A Critical Analysis Of Sustainable Development Strategies

A Critical Analysis of Sustainable Development Strategies in Morocco Introduction Morocco is a developing country located in the Maghreb region of North Africa. The Moroccan economy is predominantly reliant in agriculture, however in recent times the country has been forced to expand and diversify this due to environmental pressures (African Development Bank 2012). These pressures have been caused by a variety of factors including increased population growth and a heavy reliance on fossil fuels for energy (Kousksou et al 2015). In order to address these issues the Moroccan Government has implemented a number of strategies focused on sustainable development. Throughout this piece I will discuss the environmental issues being faced by†¦show more content†¦Population growth has also been highlighted as a major contributor to the environmental degradation occurring in Morocco. A combination of all these pressures has led to the diminishment of Morocco s already scarce natural resources (Tarradell 2004). Sustainable Development in Morocco Morocco has implemented several sustainable development strategies in an attempt to alleviate the environmental, social and economic issues the country is facing. Initially, Morocco contributed to the fight against climate change by signing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) during the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, which was then ratified in December 1995 (Kousksou et al 2015). In addition to the Morocco hosted the Seventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-7) in 2001, submitting its first National Communication on Climate Change (Kousksou et al 2015). In order to achieve sustainable development Morocco has adopted a strategic framework that focuses on the implementation of extensive reforms and policies centred on significant infrastructure projects (African Development Bank 2012). Highlighted in the country s strategy paper were the main aims of strengthening governance and social inclusion, modernisation of the financial sector and human capital development. Furthermore there was a call for support of development of green Show MoreRelatedThe Future of Potential Energy Sources633 Words   |  3 Pagesrenewable energy resources are gathered. This should be followed with appropriate screens for GIS analysis (Dahle, Elliot, Heimiller, Mehos, Robichaud, Schwartz, Stafford, and Walker, 2008, p.23). Finally, data identifying Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management, DOE LM sites with potential for renewable energy development should be processed. One way of understanding a sites renewable development potential for renewable energy resources like wind or solar is their intensity. Site conditionsRead MoreExecutive Director Of Marketing Corporate Communications Essay791 Words   |  4 PagesJOB TITLE Executive Director of Marketing Corporate Communications REPORTING RESPONSIBILITY President CEO GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES The Executive Director of Marketing Communications is responsible for leading the brand strategy to ensure profitable growth and market presence along with aligning external and organizational communications. Engages with the ownership team to evolve the long-term brand identity, market position, and growth and directs the marketing team accordingly.Read MoreDecision-Making Model Analysis Paper1526 Words   |  7 PagesDecision-Making Model Analysis Paper Hal E. 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Consequences of Bullying Free Essays

It is a common thought that bullying is a normal stage of childhood, but more than a part of growth is a violent act that nowadays has taken place in many schools around the world. However, studies show that this issue would bring big consequences to all the factors involved on it; bullying can cause more than negative academic, physical, social, emotional, and psychological consequences on victims and bullies. These consequences can be short-term or long-term. We will write a custom essay sample on Consequences of Bullying or any similar topic only for you Order Now Bullying can also greatly affect the overall climate of a school. On the first place, as a result of being bullied, victims may experience different and immediate mental and physical health related consequences. They may present a higher level of anxiety, and longer spaces of sadness, also some sleeping difficulties, head and stomach ache, and above all these, victims may present a very low self-esteem. Researchers from Finland discovered that victims are more likely than bullies to suffer from anxiety disorders, such as depression, separation anxiety, panic disorder, among others. Also, this psychological stress can cause victims’ bodies to be less resistant to disease and infection, and therefore they may get sick more often. In the social area, is hard to victims to have friends in general because of their high anxiety level and low self-esteem, for this reason they have just a few friends or none at all. This may lead to feelings of isolation and believing that they are not even worthy of having friends. Also, other kids often do not want to become friends with the victims, because they are afraid that they will be bullied as well. Another reason that other kids do not hang around with victims is because they worry that peers will not like them if they associate with the victims; those feelings of loneliness and sadness presented on victims can also lead to consequences related to their learning and school success, the victim might present poor school attendance because in many case they may become afraid of going to school and many activities at school, for this reason students often receive lower grades due to attendance problems, and also due to their stress and concern. The victims in general become obsessed with the bullying and how to try to avoid it. This leaves them no time, energy, or concern for schoolwork and learning. A vicious cycle can occur because the victim’s poor school performance can lead to embarrassment and anxiety, which can in turn cause them to be picked on even more. Another possible result of being bullied is that the victims may become violent, either at the time of the bullying or in their futures. This violent behavior may be focused toward themselves, toward their school in general, or may even be directed as revenge toward the bullies themselves. Sometimes that violent behavior can lead to a higher level of bullying towards the victim, as the bullies would want revenge on the victim for bullying them. It is believed by experts and researchers on Finland that some of the school shootings are related to bullying. Students who committed school shootings were over two times as likely to have reported that they were victims of bullying. In some cases the bullying may become brutal on extreme and last for so long time that the victims may present thoughts of suicide, or in some cases the victim actually commits suicide on secret, because not even their families believe the issues that the child was living. On the other hand we have the bullies; children who bully others also experience several short term and long term consequences of their bullying behavior. They are more likely to get involved in harmful activities, both as a child and as an adult. While they are still young, they may steal or vandalize property, start or join in on physical fights, become injured in a fight, skip school, carry a weapon in order to scare others, or use alcohol and other drugs. They are also five times more likely to be taken to criminal court and to be found guilty of a crime than are their peers who do not participate in bullying behavior. Most of bullies do not overcome that violent behavior when they get older. Instead, the aggressiveness continues through adulthood. Also, the bullies may be four or more times as likely as non-bullies to be involved in numerous convictions of crimes. The bullies in general develop a necessity for power that is carried into their adult years. As adults, these bullies abuse of this power by being involved in sexual and racial harassment, child abuse, domestic violence, etc. Their need for power can also show up in how they parent their own children. In turn, their children may even bully other children in the future. In some cases bullies tend to have an antisocial personality disorder as opposed to anxiety disorders. An antisocial personality disorder involves a long-term disregard for others, delinquent behavior, violence, aggression, and violation of the rights of others. In other words, since bullies do not learn appropriate social skills when they are young, they grow up to be antisocial adults. They will have poor relationships with others, including family members, friends, and co-workers, among others. Finally victims aren’t the only ones who may become depressed, think about suicide, or carry out suicide; in some cases, the same can be true for bullies. To conclude, it is important to notice that all these signs, which may not be present in the moment, would cause awful consequences to every part of this issue in the future and is not something that may be taken easily, on the contrary, must be treated carefully to help as much students as can be taken out of that, for those results presented before, we must stay alert at the sight of them and not blinding ourselves, in order to avoid the involvement of more students in the future. How to cite Consequences of Bullying, Papers

Freakonomics “What Do School Teachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common” free essay sample

Freakonomics: â€Å"What Do School Teachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common† Daily Humans face the difficulty of choosing whats morally right, and morally wrong. Whether it be the simple everyday thank you and please or perhaps the wrong decision made under the carpet for personal gain, every action has a reaction. These choices seem simple when seen on paper, however the once simple decision becomes quite the opposite when an alternate motive poisons the minds of unsuspecting civilians. Freakonomics illustrates the harsh reality that once people are given a choice, no matter how wrong it may seem; when their neck is on the line, the majority of civilians will do what it takes to benefit themselves. Reffering to the rhetorical evidence of logos, Levitt and Dubner use examples from school systems to sumo wrestlers to explain to readers the motivation behind the so called cheating that plagues society. In â€Å"What Do School Teachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common† Levitt and Dubner describes the situation for the teachers inside the Chicago Public Schools. We will write a custom essay sample on Freakonomics: â€Å"What Do School Teachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common† or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It just so happens that the year the teachers proved to be fraudulent â€Å"high stakes testing† implemented itself into the school system (22). With bonuses and jobs on the line are the teachers really to blame? If it is true everyone has a price then it must be true that the Chicago Public Schools hit the teacher’s price dead on. In turn the question must be asked: who cheats? â€Å"Anyone, if the stakes are right† (22). As rhetorical elements, these descriptions convince the audience that everyone has a price to do what’s proven as morally wrong. Overall Levitt and Dubner sufficiently paint a picture in the minds of readers why someone would go against morality to benefit themselves.

Locke And The Rights Of Children Essays - Rights, Empiricists

Locke and the Rights of Children Locke firmly denies Filmer's theory that it is morally permissible for parents to treat their children however they please: "They who allege the Practice of Mankind, for exposing or selling their Children, as a Proof of their Power over them, are with Sir Rob. happy Arguers, and cannot but recommend their Opinion by founding it on the most shameful Action, and most unnatural Murder, humane Nature is capable of." (First Treatise, sec.56) Rather, Locke argues that children have the same moral rights as any other person, though the child's inadequate mental faculties make it permissible for his parents to rule over him to a limited degree. "Thus we are born Free, as we are born Rational; not that we have actually the Exercise of either: Age that brings one, brings with it the other too." (Second Treatise, sec.61) On top of this, he affirms a postive, non-contractual duty of parents to provide for their offspring: "But to supply the Defects of this imperfect State, till the Improvement of Growth and Age hath removed them, Adam and Eve, and after them all Parents were, by the Law of Nature, under an obligation to preserve, nourish, and educate the Children, they had begotten." (Second Treatise, sec.56) Apparently, then, Locke believes that parents may overrule bad choices that their children might make, including self-regarding actions. Leaving aside Locke's duty of self- preservation, his theory permits adults to do as they wish with their own bodies. But this is not the case for children, because their lack of reason prevents them from making sensible choices. To permit a willful child from taking serious risks to his health or safety even if he wants to is permissible on this theory. Parents (and other adults as well) also seem to have a duty to refrain from taking advantage of the child's weak rational faculties to exploit or abuse him. On top of this, Locke affirms that parents have enforceable obligation to preserve, nourish, and educate their children; not because they consented to do so, but because they have a natural duty to do so. 2. The Problem of Positive Parental Duties The first difficulty with Locke's theory of childrens' rights is that the positive duty of parents to raise their children seems inconsistent with his overall approach. If, as Locke tells us, "Reason teaches all mankind, who will but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his Life, Health, Liberty, or Possessions." (Second Treatise, sec.6), it is difficult to see why it is permissible to coerce parents to provide for their offspring. In general, in Locke's scheme one acquires additional obligations only by consent. Even marriage he assimilates into a contract model: "Conjugal Society is made by a voluntary Compact between Man and Woman " (Second Treatise, sec.78) We should note that in section 42 of the First Treatise, Locke affirms that the radically destitute have a positive right to charity. "As Justice gives every Man a Title to the product of his honest industry so Charity gives every Man a Title to so much out of another's Plenty, as will keep him from extream want, where he has no means to subsist otherwise." But this hardly rules out relying on voluntary charity if it is sufficient to care for all those in "extream want." Quite possibly, this right would never have a chance to be exercised in a reasonably prosperous society, since need would be minimal and voluntary help abundant. Moreover, it is hardly clear that the duty to provide for the extremely needy rests only on some sub- group of the population. This passage seems to make it a universal duty of all of society's better-off members. For these two reasons, then, it would seem hard to ground positive parental duties on the child's right to charity. For if the number of children with unwilling parents is sufficiently tiny, and the society in which they are born sufficiently rich, the preconditions for exercising the right do not exist. Moreover, there is no reason for parents, much less the parents of a particular child, to have a duty to that child; more plausibly, all

