Cultural Interviews and Assessment Essay

I am interviewing a 32-year-old male (X) from the India who has been a resident of the San Jose in the US state of California since the last 10 years. He is employed as a Software engineer in one of the software MNCs in urban parts of California. Regarding, the Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIA) population in the US, they are one of the fastest growing population in the US. In the year 1999, the population was about 11 million and it is expected to grow to about 20 million by 2020. In 1999, 4 % of the US population was APIA, 12 % Hispanics and 11 % African-Americans. The APIA come from several parts of the world including India, China, Pakistan, Polynesia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Hawaii, Japan, Philippines, Indonesia, Korea, Vietnam, etc. One of the favorite locations in the US, the APIA population would like to settle is in the state of California. The APIA make up for about 12 % of the California population in 1999. They come from various cultural backgrounds and have diverse needs. They are one of the most diverse groups in the US, and it is difficult to fulfill their health problems due to diverse healthcare needs. Let us now go through the entire interview process: – Socio-economic factors – Mr. X earns about 45, 000 US dollars every month. He is employed in a software-MNC. None of his other family members are working. He is married and has one child. Although he came to the US in 1997, he brought his family down to the US about a year back. Mr. X feels happy that he is able to earn a good income in the US and is more or less settled. He feels that many of the Indians in the US are earning far less and are belonging to the poverty groups. However, he also feels that the organization he is working in is a small organization and the income provided is less compared to other organizations. Lifestyle – MR. X is not leading a very healthy lifestyle. Earlier as his family was not with him, he used to eat his food in eat-outs and restaurants. Due to this, he is unable to lead a healthy life. However, once his family has come home, he is able to eat a traditional Indian meal and due to this, his nutritional status has improved. He is now able to consume a balanced diet. Mr. X and his family members consume a vegetarian diet. Mr. X smokes about 5 cigarettes a day and consumes about 2 servings of alcohol (especially whisky and rum) on Saturdays and Sundays. He is able to sleep only for about 6 to 7 hours a day. This is due to excessive workload. Although his duty timings are only 8 hours, he puts in an extra 5 hours work at home. During the weekend, he has to work from home at least for 5 hours on Saturdays and Sundays. He usually gets together in family meeting and religious ceremonies on Saturdays and Sundays. Family Values – Mr. X has not had much of a family life in the US. This is because his wife and child were staying back in India, as they were unable to come to the US earlier. However, in the last one-year his wife and child have come down to California and are staying with him. His son is an 8-year-old kid, who has just joined a US Elementary school. The child goes to school for about 4 hours in a day, from Monday to Friday. Prior to this one-year, the only members of his family in the US were his cousins, uncles and aunts, who reside about 20 miles from his home. Mr. X feels that in India, family values are given a great amount of importance. Down in India, people stay in a common house with the family members. This is especially seen in villages and small towns. Family meetings are conducted every day and usually food is consumed and prayers are said in a family. During the earlier days when he had just come to the US, Mr. X had stayed with one of his maternal aunt in California. However, as his condition began to improve and his job was settled, he shifted to a separate residence. However, he continues to meet his family members during weekends. Mr. X also makes important decisions after taking the advice of the elders in the family. This is also the case in India, where elders are given a lot of respect and value. In case of any personal problem, he would first call up his uncle, a man of 67 years, and explain his problem to him. Religious preferences – Mr. X belong to a high caste Hindu family in India, and actively practice his religion. During the weekends, he attends for prayers in a temple in California. He usually makes a trip along with family members. He does follow intricate religious practices at home and at his workplace. He consumes a vegetarian diet and would take care especially whilst eating out. During the morning and before starting work, Mr. X chants a few short prayers. This he also does after he finishes work and before going to bed. His wife and child are also religious like him. He accompanies his family members during the weekends for a trip to their local temple. The local temple is about 25 miles away from their home. They also consume a vegetarian diet. In California, the number of vegetarian restaurants and eat-outs are less, due to which he has experienced problems. Health and practices – Mr. X enjoys a good state of health compared to the other APIA’s in the US. It is also important to note that the APIA’s enjoy a much better health status compared to the Whites, African-Americans and the Hispanics. In the year 1999, Mr. X suffered a bout of malaria. He suffered from the illness for about 15 days, and required admission in the Hospital. During his earlier days in the US, Mr. X did not have health insurance. Hence, he had to pay for his hospital bills. In the year 2000, the organization he was working with provided him with health insurance, which helps him to meet with his health expenditure. As Mr. X smokes excessively and due to his work-related habits, he suffers from asthmatic attacks frequently. He uses a small pump that provides Broncho-dilators. He has to consume two puffs twice a day as suggested by the physician. He also follows the advice on food and exercises suggested by the physician. Sometimes during winter months, Mr. X requires hospitalization for difficulty in breathing. This has occurred frequently in the last 4 years. His hospital bill is now covered by health insurance. The physician has repeatedly suggested to give up smoking and to follow better work-related practices, which Mr. X has ignored. The access to health is good, as Mr. X resides in an urban area. He has a hospital providing ultra-modern facilities located about 1 mile from his residence. The hospital also has physicians, specialists and nurses who are from an Indian background. This makes him a special patient at the hospital. He does feel that his physician is able to communicate with him appropriately and understand his health problem. As Mr. X has his family come in newly into the US, they do not have health insurance. However, he plans to subscribe to health insurance for them within the next six months. So far his wife and child did not require hospitalization. However, MR. X frequently takes his son for health checkups and immunizations to the pediatrician. His wife visits a female gynecologist frequently, to ensure that problems with her periods are addressed properly. She does prefer going to an Indian female gynecologist, but is unable to do so as there is a shortage of medical staff from other cultures in the US. Due to problems with financing (uninsured), she is unable to afford seeing an Indian gynecologist from another hospital. MR. X’s physician and pediatrician both belong to the Indian community. Child-bearing/parenting practices – Mr. X has just one son, and he plan to have one more child in the near future. However, he says that during the pregnancy period, he plans to send his wife and son back home to India, as he may be unable to take appropriate care of his wife. As family values are give great importance in India, Mr. X wishes that his son stays with him even after crossing the age of 16 or 18. He wants his soon to mix about with other children in the US, but at the same time follow Indian traditions regarding religion, diet and customs. Other issues – Mr. X and is family members do understand English and do not have any problem communicating with the people in the US. Mr. X may not consider preventive medical care. However, he does visit the local physician frequently to take medical advice and go in for routine checkups. Mr. X feels that more physicians, nurses and specialists from the Indian communities should be available to fulfill the need of the Indians in California. Mr. X also feels that the local government and the Federal government have not addressed several of the problems faced by the APIA communities in the US. This is with regards to health insurance, health access, education, working conditions, immigration status, etc. References: Ro, M. â€Å"Overview of Asian and Pacific Islanders in the United States and California. † Center for Alternative Policies. 1999. 9 Nov 2007. http://www. communityvoices. org/Uploads/om3gfk55hhzyvrn00n4nerbf_20020828090003. pdf Srinivasa, S. â€Å"Toward Improved Health: Disaggregating Asian American and Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Data. † American Journal of Public Health 90. 11 (2000): 1731-1734. http://www. ajph. org/cgi/reprint/90/11/1731. pdf

