Consumer behavior and pruchasing decisions Essay

Consumer behavior and pruchasing decisions - Essay Example It is only through this manner that the understanding between the business world and the consumer can transform into a profitable venture. Customers need the business world to understand them and avail to them what they want. On the other hand, the players in the business world need the resources that the consumer has in order to turn in a profit. Hence the concept of understanding the marketing stimuli is a mutually beneficial affair. This paper then discusses this concept through an analysis of the marketing dynamics and the marketing stimuli in the need to anticipate and fulfill the customer’s expectations and wants. In so doing, the paper will examine several elements under this concept which includes an explanation of how an understanding of consumer behaviour reduces decision risk for marketers in the definition of target markets and the design of marketing mixes, the analysis of the consumer decision making process, the understanding of how consumers evaluate the goods and services they buy and consume, the consumer involvement and types of buying decisions that these consumers make, the cultural factors that influence purchase decisions, the social factors and purchase decisions and the individual psychological factors influencing the purchase decisions. ... Marketing mix and stimuli defined Marketing mix is a concept widely applied in the world of business to ensure that the products that are delivered to the customers fit the four basic dynamics of place, price,  product and promotion. Marketing stimuli takes a look into the four elements as have been analysed in the marketing mix too. However, the marketing stimuli goes further to address other elements namely economic, technological, political, cultural as well as competitive element. For a product to be attractive to the customers, it must be selling at a price that appeals to the specific target of consumers, it must be made available where and when it is needed and a certain degrees of promotion of the product must have been carried out. However, it is important to note that other factors also influence the manner in which the marketing is conducted out. The marketing stimuli as named above clearly shows that the marketing dynamics could also be affected by other external forces . The economic aspect is one of them. If the economy of a country is doing well, then that particular country becomes a target for many marketers and many business people. Technological forces may also affect the marketing stimuli. Without the knowledge and subsequent employment of technology in such a manner that allows for the production of goods in an optimal capacity, there is a challenge of producing products that fit with the consumer’s expectations. The other factors namely political, technological, cultural and even competitive also contribute towards the market stimulation or otherwise. The coca cola brand; brief introduction Coca cola is worldwide recognized brand. They are the makers of the

Results negatively Essay Example for Free

Results negatively Essay According to this result then, we must accept the null hypothesis that there is no significant association between the age of the children and the ability to conserve number. Discussion Having analysed the results, with the df of 5, the critical value for an alpha value of 0. 05 is 11. 07 and because our figure was smaller than this, the result becomes non-significant. Consequently, there was no significant relationship between the age of children and their ability to conserve number. Hence the experimental hypothesis was rejected and the null hypothesis accepted. Compared to the 3 year old children, the 5 year olds conserved slightly better. Only 4 of the 3-year-olds got the right answer whereas 5 of the 5-year-olds answered correctly. Having said this, 3 year old tended to get more wrong answers. 8 of the 3-year-olds got the wrong answer, compared to only 5 wrong answers from the five-year-olds. This shows that there may be a slight difference between 3 and 5 year olds in conserving number, as 5-year-olds seemed to conserve better. Also during the experiment it was observed that, in the 3-year-old condition, 2 out of 7 children actually counted the blocks before answering. In contrast 5 out of 7 children counted before answering in the 5-year-old condition. The fact that those who did not count still got the right answer could be put down to the child simply guessing. As the outcomes of psychological experiments are often subject to uncertainty, interpretation is required in order to find out whether or not there is an association between the independent variable and the dependant variable. Similarly, there could be many different reasons as to why these differences occurred. Although this study did not portray any significant gender differences, variances in gender must be taken into account. The environment a child grew up in could effect their ability to conserve. Factors such as the childs parents financial position and educational status could effect the intelligence of a child. Due to lack of learning resources, the childs education could suffer because they are not able to achieve their full potential. In addition, biological and innate elements could account for the differences between the ability for the child to be able to conserve. Some children may be predisposed with such genes, which may hinder their progress. The results of this study agreed with Piagets views and conclusions. According to Piaget, the child did not posses the concept of the conservation of number. Similar to Piagets experiments and results, this study also found that there was no significant association between the childs age and the ability to conserve. Conversely, this study refutes Light et als conclusion that maybe Piaget underestimated the childs ability and stated that children can in fact conserve number. In a psychological experiment there are many components which could have effected the results. Similarly, the sample size of this experiment could have led the results to be non-generalisable. The sample size was extremely small this could have effected the results negatively. Firstly it lacks validity and reliability because the results could not be generalised. Secondly, if more children were used there was more chance of the results being reliable. In addition, there were many methodological problems, which could have biased the results especially due to the fact that the participants were children. During the course of the experiment, it was noticed that the children tended to give the experimenters opinion rather than their own by imitating the experimenters words. For instance, when the child was asked if the cubes were the same, less or more, then they tended to answer more. Conversely, when these same three words were said in a different order, the child still tended to repeat the experimenters last word. A way of eliminating this problem could be by asking the child to write their response down. Alternatively, a computer could be used to lessen the interaction between the experimenter and child, in order to use these two methods. However, further investigation maybe required, as some children may not be able to read or write. Another, vital observation was made, some children, especially the three year olds tended to treat the experiment as a game. After one answer, they wanted to start playing with the cubes. This problem could be overcome by making the whole process a bit more interesting for the child. Other factors, which were not directly visible, were that firstly, children may not understand what is being asked of them to do, therefore their answer may reflect self-desirability. Secondly, children especially the three-year-olds, do not always realise the difference between real and make believe. Thirdly, adults may find it difficult to relate to children as their emotions and ways of thinking contrast. Fourthly, children should be relaxed, they might feel threatened at the slightest of things. In addition, children need an incentive or motive to do something for someone and are very easily influenced. A cognitive explanation of this is that children have short attention spans therefore get bored easily and want to do something else. Having said this though, problems like these exist in every experiment regardless of whether the participants are children. The sign of a true experiment is one, which devises new techniques to overcome the difficulties. In conclusion, it can be said that the findings of these studies are in line with previous studies, specifically Piagets. Therefore according to this study results children still do not have the ability to conserve number.

Satire :: essays research papers

Country vs. Court There are many different ways to reveal one's perception of society. In art for instance, the reflection may be revealed in the form of a sculpture, a song or a picture. Satire is one the ways that the reaction or perception of life is expressed. People look at life from different stand points, as matter of fact, they naturally perceive it in numerous ways. As a result of the variety in perception, the way of revealing the effects or reflections of these perceptions also shows variety. In the satiric work of Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† and George Orwell’s â€Å"Animal Farm† both authors make a distinction between country vs. court or in Orwell’s case, country (people) vs. government. Gulliver's first adventure takes place in Lilliput. Gulliver gets shipwrecked and finds himself tied down by a considerable number of little people called Lilliputians. The Lilliputians stood only six inches high. During this time Swift recognized that England was also small in stature but was dominant force and had a great influence in Europe. England, despite its small size, had the potential to defeat any nation that might try to conquer them. Swift relates this situation with the Lilliputians. They only stood six inches tall but had the power to take on the, "Man-Mountain", Gulliver. The ability of the Lilliputians to capture someone ten times their size can be seen as reinforcing their strength as a small nation, such as England. Thus becoming and remaining a great and powerful country. Swift further illustrates satire of the country vs. court distinction by comparing English government to Lilliput. In the early eighteenth century, the English government was under the Whig's political party. Swift represented himself as Gulliver as being a Tory, and the Lilliputians as being power-hungry Whigs. Their heels of their shoes identified these parties. In Lilliput the High-Heels represented the Tories and the Low-Heels represented the Whigs. George I favored the Whigs, so the Lilliputian emperor favored the Low-Heals. But the Prince of Whales favored both parties, and thus the Lilliputian heir to the throne wore one High-Heel and one Low. When Gulliver started learning about the Lilliputians government he noticed that their government officials were chosen by rope dancing. To Gulliver and the reader these practices seem ridiculous and idiotic, but to the Lilliputians they see these practices as normal. Swift uses this scene to satire the British government at this time.