American sitcoms Essays

American sitcoms Essays American sitcoms Paper American sitcoms Paper It has been argued that living in the suburbs and having a family was patriotic. In the 1950s the United States had just entered an economic boom following World War II. Anything that had to do with bettering the United States was considered patriotic. For example, buying U. S. -made goods such as cars, refrigerators and televisions was considered helping the country by keeping Americans employed in factories, and therefore considered patriotic. Owning a house and having a family were ideals of the time. One of the most important features of the 1950s sitcom family were gender roles. Every family featured a mother, father and various children. The mother stayed in the home, cooking and cleaning, and the father spent his day at work. Boys and girls were taught to value and excel at different things. For example, if a couple had boys, the boys were urged to concentrate on academics and sports, and if a couple had girls, the girls were groomed to take care of a home and family. In the twentieth century, womens opportunities and rights expanded. More women entered the workforce, for example, however, women were still largely responsible for keeping a tidy home. The topic of women in the workforce was not discussed in American sitcoms of the 1950s. The only working women that were shown were single white women as teachers of African-American women as housekeepers. It has been argued that the dominant beliefs and concerns about gender pertained only to the middle-class white woman. African-American women felt that their needs, experiences and perceptions were largely ignored while the world revolved around white society. In the 1950s this was a sad reality. Leave It to Beaver was the only show of its kind to tell its stories from the point of view of a child. (Linehan, 115) Life in the 1950s, through a childs eyes, was sweet and simple. When problems came up, they were always resolved with wise advice and a gently-learned lesson. Ward and June were completely supportive, no one ever really fought, and at the end of the day, everyone was smiling. In the Cleaver household, it seemed that June was low on the list of priorities. She was a housewife and mother who always looked her best and always had a kind word to say. She seemed genuinely happy to play the role in the home that she did. She also had some input on Wally and Beaver were disciplined. Ward and June talked over what Wally and Beavers punishments should be, but ultimately, it was Wards decision, and June nodded and smiled, accepting whatever her husband said. She also never concerned herself with financial matters, and left that area of the household to Ward. Sitcoms were an exit for society. They presented humorous situations that always found a happy ending. These comedic situations often mirrored the real worries of the time. Any person watching sitcoms could enjoy the humor while relieving the stress of their everyday lives. The Cleavers were the quintessential American family who lived the traditional American dream. Gender roles and the family dynamic were clearly defined; the woman was a housewife and mother while the man was a working husband and father, and together they had happy children and lead quiet, happy lives. This is what every American wants – happiness. Television is supposed to be an escape from reality; people could leave their possibly bleak lives for a moment and enter a world where everything works out to a happy ending. This is what Leave It to Beaver provided for its audience – simple happiness. Pop Culture Explodes in a Decade of Conformity in Pendergast, Sara and Tom, Bowling, Beatniks, and Bell-Bottoms: Pop Culture of 20th-Century America. Detroit, U*X*L, 2002. Finkelstein, Norman H. The Way Things Never Were: The Truth About the â€Å"Good Old Days†. New York, Atheneum Books, 1999. Gourley, Catherine. Gidgets and Women Warriors: Perceptions of Women in the 1950s and 1960s. Minneapolis, MN, Twenty-First Century Books, 2008. Hausman, Bernice L. Gender and Gender Roles in Kutler, Stanley I. , Dictionary of American History. New York, Charles Scribners Sons, 2003. Horsley, Edith. The 1950s. London, Bison Books Limited, 1978. Linehan, Joyce. Leave It to Beaver in Pendergast, Sara and Tom, St. James Encyclopedia of Popular Culture. Detroit, St. James Press, 2000. Passing Parade: A History of Popular Culture in the Twentieth Century. Edited by Richard Maltby. London, Oxford University Press, 1989. Suburbia in Tompkins, Vincent, American Decades. Detroit, Gale, 2001. The 1950s Arts and Entertainment: Overview in Pendergast, Sara and Tom, U*X*L American Decades. Detroit, U*X*L, 2003.

An Education in Liberal Arts

Liberal arts is a universal education that provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many subjects.  Liberal arts can observe the capabilities as well as the limitations of each field of study. This allows students to find connections between different fields of study, to explore them, and to discover new theories and/or inventions. Liberal arts also allows students to investigate areas of interest and to make new ones by combining diverse subjects.  A liberal arts education provides students with a broad spectrum of information enabling them to expand their knowledge and to advance society in a positive direction.      It is imperative that a liberal arts posses the basic knowledge of the many fields. With this knowledge, students can combine different subjects to formulate new ideas and concepts. As in mixing colors, a new color can only be created by combining various colors. The same is true for liberal arts education, the resulting idea(s) and/or concept(s) is derived from the combination used to create it.      A liberal arts education provides a strong foundation of knowledge in many fields allowing students to create new theories and inventions. With this foundation, there are endless possibilities that students can expand and build on what others have learned rather than wasting time on what has already been discovered.       In order to illustrate, Ill use the example of the telephone. The telephone was an ingenious invention that was combined with the innovation of a free thinker, Alexander Graham Bell. Bell created the first working telephone and the impact of the telephone on society, over the past 100 years, is immeasurable. The result of the telephone revolutionized communication, advancing society to another level. Inventions that advance society, such as this, demonstrate the value of a liberal arts education. In years past, more and more scientists, from an array of various fields, have elaborated upon the basic telephone by inventing different components to be used along with the telephone such as the facsimile machine and computer modems which enable communication via the internet.       In short, a liberal arts education provides students with a strong foundation of universal knowledge that allows them to think without restrictions or barriers. Liberal arts allow imaginative thoughts to develop freely. Such imaginative thoughts lead to discoveries and inventions which, in turn, advance society to higher levels. It is evident that a liberal arts education is one of societys tools for advancement in a positive direction. Plagiarism Detection >

FridgeCom Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

FridgeCom Case Study - Assignment Example Generally speaking a leader is a one who can lead his or her followers to achieve a common goal (Haslam, 2004, p.53). Scholars on time to time basis made several attempts to define leadership but they realised that â€Å"leadership has been a complex and elusive problem largely because the nature of leadership itself is complex† (Daft, 2007, p.4). Traditionally leadership was viewed as an influence of leader over the followers to achieve the common goal but in contemporary business environment leadership can be considered as â€Å"the process of producing direction, alignment and commitment in collective† (Velsor, 2010). Many a time, people do get confused with the concept of leadership and management. Leadership is just one of the basic characteristic to be possessed by the manager to fulfil their job responsibilities. Apart from the leadership quality, a manger must possess other qualities like motivational skill, time management ability and efficiency to conduct planning, managing and execution of day to day activities (Cherry & Jacob, 2005, p.367). However, it must be understood that a manager may not possess leadership qualities and a leader not necessarily be a leader. The leadership style followed by different leaders varies from individual to individual. These leadership styles are influenced by several internal as well as external factors. The internal factors are specific to a leader and these can be called the leadership traits. Again, the external factors such as the organisational culture, the job responsibility and the internal situations are equally important. In the early days the scholars identified some of the vital traits which must be present in a leader and this theory was called â€Å"trait theory†. This theory was proposed by Sir Francis Galton in 1869. Some of the common teats to be possessed by the leader were need for

Indian populations of Argentina and Chile pre-colonial period and Essay

Indian populations of Argentina and Chile pre-colonial period and their changing reality during the colonial period - Essay Example Indians belonging to the Guarani tribe originally inhabited most of the regions in South America such as Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. They used to be semi-nomadic, well known for their fierce and warriors like culture and traditions. Actually, the name ‘Guarani’ stands for warrior. Some Argentines trace their ancestry to the Guarani tribe, and they have brown eyes and dark hair. They have light skin, portraying a combination of European and Guarani heritage 1(Aladama, 2003 p 328). Before the conquest by Spain, the Guarani had been scattered widely throughout southern American countries including Argentina. Thus, this Indian community had occupied Argentina even before colonization. They carried out numerous economic activities, which determined their culture. Long before, the Spaniards arrived in Argentina, Guarani used to be hunters and gatherers. They survived by hunting animals for food, as well as gathering fruits in forests. Men used to do the hunting, while women did gathering 2(Schild, 2000 p275). On the other hand, Mapuches occupied most of Chile and just a few Mapuches inhabited Argentina. Indians of the Mapuche tribe became the first inhabitants of Argentina and Chile, with them occupying a vast territory before the arrival of the Spanish. Before the arrival of the Spanish, the Mapuche occupied most of the parts in South America, and their population was two million. Currently, they occur in large numbers of about one and a half million in Chile and two hundred thousand in Argentina. Therefore, they have occupied most parts in Chile as compared to Argentina. Indian Mapuche constituted the third largest community in South America before colonization and after colonization of Chile by Spain 3(Geschiere&Nyamnjoh, 2001 p 170). Before colonization, and the coming of Incas and Spanish, the Mapuche occupied forests in