Achieving Excellence through Unity Essay

â€Å"One is said to be the loneliest number of all. † It sounds cheesy but it does make sense. This passage though sounds good, seems different on how others understand . One in this passage, refers to the number, the volume, the physical being. One can signify being alone, solitude and seclusion, but if we would come to think of the other parallel of ONE, we might come up to these ideas : one means UNITY , one means TRIUMPH , one means TOP and one means EXCELLENCE. Our distinguished members of the board of judges, esteemed members of the academe, my fellow orators, beloved parents and friends, every day we face many moments of truth, daily choices that present us opportunities for excellent performance . But let me ask you two things, first, â€Å"Do we really have the presence of excellence in our lives? â€Å" Well, allow me to give you some points . We Filipinos are well – known for being talented an enthusiast yet, we cannot escape from the fact that we are almost at the edge of the abyss of stagnation. The poverty , the never ending conflict in Mindanao , the immortality , high rate of criminality and the continuous declining quality of our education in the past twenty years, is this what we call excellence? And here’s my next question, â€Å"Are we really helping others to gain excellence by cultivating their talents ?† We merely answer, yes, because we think that we are excellent if we have the talents , the guts, and the confidence to execute things through enhancing others’ talents, we are helping them to become excellent ones . But we are wrong ! For excellence is not about the talent alone, in fact , the major of it has nothing to do with the talent . I t is a desire to share knowledge and to build a perfect vision of competence to cope with promising future. But sometimes we failed ; we failed to teach one another the competence we need. We are untrained in excellence which makes a man passionately desire to be a perfect citizen , who knows how to rule and to obey with justice and  wisdom. Now , whom can we blame ? To whom will we point our fingers ? – TO NO ONE – but to ourselves. Yes , we are . Ask me why? It is because we are part of each other’s life. Remember, if someone was about to slip , someone else could catch him. But the question is, † Do we exert some effort?† Mesdames and Sir , please ask yourselves : How can ONE makes our lives?†

Cell Phones Essay Example for Free (#2)

Cell Phones Essay Cell phones are the way of life today. In the US, little kids are carrying around the newest iPhone versions. Closing the digital divide requires studying and learning about the country’s needs and capabilities of upgrading to the digital world. There are countries that are financially unable to afford a cell phone, but it should be the cell phone companies that should be able to work around various prices for cell phones. For example, in the U.S. the iPhone is taking over and consumers require the latest technologies. As the phones get older, companies should send those phones to less developed countries in an effort to grow the digital market and close the digital divide. As the article mentions, India leads the way with 756 million subscribers, while being a developing country. All it takes is an introduction to the country and cell phones begin to spread like wildfire. They market themselves once introduced in a country at a reasonable price. If the price is too much for a single family to afford, the family can set goals to attain a cell phone in the future. Either way, cell phones sell themselves. â€Å"To get a sense of how rapidly cell phones are penetrating the global marketplace, you need only to look at the sales figures. According to statistics from the market database Wireless Intelligence, it took about 20 years for the first billion mobile phones to sell worldwide. The second billion sold in four years, and the third billion sold in two. Eighty percent of the world’s population now lives within range of a cellular network, which is double the level in 2000† (Corbett, 2008). In 2008, these statistics show that cell phone market was on a rise. Since iPhone’s introduction in 2007, the cell phone market has grown even more substantially, especially in the U.S. I can speak for the ever-increasing mobile service in India as even rickshaw drivers who make about 50 rupees (about $1.25) in two hours are carrying a cell phone. Companies such as Obopay and Moka are transforming the service provider payment plan to pay as to go in various countries. â€Å"Obopay, for instance, is enabling third-world countries including India to receive and send payments via text message, while Moka provides language translations, such as English to Chinese† . This is a way to close the divide. If a family cannot afford to pay a consistent wage every month for a cell phone, companies such as Obopay are able to provide the pay as you go plan. Families and individuals in India pay as they go, they utilize their cell phones, as they need to, according to how much they are able to afford. Through these payment plans, cell phone companies can sell their phones to a mass audience in large countries like India and China. One company that has millions of customers in third world countries is Nokia. â€Å"There are entire chunks of the planet where Nokia has a virtual monopoly because no other manufacturer even wants to compete† . With the iPhone and Android dominating the U.S. market, Nokia has found its niche in third-world countries. The countries where consumers cannot yet afford the newest iPhone are turning to Nokia. They have positioned themselves as #1 ahead of Samsung, Apple, Motorola and anyone else. This is because they saw a market opportunity and are utilizing the need for cell phones around the world. The U.S. may be looking for new technology, but to the third world countries, simple Nokia phones are new technology. Corbett, S. (2008, April 13). Can the Cell Phone Help End Global Poverty. Retrieved April 18, 2012, from NYTimes: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/13/magazine/13anthropology-t.html?pagewanted=all Openshaw, J. (2009, May 24). Mobile Phones: Key To Developing Nations. Retrieved April 18, 2012, from Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/23/mobile-phones-key-to-deve_n_190809.html Raby, M. (2012, January 30). Nokia still top mobile phone maker. Retrieved April 18, 2012, from TG Daily: http://www.tgdaily.com/mobility-brief/61102-nokia-still-top-mobile-phone-maker Cell Phones. (2017, Jan 19).