Evolution of Management Essay

From the Biblical times we find monarchies of the time use some form of management to lord over the great kingdoms such as the Egyptians who used hierarchy management to build the pyramids, Moses leading the Israelites through the desert to the promised land and King David when he was in charge of the kingdom of Israel. In Ancient civilizations, the Roman Empire made use of devolved government to manage the vast empires resources. This was done through governors’ who were in charge of certain areas as we see in the bible during the birth of Jesus Christ. We can find artifacts that in old cities such as Jerusalem where we find aqueducts that give us an idea of how they managed the water resources. Modernization of the world led to cities and towns that brought about the need to manage the resources in order to provide services to the people living within them. We also find management in the church and military before the industrial revolution. The Roman Catholic Church is one example that has had an impact on management as we see in the catholic hierarchy led by the pope and includes cardinals, patriarchs, and bishops. The Military has greatly influenced management through power vested in positions in the chain of command. Management continued to evolve and we find individuals in history who have made contributions to the art of management as we know it; Luka Pacioli was an Italian mathematician considered the father of accounting. He invented the double entry accounting system. Adam Smith was a political economist whose concepts on economics at the beginning of the industrial revolution contributed greatly to management today. Robert Owens, Charles Babbage, Henry Vernum Poor and Henry Robinson Towne are other individuals who were influential to management in this era. With the onset of the industrial revolution, new ways of management came into play as new generations looked to increase productivity of organizations. Classical Era Scientific Management Scientific management was pioneered by Frederick W. Taylor a mechanical engineer who sought to improve industrial efficiency. He saw the need to have management design jobs properly and provide incentives to motivate workers to achieve higher productivity. His ideology was to find the best practice, decompose the task into its constituent elements and get rid of things that do not add value. Taylor’s scientific management gave way to specialization and is considered the basis to many other management systems that came after. Taylor was supported in this new way of management by Henry Gantt who is accredited with the Gantt chart that is widely used for project management. Frank and Lillian Gilbreth were also early advocates of the scientific management system. Through the motion study, Frank sought to make the processes more efficient by reducing the motions while Lillian’s interest was on the human aspect of work. The human aspect of the scientific management principles seek to understand the workers personality and needs. Administrative Management Henri Fayol, was a French engineer and manager of the mines developed the administrative theory of management. He viewed management as an activity common to all human undertakings. He is credited to giving us the first comprehensive functions of management; 1.Planning  2.Organizing 3.Command/Direct 4.Coordinate 5.Control He urged that management was an all encompassing activity that should be taught in schools, colleges and universities. This approach proposed that management is a skill which can be acquired if its principles are understood and rejected the idea that â€Å"managers are born, not made†. Bureaucratic Management A German Sociologist, Max Weber’s approach to management was by focusing on the organizational structure. His views divided organizations into hierarchies with clear lines of authority and control, divided labor such that authority and responsibility are clearly defined and legitimized, organizational officials are appointed and not elected, organization members are selected on the basis of their technical qualification obtained through formal education and training. Organizations are to treat all employees and customers equally and not be influenced by differences. Weber’s principles on organizing can create stable, organized and systematic organizations but make it difficult for the organization to adapt to changing environments and new challenges. Neo-Classical Era Operations Management (Research) Operations management, also known as quantitative management, gives a quantitative basis for decision making. It is characterised by the search for the optimal answer to a problem by using quantitative models. It specially deals with the development of mathematical models to aid in decision making and problem solving. This theory holds that managing is a logical and rationale process, so it can be expressed in terms of mathematical models.

The Role of Culture in International Management

‘One of the most important rules to remember when working within a multi-national organization is that there is not necessarily one right way of doing things,'says Professor Geert Hofstede With developing globalization of business across the world, the ability of employees to work effectively and efficiently has become increasingly important to the entities success. Cross-cultural understanding by individuals and the organization as a whole serves to eliminate misunderstandings that could harm the business and maximize the best attribute each individual has to offer. Effective international managers are those with the wisdom to seek competitive edge through intercultural training, gaining a complete understanding of their global markets so they can plan and execute accordingly. in addition the new, globalized, borderless economy is facing international managers. The premise has changed from unlimited growth to uncertainty and caution, but importantly, the premise of opportunity in global business remains unchanged. The uncertain economy and increasing geopolitical complexity simply levels the playing field for managers around the world. How managers respond, how they manage and turn the increasing threats into opportunities, becomes vital to success in today's environment. Now, more than ever, all students must recognize that they will have the qualifier â€Å"international† in front of whatever their chosen career field. The whole world is now connected electronically and psychologically; it is hard to imagine any business or nonbusiness organization that is not directly affected by globalization. The challenge in the uncertain global economy is to learn and effectively practice international management. Those with the knowledge and skills to apply on international management will be taking a big step toward gaining a competitive advantage in today's uncertain, unprecedented environment.

Continental Philosophy Essay

Continental Philosophy Essay Free Online Research Papers Continental philosophy developed on the European continent as a result of the philosophy of Georg Hegel. Hegel built onto the ideas of Kant, and argued that everything is a construct of reason. He claimed that his system of philosophy was a culmination of all previous philosophical thought. Hegel’s philosophy is referred to as Absolute Idealism, which basically gave meaning to every aspect of life, the world, and the cosmos; we further argued that everything is interconnected. He also argued that life, humans, and the world around us are rational. Much of what happened to philosophy in Europe was a direct result of the philosophies of Hegel. The result on the European continent was Existentialism and phenomenology. Existentialism One of the main themes of existentialism is that the world is irrational and absurd, or at the very least beyond total comprehension. Existentialist philosophers also believed that human existence is plagued by anxiety, dread, self-doubt, and despair, brought on by senselessness, emptiness, triviality, separation, and the inability to communicate. Existentialist philosophers argued that humans choose how he or she lives in this absurd and irrational world. Existentialism can be thought of as the twentieth-century analogue of nineteenth-century romanticism. The two movements have in common the demand that the whole fabric of life be recognized and taken into account in our thinking and acting. As such they express a form of resistance to reductionist analyses of life and its meaning for human beings. But there are also significant differences. Existentialism is typically focused on individual human lives and the poignant inevitability of suffering and choice for each individual whereas romanticism tended to be more oriented to the whole of nature and saw human beings as a part of that wider picture. Furthermore, romanticism flourished before the wars and genocides of the twentieth century whereas existentialism is born amid those horrors. The philosophical existentialists divide roughly between the atheistic and the religious. SÃ ¸ren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) is often considered to be the father of them all, but Friedrich Nietzsche is a crucial figure at the origins of the developing line of atheistic existentialism. Religious existentialists included both Jews such as Martin Buber (1878-1965) and Christians such as Paul Tillich (1886-1965). Other religious existentialists include Karl Jaspers, Gabriel Marcel, and Karl Rahner. The atheistic existentialists include Martin Heidegger (1889-1976) though he denied that he was an existentialist, and Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980). The philosophy of existentialism was a response to social ills of the times; the concept was also embraced by artists. Both Albert Campus and John-Paul Sartre were not only existentialist philosophers but also artists, writing novels, drama, and political statements. Both of the philosophers felt it was important to distribute their ideas and philosophies into society in the hope of having an influence on world events. Both were involved in the French Resistance during World War II against the German fascists. Both of them felt that; despite their shared believe that live is absurd, social action is necessary. They also felt that an understanding of current world events and political forces was essential. Phenomenology Phenomenology is a philosophical movement based on the investigation of ‘phenomena’ rather than on the existence of anything outside of human consciousness. Phenomenology was founded in the early years of the 20th century by the German philosopher Edmund Husserl, who hoped to return philosophy to concrete experience and to reveal the essential structures of consciousness. In an amended form, Husserls phenomenology was developed by his student Martin Heidegger, and became an important influence on existentialism and the modern tradition of hermeneutics. Husserl desired to reaffirm Europe’s fleeting belief in the possibility of certainty by inventing a science that studies the structures that are the same for every being. To this end he developed transcendental phenomenology. It was the purpose of transcendental phenomenology to investigate phenomena without making assumptions about the world. Husserl referred to this form of investigation as phenomenological reduction. The purpose is to examine the meaning produced by pure impersonal consciousness and to describe the human life-world in terms of those things which all human beings share, essences. Martin Heidegger is acknowledged to be one of the most original and important philosophers of the 20th century, but also the most controversial. He made contributions to many fields, such as phenomenology, existentialism, hermeneutics, political theory, psychology theology, and postmodernism. His main concern was ontology or the study of being. In his fundamental treatise, Being and Time, he attempted to access being by means of phenomenological analysis of human existence in respect to its temporal and historical character. In his later works Heidegger had stressed the nihilism of modern technological society, and attempted to win western philosophical tradition back to the question of being. He placed an emphasis on language as the vehicle through which the question of being could be unfolded, and on the special role of poetry. His writings are notoriously difficult. Being and Time remains still his most influential work. These two conversations or traditions of philosophy developed as a response to Hegelian idealism. This idea that everything is a construct of reason caused great thinkers to emerge to provide their ideas about the subject. Many of these great thinkers lived during times of turmoil, such as World War I, and World War II, it would have been hard to see that everything has a reason or logic behind it. References The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2007). Retrieved July 14, 2007, from iep.utm.edu/c/ Research Papers on Continental Philosophy EssayAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeGenetic EngineeringCapital PunishmentComparison: Letter from Birmingham and CritoBringing Democracy to AfricaQuebec and Canada19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraCanaanite Influence on the Early Israelite ReligionBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XHip-Hop is Art

The loons essays

The loons essays Margaret Laurence was one of the great Canadian fiction writers who was born in neepawa, Manitoba in 1926. She spent her childhood without her parents and was raised by her aunt. She is best known for her Manawaka novels: The Stone Angel, A Jest of God, The Fire Dwellers and The Diviners, which are considered classics of Canadian literature. A bird in the house is one of the best fictions written by Margaret Laurence. A Bird in the House is a series of eight interconnected short stories narrated by Vanessa MacLeod as she matures from a child at age ten into a young woman at age twenty. Wise for her years, Vanessa reveals much about the adult world in which she lives. "A Bird in the House achieves the breadth of scope which usually associates with the novel and thereby is as psychologically valid as a good novel, and at the same time uses the techniques of the short story form to reveal the different aspects of the young Vanessa. In loons, Margaret Laurence successfully describes the alienation felt by the young Piquettte tonnerre, who represent an ethnic group rejected by a cruel society, due to the fact that they are different. Piquette, a half breed, neither Cree nor French, is forced to grow up in this cruel and cold society (197). When describing piquettes status, Laurence allows the reader to understand how the society of the time perceived them: The tonnerres were French half breeds, and among themselves they spoke a patois that was neither Cree nor French. Their English was broken and full of obscenities. They were, as... Grandmother Macleod would have put it, neither flesh, fowl, nor good salt herring (197). Grandmother Macleod will refuse to join the whole family in one of their trips, simply because ill piquette will also go, Piquette had the tuberculosis of the bone (197). Ewen, if that half- breed youngster comes along to the diamond lake, I&ap...

