent productivity.

Killings By Andre Dubus English Literature Essay

Killings By Andre Dubus English Literature Essay The short story Killings is written by Andre Dubus and was first published in 1979. The short story has also been adapted into a motion picture called In the Bedroom by director Todd Field in 2001. The movie had actors Sissy Spacek, Marisa Tomei and Tom Wilkinson in the lead roles and was even nominated for several Academy Awards. The story is set in the town of Massachusetts and explores the psychology and emotions of bereaved parents who have just lost a twenty-one year old son- murdered for having a relationship with a woman who had a jealous ex-husband and two children. Dubus treats the character of the murderer, Richard Strout, humanely and provides an empathetic perspective so that the reader can actually feel the frustration of the young man whose wife was seeing a man much younger than her and his jealousy getting the better of him. Dubus has concentrated on the revenge killing of Richard by Franks father, Matt Fowler. Richard had committed a murder of passion as he felt provoked by Franks intimacy with his estranged wife and two sons. Dubus has pictured Richard Strout as a crude man without a very high sense of morality. This is further demonstrated by the fact that Richard starts to date other women as soon as he is out of prison on bail. Matt and Ruth, Franks parents, have encountered Richard roaming around scot-free without any remorse as is apparent in Matts comment to his friend Willis Trottier, He walks the Goddamn streets (Dubus 4). This angers Matt and saddens Ruth as they feel that the murdered of their son had gotten away without being punished for his brutal crime. The main message in the story is that even though Matt Fowler avenges his sons death, finds no peace and is haunted by a sense of guilt and utter loneliness. Retribution and revenge for the murder of a loved one, though, a very natural human instinct, is not always the answer to the loss of the person. Matt Fowler felt justified in kidnapping and killing Richard Strout, however, having accomplished his final act of revenge, does not find peace. The question Dubus has raised in this story is whether revenge is a better solution to forgiveness. At the end of the story we are left to wonder whether Matt Fowler would have been better off forgiving Richard Strout instead of killing him. By kidnapping and killing Richard, Matt Fowler only reinforced violence which affected not just him but his entire family. Dubus provides details of the gruesome murders in the story to bring out the horror of the crimes they committed. Richard had shot Frank three times in front of his children which Dubus uses to highlight the mindless and abhorrent behavior of Richard. This act of passion and revenge turns the life of an otherwise ordinary happy person into a nightmare and pushes him to commit a crime that he would not have dreamt of if he had not been so provoked. The Fowlers reckon that Strout would only serve five years at the most in jail on charges of man slaughter which is not nearly enough for Ruth and Matt. In the story, Dubus has written about two murders, yet, the reader is tempted to label only Richard as the real murderer and not Matt because the reader feels an innate empathy for the bereaved father. We tend to justify Matts criminal act even though both the killings were similar in nature and both the murderers were allowed to go free after their heinous crimes. This is probably because we look for justice and Richard being let out on bail and showing himself around without any punishment being given to him makes us feel that he deserved what happened to him. As humans, we are emotional and look for closure in any given event, however horrific and the final denouement seems to be justified. It is also important to remember that Matt Fowler was not a killer by temperament whereas Richard was hot-tempered and callous. Goading Matt into an act which was unnatural for him seems to justify the end. The killing of Richard Strout was only a means of achieving the ends of justice- or that is what Matt imagined. Even though, Matt has a confidante in Willis and has the sympathy of the entire community, in the end he is plagued with this knowledge that he is no less a murderer than Richard. He is ridden with guilt and this makes him feel isolated and morally dead. The irony is that as readers we feel empathy for the Fowlers and even though we cannot condone what Matt did we feel there should have been a way where family, friends and the larger community had intervened and allowed Ruth and Matt to share their grief. Not having a channel to express their agony, Matt turned violent in his mind and killed Richard everyday in the face (Dubus 10) just as Richard had killed his son. Dubus has left his readers wondering whether for all the empathy that they must feel for Matt and Ruths loss, was the pre-planned, cold-blooded murder of Richard necessary to experience a feeling that justice had been done and feel purged off their growing inner violence. As things would have it, Matt does not feel tranquil and struggles to whip up the hatred he felt for his sons murderer after going through his house and seeing the more human side of Richard. The role of Willis in the planning and execution in the kidnapping and killing of Richard has been shown to be a bit dubious. It is true that being a good friend of the Fowlers he would feel strongly for them, but to cold-bloodedly plan the murder of a young man who went to school with his own sons needs more justification. Ruth and Matts motivation for exterminating the cause of their sorrow may find a resonant sympathy in the hearts of the readers but Willis motivation to abet in the killing of Richard brings us to face the r eality of how brutal we have become.

The Renaissance Essay -- History Renaissance Europe

During the 1400s and 1500s in mainly Italy there was a major change that took place in all aspects of life. This was called the Renaissance and was a movement that helped give rebirth to culture and the arts. This movement went away from the medieval times that had forced a feudalist system on its people. The Medieval times were a dark period in European history that saw a major decline in arts and government. This declining can be attributed to a number of different reasons. One of which was the Bubonic Plague that spread throughout Europe and Asia and killed millions of its inhabitants. This was the final nail in the medieval coffin. Throughout these times the major focus for government and the arts were all religion oriented. The Black Death killed with no discrimination and took the lives of priest and thieves alike. This caused many to question their religion. After all, how could one preach that good people will be held in high regards with their lord when they can die from the same vicious disease as hookers or evil people? The Black Death was also somewhat of a cleansing for many societies. Although it was a horrible epidemic it took care of the rapid population expansion and just like a with brush clear-cut the undergrowth to allow for more growth to occur. This in fact did happen and after the Plague has resided new ideas and policies grew from it. There were now more areas that people could be skilled in and housing and work were in great need which caused and economic boom. With this prosperity allowed more time for positive thinking and this thinking lead people to go back and study their humanity and to see how they could improve themselves. The rebirth started in northern Italy and gave rise to many great improve... ...eans saw it first in action during this time. The Renaissance saw many improvements in everything from conditions of living to ideals and perception. This time was exactly that, a shift in perspective. It demonstrated how growth is good and how crisis's can turn out to be helpful in the long run although they may see tragic at the time they occur. During the Medieval period, there were two focal points to European society: feudalism and the Church; the first to govern the material world, the second to govern the spiritual world. Both feudalism and the Church were highly-structured and rigid systems, intolerant of change, and both clearly supported the proposition that the rights of the individual be lower than the rules of society. The thing that eroded the power of these institutions, and was central to the Renaissance, was the rebirth of the individual in society.