Edward Estlin Cummings Essay Example for Free

Edward Estlin Cummings Essay Edward Estlin Cummings or E. E. Cummings,as he was popularly called was an American poet, painter, essayist, author, and playwright. His body of work encompasses approximately 2,900 poems, two autobiographical novels, four plays and several essays, as well as numerous drawings and paintings. He is remembered as a preeminent voice of 20th century poetry. One of his major work is the poem â€Å" I thank You God†. The poem by e. e. cummings, titled I thank you God for most this amazing suggests a way of perception that differs from ordinary vision. We notice first in this poem that the day itself is seen as amazing; the spirits of trees that leap suggest their form; the sky is a blue true dream, and everything is natural, infinite and yes. The speaker is almost breathless; he hardly pauses, having no space even between his semi-colons. We find the poet both dead, then reborn in his communication with the earth and with nature; he is gradually converted into a new realm of awareness. As in the case of any small child, he views the earths existence in the language of his newfound cognizancehe is reborn, thus so is the sun and life and love and wings, even the earth itself. All things are new precisely because he is renewed. Next, his senses become the conduits to the metaphysical. By the word God he could mean a personal deity or a pantheist unity unimaginable in essence. The gist of the poem speaks more effectively to the formerglorying in the senses arises from gratitude, which begs a subject. It would be difficult to be grateful to impersonality. Rather, the poem takes on a sacramental meaning; the poet penetrates the world, and the earth itselfas it shouldbecomes the conduit to unearthly faith. The speaker is finite, a human merely being grasping for the unimaginable infinite, and discovering faith through what is; in other words, through the physicality of the earth surrounding him. Hence, he concludes, now the ears of my ears awake and/now the eyes of my eyes are opened, an allusion to a common motif running through much of the Christian Scriptures. Ecclesiastes, for instance, contains a lament for the eye not filled with seeing; the prophet Isaiah condemns those with ears who do not hear because of hardened hearts. The poets enlightenment, interestingly, begins with gratitude and an appreciation for nature, the sun and sky, and this is what leads to life and love and wings, all of which erase doubt. This is an unusual route to enlightenment, and unlike pantheism (which in its many forms begins with a fundamental rejection of nature as illusory and ends with the abdication of the self). Rather, cummings affirms with humility his humanity and all of nature, the great happening illimitably earth. The process he describes thus begins with thanks and revelry in the senses and ends with faith and enlightenment.

Essay --

Paper 1 Two psychological theories used for explaining behavior are behaviorism and social learning theory. Although the two both deal with behavior, they focus on slightly unalike components in their efforts to explain why people act the way they do. Behaviorism and social learning theory have convincing sources of support so there is no well-defined response to which one does a superior job at explaining behavior. Behaviorists believe that development is not tied to biologically determined stages. Development results from organization of existing behaviors. There are two categories of learning: classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning focuses on associations linked to involuntary behaviors. Pavlov is the father of modern learning theory. Through his experiment he discovered that an unconditioned stimulus could automatically trigger an involuntary response. For example, a dog was placed in a dark room and a light was turned on. After 30 seconds some food was placed in the dog’s mouth, stimulating the salivation reflex. This procedure was repeated several times- each time the presentation of food was paired with the light. After a while the light, which initially has no relationship to salivation, produced the response itself. The dog has been conditioned to respond to the light. In Pavlov’s terms, the presentation of food was the unconditioned stimul us. The light was a conditioned stimulus; its effect required conditioning. Salivation to the food was called the unconditioned reflex, salivation to the light a conditioned reflex. John Watson was the founder of behaviorism in the Unites States. He extended classical conditioning by accounting for a greater variety of learning. Watson formulated two ... ...avior, some behaviorists believe physical discipline is an operant technique that gains immediate compliance. However, there are other behaviorists who believe that physical discipline does not teach on how to behave. They believe it is better to reward behaviors that are incompatible with the undesired behaviors. Extinction can be a better alternative in some cases. From a social learning theorist perspective, physical discipline is a model of aggressive behavior that the child would observe, learn and use. It could cause long term behavioral problems such as the child might use aggression to resolve conflict in their current or future relationships. It is better to explain to the child what she can do and why so the child internalizes rules. Behaviorists believe in using direct reinforcement. However, social learning theorists believe in vicarious reinforcement.

Interest Initiates Learning Essay

In Gerald Graff’s essay, Hidden Intellectualism, one is exposed to the author’s view of different means of intellectualism. Graff gives the reader an uncommon perception of what it means to be an intellectual. He expresses his views by stating that a person can be an intellectual in fields that have nothing to do with academia, such as street smarts or particular interests. He also states that if you incorporate these particular interests in the classroom, students deemed as unintellectual would be more likely to grasp the taught materials. These students could then perform to their true potential. To begin with, Graff uses many forms of logic to persuade the reader into his point of view. By employing logos into his writing he states logical arguments of how many students are street smart or interested in other things. Graff guides the reader into the realization that if a student is interested in a subject, it is only logical that when the subject is incorporated into the learning material then the student will comprehend the concept more easily. Graff states that â€Å"they would be more prone to take on intellectual identities if we encourage them to do so at first on subjects that interest them rather then ones that interest us† (Graff 199). Next, Graff uses his personal experiences to help the reader connect with his ideas through pathos. He tells us how, as a young man, he did not consider himself an intellectual and was not interested in scholarly matters. â€Å"I offer my own adolescent experience as a case in point. Until I entered college, I hated books and cared only for sports.† (Graff 199) He later reflects his newfound thoughts on intellectualism as he states, â€Å"I have recently come to think, however, that my preference for sports over schoolwork was not anti-intellectualism so much as intellectualism by other means.† (Graff 200) He then allows the reader to sympathize and relate by informing us that he â€Å"grew up torn, then, between the need to prove [that he] was smart and the fear of a beating if [he] proved it too well.† (Graff 200) Last but not least, by using ethos, Graff establishes his credibility. He writes extremely well and refers to other well known authors in his essay such as George Orwell, â€Å"Students do need to read models of intellectually challenging writing—and Orwell is a great one—if they are to become intellectuals themselves.† (Graff 199) He also speaks of the 1950’s, a time period when opinions on intellectualism varied and reinforces his statement by supplying a real life example when Marilyn Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller after divorcing baseball star Joe DiMaggio. It was â€Å"the symbolic triumph of geek over jock [and] suggested the way the wind was blowing.† (Graff 201) Overall I personally agree with Graff. As a student myself I feel that learning would be much easier if it was associated with things that I found to be interesting and enjoyable. I feel at times that the education system is very set in its ways. Times and people are changing, and so should the methods of teaching and involving students in the classroom. Many people with great potential might be limited by their lack of interest and may never be able to display to the world what they are capable of without Graff’s vision.