Discrimination in organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Discrimination in organizations - Essay Example Gender discrimination is described by Gelfand, Nishii, Raver and Schneider (2007) as a serious form of workplace employment that should not under any given circumstances be dismissed. This paper explores the issue of sex/gender discrimination in organisational set-ups, providing a detailed theoretical background while citing an article in relevance to the subject’s manifestation in an organisational framework. Discrimination in Organisations Today, sex or gender discrimination at the workplace is still evident despite the prevailing talk of gender equality Cortina, Kabat-Farr, Leskinen, Marisela and Magley (2011). Discrimination based on sex can be defined as acting undesirably or treating a person differently; a case that would not have been the same had the person been of a different sex. In most parts of the globe, gender discrimination is considered unjust towards the recipient and thus is illegal (Cortina et al., 2011). The objective of this study is to examine the gender discrimination that occurs at the workplace and increase the organisational awareness of the grave issue. Hypothesis Sex or gender discrimination at the workplace is still widespread. Background A host of research exists regarding the gender discrimination of employees at the workplace. Three court cases have been reviewed by Buchanan (2005) on the issue of sexual harassment. In the findings, women were often subject to dire treatment from their male counterparts who device different excuses and or ways to come into physical contact with them as well as asking them for bodily favours. Furthermore, she reveals that women from these court case studies were subject to unethical sexual images and jokes which not only psychologically affects their minds but also makes them feel uncomfortable at their workplace hence some may decide on resignation as their escape route from insecurity. Another study by Davidson and Eden (2000) examined the issue of gender pay gap based on the 1999 Nation al Faculty Survey Data. This study was aimed at determining the wage gap between male and female employees with similar responsibilities at different public and private institutions. The study revealed that women earn 20.7% less than what men of similar responsibilities earn (Davidson & Eden 2000). In addition, the duo found out that women receive less compensation and benefits as compared to their male employees. A study conducted by Khoreva (2011) to estimate the gender wage gap in the Pakistani labour market has similar findings to those of Davidson and Eden. The study took into account a sample of ninety one thousand three hundred and nineteen men and women of average ages 36 and 32 respectively. The women were fewer than the men; accounting for 48.4% of the total sample. According to Khoreva (2011), the wage gap is continually increasing mainly because of educational differences between men and women as well as the experience of female employees. In addition, the research revea led that women were subject to reduced incentives and benefits as compared to their male counterparts. In his research Lissenburgh (2001) employs the National Survey Data and Human Capital Theory in determining the level of discrimination based on gender in the UK labour markets during the 1990s (Gelfand et al. 2007). The data revealed that women were subject to a 10% pay rise in the event that they pay close attention to human capital factors. Furthermore, some job specifications are more biased towards men with respect to