What could possibly replace K-12 and collegeÂÂ

What could possibly replace K-12 and college   It’s no surprise to anyone that the world around us is changing faster than most people can keep up. Rapid technological innovation, increasing globalization of businesses and interconnectivity among people all over the world, and quickly evolving social and cultural norms are all helping to usher in a â€Å"brave new world† of sorts, with tangible ripple effects that affect how we live at all levels. Education is no different. We’ve already witnessed a paradigm shift in the way children are being educated in recent decades, with a greater focus on a STEM-centered (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education beginning in K-12 and continuing through college, and technology making learning more inventive and interactive.For example, in a recent article in Education Week, Richard Culatta, CEO of the International Society for Technology in Education, said the following regarding the biggest impact that technology is having in education: â€Å"Right now, the value is in access to high-quality resources. We’ve moved from 100 percent of learning materials coming from an out-of-date textbook, to interactive materials, and students in remote locations having access to high-quality resources. Technology has enabled learners to explore and learn on their own in ways that were harder to do when the resources all had to come from the teacher. It’s very powerful.†Current and emerging changes in an increasingly globalized world is leading many people- including education experts and educational technology insiders, as well as parents and students- to speculate on what could possibly replace our traditional K-12 and college learning models as we move forward. A perceptual shift regarding how educators are viewing their role in teaching students is taking place, with various ideas regarding a â€Å"traditional alternative approach† gaining attention.A recent article in Psychology Today  takes a closer look at à ¢â‚¬Å"Education’s Future: What Will Replace K-12 and College?† If you’re curious about what learning traditional learning alternatives could potentially disrupt the current field of education as we know it, keep reading!In his article, Peter Gray, Ph.D. and research professor at Boston College, as well as author of Free to Learn, highlights some of the deep problems with the current educational system: â€Å"Ever more people are becoming aware of the colossal waste of money, tragic waste of young people’s time, and cruel imposition of  stress  and  anxiety produced by` our coercive educational system†¦ Children come into the  world biologically designed to educate themselves.  Their curiosity, playfulness, sociability, and willfulness were all shaped by natural selection to serve the function of  education.  So what do we do?  At great expense (roughly $15,000 per child per year for public K-12), we send them to schools that deliberat ely shut off their educative instincts- that is, suppress  their curiosity, playfulness, sociability, and willfulness- and then, at great expense and trouble, very inefficiently and ineffectively try to educate them through systems of reward and  punishment  that play on hubris,  shame, and  fear.†The problems in education that Gray is passionately warning us about are not relegated to the formative K-12 learning years. He sees serious issues in higher education as well: â€Å"†¦what about those years of schooling that we call â€Å"higher education,† especially the four years toward a college degree?  Many young people, because of family and societal pressure, see that as essentially compulsory, too.  For them, college is just a continuation of high school- grades 13, 14, 15, 16.  And those years of schooling are even much more expensive than the earlier ones, which expense must generally be paid by the  parents  or through loans that can sad dle a person for decades.†Gray sees a more cost effective way forward in education, an approach that takes advantage of the natural way students learn and includes practical, real-world work exposure. He outlined the following three-phased approach to education as an effective way to approach K-12 and college education moving forward:Phase I: Learning about your world, yourself, and how the two fit together.According to Gray, the initial years of an individual’s life (the first 15 to 18 years, actually) are designed as a time of self-exploration, play, and discovery. We come to understand and make sense of our world and our place in it through these approaches. We also learn about who we are as unique individuals, what drives us and what we’re passionate about. Then, ideally we start formulating a plan for how we want to devote our time and energy in the future, as productive and functional adult members of society.Gray believes that this approach typifies  "Self-Directed Education,† also referred to as â€Å"unschooling,† and in his vision of the future, â€Å"publicly supported learning-and-recreation centers will enable everyone, regardless of family income, to educate themselves well in these ways.†Phase II: Exploring a career path.Gray contends that a big problem with our current educational system is that it is largely disconnected from clear pathways to the professional world: â€Å"One of the many problems with of our current educational system is that even after 17 years of schooling, including college, students have very little  understanding  of potential careers.  The only adult vocation they have witnessed directly is that of classroom teacher. A student may have decided, for some reason (maybe because it sounds prestigious), to be a doctor, or a  lawyer, or a  scientist, or a business executive, but the student knows little about what it means to be such a thing.†This is a big problem, and can ultimately lead to stressed out and confused parents and teens who have no practical tools for determining what career path is right for them.Gray has a more practical plan for combining real-world career experience and exposure with an education: â€Å"In the rational system of education that I have in mind, students would spend time working in real-world settings that give them an idea of what a career entails before they undertake specialized training for that career†¦In this way they would further their education and gain real world experience while drawing  at least some income rather than accumulating debt.†This approach to education isn’t exactly far off on the horizon. In fact, many companies are already recognizing the value of providing the next generation of employees with early exposure to potential career fields, and the rising number of apprenticeships across the country, according to available U.S. Labor Department data, is proof.Phase II I: Becoming credentialed for specialized work.Gray believes that getting credentialed for ones’ chosen field of work should be an essential aspect of their education. This should include any required specialized learning and training, as well as preparation for any testing required prior to entering the field. According to Gray, â€Å"This is the only phase of the educational system where testing should be essential.†Obviously, this level of individualization in education would require a complete departure from the one currently being used, which is why Gray feels strongly that ushering in a Self-Directed Education model as early as possible in a learner’s formative years  is critical.In sum, what does Gray see happening to the educational models and institutions we already have in place? â€Å"The graded K-12 schools will gradually  disappear, replaced by age-mixed learning centers supporting Self-Directed Education.  Universities will continue on, with public support as centers of research and scholarship.  They will not enroll â€Å"students,† as we think of them today, but, like other institutions, will bring in assistants and apprentices, some of whom may move on, through experience and desire, to become full-fledged scientists and scholars. Community colleges, which already provide useful,  often hands-on training for a variety of careers at relatively low cost,  may expand and become part of a growing system of apprenticeships that involve some classroom training related to potential employment.†Clearly, Gray has very specific ideas regarding what could possibly replace the current K-12 and college models- whether or not they are enacted on a wide scale, and the effect they will ultimately have, remains to be seen.

Air pollution in Shanghai, China Research Paper

Air pollution in Shanghai, China - Research Paper Example he Old city, Putua, Yangpu, and Zhabei with Chongming, Pudong, Western suburbs , Zhujiajiao and Southern suburbs making up the outer districts of the greater Shanghai city. The presence of the historic houses called the Shikumen just blends the European flair design with the Chinese houses. It is an industrial hub in china. The city is believed to rise to prominence after china lost the 1842 1st opium war. Shanghai’s climate is described as humid sub tropic. The city has two airports, with other means of transport such as use of buses, taxis, train and boats. Shanghai is located in the northern hemisphere. The latitude and longitude of the city is 31010’N,1210 28’E. The latitude with relation to the equator makes it same as Cairo, Brisbane and New Orleans. It is in the same hemisphere as Tokyo city. Air pollution is among the topics most often discussed this year in Shanghai city. The past two weeks has seen the people living in the Yangtze River delta breath air that was considered most polluted in a period of five years. Zhang, the director of the Shanghai environmental protection bureau considers transportation as the major source of pollution associate with air. Factory and emission from vehicles are considered the main pollutant in shanghai city. The measurement of the shanghai air pollution keeps on fluctuating from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups. Air pollution in shanghai is real. Particles in the shanghai environment tend to impair visibility due to the presence of smog in the atmosphere. Pollution in the shanghai city is caused by the emissions from the large number of vehicles in the city, dust particles, Emission from factories, coal combustions, and construction sites in various parts of Shanghai (Chan & Xiaohong, 25). Fine particles from such emissions are known to enter the blood circulation in the lung when inhaled from the atmosphere. They are therefore considered detrimental to the health of the human being. When the people

Renoir Etching and Drypoint Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Renoir Etching and Drypoint - Essay Example Their dresses have been engraved with lines that look wiry and have ends that taper. All other features of on these women depict the same quality of lines. Taking a closer look at the lines, they portray rough scratches made by some sharp pointed object. These lines have been repeatedly scratched on the plate so as to come up with complete images. The objects on the background, seemingly children playing, reveal this act of scratching without leaving distinct lines on the images. Furthermore, the ridges left after the engraving process are not very regular and deep. The burr, it seems, was not removed during the entire process of incising. From far, an audience may be under the impression that this piece of art is drawing; which is not the case. It is only a colorless ‘dry point’ that can create such a shadowy scratch on a plate. Nonetheless, the use ‘dry point’ has given the picture a feathery touch that may be attractive to most

Shitaos Drunk in Autumn Woods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Shitaos Drunk in Autumn Woods - Essay Example Concurrently, trees at the center of the painting are denser in darker hues of gray and black. These trees have shades of orange and rust in their leaves. It is at this focal point where viewers get the chance to observe that there are people (friends) in three sets of settings amidst the conglomerate of autumn trees. At the left and middle portions, there are two sets of friends in groups of three which could be interpreted as drinking and sharing stories. They are seated on the grass and garbed in traditional Chinese robes. In addition, also at the mid-section, there are also friends seen to be walking where two friends are side by side and one is situated at the back just beneath a tall tree. Likewise, at the right side, on the banks of a river and sitting on a small boat is another person. These friends could be analyzed as on their way to a destination beyond the small bridge. In addition, just perpendicular to the bridge, two friends on horseback are seen riding. Finally, at the left lower portion of the painting, there are people seated on the porch of a house, apparently waiting. More trees are shown in the lower portion of the painting sharing similar shades of gray some with orange leaves. The painting could be interpreted as a venue where friends share memorable moments through sharing stories and a drink under the autumn trees. Other people are travellers on a journey who seem to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere of the environment. The positioning of images in strategically selected positions.