Selecting a suitable computer system

Task: Find three computer systems which are currently for sale and evaluate their specifications and select the one which you think is most suitable for Ben and Jerry. Write a detailed report to the family identifying the computers you have selected and explaining which computer that you consider to be the most suitable, justifying your choice. (Distinction Criteria) Dear Andrew, I received your letter regarding a new computer for your children and I looked up several computers matching the criteria you provided. I trimmed the list to just three computers and I gave you my honest thoughts about them including a critical, technical analysis of each computer. I hope you find my advice helpful. The first computer I wanted you to look at was the Apple Mac Pro which at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½5691 is a high end, top of the line PC that is very expensive but very powerful nonetheless. The Mac Pro has a powerful quad core processor with two dual core processors capable of 16 GB of SDRAM. To have 16 GBs is unheard of in the computing world so Ben should find that whatever demanding application he uses, the computer still handles smoothly. At 2 TB it has a huge hard disk space that dwarfs other mainstream hard drive sizes. Having this amount of space would allow Ben to store as many games as he wants without worrying about the size of it. The graphics card is the impressive 512MB nVidia Quadro FX 4500 that has a 128 bit memory interface when most these days only have 64 bit. This graphics card however seems more appropriate for casual gamer, and those who are not in the market for the latest graphics card. I'm unsure that Ben is just a casual gamer or if he's a games enthusiast who is very interested in his gaming. Nonetheless, this graphics card is not only supportive of the latest graphics but it also possesses enough processing power to generate smooth gaming with out any noticeable lagging. The Mac Pro comes with one of the best professional video editing software programmes that's used by many Hollywood movie editors. Final Cut Pro is one of the leading video editing applications with thousands of effects and although, it looks complicated to begin with, eventually it does become much easier to use. Its image editing package is impressive as well with Adobe Fireworks, Illustrator and Photoshop available for Jerry to play around with. Illustrator is a vector based image editor and Photoshop is simply the best application for the editing of digital images.Windows 7 Check Your Understanding One mustn't discount the Photobooth feature which uses its webcam to take pictures and videos. It has a range of standard effects such as sepia tone, black and white, thermal camera, X ray, comic, mirror etc. There are range of backdrops like clouds, colour dots and rollercoaster available. This would please Jerry since he preferred a PC with a webcam to record. The price includes an Apple DVI to Video adaptor to connect the PC to your Television in order to view the movies you downloaded. An excellent aspect of this PC is the operating system it uses. The Mac OS snow leopard is a far more efficient OS when compared to Windows due to the fact that it's not susceptible to viruses and its stunning user interface. Every button has a glassy feel and all applications are organised very well. The finder application searches through the hard drive at incredible speeds to look for a document or another application. It has a futuristic feel that Windows Vista and 7 have recently tried to emulate, however, the original is always the best. It was largely well received by many critics and was referred to as the most advanced OS in the world. Apple Macs are reputed to have excellent screen quality and its 23 inch screen is suitable for gaming and having such a wide screen would allow Jerry to have a spacious desktop and to work freely when editing his images or videos. The next computer that maybe worth a look in is the Dell XPS 430 Desktop which at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½670 is very much cheaper than the Apple Mac Pro; in truth this is a very competitive price for a powerful machine such as this. In addition to this, Dell is market leader manufacturing high quality PCs with a glowing worldwide reputation. Most of the features match up to your criteria. For example, you said that Jerry has an interest in photo editing. The XPS 430 has the latest Adobe Elements package including Photoshop which is tailored for a person like Jerry. Adobe Photoshop is industry standard editing software that has a plethora of editing effects and capabilities and I assure you that it's perfect for an image editing enthusiast like Jerry. Granted Adobe Premiere elements is a scaled down version of the industry standard Adobe Premier Pro, however, it's still the best selling consumer video editing software because it has a range of advantages over its competitors. Features like real time rendering would help Jerry to immediately preview his edits to the timeline. This machine also has a deck-top docking area to conveniently dock, charge and cable route for portable devices – such as digital camera, in the case of Jerry. This undoubtedly makes things much easier where all Jerry would have to do is to doc k the camera and then edit straight from there! In addition to this, the XPS is a self-titled gaming computer which is perfect for Ben. By using ATI2 and NVIDIA2 graphic solutions, the XPS 430 is capable of delivering high end multimedia features including next generation graphics and HD quality video. Most impressive of all, the machine's processor is a top of the line Intel Quad Core 2 processor that was specifically built to handle the most demanding games. High detailed games are rendered by four hardware threads, which in turn distribute the AI and physics evenly. This powerful processor is tailor made for Ben who thrives on the latest games. Nowadays, many games take up several GB's of space meaning smaller hard drives would struggle. The XPS 430 has 2 TB's (that's a 2000 GB) of hard drive space which is more than three times the size of a hard drive on normal computer. Plus, there are plenty of USB ports (5 internal, 7 external to be precise) in case Ben wants to plug in a games controller or joystick. The speaker that come s with the package is the Bose Companion 3 Series II which is a multimedia speaker system that is unlike any other conventional speaker in the sense that it delivers crisp sound and stunning ambience that creates a life like atmosphere, be it playing games or watching a HD movie. Also, since the computer has a Blu-Ray disk drive, it has the ability to play games or watch films in true high definition. I'm also impressed with the Dell Ultrasharp widescreen display that completes the High definition capability of the PC. Since the monitor's widescreen, you get the sense that it's almost a widescreen television not a PC monitor. Its operating system Windows Vista is reputed to be a media centric OS so Jerry and Ben would enjoy using its 3D user interface which has an Apple Mac feel. The XPS 430's RAM is well above average too with 8GB. Most computers have 2, maybe 3 GB because that's an acceptable amount. RAM is a good indicator of how good a computer is because it shows how many programmes a machine can run without having to slow down. So the more RAM on store, the more programmes you can run without worrying about it slowing things down. Finally, we mustn't ignore the digital video capture capability in this PC. It has a built in 2.0 mega pixel camera which is capable of taking pictures, record videos and it's perfect when added with VOIP(Voice over Internet Protocol) software such as Skype. The XPS 430 also has 1 VGA and HDMI output to connect the PC to your TV, allowing you to watch downloaded films on your TV; This PC certainly ticks all your boxes. The last PC I picked out was the HP Pavilion Elite which is nearly twice as expensive as the Dell at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1279. The feature you immediately notice is the processor which is twice as capable as the Intel Quad Core 2 processor that was in the Dell XPS 430. The Intel Core i7-860 Processor is a processor that was specifically designed for multi-tasking purposes. That's why unlike the Intel Quad Core 2 it has 8 threads to share the workload. One of its features, Intel Smart Cache, was optimized to deliver a higher quality gaming performance with an improved capable cache system. In addition to this, other features like HD Boost and Turbo Boost technology handle the most demanding programmes maximising the performance leading to an overall improvement of a plethora of multimedia and computer intensive programmes. Its clock speed of 2.8 GHz is also marginally better than the Quad Core 2 Processor (2.66 GHz) – the clock speed measures how fast a PC can complete basic calculations and operations. This processor would be incredibly useful for both your children as it's perfect for high detail HD gaming and image editing which would need multiple applications to be open. The OS system Microsoft 7 Home premium is the latest OS from windows and has a range of multimedia applications that would satisfy both Ben and Jerry. The latest Windows media centre can act as a hub for all your children's multimedia needs. Here they can watch videos, photos and even play games! Applications that are included with the OS under Microsoft like Movie Maker, DVD Maker and photo gallery are standard multimedia programmes that are still competent in helping the user to maximise their multimedia experience. The graphics card would no doubt excite Ben who I understand is a games enthusiast. The NVIDIA GeForce GT 230 is a graphics card with Purevideo HD technology which like the graphics card in the XPS 430 allows the user to immerse themselves in true high definition gaming. Another added benefit to gaming, is the â€Å"7.1 HD audio support† that would undoubtedly create a unique gaming atmosphere. The disk drive size of 1.5 TB is enormous even though it's not as much the XPS 430 (2 TB in size) and it would mean that both your children can store plenty of games, videos and images without worrying about how big they are. It has an equal RAM capability to the XPS 430 at 8 GB, allowing the computer to run many programmes at the same time without worrying about it slowing things down. This is ideal for Jerry in particular who would be using multiple, highly demanding applications to edit his videos and images. This particular PC comes with a HP games console that has hours of free gameplay that would certainly entertain Ben. The fact that it has 10 external USB ports is useful if he were to plug in his joystick or games controller. This PC may however disappoint Jerry due to the fact that it doesn't have an image editing software included. However, it does have one of the world's best video editing software in Cyberlink DVDSuite. This application is not as competent as Adobe Premiere Elements but I still feel that it's an excellent video editing software that is suited for an amateur video editing enthusiast. This machine also doesn't have a webcam which is a downside but it does have a VGA and a HDMI port to plug the PC on to your television. In conclusion, the HP pavilion would not be recommended by me due to the absence of an image editing software. I feel for à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½1279 it doesn't suit the criteria and so would be a waste of money. It doesn't have a webcam either further deteriorating its credibility. However, this PC is very suited for Ben because of the quality of the graphics card, the audio support and the free HP games console that's included and not to forget the brilliant PC monitor. On the other extreme, the Apple Mac Pro is nearly à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6000 and for that money you're getting the best OS in the world, superb image editing software and a world class video editing application in Final Cut pro. Its Imagebooth applications boast the ability to take pictures and videos and have a range of effects. This makes it perfect for Jerry who loves editing videos and images. However, I don't believe it's suitable for Ben as the graphics card is a just a mainstream graphics card that may struggle with certain demanding games. The fact that it doesn't have a blu-ray disc drive is a negative as well as it would be unable to play HD games. For the amount of money, you'd expect this PC to be perfect but it's far from it. That leaves me with the Dell XPS 430 which I reckon is the most suitable PC as it satisfies the needs of both Jerry and Ben equally well. Its graphics card is incredibly powerful and the RAM it possesses is enough to handle the most highly detailed games. It even has a blu-ray disc drive to play HD games and its quad core 2 processor is one of the best for gaming. Ben is sure to be impressed with these specifications. Jerry on the other hand will be excited to have Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere which are excellent programmes for image and video editing. The XPS 430 even has deck-top docking area to conveniently dock portable devices like a digital camera. This would without doubt be convenient for Jerry as he can simply plug in his camera and get editing without wasting much time. It has a VGA and HDMI output to connect to the television and watch movies and its sound system gives an incredible atmosphere. Whether it's watching videos or playing games this sound system would simply maximise the viewing experience. One mustn't forget that it also has a 2.0 mega pixel camera that records and takes pictures and is suitable for applications like Skype. The icing on the cake without doubt has to be the fact that it's the cheapest PC from the ones I've listed at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½670 and that's why I recommend that you purchase the Dell XPS 430.

9 Powerful Grammar Tips to Strengthen Workplace Communication

9 Powerful Grammar Tips to Strengthen Workplace Communication Grammar is not as outdated an institution as you might think. Just because many people might  not hold much stock in it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t pay attention to good grammar. It might just make the difference between getting hired or promoted and being overlooked. The way you use language is part of your presentation. Make sure you’re making the right impression by avoiding these nine common mistakes:1. â€Å"Fewer† vs. â€Å"Less†You only use less when you’re talking about concepts, rather than countable things. â€Å"I want to be under less stress this year,† is fine, but be careful. â€Å"I want to take on less clients† is incorrect. You want to take on fewer clients.SEE ALSO:  Ban These 15 Words From Your Writing2. â€Å"It’s† and â€Å"its†The most embarrassing. Remember it’s is a contraction for â€Å"it is,† much like â€Å"can’t† for is a contraction for â€Å"cann ot.† The apostrophe is holding the place of the missing letter. Its is a possessive term. The cat ate its dinner.If you’re having a hard time, try to never use the contraction version it’s and just make a habit of always spelling out â€Å"it is† instead.3. Dangling modifiersThis is a toughie. Just try to remember that what comes after a comma usually describes  the clause immediately before it. â€Å"Smelling like a wet dog, I removed my sweater.† That’s you smelling like a wet dog, when you meant to say the sweater smelled. Try instead, â€Å"I removed my sweater, which smelled like a wet dog.†4. â€Å"Who† vs â€Å"Whom†An easy rule to remember- simply try completing the sentence in your head. â€Å"For whom are the flowers?† (â€Å"The flowers are for him.†) â€Å"Whom did you ask to the prom?† (â€Å"I asked her to the prom.†) You wouldn’t say â€Å"I asked she to the prom,† would you? But you would say, â€Å"Who did that?† (She or he did it.)5. Me, Myself IMyself is a reflexive pronoun. Use it only when you’ve already referred to yourself earlier in the sentence. â€Å"I made myself a sandwich† is okay, but â€Å"My mom and myself made a cake† is not. That would be â€Å"My mom and I made a cake.† And careful with me and I, as well. â€Å"My mom and me† did not make a cake, but â€Å"My dad is taking my mom and me to the park† works great.6. â€Å"Lie† vs â€Å"Lay†You’re not â€Å"going to lay down.† Lay always requires an object. You lay a book on the coffee table, but you lie down. Careful though, because lay  is also the past tense of lie. So you â€Å"lay down on the couch yesterday† though you will â€Å"lie on it† today. The past tense of lay, for reference, is â€Å"laid.†7. Irregular verbsThese sneak in all the time. For example, lended and upseted are not words (it’s left and upset). English is tricky that way. Especially with terminology in your career, be careful to be precise and not make these errors. A quick Google can usually sort you out if you’re in doubt.8. â€Å"Nor† vs â€Å"or†Only use nor when you’re already expressing a negative. â€Å"Neither my boss nor I understood the memo.† Or â€Å"my boss didn’t understand the memo- nor did I.† Otherwise, use or.9. â€Å"Then† vs â€Å"than†Just assume hiring managers will shred your resume on sight if you commit this sin. Remember,  than  is comparative: â€Å"I would rather be a hammer than a nail.† Then tells time: â€Å"We did this, then that.†

