Education On Health Promotion Essay

Q. 1 Validity is said to be the power to convince about the conclusions that have been found. It is the strength that the conclusion has to convince others on the facts that have been outlined. There are said to be four types of validity namely external, conclusion, construct and internal validity (http://www. brainyquote. com). The external validity is about the ability to generalize the findings to other settings, the conclusion looks for a relationship between the outcomes and the program, the construct validity determines the presence of a relationship between concepts in a study and an actual casual relationship and finally the internal validity looks for the relationship between the study object and the outcomes of the study. On the other hand, reliability is said to be the ability to get the same results over and over again when performing the same test at different times (http://www. asiamarketresearch. com). It is said to estimate how consistent your measurements are. For a tool of measurement to be reliable, it has to give the same results when used at different times by different people to measure the same thing. It can be tested through using different questions that measure the same thing to see if the answers are consistent while the test/retest method means getting the same findings for the same test done at different times but under the same conditions. Validity and reliability will be used in the dissertation to test the conclusion. First checking on the reliability of the tools of measurements does this. This ensures that the data provided for the study is to be trusted as being correct. It also helps eliminate the data that contains some inconsistencies. Once all the reliable data has been compiled, it can then be used to arrive at some conclusion. This conclusion will be valid if all the measurements that have been done have involved the data that was supposed to be measured. If one has been using the correct data using reliable tools then the conclusion will be a valid one. The correct questions have to be asked in relation to the topic and the measurement tools have to be reliable for the conclusion to be valid. Q. 2 When starting a project one begins with choosing a topic on which to research on (http://www. ri. net/schools/East_Greenwich/research. html). This topic should not be too general as to include subjects that are not relevant to the researcher instead it should be very specific on what is to be research on. When choosing a topic, one uses the tool of research called the â€Å"human mind†. This is because a topic is chosen according to how the researcher perceives the surroundings and thus requires reasoning and analyzing which uses the brain. Next is gathering the relevant background information concerning the topic. This can be done through the use of the computer and its software. It is done to get the most basic information on the chosen topic. This information can be supplemented by the use of the library where one can find encyclopedias among other sources. This information is used to refine the chosen topic (http://www. ri. net/schools/East_Greenwich/research. html). If there is need to change the research topic it is done now. After revisiting your topic, you now need to gather the information needed. This is done by the use of the computer and the library. This information is then supplemented by fieldwork, which uses different methods of gathering information. This is done to confirm or challenge the statistics gotten from the library and computer software. While conducting the field research, one has to estimate the reality of the tools of measurement so as to ensure the information gotten is correct and in the process eliminate those, which contain errors after this is done, the information is coded and analyzed. The information is now ready for use to get the conclusion and then organize it to be able to write it in a way that the reader will understand. When it comes to the writing part, the language to be used has to be chosen carefully. It has to be a language accessible to all the presumed readers. The research is then written and is used to justify the problem statement and why the project should be undertaken. The conducting of a research and writing of a dissertation are the actual start of a project. This is because they justify the reason why the project can now start. All the six tools of research are used to ensure that the information provided in the research is reliable and valid. One can only gain experience in the use of these tools by conducting many researches. By writing dissertations and research papers, one ahs to use these tools and in so doing gets a lot of experience in their use. Over time one gets to learn how to use the various tools. When it comes to computers, one has to solicit the help of computer experts an also using the help icon in the computer. For a researcher, it is very useful to join research projects as an assistant researcher. This ensures that one gains a lot of experience and by working with an expert researcher one is able to pick up quite a number of tricks in the research field. Also as a research assistant, one does a lot of work and so is able to come up with new and more effective ways of using the tools of research. On top of this, one is able to choose which tools they can use best and which ones they need to work on to understand how they are used. To learn to be an expert researcher, one can only go through the above mentioned process of first becoming a research assistant. The expert researcher has to be able to use the six tools of research namely the human mind, the computer and its software, the statistics, the traditional library, tools of measurement and the language facility. It one has gone through the process of becoming a research assistant, there is knowledge gained from constant use of the tools and one can then be able to decide which tools they are most comfortable using. All the tools are important and necessary to any researcher but the order of importance assigned to each tool is what differs from researcher to researcher. It is only through experience of having worked on many research projects does one become competent in the use of all the tools and so that is what any novice researcher concentrates more on. Q. 3 The dissertation topic is education on health promotion.  From the interview with the researcher, I have learned how to use the six tools of research in the dissertation topic. By using the human mind, the topic, which is education on health promotion, was chosen. Using the computer and its software, the topic will be researched on and the basic knowledge gathered. Since the topic has enough materials to be used, it will not be changed. The information is then supplemented with that from the traditional library. After the topic has been re-affirmed, the field information will be collected and this will be done by using tools of measurement that are reliable (http://www. ih. gov/news/researchtools/). Once the information has been collected, it is then analyzed, cleaned and coded. The findings will now be used in writing the paper. When writing the paper the language to be used has to be that which the targeted readers can understand. When writing one has to avoid plagiarism and ensuring that any information from other sources is cited will do this. The paper must be in the proper format and should include all the parts of a project paper. The conclusion will have to support the topic and reason for the research. It will therefore have to support education on health promotion

Imperfections of modern society Essay

Fashion may be described as the predominant style at any given time due to ones mode of expression or presentation. Ones personality may be defined by the clothes they have selected to wear. Celebrities and fashion ads seem to demonstrate that it is acceptable to wear extremely revealing clothes and promote their outfits. Sexually provocative people with strong personalities may choose to wear clothes with inappropriate innuendos or phrases written on them. Modern fashion illustrates the social acceptance of provocative clothing, which reflects upon our cultures bold behavior. see more:why fashion is important It is thought that the clothes society chooses to wear defines ones intentions, character and gives others a basis on how to interpret personality. People have bold behaviours because of what they wear. Many are too open with what they wear making it seem as if modern fashion is mainly about sex appeal. Modern culture is mainly concerned with how others will interpret them and their appearance. Therefore society uses this to make oneself more appealing. If someone were to dress in revealing clothing, others will construe this as they are trying make themselves as sexually appealing as possible. However if someone were to dress in less revealing clothes they would not be in to the hype of sex appeal. This shows how modern culture reflects on the clothes being worn. These people who are only worried about revealing themselves through outfits clearly have bold behaviours because they care what society thinks of them. People tend to act more outgoing when they are dress in clothes that they are comfortable wearing. No matter what type of clothing a person wears it can be an influence that alters others perception of the character of a person. Revealing clothing that is exposed by media can be dangerous to people’s thoughts on modern fashion. Celebrities feel that it acceptable to wear whatever they please. Miley Cyrus is an excellent example of this. She has recently had a tendency of wearing inappropriate clothing on stage and in her music videos. Her personality reflects how she dresses by showing how much she does not care about what people think of her. Miley is very revealing in her videos and her lyrics show her personality of being so careless of what other people think. â€Å"Its our party we can do what we want to†¦ Its my mouth I can say what I want to†(Cyrus). In her lyrics, she is inferring that she is above the law. This is the unstated conclusion throughout her song. She shows her careless attitude in her lyrics but also in her music videos. Miley is a role model to many but she rolls around on the floor wearing nothing but underwear and a tank top making it seem like this is acceptable as she has a young, naive audience that does not know between right and wrong. She also does dance moves that are so inappropriate that young children should not watch this. Miley used to dress normally and she was an idol for many young girls growing up starring as Hannah Montana. Now she has changed personality by exemplifying it through her fashion. Clothing with sexual or inappropriate phrases written on them has become more popular in modern culture because of the popular idols. People with forward personalities tend to buy clothes that reflect on the way that one would want to be judged. Select societies with careless attitudes wear clothing that can be offensive to other people. Shirts with phrases such as â€Å"Orgasm Donor† and â€Å"Drink Up Bitches† are some of many examples of the offensiveness that people display through their clothing. People who wear clothing like this are often sexually provocative people who try to resemble the looks of their idols. Society feels the need encourage to others that it is socially acceptable to look sexually appealing. In reality this type of clothing is obnoxious and reflects poorly on modern culture by giving it a bad label. The popularity of wearing offensive clothing has increased due to people trying to â€Å"fit in†. People who are unsure of what type of personality they have are often the ones who go with the latest and most popular fashion. Our cultures outgoing behaviour is based on the social acceptance that modern fashion portrays. It is believed that the clothes that a person may wear can reflect on their personality. Celebrities who wear excessively revealing clothing tend to set an image that modern culture wants to follow. Miley Cyrus is one of the many celebrities who contribute to this. People who have audacious personalities are usually ones to try to keep up with modern fashion. These people have clothing with sexually provocative expressions written on them. Fashion can be defined as the prevailing style or etiquette. Society may dress to support feelings, actions or how others should interpret their character. Works Cited Cyrus, Miley. â€Å"MILEY CYRUS – WE CAN’T STOP LYRICS. † Directlyrics. N. p. , n. d. Web. 26 Sept. 2013.