Identify the spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation evident in Essay

Identify the spiritual reassessment or moral reconciliation evident in the ending of Frankenstein & its significance in the work as a whole - Essay Example I sickened as I read. ‘Hateful day when I received life’†! (126) Monster is the creation of human arrogance. A scientist, with his discovery, interferes in the work of God. He doesn’t realize how weak the human shoulders are to own this heavy responsibility. When humankind begins to utilize the freedom of thought and action graced by God improperly, tragic consequences are bound to happen. The scientist wishes to escape the responsibility to nurse the monster and it has no option but to turn destructive. Monster’s obsession is fully realized in the last chapter. Upon the death of Frankenstein, the monster exclaims, â€Å"That is also my victim! In his murder my crimes are consummated; the miserable series of my being is wound to its close† (211). The cycle or revenge and death have merged into eternity. The monster is now in a position to act as per its free will, even in choosing death. It has gained freedom of action. By birth, the monster is as innocent as any child. The moral dilemma in the story is on two counts. After i nterfering in the function of God, by creating the monster, Victor walks away from his responsibility of looking after it. Once the monster stands alive in front of him, insecurity seizes him and he runs for his life. Not caring for one’s offspring is a serious moral lapse. The encounters of the monster with the humankind end in chaos and frustration. Having denied love by its creator, it looks for solace elsewhere, only to be disappointed at every stage. This un-fructified love proves to be twice-cursed! By evading the monster and running to save his own life, Frankenstein ruins his life as well as that of the monster. The uncared for and neglected monster seeks revenge. This is the moral issue. The nature of the Gothic novel is, there should be a transgressor, and in the end, one should pay for the act of transgression. Victor pays for his

MGT Leadership and Ethics Unit 3 DB SA Second Week Essay

MGT Leadership and Ethics Unit 3 DB SA Second Week - Essay Example Just as Nahavandi (2006) points out, the two leaders are similar, in that they are very passionate about achieving organisational goals. Mary Kay is passionate to the point of nurturing intra-organisational relations to achieve it, while Gates is passionate about having employees being results-oriented. The leaders differ in that Gates is a low LPC, unlike Mary Kay. The latter believes that nurturing intra-organisational relations with and among employees is key to achieving performance target, unlike Gates who sees personal touch among/with employees as peripheral to the achievement of actual organisational goals. From a personal standpoint, I prefer working with Mary Kay because closer intra-organisational relations are sacrosanct in the quest to horn talents and skills [this in itself wards off high turnover], build team spirit, strengthen organisational loyalty and nurture commitment to organisational goals and vision. All these are valuable factors to organisational stability, growth and success. Bill Gates’ great emphasis on brilliance is not all-embracing and his penchant for being rude at times may mean that he is totally not in control of his firm: desired talents may walk out on him eventually. From the foregoing, it is clear that Gates is a low LPC, as opposed to Mary who is a high LPC. Like Gates, low LPC may so much care about performance more than forging work-related relations. Although this may be meaningful in the attainment of organizational goals at face value, yet it is the most unfavorable approach to pursue. This is because, organizational success is a culmination of factors such as: teamwork [and teamwork in turn draws hugely from close-knight relations], effective talent management [which entails the democratization of the workplace, the enhancement of employees’ welfare and injective competitiveness in work performance at departmental and intra-personal level] and having a

Explore the benifits and chalenges o conducting multi-paradiam Essay

Explore the benifits and chalenges o conducting multi-paradiam research - Essay Example Thomas Kuhn, who is known for the discussing of meaning ‘paradigm’ in his famous book  The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, characterized paradigm as â€Å"an integrated cluster of substantive concepts, variables and problems attached with corresponding methodological approaches and tools†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  (p.43).  Kuhn also specified the questions, which should be clarified within a paradigm to consider it as a valid base for a scientific research. A paradigm has to define what should be studied, what question and how should be asked, and also, which rules the researcher should follow to interpret obtained results. The notion of paradigm considers as the broadest unit of consensus, which serves to differentiate one scientific community from another. It appears to be a set of principles and axioms that relates to research process on the stage of assessment of a problem up to its solution.  Paradigms define and correlate theories, methods and instruments, accept ed within a scientific research. Analyzing the main paradigms, dominating in modern science, such as positivism, post positivism, critical theory, and constructivism, Guba and Lincoln (1994), represented their opinion about the role of paradigms, their assumptions, and the implications of those assumptions for research. â€Å"Paradigms define for the [researcher] what it is they are about, and what falls within and outside the limits of legitimate [research]† (Guba and Lincoln, 1994, p. 108). The authors states that the basic beliefs that define a particular research paradigm may be summarized by the responses given to three fundamental questions: the ontological question (what is the form and nature of reality), the epistemological question (what is the nature of the relationship between a researcher and the object of research), and the methodological question (how can the inquirer go about finding out whatever he/ she believes can be known)  (pp. 105-117). From this aspec t, we will analyze some of the well- known paradigms such as positivism and critical theory. Positivism. French philosopher August Comte (1798–1857) was the initiator of positivist paradigm, based on the philosophical ideas of observation and reasoning as the main ways of understanding reality and human behavior. According to August Comte, true knowledge is based on experience of senses and can be obtained by observation and experiment. Positivistic thinkers adopted his scientific method for knowledge generation. The main postulates of the positivist paradigm consist in understanding of nature as an objective, true reality, which is governed by unchangeable natural laws. Nature has its stable, pre-existing patterns and order that can be discovered. Positivism considers human nature to be described from the behaviorist approach, asserting the external factors play the main role in the formation of the similar specific behavior of everyone, who has been influenced the same obje ctive factors. Accurate and certain, knowledge should be described in a systematic way, and verify hypotheses that can be regarded as facts or laws. The role of research is uncovering the natural laws of reality, scientifically explaining, predicting and controlling phenomena. A researcher have to be objective, independent from influencing the subject of research, and eliminate any bias or subjective values within research. The main methods of research are empirical and experimental, structured observation, quantification or measurement. The results of research consider true, if

MGT Leadership and Ethics Unit 3 DB SA Second Week Essay

MGT Leadership and Ethics Unit 3 DB SA Second Week - Essay Example Just as Nahavandi (2006) points out, the two leaders are similar, in that they are very passionate about achieving organisational goals. Mary Kay is passionate to the point of nurturing intra-organisational relations to achieve it, while Gates is passionate about having employees being results-oriented. The leaders differ in that Gates is a low LPC, unlike Mary Kay. The latter believes that nurturing intra-organisational relations with and among employees is key to achieving performance target, unlike Gates who sees personal touch among/with employees as peripheral to the achievement of actual organisational goals. From a personal standpoint, I prefer working with Mary Kay because closer intra-organisational relations are sacrosanct in the quest to horn talents and skills [this in itself wards off high turnover], build team spirit, strengthen organisational loyalty and nurture commitment to organisational goals and vision. All these are valuable factors to organisational stability, growth and success. Bill Gates’ great emphasis on brilliance is not all-embracing and his penchant for being rude at times may mean that he is totally not in control of his firm: desired talents may walk out on him eventually. From the foregoing, it is clear that Gates is a low LPC, as opposed to Mary who is a high LPC. Like Gates, low LPC may so much care about performance more than forging work-related relations. Although this may be meaningful in the attainment of organizational goals at face value, yet it is the most unfavorable approach to pursue. This is because, organizational success is a culmination of factors such as: teamwork [and teamwork in turn draws hugely from close-knight relations], effective talent management [which entails the democratization of the workplace, the enhancement of employees’ welfare and injective competitiveness in work performance at departmental and intra-personal level] and having a

That Which Is Accepted as Knowledge Today Is Sometimes Discarded Essay

That Which Is Accepted as Knowledge Today Is Sometimes Discarded Tomorrow - Essay Example For example, these days, men can assume the feminine roles in the house like cleaning and washing the dishes and doing gardening and the laundry. Women too have assumed roles that men once had like being a police officer or being a president. This is perhaps due to the change in the knowledge that the world has concerning gender roles for now we are in the times when women work more than the men (Barksdale). Moreover, in the field of psychology, there has recently been a deluge of new information on various topics that have once been considered taboos. These include mind power, yoga, mental telepathy, the Law of Attraction, and other rather novel lifestyles and alternative healing practices (Natalina). We see these things on TV all the time, and although our ancestors would have been disgusted, we rather feel fascination. Societies have also discarded as obsolete any concept that fostered discrimination. For example, society would usually not only frown upon but even ostracize homosexuals. However, nowadays, as homosexuality is not anymore a considered a disease, society has become more tolerant of homosexuals and the stigma has somehow waned. However, nowadays, we see gay bars and Gay Pride marches on the street, and some States and countries have even legalized gay marriage (Herek). Perhaps, the knowledge that has changed is not only the fact that homosexuality as a disease but also the idea that homosexuals are also human beings who deserve every right that heterosexuals enjoy. This sudden, revolutionary way of thinking may have also been brought about by the reading of literature that praised democracy and equality in society. Not only this, but perhaps society has also become more tolerant of children who answer their parents back. Nowadays, based on my experience, I see children answering their parents back whenever these children did not like what the latter said. Perhaps, this is a result in the change in knowledge