Diplomatic Role of Residual US Forces in Iraq Essay

Diplomatic Role of Residual US Forces in Iraq - Essay Example he revenue end up being used in making the situation better rather than being utilized in development projects like improving the infrastructure hence pulling the countries development downwards. The political situation in Iraq has affected the gulf cooperation council (GCC) countries for instance Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UEA and Bahrain. The situation in Iraq has however been improved to some extent through the intervention of various groups that are all aimed at restoring peace in the country. This is nonetheless a justification that the country is in a good position currently and even in the future as the condition of the people in Iraq is faced with a lot of uncertainty due to the external forces that come in the name of assisting but in the long run end up not helping considerably as they have their hidden agenda. This has in a way contributed to an increased poverty level of the people. This paper looks into the diplomatic role of residual US forces in Iraq. Iraq is a country that has faced a lot of political instability especially after the war led by the US in the year 2003. The war was mainly aimed at destroying the society of Iraq through insecurity and lack of peace making the United States and other interested parties to easily gain access to the resources in the country especially the rich oil reserves. Since then, the political situation in the country has not been good which led to the signing of an agreement between the country and the US where the latter was to offer assistance in regard to restoring peace in Iraq through provision of security in the country by laying down particular strategies aimed at bringing the Iraqi people together and preventing any foreign or external attacks. The decision was made based on the United States’ capabilities in terms of equipment and military forces which could be of substantial help to the country. The agreement was also in favor of the United States as it could now have some acc ess to the oil

The Problem with Satisfying a Demanding Audience Essay

The Problem with Satisfying a Demanding Audience - Essay Example Originality in itself presents a problem. Before something completely original is understood, it needs to gain acceptance by an audience. By the time audiences understand and embrace a concept, it is not new anymore. Various bandwagons are therefore evident in the world of literature, music, and entertainment in general. Some of the most famous examples of a platform from which various spin-offs were created are Shakespeare’s plays Hamlet and Othello. In fact, the themes, premises, and scenarios of most of Shakespeare’s plays are to be found in other intellectual creations since they were written, and continue to be promulgated to this day. Everybody is aware, for example, that West Side Story is a re-hash of the Romeo and Juliet story. Yet it is not paradoxical to say that the two are original. "Just as Tony and Maria, our Romeo and Juliet, set themselves apart from the other kids by their love, so we have tried to set them even further apart by their language, their songs, their movement. Wherever possible in the show, we have tried to heighten emotion or to articulate inarticulate adolescence through music, song or dance," Arthur Laurents said about the development of characters in West Side Story. (New York Herald Tribune, August 4, 1957) The statement is possibly as far removed from William Shakespeare’s original idea for a play as it is likely to be. The concept of adolescence as a pressure group did not exist in Shakespeare’s time: people were adults and ‘marriageable’ as soon as they reached puberty. The ideas are similar, but the audience ‘readings’ are necessarily totally different. This kind of work, that so clearly takes on the themes and premises of another, is called derivative.  

Case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words - 2

Case study - Essay Example e is motivated by the need to satisfy the following psychological needs which include; playing and relaxing, personal fulfilment, self expression as well as curiosity among others. It can as well be said that she seeks to fulfil the social needs, derived from Maslow’s hierarchy of needs or motivation theory. Social needs in particular, are concerned with love, friendship and esteem (McCarthy and Perreault 1990). These are often have a bearing on the person’s interaction with others. Personal needs on the other hand are concerned with an individual’s need for personal satisfaction which is often unrelated to what others may think. As a point of departure, it can be said that one of the main reasons why we drink is to give ourselves confidence in the belief that alcohol will set us at ease especially with strangers (McNeill 1986). However, there are various other reasons for drinking such as wanting to please others, fighting loneliness or using alcohol as a bridge between different people. From this assertion, it can be noted that Melanie’s drinking habits are driven by psychological needs to a greater extent. Indeed, she appreciates the fact that alcohol can cause harm to her health but this does not deter her from drinking. She drinks inorder to fulfil the psychological need to play as well as to relax. She believes that its part of being a student to drink. In the opening remarks she says, â€Å"I know I perhaps drink too much but its part of being a student, isn’t it?† From this statement it can be seen that drinking is one of the popular ways of relaxing and perhaps derive pleasure i n the life of a student. Whilst she does not drink on a daily basis, it can be seen that she does especially on Mondays and Wednesdays which are dedicated as days for student outing and have since been entrenched as part of the student culture. It can be seen that she also drinks for personal fulfilment as well as self expression. A night out on a drinking binge with

The Calculation of GNP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Calculation of GNP - Essay Example 120 x 22 = 2640. In 2005, 210 tennis racquets were sold. 210 x 120 = 25,200. 2640 + 25,200 = 27, 840. Let 2004 be the base year. In 2004, 100 CDs were sold. 100 x 22 = 2200. In 2004, 200 tennis racquets were sold. 200 x 120 = 24,000. 2200 + 24,000 = 26,200. Percent Growth = 100% x ((27,840-26,200)/26,200)) Percent Growth = 7.02% Using 2005 as a base year, the real GDP for 2004 is 26,200 and the real GDP for 2005 is 840. This shows an increase of 7.02%. 10/10 4. Review GDP over last 5 years from BEA's website and summarize trends> Discuss two or three events which may have caused these trends. Although the last five years did not experience any recessions, the years 2000 and 2001 were low points in economic growth. Incidentally, the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, all saw recessions in their first few years, so this slowing of economic growth early in the decade is not unusual (Orszag 2001). Like in other decades, after these first few slow years, the growth rate begins to accelerate again gradually through 2002 and 2003. At this point (late 2003, early 2004) we see a period of particularly fast growth (2003q3 9.3%, 2003q4 5.5%, 2004q1 8.1%) (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2006). This may have been caused by government initiatives to give the economy a short-term boost for the year of the election (2004). If these initiatives were put into play half-way through 2003, it's possible that they were quite successful initially but only for a short time, and not very far into 2004. Although the GDP does rise in the 2004 and 2005, it's growth has been decelerating ever so slightly over the past two years. Still it remains fairly stable. The recent stability of the economy, despite extremely high energy prices, can be attributed to the relatively... At this point (late 2003, early 2004) we see a period of particularly fast growth (2003q3 9.3%, 2003q4 5.5%, 2004q1 8.1%) (Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2006). This may have been caused by government initiatives to give the economy a short-term boost for the year of the election (2004). If these initiatives were put into play half-way through 2003, it's possible that they were quite successful initially but only for a short time, and not very far into 2004. Although the GDP does rise in the 2004 and 2005, it's growth has been decelerating ever so slightly over the past two years. Still it remains fairly stable. The recent stability of the economy, despite extremely high energy prices, can be attributed to the relatively low unemployment rate throughout the last year (Sniderman, 2006). Sniderman, M. (April 2006). The Economy in Perspective. Research Department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Retrieved April 15, 2006, from www.clevelandfed.org/Research/ET2006/0306/eip.pdf. Two formerly undeveloped economies, that of Singapore and that of Hong Kong, have shown unprecedented growth in the past fifty years. However, developing countries would benefit more from following an economic model similar to that of Singapore given the current economic trends and conditions.