Trust of leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Trust of leadership - Essay Example Trust is the only way to make people follow you, thus every leader should do his/her best to gain trust. First of all, it is important to understand that trust depends on healthy communication. Leaders should be able to listen and promote honesty in workplace relations. In every company communication is a tool to create understanding between employees and senior managers (Lord et al, 1986). Leaders should improve their communication skills in order to establish healthy relationships with employees. Relations at the workplace should be based on the mutual respect and ethical principles established in the organization. Leaders should take care about workplace ethics as it should be among the top priorities. â€Å"Most people don't know how to think about the organizational and societal consequences of low trust because they don't know how to quantify or measure the costs of such a so-called "soft" factor as trust. For many, trust is intangible, ethereal, unquantifiable. If it remains that way, then people don't know how to get their arms around it or how to improve it. But the fact is, the costs of low trust are very real, they are quantifiable, and they are staggering† (Covey). In order to make people trust you it is essential to try to meet their needs. A leader should help workers feel comfortable at the workplace. Many people appreciate responsive leaders, who do not stay indifferent to their needs and remember that people are not robots. It is a real art and not an easy task for leader to be responsive and exacting at the same time, but all of the leaders should try to manage this art and adopt the way of behavior that would allow them to gain employees’ trust and not to lose authority at the same time. â€Å"The job of a leader is to go first, to extend trust first. Not a blind trust without expectations and accountability, but rather a "smart trust" with clear expectations and strong accountability built into the process. The best leaders al ways lead out with a decided propensity to trust, as opposed to a propensity not to trust† (Covey  ). Leaders often make serious mistakes by making decisions themselves not sharing their plans with the employees. People usually do not like to follow orders not knowing what they are taking efforts for. They want their employers to value their creativity and to provide them with the opportunity to express it. All the important decisions taken by the leaders of the company should be agreed with the employees. If employees take part in the decision- making process, they will understand that their leaders trust their opinion and, moreover, they need it. That will make employees trust their leaders and believe in them (Lord et al, 1986). The main task of a leader is to make his/her subordinate believe that they are working for both the benefit of the company and their own benefit. In every organizing there should be a spirit of a goal that is the one for everybody and everyone sho uld try to do his/her best to achieve this goal. Employees should believe that reaching the goal of the company will help them reach their own goal and this is the guarantee of success (Lord et al, 1986). Trust is the most important component in leadership. Employees who trust a leader will follow all his/her requirements. The performance of the company will also gain if employees trust their leader. Thus, leaders should take effort to make employees tr

Coordination and Control Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Coordination and Control - Essay Example In addition, it is responsible for processing sensory information from external stimuli, such as sight. This system is responsible for the regulation of such involuntary functions of the body as digestion, blood flow, and heartbeat. The autonomic nervous system is most essential for two functions, which are during emergencies that lead to stress and need the individual to either take flight or fight and during non-emergencies, allowing the individual to digest and rest (Mai & Paxinos, 2012: p55), which are under the sympathetic or parasympathetic system respectively. This system is responsible for the regulation of bodily functions like digestion, sweating, and heart rate. The sympathetic system provides for fast responses required for immediate needs, for example in response to present threats. The SNS is responsible for the regulation of many processes of homeostasis in the human body at a basic level, as well as in mobilization of the flight or fight response (Mai & Paxinos, 2012: p56). This is the second part of the autonomic system that opposes the sympathetic system, for example by dilating blood vessels and slowing the heartbeat down. This system serves to relax sphincter muscles, increase glandular and intestinal activity, and slow heart rate, thus conserving energy and this is the reason why it is also referred to as the rest and digest system (Mai & Paxinos, 2012: p56). Sensory neurons transmit signals from peripheral body parts to the CNS, including such sensory information as sound and sight. The neurons undergo activation by sensory input before projecting this information to other nervous system elements (Widmaier et al, 2011: p27). They are afferent neurons, only transmitting signals towards the CNS. Relay neurons conduct information from one part of the CNS to another, forming connections between other neurons. The term relay neurons also refer to

What is the point of Classifying accounting system Essay

What is the point of Classifying accounting system - Essay Example The classification also helps us to understand why some national systems dominate over others (Jeno, 2010). In addition, classification is important because it aids the policymakers to assess the prospects and the challenges associated with international harmonization (Nobes, 2011). Due to classification policymakers at the national level become better placed to make a prediction of likely problems, as well as identifying solutions given the knowledge of experience in other countries. Third world nations that wish to adopt appropriate accounting systems used by other countries may do so with the help of classification. What is more, accounting classification is important for accountants and auditors who operate internationally. There are two major qualities of a good classification system in accounting, namely mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive (Flynn, 2005). By mutually exclusive it implies that a good classification system necessitates that all the items that are being classified should be able to fit into only one category. For instance, the classification of items into a group by the use of an alphabetical system will possess the quality of being mutually exclusive. A name cannot start with more than a single alphabet letter, and thus, it can either be classified as either A, B or C and so on. In accounting mutual exclusiveness becomes problematic when trying to sort items (McNair, Olds & Milam, 2013). For instance, classifying a large supply of papers purchased is difficult in the sense that it can either be grouped as an expense or an asset. Furthermore, if the accounting system tries to place similar items into categories, it can be classified as stationery or under a particular title. T hus, most accounting classification systems do not have the aspect of being mutually exclusive, and the decision is based on judgement and experience has to be always considered. A collectively exhaustive

How William Wordsworth's poem She dwelt among the untrodden ways Essay

How William Wordsworth's poem She dwelt among the untrodden ways demonstrates how love elevates a person's importance and beau - Essay Example The poem is composed of three stanzas with rhyming words although the rhymes were not consistent like in the second stanza where ‘tone’ and ‘one’ are not rhyming words as opposed to ‘eye’ and ‘sky’. Such use of rhymes has set a tone that captures the reader’s thoughts to the picture the poet painted in his poem as he wove his words to express his thoughts and feelings towards his subject. Reading the poem aloud also emphasizes the effect of the rhymes in the poem, guiding the reader when to use peaks and valleys when reading orally. Though the poem is a short one, it has basically used a lot of the elements of poetry in addition to the one aforementioned. Symbolism is another strong element used in the poem that added to the beauty and depth of the meaning of the poet’s words. An example of which would be the use of the word ‘springs’ in the first stanza which connotes wisdom and life-nurturing elements. T he woman who is the subject in the poem might have been an ordinary person who lived an ordinary life but to those who have lived with her, saw her as a spring or source of wisdom and nurturing that her physical features were surpassed by those which were beautiful from within her. Metaphorically, the woman was compared to a violet that is hidden from the world’s view.