The Advantages and Disadvantages of the Cinema

Recreation is as much necessary for healthy growth as work. Life will be dull and unpleasant if there is no occasional amusement to cheer it up. Therefore, from the earliest limes recreation in different forms has been introduced in healthy and civilized society. Dance, drama, singing, puppet show and various other forms of entertainment have found favour with the people. Today life of man has grown complex, full of worries, cares and anxieties. The mechanized Way of life has bred monotony, therefore his modes of entertainment have also undergone revolutionary change. The latest and the most popular form of recreation is Cinema.Its phenomenal popularity and development is due to its mass appeal and that it is well within the financial limitation of common man. The people belonging to different walks of life patronize it and find it equal to their varied Interests. The power or the motion pictures as an instrument of culture and education is immeasurable. We know that a motion picture based on a classical novel will induce thousands of people to read Or reread the book; the introduction of a classical composition into the picture stimulates the demand for recording of that composition. Lessons of history, geography and everyday science life imparted through it. Associated essay: Pestle Analysis – Odeon CinemaThe man of today is better informed than his ancestors due to cinema. Thus they give food for thought and imagination to the common people by showing on the screen grand objects ; sublime beauties and epoch-making events. The great personalities of former times come to life and their message is communicated to the people The lives of saints and seers set high ideals before the people. They enlarge our vision and broaden our minds. FILMS DEPICT Historical, mythological and social themes bearing on Indian lives, whether of the past or the present make a special appeal to the people.The Cinema has been found to be the most effective method of exposing social evils such as dowry system, etc. Civic sense and public morality is engendered through them. The political awareness, fight for the rights and the general awakening of the masses is largely contributed by Cinema. As a means of propaganda, publicity and advertisement its services are invaluable and it must be preserved and fostered at all costs. Cinema has also thrown down the barriers of time and space. It has made man truly cosmopolitan in outlook. A grand sight in cold Norway is reproduced vividly to people in hot Africa.A political or social revolution in one part of the country is shown the world over. Moreover, it can be used as a medium for the enlighten ­ment of other nations about our own culture, customs, manners and policies. It has often been said that one of the potent causes of international misunderstanding, hot and cold wars, is that people of different countries do not have the means to understand and appreciate each other adequately. In this respect cinema can serve the goodwill mission of presenting the correct image of the country and the people abroad.Thus, Cinema can be used for establishing mutual international understanding and paving the way for permanent world peace. However, it cannot be neglected that they are the major single factor which earn substantial and much needed foreign exchange. Commercially also Cinema has opened up a lucrative pro fession. Besides encouraging young men and women to enter the field of acting, in has provided employment to millions of people as technicians, designers, photographers, dressmakers and various allied agencies. The artists right from the storywriter to a poster designer have found a ready market for their talent. Poets and even literary men who had been looked down upon for ages have found with Cinema a fresh lease of life and livelihood. Apart from its various advantages, Cinema is not free from its evil effects. Film artistry is, unfortunately, compelled to compro ­mise with people’s popular taste and appeal to their lower instincts. Too many films dealing with sex problems and with the ways of the criminals are now shown, f These are apt to affect public morality. The substandard catering of music I and recreation is likely to injure public taste and out look and is not ultimately good for the art.The Cinema has far reaching effect upon the youth of the country. The ftlms make them prematurely sex conscious and they start reacting the scenes of romantic pictures in their regular life. A sense of dissatisfaction with life is engendered among them. Vandal ­ism and increasing acts of rowdyism in the student community are attributed to their indiscriminately frequenting the cinema halls. Again the youth imitating all sorts of fashions from the films lead to the development of expensive tastes and manners. They grow divorced from grim and dismal realities of life and start living in the fairyland pictures on the screen.In this respect the role of Government is significantly felt. Further in India Cinema has to attain the artistic and technical perfection, Government aid by way of subsidy, helping manufacture of raw film and other equipment in the country; admission tax reduction, encouragement to talented artists and techni ­cians mu st be forthcoming. We must not forget that with wide range of depiction and with universality of its appeal, Cinema has tremen ­dous possibilities in our country. With our abundant and natural wealth and inexhaustible fund of rich literature, our Cinema, though young and unstable, its growth is inevitable.