Marketing strategy of a furniture store

Marketing strategy of a furniture store Customers are core for any business. Companies manufacture products to fulfill their needs. Every company would like to increase their market share through sales by beating their competitors. In order to achieve this, one should have efficient and effective marketing plan. The most vital element of a successful marketing plan knows your customers likes, dislikes and expectations. Basing on these factors a marketing strategy could be developed which allows you to fulfill customers needs by understanding your competitors and identify changes in market place. The every purpose of marketing plan is to outline a strategy to attract and keeping customers. This could be done by defining your market, identifying your customers and competitors. The two main marketing principles are: Entire efforts of a company should be directed towards satisfying customers. Sales volume which is profitable is more important than maximum sales volume. Marketing strategy Marketing strategy is identifying customer groups and serves them better than its competitors by offering tailor made products, prices, distribution and promotional methods to that segment. The strategy should address unmet customer needs that earn potential profitability. Target marketing Identifying separate customers who makes up large groups which helps to locate their needs more specifically. This smaller segment of the general market is convenient for market research and information helps to serve this segment better. This segmentation can be done in two ways Geographical segmentation serving customers needs in a particular geographical area. Customer segmentation identifying those people who buy products and services and targeting those groups. Products and service: To satisfy the target markets product is very important. This is how organizations earn revenue. These products may be in the form of goods, services or ideas. Promotional strategy: Promotion is communication process with the customers about the products through advertisements and direct customer interactions. This helps companies to distinguish their product from competitors. Pricing strategy The right price is the crucial for maximizing total revenue. In general higher prices means lower volume and vice versa. Micro Audit Consumers Industry and market related information regarding consumer buying patterns plays very critical in expecting future levels of demand. Having sales volume information of past helps to foresee the market trend and buying pattern. Key information like current market volume, demand, etc helps to identify the profit potential market. This information helps to build relationship with customers by identifying their needs, wants, preferences and buying habits. Key Points: The market for kitchens (including  furniture, worktops, sinks and taps, appliances sold as part of a kitchen and installation) was estimated to be worth  £3.25 billion in 2008, but it is estimated that it will decline to  £3.12 billion in 2009. Product innovation, fashion in the home and the desire for individuality are all strong drivers to growth in the market. Added to this, the growing emphasis on the kitchen and its central place at the hub of the home is also stimulating interest in the kitchens appearance, functionality and furnishings. Mintel believes the consumer market will return to growth by late 2010 or early 2011, accelerating to 2014. All the previous positive factors remain in place for a recovery. Kitchens UK: August 2009 Mintel Competitors Sustaining competition in market is important for any business success. Identifying the direct competitors and analyzing their market information like where they stand in market, their strengths and weakness, sales performance, pricing strategy, studying their product range and promotional methods helps us to prepare strategies to penetrate into their market for greater market share. Distributors and suppliers Building proper distribution channel to reach target audience is important. Distributors are one of the key elements in supply chain of a company as he helps to move product from hands of the company to the hands of customers. Reaching target market is unlikely without proper distribution channel. A distributor saves both money and time for companies by their expertise in what they do. Macro audit Macro environment considers challenges in the world at large. These elements are politics, Economy, technology, laws and environment which impact the market. Having detailed information about these elements helps an organization to serve market better. Politics Political system like taxation policies, foreign trade policies, how supportive the government is for private sector helps an organization to plan their marketing strategies more efficiently. Economy Information like inflation, disposable income levels decides the income of the market place which is vital for planning pricing strategy. Technology In todays world technology is growing in very fast phase. Technology enables business to communicate more efficiently and saves time which helps to take efficient decisions. Environment Environmental policies have a major role on the manufacturing process. Availability of raw material, energy costs and pollution are the major influencing factors of quality of product. Research Requirements Retailers Opinion: Retailers knows and understands the behavior pattern of customers. They will have the first hand information on market and what exactly customers are looking for in a product they want. Retailers even have key information on taste of customers who belongs to a particular geographical region. Research methodology: one to one interview is the best research method for this objective. One to one interviews help to get most of the information possible from a retailer which may miss through questionnaire or online survey. Through this method we could able to know the retailers personal views on our product as well as his experiences with customers while selling our product. This information regarding our product and service helps us to understand our lagging points and allow us to work on them. As retailers interact with different kinds of customers during their day to day business they know the customers preference and choice better. So, retailers are the best source of information regarding the pattern of customers buying behavior and the factors which influence their buying decision. As retailer being the possible large data base of information regarding customers, one to one interview research method is the best to collect the information in its totality. Fashion and Trend: In the matter of fashion and trend only change is constant. Peoples taste vary from person to person, place to place etc. people always get influenced by latest trend and fashion. Research methodology: conducting surveys through online as well as placing questionnaires at shops to answer are the best methods to collect information. Young working people who are single and newly married couples are best sample for this kind of survey. These sample can be questioned online by preparing questionnaire with pictures of product with different kinds of designs and asking them which kind of furniture they like and why. Through this method coverage will be more as most of the youngsters use net. At shops customers can see, feel and know more about the product. So, getting answers for what they like or dislike in a product example color, comfort, style, and design etc through questionnaires placing at shops helps to analyze the thought process while shopping. Target Customer segment profile: Before venturing into new market it is important to study the characteristics of that target group as customers thoughts and opinions are different depending on factors like place, income etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Research methodology: Focus group is the best research method which can be adapted here for this research. The targeted group can be working professionals, business men above age 25 who belongs to both mid and high income markets. This information could be gathered at offices, social gathering places like hotels, restaurants, organized events etc. Feedback from a group has more diversified opinions on a product. This provides most invaluable information about brand, quality, pricing, design etc which helps company to provide best possible quality furniture with appealing design at affordable prices (Saunders M. et al., 2006). SW/OT Analysis Stateroom Furnitures Strengths It is very popular brand known for its quality hand crafted furniture which is made of wide variety of wood. Have wide product range of kitchen furniture which covers from high end dining set to china display cabinets. Capital reserves are available for development and even extra funds can be raised in strong business cases. It has a facility with new machinery which could be used to manufacture a variety range of furniture. Stateroom Furnitures Weakness SR furniture could not utilize its potential in market completely. Many people back off from buying the furniture for its price even though they like it. Its market is limited only to certain section because of its old fashioned design. The material used to make furniture is limited to wood which leads to lack of variety in product range. Though the brand is popular its distribution is limited only to up-market stores in cities and counties. Only 55% of the factories capacity is being utilized. Market Opportunities A huge section of market with young audience is open to target the products. Furniture with modern stylish designs and made of different materials are in huge demand. This space in market in not yet ventured by SR There is demand for branded quality furniture around the world not only for domestic purpose but also business purpose. Large section of market with audience who belongs to middle income group is still open. Market Threats Change of peoples perception towards kitchen as cooking, eating and hanging out area is a threat to kitchen furniture sales. Plastic and Self assembly furniture is becoming popular which are cheap and comfortable to use. As young audience dont like old fashioned furniture there is threat of losing this market completely in future. Reduction in room sizes may lead to not using the dining set which will affect SR sales figures because 50% of sales are of dining sets. Resultant Strategies Different strategies can be developed by using TOWS frame work: S-O Strengths : Opportunities Strategies Capital reserves, Product range and brand reputation could be utilized (S1/2) to promote present sales. Utilize brand reputation to export and contract sales (S1) could be increased as there is demand for quality brands all over the world. (O3) Brand reputation and Capital reserves and factory capacity (S1/3/4) could be utilized to manufacture and market modern style furniture for young audience.(O2) W-O Weakness :Opportunities strategies A Product range at reasonable price (W1/4) could be manufactured and marketed through more outlets even in small towns for middle income group which is a large market segment. (O4) Making furniture with different variety of materials (W2/3) like steel, Plastic etc covers more market and could attract young audience. (O1/4) S-T Strength : Threats Strategies Brand image (S1) can be utilized to venture into other furniture segments like office, bedroom, etc. (T4) For the future: Utilize capital reserves (S3) to venture into plastic and self assembly segment (T 2/3/4). Utilize capital reserves (S3) to change perception of people over dining set and other furniture by running campaigns. (T1) W-T Weakness : Threats Strategies Should make furniture with low cost materials like plastic and others (T2) for mass market which can be sold at reasonable prices (W1). Factory capacity could be utilized to manufacture adjustable furniture with innovative designs (W2/5) to answer space problems which can capture the market of young and other segment who dont like traditional furniture (T3/4). Marketing Strategies Unique selling proposition The USP aims at making new range of durable kitchen furniture made with different materials like wood, steel, Plastic etc. and designed appealingly according to the taste of all age groups. Positioning To be successful SR furniture should use its brand reputation to capture market neglected before which became advantage to competitors. Thus it is targeted at both sophisticated clientele and mass market by positioning itself as quality furniture maker for all age groups. The marketing mix should be planned in such a way that the product range has both quality and appealing designs to cover all age groups and mid income market. This can be achieved with two lines of products where one is positioned at mass market with affordable furniture range and the other for sophisticated and higher income group. This product mix could be achieved with both traditional and modern designer furniture range made of different materials like steel, veneer, plastic etc. This is illustrated in brand positioning map below: Price vs. Quality Design Good Quality Appealing Design Affordable Price SR Galiform PLC High Price Kohler Mira Jaccuzi UK Group PLC Bristan Group Poor Quality Design The above illustration shows that the market positioning is to capture both high end and mid market by offering good quality furniture. Competitive Strategy SR Furniture seeking to venture into new market with affordable price range for mid income group rather down market as the product range is mainly concerned about the brand image it carries for its quality and design. With current product range its strategy is to capture both high end and mass market of all age groups. Mid market prices could be achieved as the material usage will vary for different designs without affecting the quality and durability of the product. This mass market is going to sustain as getting good brand like SR Furniture at affordable price is great value for money. Growth Strategy Utilizing the brand reputation to venture into new market with new product range is very good move as it makes market penetration easy. The strategy of making a product range of modern designer furniture for sophisticated market could carve its share easily as there is lot of room in market with young audience and others who dont like traditional designs but still appreciate SR brand for its quality. In long term this strategy gives a great scope to enter into the other furniture segments like bedroom, living room etc. Marketing mix differences Consumer vs. Business Marketing mix differs from business market and consumer market. Product Consumer market: Product range should consist furniture with appealing design to all age groups. Consumer prefers good looking furniture which is comfortably fits in their rooms and easy to mobilize during house shift. Business market: Business market includes buyers like hotels, restaurants etc who dont shift often. They prefer durable furniture which lasts long and design of furniture is very important in setting up a good ambiance and image in market place. Price Pricing strategy varies between consumer and business markets as the buying pattern differs. Business clients place bulk orders and consumers buy individual pieces of furniture. Furniture manufactured for business purpose could be costlier as it is manufactured according to the specifications of business client. Place Furniture is sold through retail stores at different locations for convenience of individual consumers to shop and transport. There would be no specific location to sell furniture for business purpose. Manufactured furniture according to the clients order would be transported directly from factory. Promotion Television advertisements, ads in news papers and magazines, hoardings, exhibitions and other promotional methods are adapted to reach consumer market. Catalogues would be designed with products picture and key information which are distributed to clients personally by marketing team.

Organic Foods Essay -- Food Organic Health Eating Essays

Organic Foods â€Å"You are what you eat†, or so they say. In today’s supermarkets, organic foods are everywhere. Not only are there organic fruits and vegetables, but there are also organic dairy products, organic meats, organic convenience foods, organic wine, beer, coffee, tea and even clothes made with organic cotton. All of these choices have made organic foods the â€Å"fastest-growing segment of the grocery industry.† The Organic Trade Association (OTA), in its â€Å"Business Facts† fact sheet available at www.ota.com, cites Natural Foods Merchandiser, a trade magazine, as measuring organic industry growth at 20 percent or greater for the past nine years. Approximately two percent of the U.S. food supply is grown using organic methods. In 2001, retail sales of organic food were projected to be $9.3 billion (Organic Trade Association [OTA], 2001). That is nearly triple the $3.5 billion in sales in 1998 (Biocycle; Nov. 2004, Vol. 45 Issue 11, p27). Organic foods ca n be found at natural food stores such as Whole Foods Inc., Wild Oats Inc., major supermarkets, farmers markets as well as through â€Å"grower direct marketing† such as CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) or Co-Ops. Many restaurant chefs and culinary related professionals across the country are starting to use organic produce because they desire its superior quality and taste. Organic food, also gaining international acceptance, has become widespread in nations like Japan and Germany where the development of organic food markets has seen substantial growth (OTA, 2004) People choose to â€Å"go organic† for different reasons but, the single most important reason to choose certified organic foods is because organic agriculture in its very essence preserves, protects and restores our environment in significant ways (United States Department of Agriculture. [USDA], 2002). Also, organic farming embraces the principle that agriculture must meet the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations, not to mention that organic foods are often the safest, freshest, most flavorful and most nutritious foods in the marketplace (European Journal of Nutrition 40: 289-292 (2001)). The USDA has tried to emphasize that organic food is no healthier, and adds no real benefits to a healthy lifestyle than regular foods. However, with the contamination present in plants treated with pesticides, pre ... ...pect. It matters to our communities. But most of all, it matters to our appreciation of life. References Journals Cuddleford, V. (2003). When Organics Go Mainstream. Alternatives Journal, 29(4), 15-20. Baxter, G., Graham, A., Lawrence, J., Wiles, D., Paterson, J., et al. (2001). Salicylic acid In soups prepared from organically and non-organically grown vegetables. European Journal of Nutrition, 40, 289-292. Retrieved on 3-3-05 from Ebscohost. Composting at the World’s Largest Natural Foods Supermarket Chain. (2004). Biocycle. 45(11). p27. Retrieved on 3-3-05 from Ebscohost. Federal or Government Sources Organic Foods 101: Basic Information about organic foods, national labeling standards and online organic foodsellers. (2002). Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http://www.nrdc.org. The National Organic Program .(USDA). (2002). Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http://ams.usda.gov. Trade Publications Organic Food Facts. (2003). Organic Trade Association. Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http://www.ota.com/organic/mt/food.html Industry Statistics and Projected Growth. (2003). Organic Trade Association. Retrieved on 3-3-05 from http://www.ota.com/organic/mt/business.html