BLUES INC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

BLUES INC - Essay Example Managers of Blue’s Incorporated are determined to become the leader of denim products in the industry. As we know that companies make every effort to gain competitive advantage in the market, Blue’s Incorporated can maintain its dominant status by evaluating the current marketing budget as well as the marketing budget of the competitors. As market analyst, I evaluated the current budget of the company and came up with the decision to change the current marketing budget. Changes in the budget will be very productive for Blue’s Incorporated as they will allow the company to expand the brand name. The objective of giving Blue’s Incorporated a time to excel is at hand (Applying ANOVA and Non-Parametric Tests, 2003). In the first week, the marketing budget of the company was set to $169 million. At present, the market share of the company is nearly 6% of the total share of the denim industry, which is nearly $40 billion. Setting the marketing budget to $169 million is really a good decision, as it will ensure a brilliant future for the company (Applying ANOVA and Non-Parametric Tests, 2003). In the second week, there were two tasks. First task was to examine fluctuations in the market size whereas the second task was to arrive at a sales forecast. Tasks included examining the average model and k-period for the production level as well as for the average model. The company chose a weighted moving average along with two k-periods and estimated the weights at 0.2 for a period of 12 years whereas 0.8 for 11 years. The production level of 40.00 million units was set for the estimate. However, this decision did not seem to be a good one as it could have a negative effect on the future of the company (Applying ANOVA and Non-Parametric Tests, 2003). Although the company made incorrect decisions in the 2nd week of the research, but in the 3rd week, the company attentively analyzed and examined the quarterly

The Internet Gaming Phenomenon Essay Example for Free

The Internet Gaming Phenomenon Essay The internet gaming phenomenon that has taken the world by storm was originally based on Role Playing Games that were simply played on board games.   As computers began to develop and the internet began to emerge, more and more games were created that allowed players from all over the world to congregate online and play against or with each other in what has now been called the Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.   When the national Science Foundation Network eased the restrictions on internet gaming, a host of new games entered the market and became available for the players.    Soon enough games flooded the market and the MMORPG had now become the most popular type of computer games.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The world of MMORPG gaming has become so popular in fact that it has even created its own economy that is based on the virtual items that are available online but the payment is made through real money in the real world.   The MMORPG has blurred the distinction between the virtual economy and the real world economy and in the present these two economies are even directly linked such as the case of Entropia Universe, which allows for real money to be converted to game money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While certain gaming universes have outlawed the trading of virtual items for real money, the popularity and competitive nature of the MMORPG has ensured that there will always be a market for these item, whether illegal or not.   It has become so popular that even online auction sites such as ebay have featured virtual items among their listings while other websites have opened that cater specifically to virtual item sales.   As these games become more popular, it remains to be seen whether or not this virtual economy will continue.   One thing is sure, however, the MMORPG realm has hooked millions of people of all ages around the world and will only continue to grow and may soon surpass gambling as the most addictive hobby in the world. References: Adams, David (January 7, 2004). Final Fantasy XI Hits Subscriber Milestone. IGN.com. Retrieved on 2007-01-30. Castronova, Edward. Synthetic Worlds: The Business and Culture of Online Games. ISBN 0-226-09626-2, University Of Chicago Press Nardi, Harris (2006), Strangers and Friends: Collaborative Play in World of Warcraft, Proceedings of the 2006 20th anniversary conference on Computer supported cooperative work