Got Milk Case Essay Example for Free

Got Milk Case Essay The case deals with milk losing its appeal among the school children and the increasing preference to soft drinks in the US during the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. California people were drinking less milk every year. Milk consumption per capita in California had dropped 6 percent between 1987 and 1992. Realizing that the dairy industry is declining and needed outside assistance, the California Department of Food and Agriculture formed the California Milk Processor Board (CMPB) in 1993. A few months later the CMPB released it’s famous ‘‘Got Milk? ’’ campaign. For this purpose they hired Jeff Manning as executive director and raised a reasonable budget for promotion. The ad agency Goodby, Silverstein and Partners (GSP) created ‘‘Got Milk? ’’ with the CMPB’s $23 million annual budget. Previous campaigns had been intended at people who did not consume milk, but the agency’s research led it to target a sundry audience: people who were already milk drinkers. The consumers of California responded the campaign quickly, embracing the ads and also started consuming more milk. In USA outside California, the milk moustache ‘Got Milk?’ campaign is jointly funded by Americas milk processors and dairy farmers: The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP) and Dairy Management. The goal of the multi-faceted campaign is to educate consumers on the benefits of milk and to raise milk consumption. The campaign was founded on a milk deprivation strategy and recognized that milk is not often a stand-alone beverage. Its consumption is permanently linked to a select number of meals and food occasions. And also, perhaps, the only time anybody cares passionately about milk is when they run out. The campaign was very successful in the USA. BRIEF OVERVIEW AND FACTS * According to the Exibit#1 from 1980 to 1993 annual milk consumption in California dropped from around 29 to 24 gallons of milk per person. * Milk industry spends less than 10 percent what beer spent on media. * The change in school district policy in 1982, which increases the options for children in lunch further reduce the milk consumption. * Two major reasons for declining in milk consumption are: the modern family size was shrinking and the number of working women had increased. * Hispanic population was increasing in USA (California in particular) and they drank significantly more whole milk than the rest of the population. MAJOR ISSUES AND PROBLEMS * Got milk? Campaign was a huge success in California resulted in quick increase in milk consumption but it was not equally successful nationally or internationally. National sales continue to decline for some time and then stables up to some extent but didn’t increased like in the California. * The milk market was declining market as compared to beverages market. Consumer study revealed that there are some reasons behind the continuous decline like proliferation of other beverages, lack of portability, lack of flavor variety, not thirst quenching, lack of consumer mind share and shared nature of consumption. * High price of milk in California during 1999 as compared to the rest of the country was another major issue as compared to its competitor beverages industry. Positioning milk as cool refreshing and energy boosting drink suffered due to its increasing prices also results in declining in sales. * Mind set of consumer. Although many people drink milk everyday, but still milk suffered a complete lack of consumer mind share. Milk has always been a somewhat forgettable beverage. * Media spending in the beverage categories approached $ 2 billion with half of the total accounted for beer and soft drinks but still Milk being a commodity suffered from lack of promotion as compared to the other beverages. Budget is also very low as compared to other similar category products. * Marketing expenditures are more or less concentrated on television advertising and billboards. Lack of BTL activities, experiential marketing and social event promotion were evident which can be one of the reasons of low recall and decline in consumption. * Considering the nature and storage limitation of milk the consumer attitude towards milk was wobbly and strong reasons to change the attitude were required. * Lack of support from the farmers and local milk processor results in small budget. Considering the size of the milk industry and high promotional cost running a successful nation wide campaign in small budget is rarely possible. Where Got Milk? Went wrong? * Hispanics were the major milk consumers in California; there population was increasing at a constant rate according to the US census. Initially when the ads were made it was found that running out of milk or rice in Hispanic family is not considered funny also the translation of got milk in Spanish is quite weird. * Got milk? took a step away from its deprivation formula in October 1997 and launched a new campaign of Drysville. But research revealed that Drysville campaign was unable to effect consumer’s immediate consumption or purchase decision. ANALYSIS OF PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY The ‘Got Milk? Promotional campaign has some objectives, Manning begin a grass root campaign keeping in mind the following objectives. * To change the public’s behavior about the consumption of milk and other milk products * To create the idea of ‘‘milk occasions’’ by associating the product with certain foods, recognizing that milk is not often a stand-alone beverage. * To control the decline in sales by persuading people to buy milk more often and in larger quantities. To achieve each of the objectives Manning carefully designed strategies, like changing behavior, in addition to attitudes, was done with carefully placed media. A consumption strategy focused on organizing the appropriate food with the time of day that a commercial was telecast (for example, a cereal commercial in the morning or late at night), because most milk drinking occurred at home. Beside the TVC, in 1998 CMPB launched a gravity tour. In this tour they travelled throughout the state high schools and featured top professionals and insisted on the importance of milk to young athletes and there bone density. In 2003 the CMPB took milks health message to a new level and developed the theme: strength comes from within†. They also signify and highlight the importance of research on milk benefits including how to increase bone mass in teens and adult and prevent them from osteoporosis. PROMOTIONAL STRATEGY UPSHOTS The Got Milk campaign was very successful and worked more than the expectations. Following are some of the upshots of the campaign. * The original objectives of the campaign were exceeded. * ‘Got Milk? ’’ had overtaken the ‘‘long-running ‘Does a Body Good’ campaign in top-of-mind awareness by mid-1994. ’ * The campaign objective to change behavior and increase milk consumption was also met. * Household penetration had increased from 70 percent in 1993 to 74 percent in 1995. * Results showed that, except for the first two months of the campaign, milk consumption in California increased over the previous year, while it declined nationally * Dairy Management, Inc. ’s decided to take the California ‘‘Got Milk? ’’ campaign nationwide in 1995 * The ‘‘Got Milk? ’’ campaign made its mark in advertising by collecting nearly every industry award * The CMPB reported that the campaign had a 97 percent awareness rate in California. HOW TO INCREASE AWARENESS AND DO BETTER IN FUTURE * As we can see in many of the commercials, individuals find themselves in an uncomfortable situation with a mouth full of dry or sticky food without a glass of milk. In print advertisements, celebrities are featured with the signature white mustache and got milk? in text. For an international advertisement we must create an appeal in the advertisement and ads should also involve a family environment or give a sense of oneness so that international user should associate themselves with advertisement according to their culture. * Number of collaboration with other brands should be increased to cover the issue of low budgets. Got Milk name has itself a huge equity, CMPB can effectively use it to increase the awareness. * Social media is another cheap source of creating awareness. CMPB can also use YouTube channels, face book page and twitter to increase the awareness about milk consumption and spread the benefits of milk usage. * To increase brand recall brand persona should be created and endorsement through celebrities can be useful in communicating the awareness in advertising. * As it can be seen the increase in price results in the decline of sales. Therefore, pricing should be competitive considering the other competing beverage industries. Also the flavored milk which is sold through vending machine must be priced bearing in mind the other beverages sell through vending machines. * Currently the BTL activities are on the lower side while experiential marketing was not used to create the awareness. Experiential activities at school and college levels to create awareness and product trial for new dairy product would be useful.

Lord Of The Flies Response Essays -- essays research papers

Lord of the Flies Response Ben Sherry Civilization 9/10/96 There were a lot of underlying reasons to why the boys' civilization failed in the book The Lord of The Flies. They had many problems with each other because the group was split up among friends. One group would go out and do one thing, while the other group would do another. This led to many more problems, such as deciding and agreeing on a leader, who would do what jobs, and most importantly, which of the boys would become the leader of the crew. Futhermore, the boys all seem to dislike Jack and Roger. This will make it extremely hard for either of them to stop singing. Like my father. So, that eliminates them from the picture. Simon and Rex don't seem to be helping much, and When all the boys met each other on the island, th...

A Vogadro :: essays research papers fc

A vogadro was born on June 9, 1776 in Turin, Italy. He began his career in 1796 by obtaining a doctorate in law and practicing as a lawyer for three years after. In 1800, he began to take private lessons in mathematics and physics and decided to make the natural sciences his profession. He was appointed as a demonstrator at the Academy of Turin in1806 and the Professor of Natural Philosophy at the College of Vercelli in 1809, and in 1820, he was appointed the professor of mathematical physics. He was a physics professor but he also experimented in chemistry using mathematics to base most of his findings. Avogadro is well known for his hypothesis known as Avogadro's Law. His law states that at a given temperature, equal volumes of gas contain the same number of molecules equal to about 6.0221367 x 10 to the 23rd power.A Mole of a substance is the quantity of the substance that weights the same as its molecular mass. One mole of any substance is Equal to Avogadro's number. Therefore Avogadro's law can be stated in terms of moles, namely that equal volumes of gases at the same temperature and pressure contain the same number of moles. Thanks to Avogadro and his number, scientists can measure out equal number of molecules by weighing out an equal number of moles. For gases this can be done by using 22.4 liters at STP(1 atmosphere and 223 Kelvin, 0 deg. Celsius). Avogadro's number is most reliably determined by X-ray diffraction of crystals. For many years' people thought the number was equal to about 6.022045 x 10 to the 23rd power, However, in 1986 the number was redefined as about 6.0221367 x 10 to the 23rd power.Albert Einstein's third research paper was concerned with the nature of molecules. We all know that if we drop a lump of sugar into water it diffuses through the water, making it somewhat more sticky. Thinking of water as a structureless fluid and the sugar molecules as small hard spheres, Einstein was able to find not only the size of the sugar molecules but also a value for Avogadro's number. Avogadro proposed his hypothesis in 1811. At that time there was no data at all on the number of particles in a mole. Measurements were made by Robert Brown in 1827 that gave an approximate value for Avogadro's number by observations of brownian motion.