Cultural Assimilation Essay

With globalization and people’s living quality advancing dramatically, every year, American universities welcome tens of thousands of international students from all over the world. The land of freedom and justice has opened its doors to those who seek new options and better opportunities and sometimes it asks for certain changes and adjustments fir those who come to study aboard. When these international students pursues higher education in US, fulfilling their life experience and learning something new from American culture, they too bring with them elements of international experience to an American university. Taking up a considerable portion of student population in the university, international students face difficulties to assimilate with local students, particularly in terms of linguistic and cultural differences. International student struggles to become one with the world around him. Some popular cultural studies experts believed it is best for students from all over the world who come to the United States and lose their cultural identity and â€Å"melt† into or assimilate into the American culture. Assimilation occurs in many different ways in our universities, and it is unfortunately, a part of life that we all international students have to learn to accept, no matter the consequences. According to various critics, the process of assimilation occurs in two distinct forms: Language and Culture. My paper will demonstrate the distinction between these two types of assimilation, arguing that language assimilation is necessary, but cultural assimilation can be problematic or damaging. I, being an international student feel that most important aspect of assimilation that an international student faces is language. In American society, learning to speak English properly is a crucial factor and is a form of assimilation. However, people who have decided to come to America to study have found it rather difficult to assimilate into American society for several reasons. International students are forced into an English – speaking classroom and expected to assimilate to the local language with very little help of the educators. The educators are not be blame, the demand for teachers is extremely high and the teachers we have fill the gaps, whether they share a language with their students or not. Linguistic assimilation is important for international students but they should keep in mind that they should not completely melt in other language, which results in eradication of their cultural language. This situation is perfectly portrayed by Salman Rushdie in his essay â€Å"‘Commonwealth Literature’ doesn’t exist† that discusses the conflicts in India over the English language. Salman Rushdie in his essay â€Å"‘Commonwealth Literature’ doesn’t exist† discusses the conflicts in India over the English language. Some in India see English as the language of British imperialism and believe that it shouldn’t be used. Others disagree because the language that is proposed to replace English in everyday use is Hindi, which has strong connections to religion, which are not universally accepted. Rushdie states that this ideological divide is mostly between the north and south of India. He sums up his position by saying, â€Å"†¦it is completely fallacious to suppose that that there is such a thing as a pure, unalloyed tradition from which to draw† (pp. 2541). Rushdie believes that language is an essential part of expr essing culture. He explains that, though Indian and British literature are written in English but they are distinct from one another and that just because they share a common language doesn’t diminish the value of the Indian culture. Rushdie acknowledges the growing importance of global trade and that English is well suited to serve as its communication medium. There is essential technical and scientific vocabulary that is used regularly in international exchanges that have no analog in local languages, such as Hindi. He believes that India needs to continue to embrace English, in order to remain competitive in the global community. Rushdie’s idea of embracing language that is common in the society perfectly exemplifies that international students should embrace a common language which is common in the university in order to stay in competition with home students and communicate their ideas. I have personally experience this situation in my university. So, in order to express thoughts, we (international students) will have to learn a common medium of communication. But learning a different mode of communication should not result into extinction of their cultural language. Rushdie tries to portray that international students should not completely evaporate into the new language and forget about their own mother tongue. We should assimilate into new language but should always respect their cultural language more then other Languages, as according to him â€Å"language is an essential part of expressing culture†. Linguistic assimilation as Rushdie shows often comes from coercion and force from outside, but can be necessary for simple survival. This argument is perfectly exemplified by Ngugi Wa Thiong’o in his essay â€Å"Decolonizing the mind† (1986) who tells us of when he was a grade school student in Kenya. The British declared marshal law over the country in the middle of the last century and in an attempt to curb the rebellion and insurgency, they decreed that English was to the sole language spoken. Suddenly Ngugi had to learn English and couldn’t speak the language of his people at school. These experiences shaped Ngugi opinions about the role that language fills. He is of the opinion that language serves two distinct purposes. One is for communication (Pg. 3). He gives the example of how the different cultures in eastern Africa use Swahili to communication with among each other but use their own language when communicating among their own kind. The other role it fills is that of a medium to express ones culture. Different culture tailors different language to convey and pass down its traditions (Pg. 4). Ngugi argument about Language serves two distinct purposes is true for International students as they use â€Å"English† language as a common medium of communication whereas use their â€Å"mother tongue† as a medium of expressing their culture. â€Å"What a common language does for one person, it does for all society†, this is perfectly illuminated in an article from international journal on Minority and group rights. According to article, â€Å"Effective participation in politics as well as the market economy requires t he development of common vernacular expressions, the free flow of information, and established codes of communication. All of these exchanges are enhanced when individuals speak the same language†. The critic of the article, Chih-Yu Shih says that if fixed proportion of population does not speak the common language, the reach of the state and the market will, in turn, shrink. This is both because communication from one language to another can translate into different meanings and because different language structures themselves reflect diverse perspectives proportion of the population cannot speak the national language, the reach of the state and the market will, in turn, shrink. This is both because communication from one language to another can translate into different meanings and because different language structures themselves reflect diverse perspectives of modernity. To learn a different language is to learn a different lifestyle., international students will have to learn different languages in order to be in reach of state. International Students studying and competing with the local will need to communicate with them, which is only possible if they have a common mode of language. So, in order to remain in touch with the local students and professor, students will have to learn language, which is common. After going through the essays of Rushdie’s, Ngugie and Chih-Yu Shih, we could say that language assimilation makes sense but authors like Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz and Richard Rodriguez says that cultural assimilation is also important. They think that cultural assimilation is very important part of linguistic assimilation as â€Å"Language express cultural†. According to them, one’s traditions such as cultural traditions also have an effect on the willingness and on the degree to which one assimilates. Few international students have found that certain customs like social behaviors which may surprise, offend or offend others; eating food which may seem heavy or bland compared have not been accepted in American culture and might even be condemned. A student who has different traditions than Americans may be frowned upon and may be discriminated against because of the difference. I had experienced this situation as I was discriminated in my folklore class by my follow student. After experiencing this, a question came in my mind that why on a practical level it’s useful to assimilate but on an ethical level, it’s questionable? Sacrificing one’s traditions is a problematic concept even if it means that someone could blend into mainstream culture. International students will have to stick to there own cultures and tradition while assimilating. But this is not the case every time! Some students while assimilating forget about his own cultures and traditions and easil y jolt into others cultures. Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz states a similar situation in her essay â€Å"Hispanics in America†. She reveals the social position of the Hispanics in American society. She says that instead of letting Hispanics follow their own culture and traditions, they are forced to follow the lifestyles of Americans. As only an â€Å"American way of life† existed, Hispanics had to follow the same path of that of the white folks, but also were rarely competing with the dominating white race. Though the Hispanics are the biggest minority group in American society today, their native language and other cultural aspects were scornfully ignored according to Isasi-Diaz, which made assimilation a difficult task for Hispanics. Similarly argument is state by Richard Rodriguez who discusses about culture in America. Rodriguez says, â€Å"I am in favor of assimilation. I am not in favor of assimilation. I recognize assimilation.† By making these statements, Rodriguez is saying that he accepts what is happening in regards to culture in America. While he isn’t completely for or again st what is going on, and he isn’t even trying to change it, he is accepting it and working with it. While saying this he doesn’t mean that racial and ethnic distinctions do not matter anymore in America, he thinks that differences are becoming a part of everyday life and they are just so common now that it really isn’t such a big deal†. In this essay, Rodriguez states, â€Å"I do think distinctions exist.† Throughout the rest of the essay, Rodriguez goes into great detail of how he understands distinctions exist and how it is changing America. So, this is evident from both the essay that international students will have to blend into America culture in order to compete with American folks in the universities. But blending should not mean that completely giving up their original culture. It means that assimilating into different culture with maintaining the same love for original culture. In conclusion, it is wise to note that both forms of assimilation is adopted by international assimilation in some or the other way. Few international students have over years adopted their â€Å"host† culture’s language, while maintaining their own traditions, customs and values. This common form of communication can also present more opportunities for cross-cultural understanding. International students get to learn many things if they can communicate in a common language. In terms of bilingual education: bilingual education provides the opportunity for a student to use the language that they have grown up with in school while learning another. This permits the student to retain and embrace their language and by extension the culture associated with it. As an old Czech proverb states, â€Å"learn a new language and get a new soul†.