Reviewing The Hobbies Of Home Cooking Media Essay

Reviewing The Hobbies Of Home Cooking Media Essay Cooking has always been a good hobby for people and part of relaxing and fun entertainment for some category of people. There is always something new to be learnt about cooking and its all about creativity and making a better taste of bland materials. It has been one of the humans interests since the beginning of their creation and has always been improved. Some people argue that cooking will be a thing of the past like many other humans past hobbies which have changed by the change of technology. Cooking at home will never be a thing of the past because many cultures continue their cooking traditions and it is more economical and healthier. Some people prefer eating outside because its easier and more convenient but cooking at home is becoming a hobby for most people. During history nations have created dishes that are special and delicious. Their decedents have learnt these dishes and got so attached to them. This is one big reason why cooking at home wont be a thing of the past. Its exactly like how do people always stick to their lands and they always go back to them no matter how long have they been away, they will always stick to their traditional food and their traditions of cooking at home no matter how much do they eat outside they will always go back to their roots and to the original way of cooking which is at home. For an example, its well known in the Arabic world that the Arabic men will never accept the idea of eating out side the house the whole time and not getting home made food at all. The reason behind this is because all Arabic mothers try to pamper their kids by cooking for them the food at home considering it as the healthiest way and the cleanest way of all. So they are used to a specific standard of food and they also feel like it is a way of care giving. Another example is the Japanese home cooking. In general, the Japanese nation is exceptionally healthy and lives much longer than any other civilization in the humankind. Why is this? Loads of people point it to the way they eat. They cook at home a lot. They use healthy delicious and very useful ingredients from the nature. They like to take advantage of everything god blessed mankind with. They will never give up on their on home cooking because they consider it a source of joy and a way of remaining healthy and a way of living longer. Some cultures look at cooking as an art and at cooks as artists. Once people declare that cooking is a fine art, they are just saying the truth. They dont come across cooking as an odd job, and they seem to see it as a mode of expressing peoples ingenuity. They appear to look at it as a method to state peoples originality. They look at the food they make, as their personal preparation and not only are they taking self-importance in their kitchens, they as well fall in love with the challenge it put forwards.( williamm,22 March 22, 2010) Each culture enjoys its way of cooking, its meals and food in general. For lots of people it is a joy and something they will never leave or stop. People will keep on cooking no matter what because human in their nature they get bored and thats a thing in all cultures. So we cant just eat outside the whole time or eat packed food or prepared food or frozen food. People will always want to eat something they know or to eat something they have cooked even if they are not great cooks but they long for that a lot. The quality of the food greatly affects peoples health. Many people prefer cooking at home because it makes them feel great and have lots of energy. There are few more reasons, why cooking at home has been so important for the health. It helps to have a strong immune system ,so people can stay in healthy weight and look slim and trim and physically fit .To avoid certain diseases known to be a related to diet and nutrition, particularly cancer, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity, we need safe and clean food. Eating a balance of healthy foods that contain carbohydrate, protein, and fat every day will help blood glucose stay in balance. It is also very important to have full knowledge over the quality of food and utensils. All ingredients, while people cooking, should be fresh and utensils should be the best quality. The World Health Organization predicts that depression will be the second highest cause of the global disease problem by 2020. It is clear, that eating fast food thereby increasing stress and tension and reducing joy and liveliness. It is a fact that eating vegetables, fruits and well cooked fish helps to prevent depression. What humans eat controls the levels of brain chemicals, which regulate behavior (Gutierrez, 2009). Cooking salads at home is very healthy. For instance, it is proven that eating just a few ounces of broccoli each day can reduce a humans risk of ulcers and stomach cancer, as well as eating cabbage, kale, mustard seed and rocket, amongst others. Research has also shows, that broccoli and other vegetables may not only prove to play important role in many cancers, it could be effective treatment as well (Adams, 2008). There are many healthy techniques to cook like stir -frying, boiling and steaming. Stir-frying, which is very common in Asia, means cutting food into small pieces, putting them in a pan with very little oil and cooking them very quickly at a very high heat. Because it is one of the fastest ways to cook, rich of vitamins, such as broccoli and carrots, contain more nutrients, as well as their texture and colour. Also stir-fry recipe requires only two to three tablespoons of oil. This small amount of oil can cook big chicken and any veggies. One of the most popular techniques is boiling. Boiling food involves no fat, so in a sense it is healthy. Therefore, the water that the food is boiled in is actually healthier and it can be used for other purposes, such as using it as stock or for making soup. This water is extremely nutrient rich. Boiling food is a safe way of ensuring that all disease-causing bacteria in the water or the food are destroyed. Boiling water for a few minutes kills most bacteria, amoeba and other microbial pathogens. It can help prevent illnesses such as cholera, dysentery and other diseases caused by micro-organisms. As for food, boiling makes it is easy to classify. Boiling food on a high flame changes the shape of the food being cooked, while boiling on a low flame helps retain the shape. Some people believe steaming is the best way to go. Steaming preserves the vitamins and minerals in foods. It is also healthy, because it is does not require any oils or fats. Steam can actually help melt some of the excess fats in foods, which end up in the water that was heated to make the steam. When people using this technique, it is also less danger of consuming carcinogens that are present in blackened foods. Eating outside is more expensive than eating inside. The cost of the items is different for the same quantity. The statement eating out saves much time and money cannot be convinced (Jeff D Gorman, n.d). And that makes logical sense; we pay more in fast food restaurants than cooking at home for the same things. People are looking at the quantity. Were spending the same amount of time in both at home and at restaurants. At home, we shop for the ingredients and prepare our food and afterwards we clean the dishes. At restaurants, we either wait for our table to get ready, wait for the food to arrive and afterwards we wait for the restaurant to bring out the check (MetaFilter Network Inc, 1999). In a short term perspective, it may seem that dining out can be cost-effective and convenient. But in a long term perspective, it doesnt matter whether its convenient or not, but itll be very cost-effective (Christian Science Monitor, 2010). Most of the people who cant afford pricey things prefer to eat at home because they know it is cheaper. They wont complain about being mentally tired as long as the saved the money in their wallets. For a restaurant to make profit they need to put all the costs for their expenditure in the meals. They include the rent, employees salaries, and the maintenance bills in the meals. And add a little more to get the profit out of it. Now if someone knew this, how can they explain that its cheaper to eat out when youre paying for things you can do yourself and for things that probably does not concern you, and also for the same amount of time? Buying five pieces of chicken breasts for ten dirhams at a grocery store like Spinneys is much cheaper than ord ering a combo meal of chicken and rice from a fast food outlet for fifteen dirhams. The combo meal will last only for that day while the five pieces for chicken breast will last for three meals if the person is willing to do so. Even if we eat the cheapest food available, such as Chinese takeout, we can feed up to five people with the same amount of money we would spend for the meal to feed ourselves. Even if shopping takes a lot of time comparing when eating at a restaurant, we arent earning or saving any money when we are saving time from shopping. The majority of articles and books and talk about managing your budget when it comes to eating out against eating in would claim that eating out would make your money stretch. Also eating at home would depend all on how you buy your ingredients. It depends on if you buy in a bulk, with coupons, or buying premium meat or standard. It makes logical sense that companies are still selling food ingredients in supermarkets and people are still cooking at home. Dining out is for those going out on a special occasion. One reason to eat outside instead of cooking in the house is because its more convenient and easier to get. specially for that category of people who are lazier and more busy and prefer to not spend their time for cooking and preparing its material as they believe its more time consuming .This category of people believes it is always more convenient to go and get whatever they want and save a lot of time by not cooking. In first sight it may seem that eating outside is more convenient but it is actually more complicated and stressful than it look likes. By considering time people spend standing in the food cues, waiting for their meal and finding an appropriate place to sit and serve their meal will all count part of the time they spend to have a meal outside. In addition, stress and aggressiveness that people may get out of communicating with other people are all part of hassle of eating outside. In conclusion, eating will never be a thing of past because its one of humans life necessities and its more beneficial for human to keep their habit alive as it will be more economical, healthy and cultural.

Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream Speech

In a period of time where few were willing to listen, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood proudly, gathered and held the attention of over 200,000 people. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech was very effective and motivational for African Americans in 1963. Many factors affected Kings’ speech in a very positive manner; the great emotion behind the words, delivering the speech on the steps of the memorial of the President who defeated slavery. And not only was this message beautifully written for the hope of African Americans, but the underlying message for white people, revolution and peace. To stimulate emotion from both parties of his listeners, King used a selection of rhetorical devices such as allusions to historical documents, metaphors, similes, anaphoras and others. Martin Luther King’s use of allusions to historical documents helps his message of equality hit home for his audience. Most of the allusions were geared more towards the white people that it was towards the blacks because it provided printed evidence from past documents that were written by white males. His first, â€Å"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation† is an allusion to Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address. His first reference to the Declaration of Independence: â€Å"This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’.† Another quote King uses from the Declaration of Independence is not quite as publicized, King incidentally slips in, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.† King also mak es a few allusions to the Bible; â€Å"... ... would be treated as equals and walk hand-in-hand with every one of every color. Martin Luther King, Jr. implies that his dream is none other than the dream of the Founding Fathers which he makes reference to several times during his speech. And ending with another powerful anaphora, â€Å"let freedom ring† King look joyfully towards the day where â€Å"all God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentile, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing† because he knows this is movement is greater than just for those of color. By expressing his emotions on the subject of racism, Kings persuasive speech influenced and impacted America, for the better in the early 1960’s. With his many uses of different rhetorical devices such as allusions, metaphors and smiles, and anaphoras Kings speech truly changed the minds of hundreds of thousands of people. Rhetorical Analysis of Martin Luther King's I Have A Dream Speech In a period of time where few were willing to listen, Martin Luther King, Jr. stood proudly, gathered and held the attention of over 200,000 people. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s â€Å"I Have a Dream† speech was very effective and motivational for African Americans in 1963. Many factors affected Kings’ speech in a very positive manner; the great emotion behind the words, delivering the speech on the steps of the memorial of the President who defeated slavery. And not only was this message beautifully written for the hope of African Americans, but the underlying message for white people, revolution and peace. To stimulate emotion from both parties of his listeners, King used a selection of rhetorical devices such as allusions to historical documents, metaphors, similes, anaphoras and others. Martin Luther King’s use of allusions to historical documents helps his message of equality hit home for his audience. Most of the allusions were geared more towards the white people that it was towards the blacks because it provided printed evidence from past documents that were written by white males. His first, â€Å"Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation† is an allusion to Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address. His first reference to the Declaration of Independence: â€Å"This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men would be guaranteed the ‘unalienable rights’ of ‘Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness’.† Another quote King uses from the Declaration of Independence is not quite as publicized, King incidentally slips in, â€Å"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.† King also mak es a few allusions to the Bible; â€Å"... ... would be treated as equals and walk hand-in-hand with every one of every color. Martin Luther King, Jr. implies that his dream is none other than the dream of the Founding Fathers which he makes reference to several times during his speech. And ending with another powerful anaphora, â€Å"let freedom ring† King look joyfully towards the day where â€Å"all God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentile, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing† because he knows this is movement is greater than just for those of color. By expressing his emotions on the subject of racism, Kings persuasive speech influenced and impacted America, for the better in the early 1960’s. With his many uses of different rhetorical devices such as allusions, metaphors and smiles, and anaphoras Kings speech truly changed the minds of hundreds of thousands of people.

Lebanese Awakening :: history

Lebanese Awakening Under the Ottoman Empire, the Lebanese enjoyed a social & cultural development phase that was flourishing. The Lebanese Christians kept good ties with the Europeans that would occasionally visit and spread their influence. The Ottoman reform had an impact on every part of the Empire, including a major role in Lebanon. The Muslims recognized the strength and superiority of the western military; therefore they adopted some of the westerners’ methods. The Muslims feared the western domination, but were subject to change for scientific enhancements. However, the Lebanese were living through a â€Å"ray of freedom† in which they wanted to modernize and enhance their ways of life. The population density in Lebanon was crowded and that kept people in communities. The Lebanese are also open to foreign influence. They now have secure lives and own property. Some young Lebanese went to Italy to become priests. Of them, some went on to spread Orientalism in Paris and Rome while the rest came back to open schools to preach in. During the 18th century the influence from Roman graduates started to show. Through the church reforms, education was spreading through the opening of schools in Bqrqasha, Louwaze and Zougharta. In the 18th century, the best Maronite education was in Ayn Waraqa. These graduates carried on to become powerful figures through the 19th century. The Greek Catholics came from Syria to Lebanon to join the maronites and improve literacy. Main problem was that only well-off families could be educated while the rest stayed ignorant. The Muslims didn’t want the Arabic language to be used because they considered it sacred and holy. The only education Islamic people taught were religion and the Koran. In return the Druze and Greek Orthodox were the only ones left without superfluous educational levels. Besides the Druze protected their holy texts so much they had nothing to learn. The next problem rose with the lack of books. As schools opened, there were less and less books available because they were handwritten. The press could not use Arabic because of the Muslims so they used Syriac. First books written were about religion, and then eventually developed into culture. The cultural movement didn’t have a popular effect, because only a minority was getting educated. Niqula Turk was a pioneering Lebanese poet that awakened new ambitions among his younger contemporaries. Al-Turk represented a wide literary movement in which more poets were rising such as Butrus Karam.