Work Release Programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Work Release Programs - Essay Example 2. A negative group of conditions, if the offender has these conditions then he is not qualified for the work release program (FDC, n.d.). The conditions to get involved in the program 1. The remaining time for the offender to finish his service time in prison is one year and a quarter or less, and there is ability for the authority to extend his service time (FDC, n.d.).2. The percentage of the spent time in service in prison is at least "85%" of the total time he should spend, and that is when there is no ability for the authority to extend his service time (FDC, n.d.). The conditions that cause disqualification 1. The offender is "convicted of sexual battery pursuant to s.794.011 F.S." (FDC, n.d.). 2. If the offender's current service in prison is the "fourth" at least. Any sentences from any other state will be counted (FDC, n.d.). 3. The offender escaped from a prison within "five years" before (FDC, n.d.). 4. If the offender "detainer filed against him/her". But in some cases this condition could be removed from the offender under some circumstances (FDC, n.d.). Under what circumstances a detain file could be ignored 1. The authority who is responsible for the detain procedures doesn't put the procedures in progress or doesn't approve it, and allows the offender to get involved in the program (FDC, n.d.). 2. If the offender has to pay money to terminate the detain procedure. If the offender joined a work release program he will be able to pay any necessary costs (FDC, n.d.).3. The offender's participation in a work release program was canceled "on his current commitment...A positive group of conditions, if the offender has these conditions then he is qualified for the work release program (FDC, n.d.). 1. The remaining time for the offender to finish his service time in prison is one year and a quarter or less, and there is ability for the authority to extend his service time (FDC, n.d.). 2. The percentage of the spent time in service in prison is at least "85%" of the total time he should spend, and that is when there is no ability for the authority to extend his service time (FDC, n.d.). The program aims to ensure security in community. The program also intends to provide good treatment and surveillance for the offenders. The final target of the program for the offenders is to change them from negative individuals to positive individuals, and that's to reconnect them to the public community and their families. The department in fact is trying to treat offenders as people who need help, not as people who need punishment (FDC, n.d.). The main problem that faces applying this work release program is that the offenders could escape during their participation in the program.

Identify two explinations that are particulary relevent for low voter Essay

Identify two explinations that are particulary relevent for low voter turnout in local elections as compared to national elections - Essay Example Current research has shown that one of the most critical reasons for lower voter turnout in local elections as compared to national elections is election timing. Hajnal and Lewis (2003) believe that scheduling local elections at the same time as statewide primaries or general elections would immediately increase number of votes cast in the local elections, because national elections historically have higher voter turnout (Hajnal and Lewis, 2003). The reason for this increase, as Hajnal and Lewis (2003) explain, is that it would be very convenient for voter to have just one day of elections, where they would have to check a few more names on their local election lists in addition to national election lists. Naturally, it makes sense. The voters would have to take less time out of their busy schedules to commute to the election sites. Besides, single election day requires less planning and organization on the part of the voters, and thus it becomes more convenient. Another reason for lower turnout in local elections is the limitation of the local government in terms of its service delivery arrangements as identified by Hajnal and Lewis (2003). A lot of local governments contract out the city services. For example, city councils will contract with county governments to provide the services for the city. This practice has a lot of advantages, such as more efficient and more cost-effective service delivery. However, at the same time this practice has its negative effects, especially when it comes to local elections. It reduces the power of local officials, such as their ability to provide and control local jobs. As a result, reduced power leads to reduced interests in local officials and local governance overall during the local elections. Thus, voter turnout in local elections can be increased by scheduling the local elections at the same time as national elections, and by providing more power to local officials. These steps would increase public

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

Legal - Research Paper Example Their operations and business may be similar to that of companies, but the in-depth details differ with a great degree (Derek). The first regulation in the operation is the separation between the corporation and its owners. Unlike other forms of business operations, companies are separate legal entities from their owners (Franklin). The limited liability clause covers this. This entails the extent to which a person may be called upon to pay to the assets and liabilities of the company during winding up of the company operations. The clause stipulates that the owners of the business cannot be accountable for any action of the business; therefore, companies operate as legal persons. This means that they can litigate or be litigated in a court of law (Derek). During formation of companies, the law stipulates that the company should have a minimum of 2 members and a maximum of 50 members. The members of the company are the owners who contribute the start-up capital or share capital. Members do not own the company property individually or correctively. The members of the company have no duty in the daily operations of the company. The day-to-day operations of the company are overseen by the company’s board of directors. Once the company is incorporated, the ultra vires limits the company’s powers and prevents it from changing the objects under the memorandum (Franklin). Company law regulates the way a company chooses it business name. Businesses are mandated by law to select a name that does not contradicts its business or misleading as per to the business it operates in. The company’s name should not suggest illegitimacy or should not contain prohibited clauses. For instance, companies in the United States are not allowed to contain the word â€Å"Federal† in their company name (James &Thomas). Those wishing to start a company are required to check with the registrar of companies

An act of kindness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

An act of kindness - Essay Example The author has rightly presented that kindness is not restricted to help someone with material things like money, food or clothes. Kindness also means to share someone’s grief or pain or it also means to say a few kind words which could redress people’s grievances. Whoever performs an act of kindness, it is a message delivered from one heart to another generated from the inner self. The author tells that he cannot remember exactly in which class he was. But he does remember the very first act of kindness he did for someone. One day, the researcher was coming back home from his school that he saw a boy of his age begging on the signal. The author was surprised to see that why the child of his age is begging instead of wearing a school uniform and books in the hand. The author asked his father that why there is so much difference between the two of them. His father replied that they are poor children and they cannot afford to buy a uniform and school books. Their parents are forced to send them begging money and food so that they can feed their stomach. The author said to his father that he cannot see a child of his age begging on the road instead of studying in school. What could he do to help this urchin? His father said that if you really want to do an act of kindness and help the poor kid, you should compromise on something you have and you love. God will be very happy with your kind act. Suddenly, something clicked his mind.

ETH301 MODULE 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ETH301 MODULE 2 - Assignment Example Others thought that the law must be followed. In this case the law does not allow anyone access to emails of deceased. Agreements are between an individual and the service providers, which in this case, Yahoo. The agreement meant that no third-party should get access to the email for it would be a violation to the agreement signed (Herold, 2012). The military have tried to advice soldiers on having a letter with IDs and passwords to their e-mail accounts. This letter should be kept by someone they trust and delivered ‘only when the solider dies (Kopetski, 2012). But this still raises many concerns on how the person should be trusted since privacy can be compromised (Wilkens, 2011). According to Herold, (2012) privacy is important and many people would not want to share their emails with others whether alive or dead. Another case is having important data stored on ones email. When the person dies it will mean that this information is lost forever. The family will not be able to get what they could have inherited from the deceased (Kopetski, 2012). The case of Ellsworth is viewed either in the Utilitarian or Deontological point of view. According to Utilitarian theory, actions are considered to be right provided they promote happiness and satisfaction and wrong when they cause sadness (Latus, 2012). The Utilitarian in Ellsworths case appeared to have had more meaning to many people who were in support of the familys request as stated by Kopetski. Ellsworths parents wanted some comfort and satisfaction by getting access to their sons emails. They were not happy when Yahoo denied them access to these emails. The action by Yahoo to deny Ellsworth parents access to their sons e-mails was wrong according to Utilitarian since it led to sadness on their part (Latus, 2012). From what Susan Llewelyn wrote, she does not see the difference between an e-mail address and any

The Role of Consumer Behavior in Marketing Decisions Essay - 1

The Role of Consumer Behavior in Marketing Decisions - Essay Example Even though Starbucks has positioned itself as a high end coffee shop, it still depends on its consumers to uphold the image. ‘Product use is often of great interest to the marketer, because this may influence how a product is best positioned or how we can encourage increased consumption’ (Perner, n.d). Thus for the purpose of this paper, consumer behavior will be studied through an interview with five selected people and the result of the interview will help generate an understanding of the current image and positioning of Starbucks among its buyers. Findings of the Interview Through the interview with the five people who had at some point of their lives bought Starbucks, it was found that Starbucks is a brand that many people aspire for. The interviewees for this report belong to the medium income group. Mostly people visit Starbucks on a weekly basis or even on a once biweekly basis. The consumers studied for this report where people who loved coffee and had it almost daily. Most of them have coffee machines at home or a local coffee shop where they go daily. Starbucks is not a daily option for these people since it is a premium brand where products are priced high as compared to the competition. In the time of recession, the price of the product plays a great factor in the buying decision. However, the people interviewed love Starbucks and wished they could go there more often. They visit Starbucks when they want to relax and have a good time. When asked to define the personality of Starbucks as a person, animal or tree; varied interesting responses were received that included a brown grizzly loving bear, a brownie, a warm lover and even Oprah Winfrey for her loving nature and bright smile. Even though the consumers loved the brand, most said that they would be apprehensive if the brand introduced a contrary product such as its own iPad or mobile phone. One of the customers however said, why not. He said that Starbucks has also been successful at developing new products and given its success in developing new products, it can also be successful in making iPads. According to him, if Google can launch the Andriod, Starbucks can also launch a totally different product. A few of the consumers said that if the product was related to food or coffee such as coffee soap, they would be willing to consider buying the product. Discussion The findings of the interview match with the current knowledge that has been gathered through reviewing literature available on Starbucks and by understanding it in light of the marketing theories available. Starbuck is one of the most preferred brands in terms of coffee because of the positioning of the brand. The consumers prefer the image of Starbucks as it sells the best coffee in the country according to the consumers. Along with the good taste of Starbucks’ products, the consumers love the customer service of the shop. They even compare the customer service to a warm lover who attracts people through the love it instills in the customers. One important thing that the consumer survey helped us to find was the impact of recession on the buying behavior of the consumer. Since recession has impacted everyone, people are more conscious of where they spend their