Contrast: Primary School Essay

My primary school was in a small village, just half a kilometer away from my house. I had left my village to study in Ho Chi Minh City for a long time. Last summer, I came back to the village to visit my primary school. It considerably changed. I realized that there are differences and similarities between my primary school in the past and now. I still remembered my first day at school. My father led me to school. In front of me, two green pines rows were very luxuriant. Especially, I was impressed by large and beautiful school’s gate. It was painted in blue  and the large of words â€Å"Vo Thi Sau primary school† in white set off the signs plate of school. Moreover, it was decorated with colorful flags. My school was small, simple and lack of basic facilities. It became difficult to accommodate all students in the ten classrooms. In addition, all of classrooms were made by wood that wasn’t safety. Besides, the narrow space of school was not enough for eating or reading books. For example, because of not having canteen I must eat snack or even junk food at the store around the sidewalks. Furthermore, quality of drinking water and  toilets facilities were not adapt to student’s health. My school yard was an open area next to my school building for playing and outdoor activities. It was narrow because on its surface was a lot of the weeds, and bushes. It was not covered by cements, but there were sand and little rocks. Although it was not large space, children can play together, interact and communicate. I had not visited my primary school for more than 14 years. Now I walk along the street leads to that school, and I am still impressed by school’s gate. There is no considerably change on school gate. It was made by stone, and it is still exactly the same as the past. Moreover, school’s gate still includes white inscription â€Å"Vo Thi Sau primary school† on the blue background. In addition, there are two lines of pine beside two sides of the school’s gate. It is as green as grass and so fresh. After that, I walk into the school and I realize that my school significantly changed. As I remember, my primary school was small and simple. Today, it is a new and modern building with unique design. For instance, there are forty classrooms and two labs. Furthermore, it also has a library and a canteen. Those classrooms are equipped with iron boards, projectors and ceiling fans. Besides, desks and chairs are repainted, so I can’t recognize my old classroom anymore. Additionally, library and lab has more useful books and equipment that serve student’s needs. On the other hand, one thing changed that attracts me is school yard. Instead of stone and gravel, it is covered with concrete. Thanks to that, it looks more beautiful and luxury. In the campus, many plants and flowers are planted. Because of that, the school looks clean, green and the atmosphere is fresher. Around the school yard, it is arranged with a lot of benches. Those benches are useful for students in the break time. In conclusion, for a long time I had left, my primary school has a more changed. If in the past my primary school was old, lack of facilities, small buildings, now it is a modern and spacious school. Although my primary school changed so much, it is always in my mind where I learned everything when I was a little child.

American Federation Labor

The Industrial Revolution marked a period of extensive growth in the American economy. One of the most prominent impacts of this era was the birth of organized labor and unions. For my post-Reconstruction research paper, I have chosen to explore the dawn of one of these prominent organizations that remain a lasting influence in some sectors of the American economy today. New York, Boston, Philadelphia, and Baltimore were the first â€Å"mercantile† cities in the United States in the mid-17th century (Weil, 1998, p. 1335).From these cities sprouted the industrial roots of the country. Though American industrialization was really just an offshoot of the industrial revolution in Europe, it is interesting to note the rise of the industrial sector and the struggles of the working class in a country that in a hundred years would become a world superpower. The industrialization and mechanization which took place in United States between 1845 and 1900 gave rise to big businesses and m onopolies.From cotton and textile mills, shipyards and enterprises scattered all over the former British colonies, industries boomed and ascended the market-driven production system to a more competitive level. Through stiffening competitions between local and even foreign manufacturers, these marginal industries turned into industries that would eventually create other industries (Brinkley, 1995, p. 332). Essentially, industrial development brought jobs for immigrants and natives alike but because of a capitalist framework, profits gained were transformed into new industries, expanding the horizons of market productivity.These also resulted in the concentration of industrial capital and power into few hands. However, capitalism’s inherent feature, that to accumulate profit, several policies were taken to ensure such gain and it was only labor, in the context of political economy, that is flexible enough compared with fixed variables (raw materials, machine, rent). Manufactur ers and entrepreneurs reduced labor wages increased their working hours and appointed and dismissed laborers at will.Child laborers were employed, miserable working conditions were imposed, and wages and benefits were almost disregarded (Kersten, 2006, p. 42). This inevitably forced the laborers to join hands and act collectively. Workers’ campaigns for better working condition surged and deliberately altered the power hold of the ruling class of capitalists such as the Ten Hour movement – calling for ten hours of work a day , free distribution of lands to mitigate labor disputes, reform organizations asking for varying pleas like abolishing child labor, higher wages, and right to organize.Thus the inevitability of collision with state apparatuses obliged to maintain a social order (Greene, 1956, p. 48) All through the course of the American workingmen’s effort to impinge on humane working conditions, there were various attempts, peaceful and violent, to free th emselves from the shackles of unfair labor practices (Graebner, 1988, p. 276). From 1833 to 1834, the first attempts to set up laborers’ national solidarity movements and organizations were witnessed.In 1833, a political party, Workingmen’s Ticket, was formed to sponsor labor thought; and a national labor federation in New York City named the National Trades Union in 1834; a foremost national union of a particular employment, the National Cooperative Association of Cordwainers, in New York appeared simultaneously when a mechanics, farmers and workers’ convention wrote a Declaration of Rights and organized the Equal Rights Party in Utica in 1936 (Green, 1995, p. 523).However it would take another fifty years for the workers’ movement to finally assemble of a broad national union of toilers. The strike strategy of Knights of Labor, formed in 1869 by nine tailors in Philadelphia, turned violent (Missouri Pacific strike and the Haymarket Square Riot) and ulti mately the collapse of the KOL but it paved the way for a more organized effort for collective action. The KOL fought for eight-hour working day, ending child labor, equal pay for equal work, public land policy, and graduated income tax and to help tame the intemperance of capitalism.This resulted in the formation of a new organization-the American Federation of Labor (AFL) which was in favor of old federative plan and was opposed to the idea of one big union that in December 8, 1886, gathered in Druids’ Hall in Columbus, Ohio: They represented young unions like the Tailors, Bakers, Iron Molders, Bricklayers, and Printers. At the movement’s head stood three unions: the Cigar Makers†¦, Federation of Miners and Mine Laborers†¦, and the Carpenters.Most delegates had roots both in socialist organizations and in the Knights of Labor. Now, however, they wanted an organization that would place trade unions at the movement’s center, displacing politics and soc ial reform and guaranteeing autonomy to the various trades (Greene, 1956, p. 19). Originally, the Union was set up under the name of â€Å"Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions of United States and Canada† by a New York cigar maker Samuel Gompers.Though FOTLU achieved victorious struggles proscribing cigar making in residential areas, won passages of legislation outlawing cigar-making in tenement houses, ruling out child labor under twelve years of age, and enforced education and banning prison labor, the union, nevertheless, failed to maintain a sufficient membership and support from various unions mainly because of many organizational setbacks that it lost the initiative of leading the working class. Thus, forming a new alliance of workers and tradesmen was a necessary move (Greene, 1956, p. 95). AFL was not composed of workers.Instead it was a federation of the national crafts unions. The federation harbored â€Å"business unionism† that unions have parts in the issues on business profits and economic growth of the nation (Taft, 1959, p. 84). It was beginning to gain the fruits of workers’ struggles and much like what various movements and reform organization have fought for years before were substantially achieved. But there were, again, some issues that the AFL miscalculated. First, Gompers and some of the founders of the AFL had socialist background but the new federation consequently became conservative.Distancing itself from the political issues of the labor movement, AFL settled only on the economic aspirations of the working class and has, consciously or not, deferred from the social concerns of the time. It was unable to tackle the racial issues and the state opposition to trade unions in the South which at that time were still decisive issues among the great number of African American and women, and that the issues inside the factories are not separate to the issues of civil rights. Needless to say that the political rift between and among the states were crucial for the activities of the existing unions (Fantasia and Voss, 2004, 172).Second, AFL was poorly equipped and financed to combat with large and technologically advanced industries, corporations and businesses. The past strategies bent on strikes and factory walkout were still employed, however, industrial firm became sterner, much rigid in dealing with restless workers that these capitalists had more resources to take unionists on their knees. The federation’s strategy mostly relies on lobbying and at some point enveloped in some tactical alliances with parties and politicians lenient to the labor movement like William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic presidential candidate in 1908 (Green, 1995, p.581). But it survived and serviced through collective action and the charismatic leaderships of its leaders. Various presidents of the AFL were in a battle constantly waged through the actions and participation of member unions and organiz ations. John McBride (1894-1895), William Green (1924-1952), George Meany (1952-1955), and Samuel Gompers who had served with the longest term as president from 1886-1894 and 1895-1924 guided the AFL in the course of its nascence, wartime and in peace.The federation’s lifeblood is very much in connection with the fibers of the nation’s economy that at critical times it has to go into agreements with the federal government that has recognized its relevant role and control in the leadership of United States’ working class. During World War I, AFL augmented its strength due to Wilson’s administration approval of unionization in return for their support in the war. It was Gompers who wanted to take into a very serious consideration the state of war readiness.Despite such positive acclaims, at the turn of the war public opinion was swayed by the business sector that trade unions would eventually incline towards socialism and oppose U. S. wartime interests (Zie ger and Gall, 1986, p. 299). The American Federation of Labor achieved various triumphs in the early twentieth-century and its memberships arose in the 1890s with the collapse of the Knights of Labor and from that point it has gained unprecedented primacy in the labor movement since its formation and the success of the AFL can be attributed to its founding leaders and the great leaders after them.Workers’ interest were inconceivably put forward with dedication that the prestige that the AFL earned will forever be embedded on the pages of the history of the American labor movement. Its triumphs and struggles were, surely, owed to the sacrifices of the workingmen. References Brinkley, A. (1995). American History: A Survey. New York: McGraw-Hill Inc. Fantasia, R. , Voss, K. (2004). Hard Work: Remaking the American Labor Movement. California: University of California Press. Graebner, W. (1988). The American Record: Images of the Nation's Past. Vol. I: to 1877. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Green, J. W. (1995). From Forge to Fast Food: A History of Child Labor in New York State. Troy, New York: Council for Citizenship Education. Greene, J. (1956). Pure and Simple Politics: The American Federation of Labor and Political Activism, 1881-1917. United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. Taft, P. (1959). The A. F. of L. : From the Death of Gompers to the Merger. New York: Harper & Brothers. Zieger, R. H. , Gall, G. J. (1986). American workers, American Unions: The Twentieth Century (The American Moment). Baltimore, Maryland: The Johns Hopkins University Press.