Peer Evaluation Example Essay

The first speech I am going to evaluate is Jane Doe’s speech about why music is good for people and the positives effect of it. Jane started out very well by giving a personal example of using music in her own life which got the audience’s attention. I liked it when she started off with a story and example because it helped me understand what she was trying to say to the class. She then introduced her topic and stated her reasons of why everybody should have an iPod and listen to music. This was a good strategy because it was well organized and simple which helped her keep the audience’s focus. Being too complicated would have caused the class to lose sight of her argument. I enjoyed the outline of her speech because it was simple and straight to the point. Although her outline was well thought out, the way she presented her argument could have used a little work. Jane wrote out a paper to explain her arguments so that she would not miss anything important that she wanted to say. This is a good way to be organized; however, she kept her head down most of the time and read off her paper word-by-word. This affected her voice which made her sound ‘monotone’. Also, an important thing about giving speeches and attracting the audience’s attention is to looking at the audience, making contact with them like you are speaking directly to them. I did not feel as if she had any contact with anyone since she was reading from her paper. I think if she would have had more eye contact, the audience would have been more interested and accepted her arguments. Another thing that affected her speech presentation was that she was very quiet and it was difficult to hear her. It did not seem like she was very passionate about her topic because she stayed at one level with her tone and her dynamics throughout the speech did not seem to change. In other words, she could have used more vocal variety and projection. Overall I think Jane picked a great topic that everybody could relate to and she used great points to explain her stance. However, I think if she would have been more excited about her topic and had contact with the audience, the speech would have been even better.

The importance of Theology for Counseling Essay

The importance of Theology for Counseling - Essay Example Other factors that may relate to therapists' use of theology interventions in counseling, such as their professional beliefs, attitudes, or values regarding religious and spiritual interventions; clinical training involving religious issues; or personal counseling experiences with a therapist who used religion and spirituality in counseling, have yet to be investigated. The purpose of the current paper is to examine the importance of theology in counseling. First, we review the research previously done in theology for counseling, further we present the importance of theology in counseling of depression. The most frequently identified factor associated with the use of theology in counseling has been therapists' personal religious attitudes or behaviors. Church attendance and personal religious behaviors, in particular, correlate with therapists' use of religious and spiritual interventions in counseling. For example, Shafranske and Malony (1990b) surveyed 409 clinical psychologists and found that greater involvement in organized religion correlated .27 with the use of religious and spiritual interventions. Jones et al. ... f four religious behaviors (i.e., personal prayer and Bible study, church attendance, participation in church activities, and financial contributions to church) correlated .41 with the use of religious and spiritual interventions in counseling. The use of theology in counseling has also been found to relate to therapists' religious attitudes. In two separate surveys of 409 and 47 clinical psychologists, Shafranske and Malony (1990a, 1990b) found that clinical psychologists who approached religion in terms of answering personal questions of meaning rather than religious affiliation were more likely to use religious and spiritual interventions in counseling and to consider themselves competent to use such interventions. In a similar vein, DiBlasio and his colleagues (DiBlasio, 1993; DiBlasio & Benda, 1991; DiBlasio & Proctor, 1993) found in several studies of social workers and marriage and family therapists that therapists who endorsed a greater degree of what they termed "religious openness" were more likely to use forgiveness as an intervention in counseling. Thus, previous research has found that both religious attitudes (particularly attitudes of openness and of gaining personal meaning from religion) and religious behaviors have correlated with the use of religious and spiritual interventions in counseling. Among religious behaviors, both church attendance and personal religious behaviors, such as personal prayer and personal Bible study, have been particularly relevant to the use of religious and spiritual interventions in counseling. Of relevance to our study is the fact that previous studies have typically examined religious attitudes or religious behaviors independently of each other rather than examining them concurrently. Worthington, Kurusu, McCullough,

How the Death Penalty Effects Family Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How the Death Penalty Effects Family - Essay Example It is at this point that family members become devastated, hopeless, and left with the feeling of not being in a position of control to eradicate the sentence. Generally speaking when there is a death involved, the people that stay behind are the ones that suffer and morn. They are the ones that maintain the sense of, if I could have done more and what if? They are the ones that need professional help during the justice process, in this case, during the time of sentencing, and after the criminal’s departure. It is an even more a complex situation when inmates are innocent and placed on death row. In some cases they have been placed on death row and because their lawyers could not find the way to defend them or because of a lack of economy, they were put to death. It is even more detrimental when the family members of the convicted have to turn him/her in, to the authorities and when the family members are misled by the authorities in giving information on how the trial will be handled. This is the case of the Unabomber family members. They were told that Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, would be treated from a humanistic point of view since he suffered schizophrenia, a mental illness. It was handled in this way only until his arrest. When he was arrested all officials looking into the case and wanted a person identified of these actions arrested, changed their modus operandi. They were no longer the humanistic types of persons who proceeded with the case. The focus of the Justice Department was refocused, â€Å"†¦on the goal of taking a human life† (Kaczynski, 2007). Ted ´s family questioned the prosecutors ´ in change of continuing the case, given another set of rules. They were overwhelmed about this turn around. Kaczynski (2007) thought of the ramifications of this change of thought from the Prosecutors ´ office and how this would discourage other families in following Ted’s family example

Teaching Document Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teaching Document - Essay Example The other chemicals used include: alpha amylase enzyme, gluco-amylase enzyme and carbon which is used in the adsorbers as a decolorizer. The process occurs in five main stages; two hydrolysis processes that convert about 100% of the starch in the slurry into glucose and three evaporation processes to dry up the glucose. The starch slurry first flows into the first hydrolyser, R1, which converts 25% of the starch into glucose using alpha-amylase enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis process. After the first hydrolysis process, the viscosity of the slurry is reduced, and the slurry is then passed through a centrifuge, PS-1, which removes any proteins and oils present. The slurry is then passed through the second hydrolyser, R-2, which completes the hydrolysis process using the gluco-amylase enzyme that leads to the overall conversion of starch to glucose to almost 100%. The viscosity reduction of the slurry after the first hydrolysis process ensures proper mixing with the gluco-amylase and prevents the formation of unhydrolyzable gelatinous material in the second hydrolyser. After the second process of hydrolysis, the slurry is decolorizes in an adsorber, CS-1, parked with carbon (Silla 23). After the conversion of starch to glucose the rest of the process dehydrates the glucose. A dry product is then obtained using the process of evaporation. The glucose solution is pumped into the first stage of evaporation where a portion of the water is removed. To conserve energy (heat), the first stage of evaporation uses mechanical re-compression of the vapor evolved and since glucose is heat sensitive the process is conducted in a vacuum produced by a vacuum pump, C-1. The first evaporation stage is carried out in two steps; in the first step, energy is transferred to the solution in the boiler to evaporate some water concentrating the glucose. In the next step vapor and liquid are separated in a phase separator. After the