Influencing Individuals and Groups Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Influencing Individuals and Groups - Essay Example Negotiation is then sought, to amicably discuss and assess the situation and to find solutions to the problems incurred. In order to combat this, effective leadership is needed. Leaders become role models for people and help them to achieve goals. Wal Mart needs to resolve issues by finding feasible solutions for conflicts. Employees who have a positive attitude are a boon to an organization, and, it is easier to retain and train those employees rather than to try and modify those with a negative attitude. As conflict resolution needs participaton and collaboration of employees; Wal Mart helps in bringing about people development, collaboration and team work among its employees. School Press, H. 2006. Written Communications that Inform and Influence: The Results-Driven Manager Series (Paperback). Harvard Business School Press Books, 1. Retrieved from Business Source Complete

Peugeot Case Essay Example for Free

Peugeot Case Essay * Introduction Through this final assignment I will explain how the French company Peugeot, can introduce it hybrid car the 5008 hybrid HDI. I choose an hybrid car for different reasons. The first one is that I think that hybrid cars are going to know a better future than electric cars. In effect, this is a huge change for people in general and they are not used to that way of driving and consuming. Offering an electric car is too radical and making hybrid cars, combining fuel and electricity is a good way to make a transition. This is why I choose to makes it on hybrid car. Secondly, I choose the 5008 hybrid HDI because is one of the biggest car that Peugeot is offering, and as we know American people are more likely to use biggest vehicles than in France. Finally I choose Peugeot for the reasons explained bellow. The company is also known as the Group PSA. Actually PSA is the biggest car company if France and have for main competitor Renault the second biggest group in France. The company has extended and sells their products to different region in the world like in Asia and Latin America. With all the ecological issues within the car industry the car industry, companies have the obligation to find alternatives to the CO2 problems, but also because innovation is always recommended no matter the industry. This is why Peugeot presented in 2009, its new car the Peugeot 5008 HDI Hybrid. Nowadays, Peugeot is not very present in United States, and this new product could be an opportunity for them to enter this market. Through this assignment, I will answer the question of the case by explaining the reasons to export, but also by studying the competition present in the US market and all the potential risks that the company has to avoid. Finally I will end the final by making the marketing plan that Peugeot could adopt in order to enter the market. Why Peugeot should export the 5008 HDI hybrid? Many reasons make that Peugeot want to invest in the US market. But even if they already have an international experience due their presence in Latin America and Asia, they have to be careful because the US market has its own specificity. Their new hybrid cars could be a huge opportunity to enter this market. In effect, hybrid cars are becoming more and more appreciated in the US market and people like this kind of car. The American market is such important that it gives more or less the trend of sales for the coming years. Since 2001, the market never stops growing and the forecast for the next year seems to be good as it is show on the graph below: As we can see, the increase has been constant through the years and will don’t stop until 2015. Those forecasts seem to be excessive but in fact they are quite true. In August 2012, a study has been made by an American website â€Å"hybridcars† and it shows that the number of sales has increased looking at the previous year. In august 2012, 249,311 of cars have been sold which represent an increase of 63.2% looking at the number of sale at the same period. As we can see the increase is extremely important, and when we look at the total number of sales of all cars, it makes more important the increase. In effect, the increase of all the vehicles at the same period is â€Å"only† about 14.0%. I say only because there are 50% of gap between all the type of cars and hybrid cars. This enormous increase is also due to the fact that the US government is helping people who want to buy an hybrid car by creating incentives. This incentive is made by giving a tax credit. The  credit is not fixed and it is calculated in function of the State where the car is bought and also about the brand of the car. Those tax credits are quite important because it goes from $900 to $3500. Each state have its own program, like in New York, they have the â€Å"Clean Pass†. All those points show that Peugeot should enter in the US market. The forecast that we have seen are very encouraging, and other factors should help hybrid cars in general, like the environmental issues. Something that also shows that hybrid cars are â€Å"trendy† is that in many movies or tv shows we can see hybrid cars, and the most used one is the Toyota Prius which is like the muse of hybrid cars and that we have seen in the tv show â€Å"Desperate Housewife† or â€Å"South Park†. Peugeot should try to surf on that new wave, but everything is not going to be so easy and Peugeot is going to face several barriers. Economic and political barriers that impact the export. The car industry is an industry that is facing a lot of legal issues. In France for example, car that are polluting and that have an important CO2 emission are going to be taxed, but security law and regulations are also numerous. When you want to enter in the US market you have many things you have to be careful about. Concerning the product in itself for example the company has to obtain a certificate which is called the CBP clearance. If car companies want to obtain that CBP certificate that says that you are not bringing weapons or drugs, you have to be conformed to the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of transportation. If you want to bring cars in the US, your cars have to answer to those norms as described by the official American website www.cbp.gov , â€Å"Imported motor vehicles are subject to safety standards under the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966, revised under the Imported Vehicle Safety Compliance Act of 1988; to bumper standards under the Motor V ehicle Information and Cost Savings Act of 1972, which became effective in 1978; and to air pollution control standards under the Clean Air Act of 1968, as amended in 1977, and 1990.† In general, cars that are manufactures outside the US have to be in good standing with the US safety regulation, bumper and emission standards. Still with the CBP website, taxes are also established for the importation of goods. For autos, the importation tax is about 2.5%, and duty rates are based on price paid.  All those elements, Peugeot have to take them into account and adjust their production and prices following those rules. But those laws specific to the US market are not the only problems that Peugeot can face. In effect, the international competition can be also a huge issue. Peugeot, a strong international competitiveness. To make a good study of the international position of Peugeot in comparison to its competitors I will first make a study of the macro environment, following by the study of the meso environment. To make the study of the macro environment it is advocated to use the Porter’s Diamond. * The factors conditions: Actually, this is one of the most important things for the company because they are not present in the United States and they don’t have any infrastructures and if they want to produce their car, they will have to invest a lot in that. Concerning the human resources, United States is a huge country with many people that are already trained to this kind of industry and they are very competent in that industry, so this would be a strong advantage for Peugeot. * Demand conditions: I think that the demand in the American market is quite important. As we have seen in the first part of the final the demand for hybrid cars is increasing, and we are talking about a huge increase of 63%. * Related and supporting industries: All companies are focused on what the consumer is expecting, it means making economies. A lot of companies were developing and making research on electric engines in aim to reduce the consumption of gas. The car industry has done the same and developed new cars with both engines with gas and electricity. Those industries working in the new raw materials and fuel are in the center of a lot of other industries because they want to reduce their cost. * Firm strategy, structure and rivalry: I will develop this part in the following parts and in the Porter’s 5 forces. * Government: In a general aspect the US government is making efforts to promote the Hybrid cars, by allowing the different states to make incentives and making a tax credit to people who are buying hybrid cars. But Peugeot is a foreign company, and as we have seen they are a lot of laws and standards that foreign companies have to respect if they want to integrate the US market. * Chances: Looking at a general aspect Peugeot have good chances, because of the global warming and the fact that people don’t want to spend so much money in gas and that they want to reduce their cost. This is a chance because if they can produce a good car it is going to be the future and people will buy it. They have to make huge efforts in Research and development in aim to be competitive, because they are not the first one that want to be present in USA. In effect, Toyota and its famous Prius are present in the US market for many years, so Peugeot have some delay looking at them. Now I will use the Porter’s 5 forces for Peugeot to make the study of the meso environment. * Threat of New Entrants: I clearly think that the industry won’t see another competitors coming. The market is actually saturated and it count really big companies that can develop their product development and can invest in research and development which cost a lot and that new entrants could not support. So for the moment Peugeot will have to face actual competitors. So we can say that the threat of seeing new entrants coming is very low. * Bargaining power of suppliers: Peugeot is one of the biggest companies in France and in Europe, and to be at the top of such region they need to have a very good relationship with their suppliers. But what makes the quality of the car is the quality of the raw materials, this is why it gives a huge power to their suppliers. * Bargaining power of customers: I think that the power of customer is very high. This is mainly due to the substitutes that are offered to those customers. Train, bus, plane all those alternatives are offered to the customer, this is why they have a lot of power, because if Peugeot want to keep them they have to listen to them and do what they want. More of that they have a lot of competitors, and the customer is looking for the best product at the lowest price and he is helped by the development of internet where he can have access to different companies staying at home, but also where they can post their comment on a product. This is why the power of customers is high. * The threats of substitute products: They are a lot of different substitutes, on a local way and on a more national and international way. When I say local I think about bicycles for example and when talked about national or international I talked about buses train and plane. But even if they are numerous that doesn’t mean that they are powerful, because even if environmental problems are present nowadays, people prefer use hybrid cars rather than carpooling for example. So we can say that the power of substitutes is quite low. * Rivalry among existing competitors: The car industry is a very hard industry with a lot of different competitors. Following the International crisis and the environmental issues all the companies have adopted the same strategy by developing hybrid cars to answer to the new demand. Some of the big competitors have disappeared like General Motors, but in Europe, Volkswagen is leading everything and they have a huge potential of growth because they can invest in research and development. So we can clearly say that the existing competition is very high. If we look at the whole 5 forces, the car industry is a very strong industry with strong actors which are closing the entry for new competitors and where actual ones have to be more and more innovative and invest a lot in R D. The influence of culture in the marketing strategy. To have a quick view of the culture of the USA, we can use the study of Hofsted. You can see below the difference between the USA and France: * Power distance: Comparing to France, the US score is low (40), and this is mainly due to the premise â€Å"liberty and justice for all†. This also involved the fact that superiors in a company are more attainable for employees than in France, the information easily shared and employees are more