Importance of education in children’s life Essay

Providing free and quality education to children reflects the fact that every child is entitled to fundamental human rights and is to be treated with dignity. Where children are exposed to poverty, violence, abuse, or exploitation, those rights demand our urgent protection. Primary education supports children at a critical time in their physical, emotional, social and intellectual growth. More broadly, education is a key tool for development, and an invaluable means of addressing structural inequality and disadvantage. Primary education provides children with life skills that will enable them to prosper later in life. It equips children with the skills to maintain a healthy and productive existence, to grow into resourceful and socially active adults, and to make cultural and political contributions to their communities. Education also transmits more abstract qualities such as critical thinking skills, healthy living, resilience, and self-confidence. An educated adult population is vital for strong economic development. It also lays the foundations for greater overall economic productivity, and the full use of new technologies for development. A system of compulsory schooling helps fight child labour. Educated and literate adults are more likely to be informed about sexual risks and better able to protect themselves from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. A lack of gender parity and equality in education is often a critical factor in underdevelopment. The education of women is a powerful means of sustaining improved health and education in the long term. Figures suggest that children of educated mothers are significantly more likely to be enrolled in school. The education of women also reduces fertility rates and improves the health of women, infants and children. In addition, the education of women may also address entrenched cultural views about traditional female roles as they are empowered and equipped with skills which enable them to make a full contribution to their communities. You can make a difference by entering a partnership, donating or volunteering.

Image edge detaction - Sobel Method Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 10000 words

Image edge detaction - Sobel Method - Essay Example aim of the whole ‘Edge Detection’ process is the conversion of 2D Images into Curves or a collection of curves; this in turn highlights the boundaries of the objects that tend to produce specific changes in colour intensity. Hence all the information (geometric information) in an image; more commonly termed as objects such as the Colour, hue and brightness is attained by the properties of intensity changes in images. The history of Image Edge Detection includes not only the basic methods that like Gradient Method and Laplacian Method but also those methodologies that were based on these two techniques. The time-period of 1960 – 1980 was specifically significant for the formulation and the development of the Discrete Gradients and Laplacians where as another method was introduced in the 1980s and was known as Marr – Hildreth; Laplacian of Gaussian. In the year 1983 Canny Edge Detectors and their basic principle of working surfaced and joined the lists of Image Edge Detectors. ‘Linear and non – linear Scale Space’ was another mode that surfaced in the year 1985. ‘Morphological Gradient and Laplacian’ is yet another term that represents an image detection method; originated in 1979. What history the process of Image Edge Detection has, saw a boom in the research work applied to the field and the development it made in the late 20th century and still is underway in the 21st century. This boom had its peak displayed magnificently in the late 1980s and the level of research is maintained till the current day thus enabling progress and expansion in the field. Edge Detection procedures not only identify but also point out the location of the Discontinuities in a subject image which are fundamentally based on the difference between the intensity levels of ‘Pixels’, which determine the limits or, to be more precise, ‘Edges’ in the constituents of an image. Edge detection operators employ the use of different variables to which they are sensitive

External Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

External Resource Management - Essay Example These are some of the points that Silver would want to emphasise to Dr. Spiller. However, these could be hardly understood on Dr. Spiller’s part because he is justifying his points as well. The centralisation procedure may be slow to react to local user’s needs and also may be remote from local user or internal customer. Dr. Spiller may have important specifications of an X-ray processor that he found can only be provided by New Age and he can certainly use this as important justification. On the other hand, in a decentralized purchasing activity, Dr. Spiller can actually enjoy the benefits of addressing the local needs of their department and as user of the newly X-ray processor. Their problems may be easily responded at better quality as well. Regarding this issue, it is therefore clear that Rose Silver is only trying to do its part for the good of the company. Dr. Spiller on the other hand is trying to do its part based on what he believes is right for their patient care. They both have essential points to stand on. However, this would matter depending on the generalised process that should be involved in purchasing activity. The first step is basically sourcing. In this stage, the purchasing department receives requisition and asks or solicits quotations. The next step involves authority and ethics. At this point the purchasing department has to negotiate with suppliers and then place its order. Finally, logistics and payment ensures that the supplies are received and payments are made. Based on the above procedure, Dr. Spiller cannot actually justify his concern with Rose Silver. This is due to the fact that Dr. Spiller’s concerns with their patients are not in line with Silver’s main functions. What is only in line with Dr. Spiller’s concerns with Silver’s role in the company is the issue about receiving requisitions and asking for quotations and supplier’s negotiation. 2. What risks or ethical problems cou ld potentially arise from his approach? In the absence of quotations or requisitions, Dr. Spiller could potentially face problems about dishonesty and untrustworthiness. The main point of having quotations and requisitions is to ensure transparency in the actual purchasing process. This is also to ensure that the right prices and quality standards are obtained. Dr. Spiller needs to understand that when there is money involved, the role of Silver is to provide transparent accounting system in order to justify the actual purchasing experience if it is in line with the organisation’s prevailing purchasing standard. In the absence of this, Dr. Spiller is most likely to be confronted with substantial ethical subjects including fraud as aftermath of the main issues like dishonesty and untrustworthiness. If he would push forward to his stand, Dr. Spiller may potentially be showing disrespect to Silver. Silver is a legitimate authority in the purchasing activity. It is not the concer n of Silver to approve Dr. Spiller’s request because there is a process involved. This process requires that everything should undergo specific approval of an authority. On the other hand, Dr. Spiller does not have much authority involved in the actual purchasing process except however for his specifications and technical know-how of the equipment. However, the final authority of the purchasing process

Short and Medium-Term Loan in the UAE Policies and Procedures Research Paper

Short and Medium-Term Loan in the UAE Policies and Procedures - Research Paper Example The financial institute considered for the purpose of this report is HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd. This bank for the purpose of granting the loan to the company shall make a complete review of the financial position of the company. The financial analysis would include a cash flow analysis, analysis of the various ratios like profitability ratio, liquidity ratio and gearing ratio, an analysis by the long-term creditor and examination of the collateral securities that the company has to offer to the bank for the loan purpose. The cash flow analysis flashes a detailed view of the inflow and outflow of cash into and from the business respectively. Pertaining to the income statement the operating cash flow shows the increase and decrease in cash. The cash flow showing the investments depicts the increase and decrease in assets. The various kinds of ratios are studied thoroughly to bring out the actual position of the company. The ratios that are studied, contributes to knowing the various as sets and liabilities and their impact individually and as a whole on the business unit. The various ratios studied are profitability ratio, liquidity ratio, and leverage ratio. The analyses of these ratios provide a clear picture of not only the company’s assets and liabilities but also forecasts possible profits and losses of the enterprise. The various provisions provided by HSBC Bank Middle East Ltd. are studied and the various kinds of loan that this bank has for its customers are also keenly observed. According to the requirements of an individual or a business customer, loans may be chosen by the customer from the bank. The processes and procedures involved in obtaining the loan are closely observed and recommended accordingly. The business environment of UAE and the various provisions for the foreign investors are enumerated in details. The various aspects that UAE takes a heed of apart from facilitating business activities in the country are also keenly studied. The f acility of free zone is largely talked about including its advantages and also the various barriers that a foreign investor may face in UAE are discussed. The advantages of local rather Emirati–owned business unit over the foreign investors are also included in the discussion. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 The Nature and Purpose of Loan Requested By the Customer 6 Bank’s Policy In Terms of Granting Loans 7 Types and Nature of Financial Information the Customers Are Required To Furnish To Support the Purpose of the Loan 10 Types of Analysis the Banks Usually Do 11 Types and Nature of Security the Bank Usually Ask For 14 Impact of the Most Recent Downturns of the Economy and Massive Business Failures of HSBC Bank Middle East 15 Bank’s Specialization on Handling Such Loans 16 Any Government Incentive And Or Support the Banks Receive In Handling Such Loans 17 UAE’s Business Environment Facilitating Emirati-Owned Businesses 17 Conclusion 19 References 21 Introduction The lending institutions are generally seen to offer loans for different periods based on the purpose of the loan, such as short–term, long–term, and medium–term. In the context of business, the short-term loans that are offered by the banks are usually to curb the needs of working capital of the business. These working capital needs of a company may range from raw materials purchase, electricity bills to be paid and payment of taxes among others.  Ã‚  

The story of an hour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The story of an hour - Essay Example It was not a glance of reflection, but rather indicated a suspension of intelligent thought.† The newly bereaved widow goes from deep despair to unspeakable joy while looking out a window. The writer/narrator does not appear to view marriage favorably, but as a self-limiting trap. Lives of â€Å"quiet desperation† (Henry David Thoreau) is also for women. Consider the following: The monstrous joy †¦She knew that she would weep again when she saw the kind, tender hands folded in death...But she saw beyond that bitter moment a long procession of years to come that would belong to her absolutely †¦ And yet she had loved him--sometimes. Often she had not. She cared for her husband, she missed him, but â€Å"Spring days, and summer days, and all sorts of days that would be her own. She breathed a quick prayer that life might be long. It was only yesterday she had thought with a shudder that life might be long.† Mrs. Mallard looks forward to the future until a key turns in the lock, bringing about her own fatal heart attack. The irony is apparent. Did she die of shock at seeing the living apparition, or because of instant sadness of knowing he was still alive?