Research paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 14

Research paper - Essay Example This implies that racist organizations, as well as other antisocial organizations, exploit Internet to achieve their objectives. Social media networks are widely being used propagate vilification and hostility against other groups. In most cases, cyber-racism and hate speech in social media networks are characterized by cultural and ethnic divides. Although the Internet has revolutionized many areas of the human society, it also has far-reaching negative consequences when abused, misused or used without proper guidance. Dixit and Green (188) assert that the Internet is one of the platforms through which people propagate racial violence. It is observable that people can freely interact and express their views on the Internet without jurisdiction or geographical restriction. However, this freedom has not been accompanied by the responsibilities that it deserves. For this reason, cyber racists have seriously abused that freedom. Such groups often use the Internet as the avenue in which to unleash hostile sentiments against whom they consider detestable or unwelcome. In many cases, the groups or individuals that have been attacked do not take such prejudice kindly. They are likely to respond to such negativity in a similar negative manner or with a higher degree of counter-retaliatory abuse. Ultimately, it is easy to observe that the Internet is a potential battlefield for racist groups. It is also an avenue for extending extreme ideologies that result in social divide. Sexism is another largely contested consequence of the Internet usage. Sexism refers to the discrimination against women. It could be true that men and women have equal access to the Internet globally (Szoka and Marcus 69). However, the same cannot be said about online experiences of both sexes. It this case, women face a wider spectrum of discrimination. The discrimination is in many cases, multifaceted and to a greater extent

Fad diet Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Fad diet - Essay Example She began drinking nothing but a mixture of maple syrup and lemon water for days. She would supplement this with cabbage soup. Occasionally, she would buy The Hollywood forty-eight hour Miracle Diet juice at Walgreens. She would count fat grams, sugar grams, calories and carbohydrates. June became a fad diet junkie. Many young women undergo the same kind of social segregation because of their body sizes and shapes (Moyad, 2005). Other than the potential physical health complications that obesity poses to millions of citizens around the states, the reported social view of the obese adds another danger of psychological health risks to the obese. For this reason, many people, especially the youth and young adults have resorted to fad dieting oblivious of the effects of such choices (Fineberg, 1972). The research looks at the rationale of fad dieting. It gives answers the question: Is fad diet really an effective way of losing weight and becoming slim, attractive and fit or is it just some fantasy people are living in? The topic of study is important given the rumored health risks associated with the practice. There are claims that fad diet is merely an illusion of getting slim. In fact it is hazardous to health and a waste of time and money. In fact later it results in more over weightiness then before. At the same time, some people report that they actually lose weight through fad dieting. Irrespective of the results of fad dieting, there is another problem of inconsistency of the diet one is supposed to stick to. There is need to research the issue of fad dieting so as to help generate a standard, helpful diet or discourage the practice if it poses more dangers than benefits (Calman, Hauser, Lurio, & Pichardo, 2008). With the current state of improved information technology, there is so much information available to people, but that does not enhance people’s knowledge. The internet has myriad of