frequently consulted to take decisions. * Individualism: When we look at that score we can see that the American has one of the highest score possible (91). It means that everything is based on the personal performance but also that employees are self-reliant and promotion for example is made looking at your previous result. But this also means that we expect from American people to be very autonomous very young. * Masculinity: The American score of 62 is quite elevated regarding to the French score. Again it means that American people tend to display and talk freely about their â€Å"successes†. American people â€Å"live to work† in aim to earn money and rewards. This is an important point for Peugeot, because as we have seen in the diamond description they don’t have any building or employees, and this could be a very good opportunity. * Uncertainty avoidance: The score of 46 is also a very good news for Peugeot. This means that American people have a good acceptance for innovations and a strong willingness of testing new things and new products. American people tend to be more tolerant of ideas or opinions from anyone and allow the freedom of expression. * Long-term orientation: Both of the countries have a short term oriented culture. It means that companies perspectives are based on short term with profit and loss statement made on a quarterly basis. This is why we ask employees to have quick results. We can also use Hall’s communication context, to try to identify and define the American culture. I think I can say that USA is a  low context culture. In general American people prefer to communicate on situation and are more oriented on their daily life. They mostly communicate within their out-groups in a broad and diffuse way. In general they communicate only on what is necessary. This is one of the main difficulties for the company is to adapt their product to a culture unknown for them. They have to succeed in doing the cross-cultural management and create and make coordination from this cross-cultural management. Which market entry? They are many ways for Peugeot to enter in the US market, they are all different, they have all their advantages and drawbacks. But in those times, where everything needs to be done very quickly, some choices are more relevant than others. Importing could be a good solution quick but also complicated in a sense that it would be expensive because as we have seen there are taxes to make enter cars into the US, more of that they will have to find a distributor in the USA and they will lose some of their power in distributing their cars. I think the best, the easiest and the quickest way is to make and create a franchise system. They are many advantages of creating a franchise. First you will use workforces of the country where you want to be in, and those people already know how their market is working and are things are doing in their country, you don’t have to spend such time looking for information and local people are more aware of those cultural differences. Secondly, you don’t have to change your brand name, it will only cost you few trainings that you have to provide to the employees. It is also very benefic because you can make pay the people that want to make a franchise with your brand some royalties, but in return you will have to give them communication support, you have as I told it before to trained the employees and you will have to keep eyes and see if the franchisee is not doing things on its own. In general, companies like this kind of market entry because they can keep some control on the franchisee, and because they received royalties which are between 1 and 20%. They are other risk that Peugeot don’t have to forget also. It is the fact that the franchisee will pay with delay or won’t pay at all. Another recurrent issue of the franchise is that the franchisee can use the knowledge taken from the franchisor and  use it on its own after that. It is a problem of intellectual property. What about an acquisition? Making an acquisition could also be a good type of market entry, because of some advantages like: * Quick entry: it allows acquiring resources and competencies in a new market very quickly. * Market power: it also gives you more market share if you make an acquisition with a competitor, you will take its market share and it will help you to be bigger. * Market penetration: it also allows you as in this case to enter in a new country or market. * Gain of competencies and resources: you will also earn some knowledge and knowhow from the new company and you will improve your productivity. But it has also some disadvantages: * Cost of acquisition: acquiring another company could be very expensive and specifically if we talk about a hostile takeover. The price depends on the size of the company, their market shares, their resources and other many things. * Managerial issues: the company that you are acquiring may have different way to work, different business culture and it can create tensions between the two entities. * Unrelated diversification: a company can make different acquisition, an horizontal and a vertical one. The company has to be careful and see if the company that it acquire has relation with its industry to make the acquisition easier. * Management of workforces: when acquisition happened it is not unusual to see people fired and it can create tensions within the company or strikes like in France. The International Product Life Cycle: The international product life cycle has some particularities. The IPLC is divided in 4 phases. In general, during the first phase, it is the US exportation that dominates the global market. But when this phase is ending, the next 3 phases see the producers from other developed countries becoming more and more important. Those countries first established their production and sale their product only in their own market, but in a second phase they go to third country market and finally integrated the US market in the last phases. If the US market is very strong in the very first phase is for some  reasons we have seen previously. In effect, the important market size, the acceptance for innovation, the R D resources and the well-developed marketing information system, make of the US market a very good market to launch a new product. So if we looked and follow what we have seen just before we would be in the fourth part of the international product life cycle, but because we are talking about an innovation in a very well-known market and industry we can talk about a new product so we would have been in the first phase, but in this first phase we already have seen companies from countries different from the US like Toyota, exporting and developing the Hybrid market in the US. I think the Hybrid car market is not at the maturity phases and it will reach in the future more customers. Effects of the exchange rates and inflation: In effect, the exchange rate is an issue that Peugeot have to consider if they want to make business in another country. The device in the US is the USD (United States Dollar) while in France it is the â‚ ¬, which is good in fact, because it will cost less for the French company to invest in the US. We should have a quick look at the fluctuations of the exchange rate of the two devices since the beginning of the year: As we can see, the exchange rate has fluctuated a lot with a minimum of 1.21 and a maximum of 1.34. Even if it seems to be a small change, in reality it represents a huge amount of money due to the big quantities of possible product sold. Peugeot has to take into account those fluctuations, but the consequences are less important that if would have been in the other way passing from dollars to euros. They still have to be careful and to anticipate those changes in aim to invest at the right moment. This is also very important, because the whole euro zone knows some bad times due to the economic crisis, this is why it could be interesting for them to invest in a country in a more â€Å"stable† country. Personal selling: First of all, before adapting its way to communicate and sale its product, the French company has to define its target. Because it stills an innovative product, the final consumer should have an higher income’s average and should be from the high-middle and upper class. Also the majority of people  that are buying hybrid car are people about 55 years old and older. They are also people that are aware and that are concerned about environmental issues that the planet is facing and that what to contribute to its safety, but also that think that they are going to save money because the price of the fuel is going to increase. When you want to sell a product in United States, you have to take into account many factors. First that they see themselves as the best business men and having the biggest companies of the world and that foreign companies are inferior. But American people are also expert of cross-marketing which means that they like to promote their product on different support like blogs, website, banners, tv adverts†¦ The use of technology is also important and using them is very important when you want to sell your product to an American consumer. Finally, American people love to have humor on their advertising. But contrary to France, they prefer to make humor on situations of the everyday life and not on the people. More of that when you want to communicate in the US, you have to be careful with the fact that this country have a lot of different ethnics within it. They are people coming from South America that are latinos but they also have a strong black community which have a lot of power, so you have to communicate to each of them. Making communication and selling products in USA is very different from selling in France and Peugeot again has to adapt to that issue. But with the principal Idea of making a franchise in the US it will be easier to adapt their communication to their customer because they will have employees from the US and that understand the American culture. International marketing controls: I think that if Peugeot what to be successful in the US, they will have to constantly make marketing controls. The different points we have been through this final are part of the control that Peugeot have to make. Make studies about their competitors, use the Porter’s 5 forces and Porter’s diamond, making a SWOT analysis, making a PEST analysis, controlling their financial management with the money they have invested in R D for example, controlling the fluctuation of the exchange rate and studying the international product life cycle, all those elements are tools that all companies have to be careful about. A good marketing strategy is established in a long term vision by preventing changes or at least adapting their  strategy as soon as possible by finding the needs of the customers. * Conclusion: Exporting a new product to another country is something difficult for many reasons. The very first one is because of the cultural differences between the countries. But the cultural differences are not the only issues; there is also the way that the Peugeot want to enter the American market. But I think that the company should do it, because as we have seen through this final, USA is a good country for innovative product but also because it is a huge country with a lot of potential consumers. Being present on the American market could also be a good start for the company to be durably present on such powerful market where a lot of innovations came to. But if they are aware of that, it means that other companies from other countries are also aware of it, so if they want to be successful they have to take a quick decision and to take the risk to do it, because as many business men say, the biggest risk is not taking any risks. * Bibliography: * â€Å"Peugeot 5008, le monospace by Peugeot† , Forum-Peugeot.com, 2012, Web, http://www.forum-peugeot.com * â€Å"Policy Priorities for advancing the U.S. electric vehicle market†, Deborah Gordon, Daniel Sperling David Livingston, Carnegie Endowment, September 2012, Web, http://carnegieendowment.org * â€Å"Importing a Motor Vehicle†, CBP- Securing America’s Borers, August 2008, Web, http://www.cbp.gov * â€Å"Importing vehicles and engines into the U.S.†, EPA-United States Environmental Protection Agency, Web, http://www.epa/gov * â€Å"United States vs France† National culture, Geert Hofstede Cultural Dimension,2012, Web, http://geert-hofstede.com * â€Å"Top 10 tips for selling products in the United States†, Bill Decker, Denver Business Journal, June 2011, Web, http://www.bizjournals.com * â€Å"2012 Hybrid Cars†, Hybridcars, March 2012, Web, http://www.hybridcars.com * â€Å"July 2012 Dashboard†, Hybridcars, Augus t 2012, Web, http://www.hybridcars.com * â€Å"Hybrid market Forecasts†, Hybridcars, September 2006, Web, http://www.hybridcars.com * â€Å"Hybrid car tax credits: incentives fade into Memory†, Hybrids, February 2011, Web, http://www.hybridcars.com * â€Å"Hybrid and Plug-in Incentives and rebates – Region by Region† Hybridcars, March 2010, Web, http://www.hybridcars.com * â€Å"Profile of hybrid drivers†, Hybridcars, March 2006, Web, http://www.hybridcars.com * â€Å"Boursorama EUR/USD Spot†, Boursorama, December 2012, Web, http://www.boursorama.com