GOVT 480-DB4 Replies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

GOVT 480-DB4 Replies - Essay Example Were it not for the negligence of the leadership, and their unwillingness to establish peaceful relationship, the two countries could have peaceful coexistence. Currently, as you argue, the situation at the west bank is the main reason for the tension and animosity facing the two countries. Further, you point out that with the United States supporting Israel with both finances and weaponry makes the situation even worse. With the issues taking drastic twists and turns, whet is the likelihood of there being peace between the two countries. Although the bible insists on peaceful co-existence, considering the history facing the two countries, is there any possibility that if peace would last, in case they were to assume peaceful coexistence? According to your argument, biblically, the region occupied by Israel and Palestine was the Promised Land, one that God directed Abraham to leave his home and start a new life. In the years that followed, when the French and the British came into the region, they subdivided the region into different areas. Could this have been the main reason why the two regions started falling apart? Since the two people keep on fighting on who should take control of the region, would this offer the solution in restoring peace in the region? The United States in various occasions, you indicate, has tried to restore peace in the two warring countries. In all these instances, the talks have failed top yield fruits. Other arguments hold that the United States supports Israel with finances and weapons, yet it sends delegations in these peace talks. With such confusion, is there any future in restoring peace between these two troubled

The withered arm Essay Example for Free

The withered arm Essay The Withered Arm by Thomas Hardy and The Schoolteachers Guest by Isabelle Allende although written a century apart both are similar: they involve a son dying, close communities and both span long periods of time. In contrast, Hardys 19th century short story is set in rural England whereas Allende sets her story in South America both of which strengthen the credibility of the stories. Although they start in different manner both set out to fascinate the reader, Hardy chooses to set the in great detail and brings it altogether at the end, Allende chooses to hit the reader with a shock and fills out the background using a series of flashbacks. During this piece of coursework I shall look closely at parts 1,39 of the Withered Arm and the whole of The Schoolteachers Guest and how they engage the readers interest and convince of their reality. To begin with Hardy describes the working atmosphere of an eighty-cow dairy in which we find one of the protagonists of the story. Immediately the reader is transported into the believable yet fictitious setting of Wessex, rural England. The language used backs up and adds to the verisimilitude of the story: He do bring home his bride tomorrow. The syntax here shows a time gone by as does some of the archaic language used throughout: tisty-tosty, supernumery and barton. As the story develops we see mentioned a woman separate from the rest. Hardy is slowly introducing this woman to the reader she mentioned as: a thin fading woman of thirty milked somewhat apart from the rest. The reader is immediately interested in this person the mention that she is thin and fading at thirty suggests that she may have had an arduous life. The woman being spoken of is named Rhoda Brook. In this chapter we are told of the farmers new wife. During conversation between other milkers about his new wife there is a hint in their speech that there may have been a relationship between the farmer and Rhoda: Tis hard for she Oh no he haant spoke to Rhoda Brook for years. Again an item that would interest the reader greatly as it can raise many questions, Was there any relationship? How long did the relationship last? and Why did the relationship end? Not long after this point arises we see the emergence of Rhodas son of twelve this immediately makes me think, Could this have been the result of the relationship between farmer lodge and Rhoda? This answered by Rhoda: Your father brings home his young wife tomorrow. Rhoda asks her son to go to the church the next day to get a detailed report on what this new wife looks like, the class she comes from, distinguishing features, she wants to know everything about her; perhaps still harbouring feelings for Farmer lodge and wants to know if she is better in any way to his new wife. At the end of chapter two Hardy prepares us for what is to happen when he shows us Rhodas growing obsession with the new wife of farmer lodge, she know, after all the descriptions given her by her son, has a mental picture clear as a photograph. This is emphasised when we enter chapter three and Rhoda is contemplating Gertrude so intently she doesnt stop thinking about her even whilst working or doing general jobs around her home. Chapter three A Vision begins with Rhoda thinking about Gertrude so much that she loses track of time and it becomes quite late. By the time she goes to bed still contemplating Gertrude she is visited by an incubus whose features are shockingly distorted, the incubus is Gertrude as Rhoda would like her to be which, as we find out, is in great contrast to what she really looks like. The incubus is thrusting her wedding ring in Rhodas face taunting her with what she has and Rhoda wants and creates a powerful image in the readers mind as to what might be happening in that room. To relieve herself she grabs the arm of the incubus and throws it to the floor. Rhoda, along with the reader, believes this to be nothing more than a dream that is until her son mentions hearing a loud thud on her bedroom floor, this shocks not only the Rhoda but also the reader that the events of the previous night are more believable than may have been first thought of; it also helps to keep the reader engaged. When asked by her son Rhoda gives a nervous response: Did you hear anything fall? At what time? She is worried about it and is still preying on his mind. Not long after Gertrude appears at the gate of Rhodas home the reader could of expected a point of anger from Rhoda as she has already decided she does not like Gertrude and says: I told you never go near that place. She wants nothing to do with her; as Gertrude approaches the door Rhoda is still imagining her as she was the previous night features shockingly distorted, Rhoda wants to hide, leave, be anywhere other than in her home: She wouldve escaped had escape been possible. Rhoda opens the door and discovers not the haggard being she had seen the previous night but someone sweet and innocent and Rhodas heart reproaches her for harbouring bad feelings toward Gertrude. From the first meet hey become good friends, during conversation Gertrude reveals her withered arm Rhoda is taken aback as is the reader. This raises the question, Is this real? Rhoda asks when it happened and when Gertrude mentions the exact time and date of Rhodas incubus. Hardys era would have been very superstitious and people like Rhoda would have believed themselves to possibly have supernatural powers that help the verisimilitude of the story. At the end of the chapter the reader is left wondering what will happen between Rhoda and Gertrude a point that will keep the interest of the reader. The final chapter has Hardy showing us how fate has a major part to play in how the story finishes. His attention to detail brings to the reader the reality of the current situation: One oclock on Saturday County jail 1793. Gertrude still has the withered arm and her final option given to her by a conjuror is to touch the neck of a man just hung, hence her visit to a county jail. Hardy begins to build slowly and dramatically to the climax by giving each detail of Gertrudes actions: she crossed the inner paved court beyond he gatehouse, her knees trembling so that she could scarcely walk. Gertrude is shown as being visibly nervous by the task at hand. Gertrude touches the young mans neck, neither she nor the reader at this point realise it is Rhoda Brooks son. Hardy shocks the reader once more when he reveals Rhodas arrival: Immediately behind her stood Rhoda Brook her face drawn and eyes red with weeping. However this is not Hardys only surprise for the reader and Gertrude: Behind Rhoda stood Gertrudes own husband. Hardys clever use of fate has brought together the protagonists for this intoxicating finale and explains the coincidences. In the end of the story we see Gertrude die from he stress of the recent events and that her blood has turned too far, the irony is evident as it was Rhoda who gave Gertrude her ailment and it was Rhodas sons neck which Gertrude tried to cure herself with. Farmer Lodge ends trying to make amends with Rhoda for what happened, he also died and left most of his money to a reformatory for boys and a small annuity to be paid to Rhoda possibly out of guilt. Rhoda ends the story as she began with very little and rejecting the annuity left for her by Farmer Lodge. As the reader we feel satisfied with the outcome whilst feeling melancholy about Gertrudes death; throughout, she did no wrong and remained the sweet innocent person described by the young boy, also pleased that the Farmer realised he had a responsibility to Rhoda no matter how late on it was. The unfortunate barriers of Victorian class are indeed the real barriers to a true relationship; neither Rhoda or Farmer Lodge can ever truly be together a fact all too well accepted by Hardys readers. In comparison, the contemporary writer Allendes short story The Schoolteachers Guest, begins with a shock: she announced to him that she had just cut off the head of a guest in her boarding house. Allende begins to immediately engage the reader with this announcement whereas Hardy decides to begin by setting the scene in great detail. At this point the reader has no clue for the reasons behind this brutal murder all we know is how she has killed him. The reader would have noticed the closeness of both Ines and Riad, proven by the fact Riad is the first she tells of this murder, Allende is showing indirectly the closeness of their friendship and Riad knows immediately Ines is being truthful as he clasps his handkerchief to his mouth; she would not of told him this if she did not fully trust him and this trust plays a key part throughout the story. Subsequently, Allende uses flashback to show the reader the depth of their relationship; and to show the length of it: The two had known each other so long an Arab immigrant with a false Turkish passport still-young woman with firm hips and proud shoulders. Similarly to Hardy, Allende chooses to open up the doors to the protagonists history slowly by using flashback, which engages the reader and helps them to become part of the fictitious Agua Santa. Agua Santa as a place helps the plausibility of the story, it is set as a quiet town somewhere foreign to Britain possibly South America as it mentions it being on the edge of the jungle. Ines does things made possible only by the setting she is in: Girls brought boyfriends for approval she was counsellor, arbiter and judge of all the towns problems. Ines is shown to have an aura about her a certain authority that makes people listen and her opinions matter to them: Her authority, in fact, was mightier than that of the priest, the doctor, or the police. The town respects Ines, as she is the only teacher in the area so she would have taught everyone there and that is why everyone respects her. Allendes Agua Santa makes things like these possible, these sorts of things would of not been possible in a modern British setting, as they would be seen to be totally unreal, however Agua Santa is a completely different culture thats what makes it more acceptable to the reader. Allende, likewise to Hardy, incorporates fate as a main reason for Ines killing the man: I had to do it, it was fate. In comparison to Hardy, Allende shows the idea of fate directly with Ines mentioning it, whereas Hardy does no mention it as such but the reader knows it is involved to explain some of the goings on. This is a point that fascinates the reader as it helps to explain a lot of occurrences especially the murder. The narrative ends with the death of the schoolteacher Ines that releases the people from their duty to keep the murder secret. Allende changes her style from second to first-person, as though she was around when all of this happened: the death of the schoolteacher freed us, and now I can tell the story. Allende keeps the story present tense, which helps to make the reader feel a part of Agua Santa as all is happening before their eyes. Finally both stories are convincing in use of technique. Hardy and Allende have settings, which convince the reader of their verisimilitude; Hardys characters actions are accepted because are set, though in Britain, a century ago and gives them licence to do things that would otherwise be cast aside as nonsense. Despite their contemporary nature, Allendes characters are acceptable as they are in a different land and culture; it is because of such strong credible settings the reader is able to accept the goings on. Despite an age difference of 100 years each author has the skill to captivate us.