Soft Drink Industry Case Study Essay Example for Free

Soft Drink Industry Case Study Essay Introduction Description The soft drink industry is concentrated with the three major players, Coca-Cola Co. , PepsiCo Inc. , and Cadbury Schweppes Plc. , making up 90 percent of the $52 billion dollar a year domestic soft drink market (Santa, 1996). The soft drink market is a relatively mature market with annual growth of 4-5% causing intense rivalry among brands for market share and growth (Crouch, Steve). This paper will explore Porters Five Forces to determine whether or not this is an attractive industry and what barriers to entry (if any) exist. In addition, we will discuss several critical success factors and the future of the industry. Segments The soft drink industry has two major segments, the flavor segment and the distribution segment. The flavor segment is divided into 6 categories and is listed in table 1 by market share. The distribution segment is divided in to 7 segments: Supermarkets 31. 9%, fountain operators 26. 8%, vending machines 11. 5%, convenience stores 11. 4%, delis and drug stores 7. 9%, club stores 7. 3%, and restaurants 3. 2%. Table 1: Market Share 19901991199219931994 Cola69. 9 69. 768. 36765. 9 Lemon-Lime11. 711. 812 12. 112. 3 Pepper5. 66. 26. 97. 37. 6 Root 2. 72. 82. 32. 72. 7 Orange2. 32. 3 2. 62. 32. 3 Other7. 87. 27. 98. 69. 2 Source: Industry Surveys, 1995 Caveats The only limitations on access to information were: 1. Financial information has not yet been made available for 1996. 2. The majority of the information targets the end consumer and not the sales volume from the major soft drink producers to local distributors. 3. There was no data available to determine over capacity. Socio-Economic Relevant Governmental or Environmental Factors, etc. The Federal Government regulates the soft drink industry, like any industry where the public ingests the products. The regulations vary from ensuring clean, safe products to regulating what those products can contain. For example, the government has only approved four sweeteners that can be used in the making of a soft drink (Crouch, Steve). The soft drink industry currently has had very little impact on the environment. One environmental issue of concern is that the use of plastics adversely affects the environment due to the unusually long time it takes for it to degrade. To combat this, the major competitors have lead in the recycling effort which starting with aluminum and now plastics. The only other adverse environmental impact is the plastic straps that hold the cans together in 6-packs. These straps have been blamed for the deaths of fish and mammals in both fresh and salt water. Economic Indicators Relevant for this Industry The general growth of the economy has had a slight positive influence on the growth of the industry. The general growth in volume for the industry, 4-5 percent, has been barely keeping up with inflation and growths on margins have been even less, only 2-3 percent (Crouch, Steve). Threat of New Entrants Economies of Scale Size is a crucial factor in reducing operating expenses and being able to make strategic capital outlays. By consolidating the fragmented bottling side of the industry, operating expenses may be spread over a larger sales base, which reduces the per case cost of production. In addition, larger corporate coffers allow for capital investment in automated high speed bottling lines that increase efficiency (Industry Surveys, 1995). This trend is supported by the decline in the number of production workers employed by the industry at higher wages and fewer hours. This in conjunction with the increased value of shipments over the period shows the increase in efficiency and the economies gained by consolidation (See table 2). Table 2 General Statistics: Year CompaniesWorkersHoursWagesValue of Shipments 1982162642. 485. 27. 84 16807. 5 198341. 585. 18. 2417320. 8 198439. 8 81. 78. 5118052 1985141437. 277. 89. 119358. 2 1986 133535. 573. 59. 7720686. 8 1987119035. 471. 510. 45 22006 1988113535. 271. 810. 7823310. 3 1989102733. 4 67. 710. 9823002. 1 19909413265. 711. 4823847. 5 1991 31. 966. 811. 8525191. 1 199229. 861. 612. 46 26260. 4 199328. 659. 312. 9327224. 4 199427. 4 56. 913. 3928188. 5 199526. 254. 513. 8629152. 5 1996 2552. 114. 3230116. 5 Source: Manufacturing USA, 4th Ed. Further evidence of economies is supported by the increased return on assets from 1992-1995, as shown in table 3. Coke and Pepsi clearly show increased return on assets as the asset base increases. However, Cadbury/Schweppes does not show conclusive evidence from 95 to 96. Table 3 CADBURY/SCHWEPPES93949596 ASSETS2963100 326690035015004595000 SALES33724003724800 40296004776000 NET INCOME195600236800261900300000 Sales/Income5. 80%6. 36% 6. 50%6. 28% Income/Assets6. 60%7. 25%7. 48%6. 53% COKE ASSETS11051934120210001387300015041000 SALES 13073860139630001618100018018000 NET INCOME1664382217600025540002986000 Sales/Income12. 73%15. 58%15. 78%16. 57% Income/Assets15. 06%18. 10% 18. 41%19. 85% PEPSI ASSETS20951200237058002479200025432000 SALES 21970000250210002847240030421000 NET INCOME374300158800017520001606000 Sales/Income 1. 70%6. 35%6. 15%5. 28% Income/Assets1. 79%6. 70%7. 07%6. 31% Source: Compact Disclosure Capital Requirements The requirements within this industry are very high. Production and distribution systems are extensive and necessary to compete with the industry leaders. Table 4 shows the average capital expenditures by the three industry leaders. Table 4 Dec-95Dec-94Jan-94Jan-93 Receivables1624333 138576712266331077912 Inventories867666. 7 803666. 7777366. 7716673. 7 Plant Equip5986333 579536752466004642058 Total Assets15022667 140555001299790011655411 Source: Compact Disclosure The magnitude of these expenditures causes this to be a high barrier to entry. Proprietary Product Differences Each firm has brands that are unique in packaging and image, however any of the product differences that may develop are easily duplicated. However, secret formulas do create a difference or good will that cannot be duplicated. The best example of this is the New Coke fiasco of 1985. Coke reformulated its product due to test marketing results that showed New Coke beat Pepsi 47% to 43% and New Coke was preferred over old Coke by a 10% margin. However, Coke executives did not take into account the good will created by the old Coke name and formula. The introduction of New Coke as a replacement of Coke was met by outrage and unrelenting protest by the public. Three months from the initial launch of New Coke, management apologized to the public and reissued the old Coke formula. Test marking shows that there is only a small difference in actual product taste (52% Pepsi, 48% Coke), but the good will created by a brand can have significant proprietary differences (Dess, 1993). This is a high barrier to entry. Absolute Cost Advantage Brands do have secret formulas, which makes them unique and new entry into the industry difficult. New products must remain outside of patented zones but these differences can be slight. This leads to the conclusion that the absolute cost advantage is a low barrier within this industry. Learning Curve The shift in the manufacturing of soft drinks is gravitating toward automation due to speed and cost. However, industry technology is low and the manufacturing process is not difficult, therefore the learning curve will be short and will have a low barrier to entry. Access to Inputs All the inputs within the soft drink industry are commodity items. These include cane, beet, corn syrup, honey, concentrated fruit juice, plastic, glass, and aluminum. Access to these inputs is not a barrier to enter the industry. Proprietary Low Cost Production The process of manufacturing soft drinks is not a proprietary process. The methods used in the process are relatively standard within the industry and the knowledge needed to begin production can easily be acquired. This is not a barrier to entry. Brand Identity This is a very strong force within the industry. It takes a long time to develop a brand that has recognition and customer loyalty. Brand loyalty is indeed the HOLY GRAIL to American consumer product companies. (Industry Surveys, 1995) A well recognized brand will foster customer loyalty and creates the opportunity for real market share growth, price flexibility, and above average profitability (Industry Surveys, 1995). Therefore this is a high barrier to entry. Access to Distribution Distribution is a critical success factor within the industry. Without the network, the product cannot get to the final consumer. The most successful soft drink producers are aggressively expanding their distribution channels and consolidating the independent bottling and distribution centers. From 1978 to the present, the number of Coca-Cola bottlers decreased from 370 to 120 (Industry Surveys, 1995). In addition, 31. 