Analysis of the New Labour Welfare Ideology and Policy

Analysis of the New Labour Welfare Ideology and Policy How and why does the governments new deal typify new labour welfare ideology? Are there elements of new labour welfare ideology and new deal policy which find echo in welfare ideologies and policies prevailing in early periods of welfare (Elizabethan and Victorian poor laws. Does social liberalism influencing early 20c welfare reforms and the architecture of the Beveridge welfare state still play a part in new labour welfare ideology and the new deal? Does the new deal and its ideological underpinnings represent a radical departure from or a continuation of new right approaches to poverty and unemployment. Outlined below is a critical review of the present government’s New Deal policy that takes into account the influence of past and present welfare ideologies upon New Deal’s development, objectives, and procedures. Originally the government had no role in welfare provision, this was left to local parish churches, almshouses, and before their dissolution, the monasteries. Each parish decided which of the poor deserved help, and which of the poor were not deserving of help. Those that were undeserving or came from other parishes had the unsavoury choices of begging, relying on charity, finding work, or simply starving to death. Those that did receive help often had to work to earn that help. There was little understanding of the causes of unemployment or underemployment. People no longer worked because they were no longer physically capable of working, trade was poor, or because they were being idle. The first legislation to deal with welfare provision was during the reign of Richard II; it was the precursor of further intervention during Elizabethan and Victorian times, and most notably in the 20th century. From the Elizabethan Poor Laws through to the Victorian era Poor Law Amendment Act the dominating feature of welfare ideology was that welfare provision should be as limited as possible, and that people should be dissuaded from applying for poor relief payments. Welfare payments were not a right, they were restricted to the most deserving or the most desperate, and who were often made to feel ashamed that they needed help. The Poor Laws were primarily a means of social control that were administered by the parishes, and were paid for by local ratepayers (Moran, 2005 p.14). The Poor Laws had at first been used as a way to keep families together and in their own homes. However, ratepayers resented paying for poor relief which led to the establishment of the dreaded workhouses to reduce the amount of poor relief provided. The Poor Law Amendment Act made the workhouses the normal system of providing welfare, and they imposed draconian conditions on anybody unfortunate enough to need thei r help. People had to undertake arduous tasks in return for receiving very basic food, clothing, and accommodation; many also had to endure the breaking up of their families. The workhouses demeaned and effectively penalised people that had been unable to help themselves (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p.12). Although New Deal does not humiliate benefit claimants, it does make the continuance of benefit payments dependent upon them attending their New Deal placements; they even receive small top up payments. The New Deal operates on a carrot and stick principle, whilst the Poor Laws in general, and the workhouses in particular operated on the stick principle (Department for Work and Pensions, 2004, p.4). The welfare ideologies linked to the Poor Laws attracted criticism leading to proposals to offer welfare provisions without harsh qualifying conditions, and more generous poor relief. Research into poverty by Rowntree and others helped to change public attitudes towards the poor. Unemployment, underemployment, old age, and physical incapacity rather than idleness caused poverty. Support for changing welfare ideologies was detectable within the Liberal Party, trade unions, co-operatives, and in the Labour Party. New or, social Liberalism regarded the welfare ideology of the Poor Laws as been unjust and harsher towards the poor than it should have been. Liberal governments had intervened in the economy to introduce safety standards, yet took longer to establish a minimalist welfare state. The Liberal governments between 1906 and 1914 introduced limited old age pensions, unemployment benefits, national insurance contributions, and labour exchanges. The welfare provisions introduced by t he Liberals were not universal and payments were only made to those people that had paid national insurance contributions. Payments under this system were not particularly generous, yet they prevented the people that received them from having to resort to the workhouses to survive. The welfare ideology of the Liberal governments was that the government should provide minimum levels of help to stop people becoming destitute, it allowed some people to retire without having to fear the prospect of going into the workhouse. Unemployment benefits, although they only lasted for limited periods, helped families to survive periods of unemployment without losing their homes or being forcibly separated from each other by being forced into the workhouses. Labour exchanges, the forerunners of present day Job centres, allowed people to search for employment, whilst allowing employers the opportunity to recruit workers to fill their vacancies. New Deal can be argued to share things in common with the welfare ideologies linked with New Liberalism. Firstly the unemployed are encouraged to find employment as their benefits may only be awarded for a short -term period (Department for Work and Pensions, 2004, p.3). Whilst the welfare measures introduced by the new or social Liberals took many people out of the scope of the Poor Laws, they were not universal measures that proved inadequate for reducing poverty during the inter-war period. The Labour Party became the main exponents of expanding welfare provision, although the Labour government decided to cut unemployment benefits in 1931 in order to balance the budget. Labour had to wait until its 1945 general election victory before it could implement it’s a vision of the welfare state, heavily influenced by the Beveridge Report. The Atlee government introduced universal benefits such as Family Allowance and even benefits for people on low incomes that had not paid national insurance contributions. National insurance was expanded to cover everybody, married women that had not worked received retirement pensions based upon their husbands’ contributions (Moran, 2005, p.18). New Deal sticks with the idea of universalism, as everybody that has been unemployed for the qualifying period has to go on the scheme irrespective of their past national insurance contributions. New Deal does allow people different schemes to match all past experiences and their skills. There is flexibility as long as people are willing to on the scheme (Department for Work and Pensions, 2004, p.2). The post-war welfare state remained virtually unaltered until the Thatcher government came into office in 1979. Thatcher objected to the ways in which the welfare state operated, as it was too generous and provided little incentive for people to find work. Thatcherite economic policies were supposed to reduce the size of public spending, yet they were responsible for unemployment rising from one million to over three million (Department for Work and Pensions, 2004, p.4). The Thatcher government responded in various ways, for instance changing the definition of unemployment and switching people from unemployment benefit to incapacity benefit or income support. The Thatcher government also introduced work and training placement schemes such as Youth Training and Training for Work to improve the employment prospects of people that had been long-term unemployed. These placement schemes can be regarded as being the direct forerunners to New Deal. They too used the carrot and stick approac h; in fact people received a small top up to their benefits by joining the schemes or faced losing benefits for not going on placement. People that found employment once they had finished their placements could qualify for bonus payments as well Department for Work and Pensions, 2004, p.3). The Conservatives replaced unemployment benefit with Job-seekers Allowance that placed a greater emphasis on people actively seeking employment. People deemed unwilling to search for work either lost benefit outright or had it reduced. New Labour has not removed the sanctions available to decision makers to penalise people that are not actively seeking work (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p.416). New Deal has elements that make it compulsory for people to go on the scheme. New Deal differs from previous schemes in that more groups are liable to go through it. New Labour was keen that New Deal would improve employment rates amongst the under 25s, lone parents, the disabled and the over 50s. These groups are traditionally the groups that find it hardest to find jobs. New Deal places an increased onus upon people to increase their efforts to gain a job after finishing their placements. In return, people are given extra advice on gaining jobs by New Deal advisers Department for Work and Pensions, 2004, p.4). There are incentives to help encourage people to get jobs after New Deal. For instance, if they take a low paid job they have their income boosted by working tax credits. New Deal has arguably succeeded in reducing the numbers of long-term unemployed and making people more employable. It also provides advise for people such as lone parents that had not previously been helped when looking to gain employment (Department for Work and Pensions, 2004, p.3). Thus the New Deal has been influenced by various welfare ideologies from past and present. The idea behind New Deal is a simple one, getting people back in to work by giving them up to date training and work experience, thereby improving employment prospects. Just like the welfare provided under the auspices of the Poor Laws people have to work to gain payments, if they are unwilling to do so they lose entitlement. It differs from the Poor Laws in that people receive extra from going on the scheme and can receive extra for finding work after completing it. In other respects, New Deal is based on welfare ideologies that are influenced by New Liberalism and the welfare state established by the Atlee government. It is available to anybody that has been unemployed long enough. There are also elements that be traced to ideas from the New Right, provide incentives for those do well, and penalise those that will not take part. Bibliography Department for Work and Pensions (2004) Building on New Deal: Local solutions meeting individual needs, Her Majesty’s Stationary Office, London Fisher J, Denver D, Benyon J, (2003) Central Debates in British Politics, Longman, London Moran M, (2005) Politic and Governance in the UK, Palgrave, Basingstoke Seldon A Kavanagh D, (2005) The Blair Effect 2001 – 5, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