Corporate Tax Act Essay

The resolution stipulated that any overpayment of salary disallowed as a deduction by the IRS would be repaid to the Osprey Corporation. In late 2010 during an audit by the IRS, $200,000 of Patrick’s compensation, and $150,000 of Dan’s compensation were recharacterized as constructive dividends. This was done because the salaries were found to be excessive. Reg  §1. 162-8 states excessive compensation will be disallowed to the corporation and treated as a constructive dividend to the shareholder. Because the agreement to the resolution was in place prior to their salary payments, the repayments were legally enforceable under state law. As stated by Hoffman, Raabe, Smith and Maloney â€Å"the constructive dividend serves as a substitute for actual distributions and is usually intended to accomplish some tax objective not available through the use of direct dividends. Alternatively the shareholders may be seeking benefits for themselves while avoiding the recognition of income†(2012, 5-16). Because the resolution did contain a repayment provision it should reduce the effect of the constructive dividends on Dan and Patrick. b. Issues A corporation cannot take a deduction from the constructive dividend, and the shareholder must report the amount of the constructive dividend on their tax return. The IRS will recharacterize an item that has been deducted on the corporate tax return to a non-deductible dividend. Constructive dividends are double taxed, first on the corporate level and again at the shareholder level. This characterization results in the IRS denial of the deduction on he corporate level. To determine how the repayment by Dan and Patrick should be treated for tax purposes we must determine whether the repayment can, or should be treated as a deduction or as a credit. c. Discussion In  §162, it states compensation is deductible only to the extent that it is reasonable and is in fact payment purely for services. In a case similar to Dan and Patrick’s sit uation involving excessive compensation, Vincent E. Oswald v. Commissioner, 49 T. C. 645 (1968), the court found the repayments to be a deductible expense. In this case the question was whether, â€Å"under section 162 of the Code, the officers are entitled to a business expense deduction for the calendar year 1968 for the salaries repaid by them to the corporation† (Vincent E. Oswald. 49 T. C. 645 (1968)). The Section 1. 162-1 of the Income Tax Regulations â€Å"provides, in part, that ordinary and necessary expenditures directly connected with or pertaining to the taxpayer’s trade or business are deductible from gross income as business expenses† (Rev. Rul. 69-115, 1969-1 CB 50 — IRC Sec(s). 162). According to the case, the court found that a deduction for ordinary and necessary business expenses would be allowed. If Dan and Patrick sought a credit for the repayment of the taxes, the relief provision contained in IRC section 1341 suggest that a taxpayer may reduce its current years tax by the amount of the extra taxes paid by having to include the income in a previous year. The requirement that a taxpayer be entitled to this deduction has two subsets. One, there must be a deduction as the result of the restoration of income, and two, the deduction must occur under a code section other than section 1341. In a federal case Van Cleave v.

Apple’s “1984”: Greatest Commercial Ever Made Essay

â€Å"1984† is an American television commercial which introduced the Apple Macintosh personal computer for the first time. The commercial served as a significant milestone in the history of adverting and had a massive effect on the popularity of Apple. The ad consistently been lauded as a classic, winning critical acclaim over time. It is now considered a watershed event and a masterpiece in advertising, and is widely regarded as one of the most memorable and successful American television commercials of all time. It aired only once on daytime television, on 22 January 1984 in the third quarter of Super Bowl XVIII. The ad was not only rated as the best advertisement ever in 2007, it was also rated as the ‘Best Super Bowl spot in the 40 years history’. The turning point event was not the only computer advertisement that aired in these years, but it was â€Å"the only one that changed people’s lives†. The ad started the phenomenon known as â€Å"event marketing,† in which a high-visibility commercial garners a lot of extra free publicity. â€Å"1984† also inaugurated the trend of showcasing commercials on the Super Bowl. And, most importantly for Apple, the ad brought consumers into the stores. The commercial opens with a droning voice resonating through a science-fiction dystrophic setting, which is held in dark, blue and gray tones. Then you see emotionless, bald and almost robotic people marching in unanimity through a long tunnel with telescreens on the wall. Then out of nowhere, a young woman appears, dressed like an athlete, in a color-full sports outfit that forms a strong contrast to the dull gray environment surrounding her. She carries a sledgehammer and is being chased by uniformed guards and then she runs up to the screen, hurls a hammer with a heroic grunt, and shatters the TV image of the said dictator named â€Å"Big Brother†. As the screen explodes, bathing the stunned audience in the light of freedom, a voice-over announces, â€Å"On January 24th, Apple Computer will introduce the Macintosh. And you’ll see why 1984 won’t be like â€Å"1984.† The ad was an allusion to George Orwell’s noted novel, â€Å"Nineteen Eighty-Four†, which described a dystopian future ruled by a televised â€Å"Big Brother†. After the ad was released in 1984, Apple became a household name in the United States. Apple’s 1984 commercial’s aim was to brand their product, Macintosh with an ideology of empowerment and individuality; contrary to the 1970s perception that personal computers were tools invented for utilitarian purposes and designed to facilitate specific tasks. During those times, the trend was common and utilitarian, so with Macintosh deviating its image against the norm, the people’s attention was acquired with a bold ad set up by Apple. The 1984 ad’s strategy was to differentiate themselves by combating conformity and asserting individuality. It was a definite plus for Apple to choose to air the commercial during the most watched television event in United States, The Super Bowl. Surely, the amount of people watching was at an all-time high thus making the visibility of the commercial reach its maximum. With a large number of people exposed to the memorable commercial, it is more likely to be remembered and talked about, thus making the Macintosh known and popular. Apple’s strategy of making the viewers of the Super Bowl, particularly a wide range of age, gender, ethnicity and social status as their target audience was a clever move since the more exposure, the better outcome. The commercial made a bold move in referencing George Orwell’s novel â€Å"Nineteen Eighty- Four† which could easily been misinterpreted and ended up scaring the audience with futuristic dystopian themes. Fortunately, the ad was considered as revolutionary, innovative and positively shocking which is a good thing because it made the idea of Apple stick into people’s minds. With Apple imaging itself as the ‘hero’/’saviour’ of the masses against forced conformity, the commercial was a clever way of saying that ‘If you buy a Mac, the awful dystopian future will not take place and instead individuality and self-empowerment will dominate.’ Ever since that commercial, the Mac has glowed with an aura of rebellion and empowerment. One major element on why the ad was so successful was, of course, the remarkable production values. Nobody had ever spent that much money to make a commercial look like a big-budget blockbuster movie. By bringing in the best people in the industry, the execution was astounding especially to the common individual. Steve Job’s vision of stressing the liberating power of the Apple Macintosh and paving the way for individuality was highlighted as the message of the commercial. The advertisement delivered the message of what Apple as a whole stood for and what distinguished it from the multitude of other computer brands in the market. Steve Jobs thought he knew what was special about Apple: they were the underdogs, who’d battled the corporate giants and brought computing power to the masses. The 1984 ad glorified the Information Age into a good vs. evil battle between technologies. They considered the rival PC in the market as bad technology – centralized, authoritarian – which crushes the human freedom and controls peoples’ minds. But we can be liberated from that bad technology by the good technology – independent, individualized – of the Apple Mac. In that instant when â€Å"1984† premiered, it positioned the Apple brand as creative, different and human while re-positioning its competition as staid, status quo and robotic. The commercial ultimately explained Apple’s philosophy and purpose; that people, not just government and big corporations, should run technology. If computers aren’t to take over our lives, they have to be accessible.

Sole Survivor Essays - English-language Films, Survivor, McCunn

Sole Survivor Essays - English-language Films, Survivor, McCunn Sole Survivor This story is called Sole Survivor written by Ruthanne McCunn. It is based on a true story of one man's will to survive. It's an inspiration to all of mankind. This story is about a steward of the ship "S.S. Benlomond" which was torpedoed during the war. Lim was the only survivor. He survived on a wood life raft from the ship. Lim lived 133 days out at sea using his wits and will to keep him alive. Lim was awarded many tributes such as; a watch, the British Empire Medal, the Certificate of Honor, and the first foreign legal citizenship of the United States. Lim still holds to this day the record for the longest survival at sea. I think the author did a great job on this book. The detailing was very good, and very real. For example, "Exhaustion drained Lim's already depleted strength, blurred his vision, and muddied his thinking." (p. 72) This book was well written and well thought out. It was one of the few books I have ever enjoyed. I could really tell the author put a lot of time into this book. This book didn't have very many weaknesses to it but, like all books, it had a few. One thing I didn't like about the book was the constant rambling of his thoughts which made you uninterested in reading any further. For example, "His brothers had been similarly betrothed, and before they left Hainan, their parents had made a wedding for Gee Hin, so there would be a daughter-in-law to take care of the cow, pigs, chickens, and light farm work that the boys would no longer be there to do." (p. 82) I am not a person who likes to read, and if it just drags on about nothing, it fails to hold my attention. I think the author could have put a little more drama into it as well. In conclusion, I think overall this book was good. I would rate it 9-10 points. It was a book I feel fortunate to have read.