9% of the soft drink business is in supermarkets, where acquiring shelf space is very difficult (Santa, 1996). This is a high barrier to entry. Expected Retaliation Market share within the industry is critical; therefore any attempt to take market share from the leaders will result in significant retaliation. The soft drink industry is a moderately mature market with slow single digit growth (Industry Surveys, 1995). Projected growth rates are 4-5% in sales volume and 2- 3% in margin (Crouch, Steve). Therefore, growth in market share is obtained by stealing share from rivals causing retaliation to be high in defense of current market position. This is a high barrier to entry. Conclusion To be successful on a large scale, the high capital requirements for manufacturing, distribution, and marketing are high barriers to entry. Therefore the threat of new entrants is low making this an attractive industry. Suppliers Supplier concentration Supplier concentration is low due to the fact that the main ingredients are sugar (cane and beet), water, various chemicals, and aluminum cans, plastic and glass bottles. There are many places to get sugar and ingredients for soft drinks because they are commodity items. The containers (aluminum cans, bottles etc.) make up 36 percent of all the inputs that the industry uses. Other supplies like sugars, syrups and extracts account for 23 percent of the inputs (Manufacturing USA). There are five major suppliers of glass bottles. Altrista Corp. , Anchor Glass Container, Glassware of Chile, Owens Illinois, and Vistro Sa are the major makers of glass bottles (Compact Disclosure). This is a fair amount of suppliers considering that only five percent of soft drink sales are in glass bottles. There are even more suppliers of plastic bottles. This is good because 43% of all sales are from plastic bottles (Prince, 1996). All this makes the concentration for glass and plastic suppliers moderate. The aluminum can industry is even older and more established than the plastic industry. Reynolds Metal Products, American National Can Company and Metal Container Corp. are the main suppliers of aluminum cans. 50. 6% of total soft drink sales are packaged in aluminum cans (Prince, 1996). Since the aluminum industry is older and more established, these are likely to be the only manufacturers for a while. Even though the concentration of aluminum producers are low there are only three major players in the industry, Coke, Pepsi, and Cadbury. These three account for nearly 90% of domestic soft drink sales (Dawson, 1996). This makes the balance of power slightly favor the suppliers of aluminum cans, even though the number of producers and buyers are equal (3). Syrups and extracts account for 16. 7% of input costs to the soft drink industry (Manufacturing USA, Fourth Ed. ). Even though these are a small percentage of inputs, all the major soft drink companies own companies that produce flavoring extracts and syrups (Industry Surveys, 1995). This is probably due to the fact that they all have secret formulas and this is how they protect the secret. Coke, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper all have secret formulas. This makes the concentration of suppliers for extracts very low but they are owned by the soft drink industry. This backward integration by the major players makes the power question moot. Suppliers do have limited power over the soft drink industry. The concentration of suppliers remains relatively low, which would seem to give the supplier power. The shear mass and volume that the industry buys negates that effect and balances, if not tips it back toward the soft drink industry. Presence of Substitute Inputs There is not a lot of variety in inputs. The biggest substitute input was when the industry switched from aluminum cans to plastic bottles. This made the glass industry almost shake out completely. The next big substitute input was for sugar. Since people were demanding more and more ways to lose weight and consume fewer calories, the diet soft drink exploded in sales. This demand made the soft drink industry find an alternative to sugar to sweeten their product. This substitute turned out to be Nutrasweet non-sugar sweetener. This was found to reduce the calories and retain the taste of their respective products. Other sweeteners, like molasses, do not work because they change the flavor of the product. Most of these substitute inputs had already taken place so they become less relevant to the industry as time marched on. Substitute inputs usually do not become important until the customer or market changes dramatically. This happens when new studies come out from the government about how harmful something is. This was the case when scientists came out with the study that stated that saccharin was harmful to rats. The industry had to respond by reducing its use of saccharin and look for a substitute. At this time, the industry found Nutrasweet to be a reasonable substitute for saccharin, which was used more heavily in diet drinks. All in all, there are a lot of substitutes for packaging but not for sweeteners because these sweeteners must have government approval (Crouch, Steve). This makes suppliers have power over the industry as seen in the almost overnight empire of Nutrasweet. This will most likely change drastically when Aspirtain (Nutrasweet) loses its patent in a few years. Differentiation of InputsÃ'Ž Sugar is commonly available while Nutrasweet is patented. There is no differentiation for sugar and only one choice in Nutrasweet. As far as the other chemicals and inputs, they are commodity items, and it does not matter who supplies them. This makes suppliers have little power over the soft drink industry. Importance of Volume to Supplier The soft drink industry buys a large portion of the Nutrasweet market but their percentage of purchases are falling as other products begin to use it. Sugar is bought but not in the volume that the grocery store or other industries do. The aluminum can, plastic bottles and glass bottles (less now) are all pretty much dependent on the soft drink industry for their livelihood. This makes the supplier have pretty much no power over the industry. Impact of Input on Cost or Differentiation Since the inputs are basic elements there is no differentiation and therefore no impact on the final product for using different inputs. If the price of the input changed, it would dramatically change the price of the product as the aluminum cartel did in 1994. Since the major inputs are commodity items, the prices can change dramatically due to environmental forces. If the sugar industry suffers a loss due to weather or because of political unrest (like in Cuba), then the prices go up and the soft drink industry is usually left absorbing them. The soft drink industry can not, in all cases, simply pass along the price increase. Customers and distributors are more price sensitive than ever. This makes the supplier have a fair amount of bargaining power over the industry. Threat of Backward or Forward Integration With the current climate of sticking to the core of the company, there is little threat of backward integration into the suppliers industry. This is after the fact that they already have integrated into the extracts to protect their secrets. The integration into the extract-producing segment of the suppliers will be the extent of the backward integration. The suppliers do not have the capital required to forward integrate into the soft drink industry. This makes the industry attractive for investment. Access to Capital The soft drink industry is very profitable and therefore looked upon favorably by financial institutions. This includes the stock market, direct investors (bondholders), and banks. Currently the operating margins for the industry have grown from 17. 9% in 1992 to 19. 5% in 1996. The projected operating margins are projected to grow to 20. 5% from 1997 to 2001 (Value Line 1996). The profit margins and demand are increasing for the soft drink industry (Industry Surveys, 1995). What this means is that capital is available for expansion or upgrading, if additional capital is required. This is favorable to the industry. Access to Labor The industry is not highly technical except for chemical engineering. This means that the demands for skilled labor are not very high. Which means that the soft drink industry will not have trouble finding labor. There are no established labor unions. The average labor cost is no more than in any other industry. The average hourly wage is $11. 85 per hour, which just about the same as all manufacturing firms of $11. 