The Rebirth Of American Musical Theatre Essay example -- essays resear

Two great writers of American musical theatre, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, had one idea in common. They wanted to present to the American public a new and revolutionary musical that would stand out above the rest. They wanted to make an impact on the societies of the era. They wanted to be creative and do something that was considered rebellious. When they finally combined their ideas together they created an American masterpiece in musical theatre: Oklahoma!. It was the first Rodgers and Hammerstein collaboration, starting the most successful creative partnership in the history of American musical theatre. According to Joseph Swain in his book The Broadway Musical: A Critical and Musical Survey, there are a number of reasons why a particular work of art might be considered a milestone in the history in its genre. It might introduce innovations of technique and style so convincing that they may become extremely influential. It might attract such wide acclaim that it cannot be ignored by the artists who come after, even if the acclaimed fame eventually fades with time. It could stand as the first work of an important series. Or perhaps, it sets a new standard of artistry. (73) For whatever factors that influenced the writers to create the works they did, they produced some of the most successful and incredibly influential works of musical theatre in their time. In the years before Oklahoma! was created, Broadway was dying. New and refreshing musicals were a rare occasion and when an artist tried to create something that he hoped his audience would like, he was sadly disappointed. Broadway was suffering from a lack of what it was revered for: astounding plays and musicals. Its time of glamour and glitz was almost forgotten, and was in need of being saved. That is why Oklahoma! is considered a rebirth of the American musical theatre at the time. It brought Broadway back to life, filling theatre seats with enthusiastic audiences who embraced the changes of this new theatre musical with open arms and made it a legend. Oklahoma! set new standards for classic American theatre by introducing new techniques of presenting the musical to the audience, introducing a new genre of music into the theatre, and strayed away from the usual classic form and structure of a musical that audiences had grown used to. It was a time of change, a time of excitement ,... ...ve musical that riveted audiences and even continues to attract audiences all over the world to this day. Although Oklahoma! premiered some 40 years ago, and its style of music and dance have grown old with the passing of time, it still demands respect for its combination and imaginative ideas that revolutionized the musical industry at the time. Rodgers and Hammerstein were the dominate force in musical comedy in the 1940's and 50's. Even their flops had notable songs. Several of their shows became successful films. Oklahoma!'s importance in opening a new era in the American Musical Theatre will never be challenged. It has become an American classic that society will forever treasure for its beautiful integration of song and dance. Works Cited Bordman, Gerald. American Musical Comedy. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1986. ---. American Musical Theater: A Chronicle. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1986. Ewen, David. American Musical Theater. New York: Henry Holt, 1959. ---. The Story of America’s Musical Theater. New York: Chilton, 1968. Green, Stanley. The World of Musical Comedy. Washington, DC: Da Capo, 1980. Swain, Joseph P. The Broadway Musical: A Critical and Musical Survey. Oxford: Oxford UP, 1990.

Uña de Gato or Cat s Claw: Another Valuable Treasure from the Peruvian Rain Forest :: Botany

UÃ ±a de Gato or Cat' s Claw: Another Valuable Treasure from the Peruvian Rain Forest Cat's Claw, also commonly called UÃ ±a de Gato, is a breakthrough herbal medicine that is reported to be beneficial to the treatment of cancer, digestion disorders, Crohn's disease, arthritis, diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, bursitis, rheumatism, genital herpes and herpes zoster, allergies, ulcers, systemic candidiasis, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS), along with numerous other bowl and intestinal disorders. It also is noted to have positive effect on immune system problems, including those infected with the HIV virus. This wonder drug seems to have surpassed the capabilities of other sought after natural medicinal products such as golden seal, astragalus, Siberian Ginseng, maitake, and shark cartilage. (Steinberg 1994) Cat's Claw is a woody vine that grows over 100 feet in length that is indigenous to the Amazon Rainforest and other tropical areas of South and Central America including Peru, Columbia, Ecuador, Guyana, Trinidad, Venezuela, Suriname, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Panama. (www.raintree.com/catclaw.htm). Cat's Claw is from two closely related species. Uncaria tomentosa and Uncaria guianensis and both are used interchangeably by the locals. The difference between the two species is that U. tomentosa has smaller yellowish-white flowers and is found in elevations of 700 to 2500 meters while, U. guainensis has thorns that are more curved and reddish-orange flowers and is found at lower elevations. (Moss 1995 and www.rain-tree.com/catclaw.htm). According to legend, Cat's Claw was discovered by a despaired Peruvian hunter who was having difficulty getting game for his family. Then one day, he observed a jaguar that was clawing at a vine and also drinking the water that was seeping from it. Immediately after the jaguar finished drinking, he made a successful kill. The hunter decided to follow the lead of the jaguar and drank some of the water from the vine. Immediately, the hunter felt rejuvenated. The next day, the hunter woke up full of newfound strength. He finally made a successful hunting excursion and was able to bring home much needed food for his family. In the mid 1960's, an European teacher, Arturo Brell, and U.S. professor Eugene Whitworth, were the first to document the tribal uses of this plant. They also took plant samples and performed some screening for the active components (www.rain-tree.com/catclaw.htm). However, they did not market their discovery. Shortly afterwards, Cat's claw was rediscovered by Claus Keplinger, an Austrian scientist of Innsbruck University. (Moss 1995)

British Telecommunications and the Drivers of Globalization

Globalization is a phenomenon most often discussed among economists. Most of us have often heard that business is no longer restrained by political or cultural boundaries. Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) expand with little regards of geographical or cultural distance among their target markets. All decisions within a company are made with the additional consideration of how the international world will affect the results of that decision, a factor that most businesses ignored in some earlier decades.As indicated above, discussions about globalization are mostly about its effects toward the business environment, rather than its causes. Companies are more interested toward how a phenomenon will affect their financial conditions rather than where or what the phenomenon is actually coming form. Within this paper however, I will discuss several drivers of globalization. The drivers will be taken from various perspectives about globalization. To provide more connection to the internationa l business environment, we will use the British Telecom, one of the most successful MNEs in the global communication industry, as a reference to help define and justify the drivers of globalization.Furthermore, this paper will discuss the view of whether MNEs are actually competing globally or only regionally. There are arguments among scholars that the global economy do not actually existed. Globalization has taken us through national boundaries but it stopped in regional limits. In other terms, MNEs are not actually operating with global factors within their considerations, but rather regional factors. This view will be examined as we discuss the development of British Telecom.I. Literature ReviewII.1Corporations as Principle DriversAccording to Ron Blackwell (2002), corporations are the principle drivers of globalization. In the process of increasing their market share, corporations found that they need to expand further that their national boundaries allowed. While rapidly inter nationalizing their operations, most corporations fundamentally altered their structure and strategies, boosting the change of their national economy into a more globalize economy.This phenomena might not be observable in the US or European soil, because the process of corporations breaking through national boundaries have occurred several decades ago. However, the phenomenons are still happening today within the Asian and other developing economies. Economist have long predicted that Asia will be the center of massive economic growth in the near future, and the prophecy is fulfilled as China and India are increasingly integrated to the global economy.II.2Political, Technological and Social ConditionsIII.2.1 Market Oriented-PoliciesBeside the principle factor mentioned above, many arguments brought forward other causes of globalization. One of the popular ones is the influence of market-oriented policies. In China for example, the change of governmental policies regarding foreign in vestment and trade was the greatest factor that supported growth of the economy. Several decades ago, China was a country considered to have a ‘closed economy’. Today, the country is the largest recipient of the world’s Foreign Direct Investment and recognized as the most potential market in Asia (Diaz, 2001).III.2.2 Communication and Transportation TechnologyTechnological changes have also contributed to the process of turning the world into a single global economy. The internet spawned the e-commerce, which displayed a tremendous increase in its role in business and trade. As people in modern countries crave the ease of trade provided by the internet, the growth of e-commerce is predicted to last indefinitely. Furthermore, advanced transportation equipment also has a significant role in accelerating the globalization process.II.2.3  Ã‚   Global PhenomenaSocial conditions that supported globalization process consist of several important phenomena. One of those phenomena is the end of the cold war. The reduction of conflicts causes competitive environment for business development and population growth. It was recorded that the number of people on the planet is more than doubled since the 1960’s (Kohl, 2000). Both the reduction of conflicts and the increasing population created more economic, social and environmental linkages, which in the end, spawned globalization. Further analysis and identification of the drivers of globalization will be performed using the British Telecom plc.II. British TelecommunicationsIII.1  Ã‚  Ã‚   Corporate BackgroundBritish Telecommunication Plc is responsible for approximately 25 million telephone lines in the United Kingdom. The company is an international corporation which own and runs most of the telephone exchanges, trunk network and local loop connections for the vast majority of British fixed line telephones. The company, British Telecom is formed in 1981 and has developed itself into five larg e business divisions today, they are: BT Retail, BT Wholesale, Openreach, BT Global Services, BT Exact/One IT. The divisions provide communication services ranging from retailing telecoms to consumers to research & development and consultancy.There are several reasons why the observation on British Telecom is connected to the study of globalization and considered interesting by many. First, the UK telecommunication market was among the first telecommunication market that was deregulated in the early 1980’s. Several of the most influential regulatory innovations, like the price cap regulation was also developed and first implemented in UK telecommunications. Second, the British telecom was the first communication company in the world that was privatized in the early 1980’s. Third, because the UK telecommunication market was the first to be exposed to public interference, communication within the industry is ten years ahead of other European countries.III.2 Corporate Int ernationalizationIII.2.1 Role of Government PolicyAccording to the theories mentioned in the second chapter, there are several drivers of globalization with different emphasize on their significance. Generally, economists acknowledge that companies are the strongest driver of globalization and its processes. Despite the fact that this statement might be true for most MNE’s, regarding the British Telecom, I found that governmental policies are the most influential factor comparatively.Before its privatization in 1984, the British Telecom was granted the right for a monopoly over the fixed line network operations. This boosted the development of the company long enough to provide itself with strong infrastructure to face competitions. Having a major early start at the game, since its privatization, the company has been known as one of the strongest companies in UK. Government monopoly policies which then followed by the market oriented policies helped brought the company to its current position as a market leader in communication (Summanen, 2002).II.2.2  Ã‚   The Role of Corporate ExpansionThe second largest factor, which I believe was the effort within the corporation itself, came in some time after the company was privatized. In 1993, the company announced a joint global alliance through a new joint venture company. This new company is considered as the bridge which leads British Telecom into leading the global telecommunications operator. In order to expand the business by obtaining multinational clients, BT formed and acquired stakes of several joint venture companies overseas. Some of them were Albacom in Italy, Viag Interkom in Germany, Telenordia in Sweden, Dacom in Korea, etc. All of this was performed after there is a leadership change from Sir George Jefferson to Sir Iain Vallance as chairman of the group. This displayed the tremendous role of managerial decisions in the process of BT’s internationalization (Summanen, 2002).II.2.3  Ã‚   Role of Technology and Social FactorsThe changing culture and the increasingly rapid growth of the economy boosted telecommunication business. The 2001residential fixed telephone volumes were recorded to double as much as it was in 1996. Within the same period, local call volumes decreased and national and international call volumes increased. Furthermore, the role of technology in the development of British Telecom can be observed through the statistics also. From 1997 to 2001, calls to mobiles have been recorder to increase tremendously. This increase continues until today (Summanen, 2002).II.2.4  Ã‚   Competing GloballyIn terms of strategic market share, the British Telecom displayed a global approach throughout its lines of business. BT’s overseas activity targets were set to various markets in the world, divided into three segments: the North America market, the Mainland Europe market and the Asia-Pacific region. In North America, the company partnered with MCI to s upport growth. The largest focus is still in its home market and the mainland Europe using its core brands and the market Asia-Pacific region is still being developed (Sumanen, 2002).BibliographyBlackwell, Ron. 2005. ‘Hearing before the US-China Economi ad Security Review Commission Regarding Corporate Globalization Strategies China and the Future of Globalization’.Diaz-Bonilla, E and S Robinson eds. 2001. ‘Shaping Globalization for Poverty Alleviation and Food Security’. 2020 Vision Focus * Washington, D.CKohl, R and K, Orourke. 2000. ‘Whats new About Globalization: Implications for Income Inequality in Developing Countries’ Paper for Organizations for Economic Cooperation and Development Conference on’ Poverty and Income Inequality in Developing Countries’ Paris.Summanen, Tuamo. 2002. ‘British Telecom: Searching for a Winning Strategy’. Available at: msl1.mit.edu/CMI/furd_2002_a/btcase.pdf