Crash Film Essay Example

Crash Film Essay Example Crash Film Essay Crash Film Essay The principal job of any film should be to please its viewers. To what extent do you agree with this view? 1: Engage: Relationship between Christine and Officer Ryan. Not pleasing, in fact very uncomfortable but demonstrates how people affect each other. Craft: Dialogue – Not you – anyone but you†¦ Close ups on Christine’s face when she’s being abused, close ups on John’s face looking angry then the hand held camera, increasing tension, slow motion, canted angle shots, hero shot Evaluate: This relationship is intense and very angry†¦ viewer left unsatisfied as to how we are supposed to feel about him but this is very intelligent on behalf of the director 2: Engage: Officer Hansen, who has been a sympathetic ‘good’ figure shoots a man because of fear. It is not pleasing but reminds us how quick we are to judge. Craft: Two shot of Ryan and Hansen – the dark and the light (juxtaposition of good and evil) sets us up. Dialogue : When you’ve been in the job for as long as I have you’ll look at things differently. Film structure – flash back, starts off with a death but ends in a murder. We expect one of the bad men to have done it. Evaluate: Director does not please us but shows us that there is a fine line between good and evil and that good men do stupid things. 3: Engage: On the other hand, the relationship between Daniel and his daughter is pleasing. It takes what could otherwise be a very bleak movie and gives it a satisfying edge. We like that he loves her so much. Craft: Dialogue: â€Å"your amigo in there is going to sell our keys to one of his homeys† costume, baggy jeans, tattoos. Symbolism – the invisible cape protecting her is symbolic of his hopes and dreams for his daughter and what he will do to protect her. Evaluate: is pleasing because gives us hope. Even though his life is hard the love he has for his daughter and the fact they magically don’t get shot and killed is like the spoonful of sugar that makes the other home truths more palatable. I do not believe that the principal job of a film is to be pleasing to its audience. While there are genres of films that do this, slapstick male bonding fraternity movies, cookie cutter romantic comedies or slasher flicks, not all films are purely for entertainment and some of the best films are confronting, disturbing or thought provoking: definitely not pleasing. Paul Haggis’ â€Å"Crash† sits somewhere between the two. It stirs up emotions and shows us hard truths about ourselves; the good guy doesn’t necessarily win in the end, but there are elements of careful scripting and sweet storylines that keep the audience happy so as not to alienate them from the message the director is trying to show. The most uncomfortable scene in the movie is when Officers Ryan and Hansen pull over the Thayers on their way home from a night out. Ryan, a character who is made out to be a racist, misogynistic man, takes his own personal frustrations out on Christine (a wealthy black woman) by sexually interfering with her on the side of the road in front of her husband and his partner. Neither Christine nor her husband had done anything to deserve this treatment and her husband just stood and watched, feeling impotent and frightened that if he protested he would be arrested. The emotional fallout from this incident, with Christine justifiably feeling like she had been sacrificed for her husband’s safety and __________ carrying the anger of a man who had to stand helpless while his mate was abused, nearly cost them their marriage and started them thinking about what life is really like for black people. THis interaction between John Ryan and Christine becomes even more upsetting during the climactic, central ‘Crash’ scene when Ryan has to save Christine from a car about to explode. She doesn’t want to be touched by him, even to save her life, which shows him how much of an impact he has had on her life. While Ryan does pull her from the car and risk his life to do so, the audience isn’t given a satisfying resolution for their brief relationship. The scene ends with Ryan on his knees is a pose of supplication while Christine is led off for medical attention. There are looks exchanged between the two but no dialogue that gives us closure. We don’t know if she has forgiven him, if he has realised what he has really done and will change his ways, or if she is now determined to press charges. This lack of resolution is not pleasing to a modern audience as we prefer all our lose ends tied up. There was a lot of intervention by the director in order to show this relationship and also to leave it open ended. From their first meeting we were set up to feel sympathetic to Christine and revile Ryan. While this is familiar and therefore largely pleasing to an audience (to hate the bad guy and feel sorry for the poor abused woman) there is a feeling of having the rug pulled out from underneath you when the relationship isn’t resolved. In the abuse scene the lighting is kept dark and the scene is lit largely by streetlights. This gives an appropriately sombre air. The camera tracks Ryan’s hands as he fondles Christines body, a technique that fills most viewers with uncomfortable revulsion. Luckily the camera pulls away from her body as Ryan gets worse but it then closely focuses on her face as she is entered by him. The expression on her face shows anger, hurt, desperation and fear. The camera then cuts to a close up on Ryan’s face. He just looks angry. The juxtaposition between the two gives the audience a feeling of intruding on a private moment, of being a voyeur who doesn’t want to watch but can’t turn away. We just hope it gets better. That horrible feeling of uncomfortable voyeurism returns in the crash scene when Christine realises it is Ryan that is in the car with her and trying to save her. She panics and even though the camera is at a canted angle and handheld, because we are positioned to see her from Ryan’s point of view we can see the terror on her face. The shock is that the terror is over Ryan, not the prospect of dying. The feeling of displeasure intensifies after Christine and Ryan are out of the car and on their way to safety. We are again positioned from Ryan’s point of view as the camera action slows down and we get a lingering shot of Christine’s face as she is leaning on an ambulance officer. She l ooks hurt and confused. To end the scene there is a ‘hero shot’ of Ryan on his knees. The use of this shot is trying to position us to believe that Ryan is redeemed but the lack of verbal discussion leaves the incident unresolved and unfinished. The director leaves us to make up our own minds about Ryan’s guilt or innocence and this is not a pleasurable feeling – it is thought provoking and open to interpretation. This relationship is a very powerful one but it is not pleasing. The director trusts the audience to come to their own conclusion which is very intelligent on his part but does not make for easy viewing. It is this intense but brief snapshots of people’s foibles and the search into their inner workings that make the film worth viewing but it is uncomfortable when our own prejudices are held up for scrutiny. Ryan’s partner, Hansen is set up to be the opposite of Ryan. Not only does he look like the stereotypical hero, with his blonde hair, impressive physique and big blue eyes (compared to Ryan’s darkness) but he is horrified by Ryan’s actions in the scene where Ryan molests Christine. He is clearly disturbed by this and other incidences of racism that he witnesses and goes to his commanding officer to ask for a transfer to another partner. We, the audience feel for Hansen as he is humiliated by the officer and then is forced to say he has a problem with flatulence in order to get rid of Ryan as his partner. At first viewing, the audience is comforted and pleased that there is such a sympathetic character but this is to be torn down later in the film and then when really analysing Hansen’s actions. At the end of the film we are shown Hansen picking up a black man, Peter, while driving home. This appears to be an act of charity. But as the scene goes on a disag reement erupts between Hansen and Peter and Hansen’s racial prejudices can be seen more clearly. It culminates when Hansen tells Peter to get his hands out of his pockets as Hansen suspects Peter has a gun. Peter doesn’t obey quickly enough so Hansen shoots him dead and then dumps his body on the side of the road. The character that we have felt sympathetic towards and viewed as a genuinely good person is actually a murderer who tries to cover up his crime. This is not pleasant for the viewer but it is thought-provoking and uncomfortable. His actions cause us to examine his previous actions and realise that Hansen is at best a week character and at worst is inherently racist himself. The director uses various film techniques to manipulate the viewer and set us up for an unpleasant but revealing surprise because we have misjudged Hansen so seriously. The most obvious of these techniques is the film structure itself. The film actually starts at the end with the discovery of the dead body of Peter. We know that he has been murdered but do not know who did it. The rest of the film is actually a flashback where we are introduced to various characters and then led to the final conclusions about their guilt and innocence. Because we are lulled into a false sense of security about what type of person would be a killer, we never suspect that Hansen could have it in him. He seems to be such an ‘every man’. This use of flashbacks actually shows us that if you scratch the surface anybody could do the unforgivable. The use of two shots also set us up to revere Hansen. In the scene after Hansen has gotten rid of Ryan as a partner they have a brief confrontation. T here is a two shot of Hansen looking virtuous and relieved to be rid of Ryan while Ryan just looks vicious. Ryan says â€Å"Just wait until you’ve been on the job long enough and you’ll start to see things as they really are.† Hansen appears to take the high road and doesn’t reply. This juxtaposes the two characters and leads us to believe that one is right, one is wrong, and that things are black and white. This initial setting up of a dichotomy is pleasant for the viewer as we understand moral absolutes but when we realise that Hansen is actually the worse of the two then any pleasant feelings are destroyed. We are left to examine our own prejudices. Hansen is not the pleasant character that we first believe. After he shoots Peter, in which initially appears to a terrible misjudgement we are then forced to look at his other actions. He didn’t stop Ryan when he was hurting Christine. He didn’t report Ryan for it. He didn’t stand up for other officers when Ryan was racially abusing them behind their backs. Hansen didn’t do anything to really help anyone else – he only asked for a transfer because he didn’t want to work with Ryan. And in the end he was so quick to suspect Peter that he shot him. When all Peter was going to do was show him his St Christopher. Because Hansen is at first viewing a ‘nice’ character when he actually does something terrible the audience has to re-evaluate what ‘nice’ means and to realise that prejudices are not just on the surface of people – some can hide it better than others. It is not pleasant to have to examine our own positio ning and think about whether we would be any stronger than Hansen: especially when we realise the answer is no. On the other hand if I film is all about confrontation then the danger is that any message will get lost. People tire quickly of being preached at and many look at films as a way to escape for a bit. â€Å"Crash† has characters that we do like and want to succeed in order to keep us interested and happy. The relationship between Daniel and his daughter is very pleasing because it is clear that he loves her so much. We all want to be loved unconditionally and yearn for the affection that is so clear between them. This relationship takes what could otherwise be a bleak movie and gives it more of a feelgood factor. Daniel is the one character that most people like all along. While he appears to be a gangster in the beginning it is extremely quickly established that he is not. We can also feel proud of ourselves as an audience for liking him as he is definitely costumed in a way that is threatening to most people. Daniel wears baggy jeans, hoodies and has visible tattoos that most people would assume to be gang tattoos. He looks like a hood. Jean Cabot treats him like a hood after he changes the locks on her doors. She is a rich snob who judges everyone to be lesser than her and within his hearing she says â€Å"your amigo in there is going to sell our keys to one of his homeys† to her husband. Her prejudices are showing but because it is immediately made clear that she misjudges him, we as the audience feel proud that we can see through the costuming. Daniel has moved his daughter away from an area where there are gangs in order to give her the best life possible. When she is still scare d that bullets may get her he tells her about his invisible cloak that will protect her from all harm. He ceremonially takes the invisible cloak off himself puts the cloak on her and tells her that she is now protected. The cloak is a symbol of not just how much he loves her but that he is wrapping her in the love that they share. It holds them together and makes us feel secure and warm ourselves. The only time his warm relationship and our pleased reaction to it is tested is when Farhad goes to shoot Daniel but because his daughter believes she is invulnerable she throws herself in front of her father to protect him. But again we are left feeling pleased because there is no injury to either of them. This reinforces our faith in the idea that harm shouldn’t come to good people. Even though his life is hard the love he has for his daughter and the fact they magically don’t get shot and killed is like the spoonful of sugar that makes the other home truths more palatable. While movies should not focus merely on pleasing their audience it is true that if a film is in no way pleasing then people will not watch it. Our own lives have enough darkness in them that we need some relief along the way and films should be uplifting in some way. But the flip side is also true. There are films purely for mindless entertainment and they certainly have their place in our world, but film is a medium that can reach so many and show us so much. It is a very powerful medium that combines the pictures meaning more than a thousand words and the dialogue and expression that also takes place in real life. I believe that films should have a meaning and a message if we want to progress as a society and any storylines or characters that are pleasing are only there to make the message more palatable.