49 (Manufacturing USA). Summary of Suppliers When you sum up the different aspects of the suppliers you come to the quick conclusion that the power is definitely in the hands of the soft drink industry. This makes the industry very attractive for investment and for the companies already in the industry from the supply aspect. This means that it is attractive to new entrants as well. Buyers Buyer Concentration versus Industry Concentration The buyers for the soft drink industry are members of a large network of bottlers and distributors that represent the major soft drink companies at the local level. Distributors purchase the finished, packaged product from the soft drink companies while bottlers purchase the major ingredients. With the consolidation that has occurred within the industry, there is little difference between the two. Distributors are assigned to represent a specific geographic area, for example a town or a county. In turn, these distributors are responsible for distributing the product to the retailers who sell the products to the end consumer. In recent years, the national companies have been purchasing independent bottlers in an effort to consolidate the business and gain some distribution economies of scale (Thompson and Strickland, 1993). Buyer Volume The contractual agreements, which are present in this industry, dictate that the major soft drink companies will sell their products to the distributors. Therefore, buyer volume is not a factor for this industry. Buyer Switching CostÃ'Ž Independent bottlers have contractual agreements to represent that company within a certain area. Switching costs would include establishing new relationships with other companies to represent and the legal costs associated with distributors being released from the contract. Buyer Information Distributors are very informed about the product that they are distributing. Information flows freely between the soft drink Companies and the local distributors and down to the retailers. There are many co-operative promotions where distributors and soft drink companies collaborate on price and advertising campaigns (Crouch, Steve). For example, major soft drink firms will send a regular report out to its distributors describing upcoming promotional events where the cost will be shared between the two companies. For promotions that fall outside of this report, the distributors will have to coordinate that sponsorship with the soft drink company. Threat of Backward Integration It is doubtful that local distributors will move into the actual production process of soft drinks. Distributors specialize in the transportation and promotion of the product that they rely on the carbonated beverage companies produce. However, major retailers; for example Wal-Mart and Harris Teeter have begun distributing their own private label brands of soft drinks. Wal-Mart now offers Sams Choice and Harris Teeter offers Presidents Choice at a significantly lower price. These private label competitors will not provide the variety of packaging alternatives, which make the national leaders so successful (PepsiCo 1995 Annual Report). For example, Pepsi offers 12-ounce cans, 20 ounce bottles, 1 liter bottles, six packs, twelve packs, cases and The Cube 24 can boxes. Pull Through Pull through is not a factor from the independent bottlers perspective. These bottlers have a franchise agreement to represent a major carbonated beverage company on the local level. These distributors are legally bound to represent these companies and therefore cannot choose not to promote certain types of beverages. Brand Identity of Buyers Brand identity of buyers is not relevant to the distributors because of the contractual relationship that exists where distributors represent the soft drink companies. The distributors have an exclusive contractual agreement to represent that soft drink brand. Price Sensitivity Distributors are not highly price sensitive buyers. Independent bottlers are on a national contract so all distributors pay the same price for the same products. Price to Total Purchases Soft drinks are the single product that the distributors are concerned with so price is very important to them. Soft drink companies rely on these distributors to represent them on the local level, so it is important to maintain a healthy relationship. Impact on Quality and Performance All three of the leading carbonated beverage producers, Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Cadbury Schweppes believe that their buyers (distributors) are an important step in taking their products to the end consumer. The service, which their distributors provide to the retailers, makes a difference to the retailers who sell the product to the end consumer. The actions of that distributor reflect on the soft drink company so if the distributor does not provide the level of service that retailer or restaurant desires, it may harm the companys image. Substitute Products Relative price/performance relationship of Substitutes The carbonated beverage industry provides a non-alcoholic means of satisfying an individuals desire to quench their thirst. Traditionally, coffee and tea would be considered substitute products. In recent years, carbonated beverages have seen the emergence of many new substitute products that wish to reduce soft drinks market share. The soft drink market has been traditionally competitive, without the added friction from ready to drink tea, shelf stable juice, sports drinks and still-water competitors also. (Gleason, 1996) Leaders in these emerging segments include Quaker Oats, with their Snapple and Gatorade products, Perrier, and Arizona Iced Teas. In other words, Pepsi isnt Cokes biggest competition, Tap water is. (Gleason, 1996). Generally speaking, soft drinks are less expensive to the consumer than these substitute products. Buyer Propensity to Substitute Buyer propensity to substitute is low due to the contractual relationships between the soft drink companies and the distributors. Rivalry Degree of Concentration and Balance among Competitors Three main competitors: Pepsico, Coca-Cola, and Dr. Pepper/Cadbury control the Soft Drink industry. Their combined total sales revenues account for 90 percent of the entire domestic market. This market dominance makes the industry a fiercely competitive and dynamic business environment to operate in. The single market leader is Coca-Cola with a 42 percent market share and over $18 billion in sales worldwide. PepsiCo maintains a 31 percent market share with $10. 5 billion in sales worldwide. The smallest of the three leaders is Dr. Pepper/Cadbury, which holds roughly 16 percent of the market. Cokes consistent dominance of both Pepsi and Dr. Pepper/Cadbury has caused Coke to become a household name when referring to soft drinks. As far as balance among competitors is concerned, PepsiCo is a much larger company than Coke and Dr. Pepper/Cadbury combined. The reason being that PepsiCo also owns companies in the snack and food industries (Frito-Lay, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and KFC). With a work force of 480,000 people, PepsiCo is the worlds third largest employer behind General Motors and Wal-Mart. This has not lead to a more profitable soft drink business, nor has it helped PepsiCo use its size to steal market share from Coke or Dr. Pepper/Cadbury. Diversity among Competitors Though Coca-Cola dominates the industry in sales volume and market share, it does not dominate when it comes to innovative marketing and business strategy efforts. For instance, PepsiCo generates 71 percent of its revenues from the U. S. , while Coca-Cola derives 71 percent of its from international markets. Similarly, PepsiCo only gets 41 percent of its total revenues from soft drinks. The remaining 59 percent come from its snack and food business. Coke on the other hand gets all of its revenues from its soft drinks. Clearly both of the industry leaders have different strategies as far as revenue generation is concerned. However, as far as their product lines are concerned they are very similar and operate parallel to one another. Pepsi and Coca-Cola both have lemon-lime, citrus, root beer, and cola flavors. Dr. Pepper/Cadbury does not have as similar a product line to that of Pepsico and Coca-Cola. It manufactures Dr. Pepper (a unique spicy cola drink), ginger ale, tonic water, and carbonated water under its Schweppes and Canada Dry brands. Coke does have an answer to Dr. Pepper in its Mr. Pibb, but only holds a . 4 percent market share compared to Dr. Peppers 6 percent market share. The relatively low level of diversity makes the soft drink industry unattractive for investment. Industry Growth Rate Although new product lines have come into the beverage industry over the past two to three years, the soft drink segment has held and grown its share steadily. The onslaught of the sport drink and bottled tea have proven to be a passing fad that has gained little if no long term market share from soft drinks. Growth figures for the soft drink industry have been very steady since 1993, and are projected to continue to be so into the last part of the twentieth century. As can be seen in Figure 1, volatility was somewhat prevalent in the 1980s but has since lessened and leveled off (Valueline, 1996). Figure 1 Year87-8888-8989-9090-9191- 9292-9393-9494-95 Growth5. 7%5. 2%2% 3%2. 9%4%4. 4%4% Over the past ten years soft drinks have gained 5 percent of total beverage sales, putting them over the 25 percent share level for all beverage sales. As for new and emerging markets, both Coke and Pepsi are attacking the international environment. Coca-Cola generates 80 percent of its revenues abroad, and Pepsi is attempting but failing to put more emphasis there as well. Pepsi is losing customers to Coke in every major foreign territory. The company has always struggled overseas, but in the past few months it has lost key strongholds in Russia and Venezuela to Coke (Sellers, 1996). Because of the consistent growth of both the domestic and foreign markets, the soft drink industry is attractive for investment. Fixed Costs The SP Industry Survey has shown the soft drink industry profit margin to be on a steady incline over the past fifteen years. Levels in 1980 were near 14%, while as of year-end 1995 were over 20% and expected to flatten a bit. This flattening effect may be an indication that fixed costs are on the rise due to expansionÃ'Ž