Accounting for managerial decisions

Which of the following costs related to the purchase of production equipment incurred by BBC Company during 2013 would be considered an expense (revenue expenditure)? B. Purchase price of the equipment less the cash discount c. Repair and maintenance costs during the equipment's first year of service d. Transportation charges to deliver the equipment to BBC Company 4. Clear Window Cleaners purchased new cleaning equipment at the beginning of 2013. The equipment has a cost of $37 000, an estimated life of five years, and an estimated residual value of $7 000.A full year's depreciation expense is to be recorded in 2013. The equipment was used 20 000 hours during 2013 and 24 000 hours during 2014. The number of expected hours over five years is 100 000. Clear Window is comparing the straight-line and reducing-balance depreciation methods. Of these two methods, which method creates the larger expense and larger tax savings 2013? A. Straight-line depreciation creates the larger expense, w hile reducing-balance depreciation creates the larger tax savings b. Straight-line depreciation creates both the larger expense and the larger tax paving c.Reducing-balance depreciation creates both the larger expense and the larger tax d. Reducing-balance depreciation creates the larger expense, while straight-line depreciation creates the larger tax savings 5. Current accounting standard SAAB 116 indicates that the costs of intangible assets with an indefinite life, such as goodwill, should: a. Not be amortized, but should be reviewed annually for impairment b. Be reported on the statement of retained earnings in the year in which acquired d. Be debited to an expense account entirely in the year in which acquired 6.The equipment had cost $45 000 and its accumulated depreciation amounted to $20 000 at the time of the sale. What are the net effects on the accounting equation of selling the equipment? A. Assets and equity increase $30 000 b. Assets decrease and equity increases $5 00 0 d. Assets and equity decrease $5 000 8. Wong purchased equipment at the beginning of July 2012 for $21 000. Wong decided to depreciate the equipment over a five year period using the straight-line method. Wong estimated the equipment's residual value at $1 000. The estimated fair market value at the end of June 2013 was $20 000.Which of the following statements is correct concerning Wing's financial statements at 30 June 2013? A. The carrying amount of the equipment is $16 000 b. The carrying amount of the equipment is $17 000 c. The total accumulated depreciation is $4 200 d. The equipment will be reported on the statement of financial position at it fair market value of $20 000 9. Chou Zero purchased equipment at the beginning of July 2013 for $200 000. Chou Zero decided to depreciate the equipment over a five year period using the reducing-balance method. Chou Zero estimated the equipment's residual value at 20 000.Which of the following statements is correct concerning Chou Ze ro's financial statements at 30 June 2014? A. The carrying amount of the equipment is $120 000 b. The carrying amount of the equipment is $80 000 c. The total accumulated depreciation is $90 000 d. Depreciation expense for 2013 is $72 000 10. The effect of recording depreciation for the year is: a. A decrease in assets and a decrease in total comprehensive income c. An increase in assets and an increase in total comprehensive income d. A decrease in total comprehensive income and no change in assets

Huck Finn as a Round Character Essay

In the novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn several characters are introduced. Some of them are round characters who are talked a lot about and are described in detail. Others are flat characters who don’t change throughout the novel. Huck Finn is an example of a round character because in the beginning we meet him as a young boy who is growing up in Hannibal, Missouri getting â€Å"sivilized† by two sisters. He spends most of his time teaming up with his friend Tom, against Miss Watson’s slave, Jim. After running away and faking his own death we see Huck start to make his own decisions and become friends with Jim when they run into each other on Jackson Island. As a reader you see him mature, become more of a rebel and take risks, and grow friendships. â€Å"To live with fear and not be afraid is the greatest sign of maturity.† If this quote by Edward Weeks is true then Huck Finn is the greatest example of maturity. While traveling down the Mississipp i River Huck shows maturity when he runs into two strangers and he allows them to travel with him and Jim. From the start Huck knew the two men were troublemakers who seemed to be no good, but he still took them in. Not long after the duke and the king lie to Huck and Jim and although Huck realized it he did not say anything. ‘But I never said nothing, never let on; kept it to myself; it’s the best way; then you don’t have no quarrels, and don’t get into no trouble†¦I hadn’t no objections, ‘long as it would keep peace in the family.’ (Twain 116-125) Huck also shows his maturity when the duke and the king steal from the Wilks family. Huck tries to help the family by stealing their money back from them and hiding it in the coffin. Instead of him letting the con men steal and possibly benefiting from it, Huck did what he knew was right. In this novel Tom Sawyer seems to bring out the rebellious side of Huck Finn. He never wants to go without and adventure. To keep Tom satisfied Huck and Tom go along with him and steal a variety of items from Aunt Sally: spoons, candles, sheet, shirt, etc. For a boy Huck’s age to fake his death is a big risk . From that point on Huck continues to take risks with faking who he is with and what he is doing. After escaping and running into Jim, Huck has a huge decision to make of whether to turn him in, or stay by his side. He decided to write a letter to Miss Watson, but never ended up sending it to her. From that point on Huck shows how loyal he is to his friendship. When Tom Sawyer shows back up in the novel Huck winds himself up into unnecessary trouble. That is when Huck’s loyalty to Jim is tested. Tom never sees Jim as a human being so for Huck to start to think of him as more than just a slave and stand up for him and continue to never leave his side is an example of being a great friend. For a young boy who is traveling down the Mississippi River with just himself and a runaway slave Huck shows huge acts of kindness and loyalty while at the same time going against the rules of society. As Mark Twain’s Huck Finn said, â€Å"What’s the use you learning to do rig ht, when it’s troublesome to do right and ain’t no trouble to do wrong, and the wages is just the same (Twain 91)?† Although he never became the â€Å"sivilized† boy Miss Watson would have liked for him to be you notice Huck maturing, having a rebellious side, and making a great friendship.

Philosophy Exam Questions Essay

  1.what is soft determinism? Soft determinism( compatibilism) is the doctrine that determined actions can nevertheless be free.   2. What is traditional compatibilism? Traditional compatibilism is the doctrine that free actions are caused by one’s will and not externally constrained. 3. What is stace’s explanation of how all our actions have causes ,yet some actions are free?   His explanation is those acts that are directly cause by the internal psychological states of the agent are free. we can be held responsible only for the acts we perform freely. 4. What is Taylor’s ingenious physiologist thought experiment?What is Taylor’s drug addiction thought experiment?how do these two experiments undermine traditional compatibilism?   Taylor’s ingenious physiologist thought experiment is about a man who is hooked up to wires and controlled by various button, sort of like Frankenstein. Taylor’s drug addiction thought experiment is about being addicted to drugs simply by being given the drugs over a course of time. These two experiments undermine traditional compatibilism because in the ingenious physiologist experiment both of the conditions of traditional compatibilism are met but the person being controlled actions aren’t free because his desires are not his own. They come from the physiologist, not from himself.in Taylor’s drug addiction experiment undermines traditional compatibilism because if your will is under your control your actions aren’t free. 5. What is frankfurt’s decision inducer thought experiment? How does it attempt to undermine the traditional notion of responsibility?   Frankfurt’s decision induce thought experiment describes a situation in which jones can’t do otherwise because black won’t let him.but if jones does what black wants him to do without blacks intervening, then jones is responsible for what he does even though he couldn’t have done otherwise.   6. What is hierarchical compatilism? Hierarchical compatibilism is the doctrine that free actions are caused  by second- order volitions that one decisively identifies with. 7. What is slote’s hypnotized patient thought experiment? How does it attempt to undermine hierarchical compatibilism? >> Slote’s hypnotized patient thought experiment is about a man who is undecided between x any y so he visits a hypnotist who induced him into deciding in favor of x. It attempts to undermine hierarchical compatibilism 3.3 1. What is the libertarian argument? The libertarian argument is our free actions are under our control because they are caused by our selves. Your desires must be your own. 2. What premise of this argument is accepted by both libertarians and hard determinists? 3. What is event causation? Event causation is causation that occurs when one event causes another. 4. What is agent causation? Agent causation is causation that occurs when an agent (self, person) causes an event.   5. some people claim that our experience does not provide evidence that we sometimes act freely.what is their argument?what is the libertarian reply to this argument?

Dubliners as a Transition from Childhood to Adulthood

â€Å"Dubliners† is a very particular short-story cycle because, unlike most other cycles, the link between its stories is not based on the recurrence of major characters. Instead, Joyce manages to unify the collection by exploring the same themes, such as the desire to escape a routine and the connection between life and death, from different perspectives. Interestingly enough, these perspectives are tainted by the perceptions that different age cohorts have of their surroundings.The text as a whole delves into these issues from, initially, a more naive and childish point of view and progresses towards a more discouraged and somehow renouncing tone. â€Å"The Sisters† is basically the tale of how a young unnamed boy handles and mourns the death of his friend and mentor, Father Flynn. Although the age of this unnamed boy it not specified, the text abounds in evidence that might lead the reader to believe that this boy is only just discovering the twists and turns of lif e. With phrases like â€Å"the word paralysis†¦ it filled me with fear, and yet I longed to be nearer to it and to look upon its deadly work† (p. ), Joyce invites the reader to presume that this boy has never encountered death and is therefore intrigued by it. Then, Old Cotter, a family friend, repeatedly makes reference to how â€Å"there was something uncanny about [Father Flynn]† (p. 1) and that he â€Å"wouldn’t like children of [his] (†¦) to have too much to say to a man like that† (p1). Such evaluations and the fact that the boy has strange dreams about Father Flynn confessing his sins to him, give way to the reader’s suspicions that Father Flynn is actually a malevolent figure who acted as much more than a mentor.The boy’s inability to make sense of the true nature of his relationship with Father Flynn is also a clue to realizing that this boy is so young he has not yet been exposed to the dark, more vicious side of life. Th en, in â€Å"Araby†, another –or maybe the same- unnamed boy describes an intense crush he had on a friend’s sister. To impress her, the boy promises to go to the Araby Bazaar she so longed to go to and bring her a present. The boy meticulously plans his day and even reminds his uncle of his intentions so that the uncle will return home early and provide train fare.However, the uncle’s tardiness and the â€Å"intolerable delay† (p. 3) of the train, resulted in the boy arriving at Araby when â€Å"nearly all the stalls were closed and the greater part of the hall was in darkness† (p. 3). The boy, noticing the â€Å"English accents† (p. 3) of the salesmen, immediately feels disenchanted. Araby was not, after all, the fascinatingly exotic venue he had imagined it to be. By saying that he â€Å"saw [himself] as a creature driven and derided by vanity;† and that his eyes were †burdened with anguish and anger† (p. ), the boy puts into words his feeling of utter disappointment and frustration. This particular remark, which seems somehow inflated, might lead the reader to believe that this is the boy’s first love-related frustration. The whole of â€Å"Araby†, actually, seems to be the story of a boy who, for the first time in his life, tries to do something special for someone special; and his failure to succeed hits him hard. â€Å"Ivy Day in the Committee Room† is a more grown-up story which unfolds around a political conversation several canvassers hold.In this discussion, it is revealed that the campaigners widely disapprove of the candidate they are allegedly supporting. Already, remarks such as â€Å"Tricky Dicky Tierney† (p. 4) and â€Å"how does [Tierney] expect us to work for him if he won’t stump up? † (p. 5), remind the reader that the men who are talking are adults. Typically, one associates conviction, idealism and blind belief with the young, un touched generations. Conversely, one can associate skepticism and even cynicism with adults, who are those who have experienced frustrations and disappointments that have rendered them more pragmatic.Furthermore, in this short story, the politicians discuss the character of Charles Parnell, already deceased. The manner in which Joyce discusses the issue of Parnell’s death is utterly different from how death is presented in â€Å"The Sisters†. Whereas in the first short story what is explored is an individual’s encounter with death, which culminates in a private mourning in the presence of a body; â€Å"Ivy Day in the Committee Room† presents the death of Parnell as a matter of public opinion and it explores its effects on the Irish society as a whole.Therefore, it could be said that, considering this particular corpus of short stories, â€Å"Ivy Day in the Committee Room† marks the beginning of the more mature and public phase to which Harry Levin makes reference. Last but not least, â€Å"The Dead†, set at the annual dance and dinner party hosted by the Morkans, presents an eventful ball in which several interesting characters are introduced. All along the evening, awkward conversations occur and, through them, it is revealed that these characters are frustrated, exhausted and have given up all hopes.As the main character, Gabriel Conroy, enters the scene, he asks the Morkans’ housemaid, Lily, â€Å"I suppose we’ll be going to your wedding one of these fine days with your young man, eh? â€Å" (p. 3) to which she bitterly replies â€Å"the men that is now is only all palaver and what they can get out of you† (p. 3). Later on, the always-drunk Freddy Malins arrives and Aunt Kate asks Gabriel to â€Å"see if he’s all right, and don’t let him up if he’s screwed† (p. 5) to which she sharply adds â€Å"I’m sure he’s screwed. I’m sure he is† (p. ). Afterwards, Gabriel is cross-examined by a fervent supporter of Irish culture, Miss Ivors, as to why he would rather go to Belgium or France instead of visiting his own country. Following an uneasy exchange of ideas, Gabriel finally retorts â€Å"I’m sick of my own country, sick of it! † (p. 9). As the night ends, Gabriel’s wife, Gretta, becomes absorbed and detached. Irritated, Gabriel confronts her about her unbecoming behavior and, when she tells the story of how Michael Furey, â€Å"a boy[ she] used to know† (p. 7), died, he begins to reflect about love and life and death and finally realizes that â€Å"snow was (†¦) falling (†¦) upon all the living and the dead† (p. 30). All of these characters seem to embody the state of mind one can associate with the outcome of a long life of experience. Lily is utterly disappointed and does not believe in selfless love any more. Aunt Kate doubts that Freddy could ever be sober and, instead of hoping for the best, she only wishes to disguise the worst. Gabriel resents the culture of polarization in which he lives and grows tired of people imposing their opinions on each other.Gabriel finally realizes that nothing can be changed and that all are equal in the end. â€Å"The Dead† illustrates the stage of adulthood in which people no longer believe in the possibility of change and openly act as if nothing had to be concealed†¦ as if there was no tomorrow. Gabriel’s final ruminations add to the reader’s feeling that the characters are near the verge of death. To conclude, it could be said that â€Å"Dubliners† is the story of a city, a culture and the way in which those immersed in it grow up.The cycle begins with stories with younger, more naive protagonists; and then moves forward into stories with increasingly aged characters. Furthermore, the stories themselves become more complex, intricate and lengthy. In a way, Joyce manages to tell the story of the average Dubliner as he moves across the different periods of a human life by integrating the stories of different characters. The fact that all the stories could become the story of the standard citizen, adds to the effect that the book is indeed the story of he who lives in Dublin.

Fence discrimination defence(not sure which one) Essay

Fence discrimination defence(not sure which one) - Essay Example The fences we put up are getting bigger, more inhuman and harder to overcome. It is the argument of this paper that these fences should not be allowed to exist, that we should not fence people in, whether the context is moral, social or cultural. Dr. Christina Kochemidova , in her article The Culture of the Fence: Artifacts and Meanings, brings up the various contexts a fence can be looked at. A fence can be used in many ways; as a bar, or barrier, to prevent ingress or to prevent escape. Alternatively it can be used as simply a marker, to demarcate a boundary. More often, fences are used as a division and increasingly as a means of control. These sorts of fences are invisible; they exist as rules, laws, and attitudes. This is also noted by Naomi Klein in her article Don' Fence Us In. There are numerous examples of this; racism, privatization and property rights are the most prevalent. These create barriers that are incredibly difficult to overcome. Man may have originally have used the fence to demarcate, but over the centuries it has evolved into more; a protective barrier, in one way, to keep the "other" out. The other can be anyone we perceive as a threat, or conversely anyone we wish to control. The fence as a control measure is frightening. This avatar is especially clear in the case of racism Racism is universal. Whether it manifests itself as the oppression and slavery of blacks in the United States, or as hatred of Pakistanis and Muslims in Norway, or the conflict between Hindus and Muslims in India and Pakistan, the common factor is the segregation and separation of two peoples based on the belief of the inherent superiority of one over the other. In fact, the word "apartheid" was created from the Afrikaans word for "separate"; the whole concept of a fence lies in that word. Racism has been responsible for some of the most horrible atrocities ever committed; the Holocaust, the slavery of blacks. In the United States, prior to the Civil War, Blacks were not even allowed the right to be citizens of the country; they were not even given the right to be considered human. Segregation in the south of the country took the form of separate facilities for everything including transport and housing. Even when they were finally recognized under the Constitution, they were still e ducated separately under the guise of "separate but equal" schools under the law. This sort of segregation is a fence. It separates and empowers one group, and suppresses another as is evidenced by the example given above. Denying an ethnic group the status of "human" is one of the most horrific fences that can be put up. This status was used to control the blacks and keep them "in their place". Denied education, proper housing, denied their very independence, the blacks were successfully controlled by these fences that kept them exactly where they were wanted. Education became an extremely important way to break out of these barriers. However, as noted by Hansman et al, education itself is prone to racist overtones. They remark that in many multicultural institutions, the structure of the work is planned around the majority culture, thereby leading to the ineffectual training of minority groups. Institutional factors therefore have a role in maintaining racial prejudice. Another