Heart of Darkness versus Apocalypse Now Essay -- essays research paper

Books and movies present stories in different ways because the medias are incredibly different. In the story Heart of Darkness, the author takes the motif of the journey and presents it in the third person in a way that people could understand with the topic of the spread of culture in the â€Å"third world.† Apocalypse Now shows the journey in a completely different way. It is made into a first person narrative and is changed from colonization to the modern day equivalent of the Vietnam War. Both ways of showing the story keeps the main idea of the journey both inside and outside, but the way of presenting it is very different.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The story Heart of Darkness is presented to us in the third person. From the beginning, the story is shown as someone telling a story about something that’s already happened and it goes back and forth between the â€Å"present† and several times which make up the past. The story starts with the narrator telling his fellow boat-mates about a man named Marlow and his adventure into the wild to find a man Kurtz. The whole time the story goes back and forth between the narrator and his telling the story and Marlow driving the action. This is an interesting way of narrating the story because we really do not hear much from the actual speaker but most of the action takes place through Marlow. In the movie Apocalypse Now, the entire story is presented to us from one persons point of view. The Marlow figure in the movie is Captain Willard...

Colgate Max Fresh Essay

Gross world product up 2.5% in 2005, following two years of < 1% growth. Overall emerging market economies exploding; + 10% GDP growth in China and + 6% growth in Latin America. Political values in emerging markets may make it difficult for foreign competition to enter market without domestic partner and / or; foreign investment & market diversification less attractive (import / export tariffs). Situational Analysis Situational Analysis Industry Purpose of the Oral Personal Care industry is to prevent teeth and gum diseases and deliver cosmetic benefits. Scope of the industry includes toothpaste, floss, mouth rinses and toothbrushes. Industry Definition Competition Colgate has dominant market value share in China (32%) and Mexico (82%). China market fragmented with Colgate & P&G representing 53% of share. Situational Analysis Industry Product Development growth strategy with launches of premium tier brand extensions Crest Whitening Expressions (US) Crest With Scope (US), Colgate Icy Fresh (China), Crest Cool Expressions (MX). Brand Position: Competition Strategy (P&G) C+S = toothpaste + mouthwash + whitening CWE / CCE = flavor + toothpaste + whitening Entering Emerging Markets under its Crest brand without JV partners. Leveraging x-brand scale with Crest + Scope. Built its brand around therapeutic benefits, while cosmetic benefits market growing fastest in Emerging Markets. Innovating in cosmetic segment; a historic Colgate stronghold. Heavily invests in advertising behind new product launches. Situational Analysis Growth Market Strategies Porter Five Forces Analysis Global Oral Personal Care Colgate Palmolive Oral Care SWOT Analysis Situational Analysis Marketing Strategy Pricing: Positioned as a super-premium brand, price parity to Crest Cool Expressions (14.99 – 15.99 pesos). Marketing Budget: $2MM marketing budget aimed to drive trial through in-store merchandising, sampling, and public relations. Corporate Marketing Strategy Objectives Colgate Max Fresh (CMF) Mexico Marketing Plan Strategic Growth driven by high margin core business. Advertising focused on high margin products and high potential markets. Innovation driven: 40% of sales from products launched in past 5 years. Tactical Growth Strategy: Product Development; Super Premium segment Growth Targets: China 2% YR1, 2.8% YR2; MX 5% YR1, 6% YR2 value share. Will require trading up consumers. Value Proposition: CMF would drive new dimension of freshness Target Market: Geared towards 18-34 yr. old adults (female oriented); augment Colgate’s strong competitive position in Value & Mid-Tier. Situational Analysis Marketing Strategy Will US developed media plans translate? Can Colgate effectively trade-up consumers? What impact will cannibalization have on profitability? Is market large enough in Mexico for premium segments? Will benefits of CMF convey to Mexico consumers? BASES testing and Consumer Viability Index showed marginal promise.. CMF Marketing Concerns for Mexico Symptoms of Colgate Palmolive’s Primary Problem Emerging Market consumers are price sensitive Crest attacking cosmetic segment Consumers experiment through trial vs. large initial purchase Despite Growth in key areas Colgate-Palmolive operating profits and net income are down. +6.5% unit volume growth +7% sales dollar growth +0.1% growth in gross profit margin -2% Operational Profit -7% Net Income To drive growth Colgate-Palmolive is looking to focus on higher margin core businesses. Core Elements of the Strategic Problem In the US toothpaste market CP is seeing a 3.1% increase in volume of sales attributable to the Super Premium Toothpaste Category. Global Strategic Opportunity exists in the Premium Toothpaste market. Represents $75 M sales dollar increase and total market cap of $409.5 M dollars Only the Premium Toothpaste Category is growing at a substantial rate. In 2004 CP captured ~60% of that Sales Dollar Increase in the US largely dues to the introduction of Colgate Max Fresh. In order to continue to grow CP must find a way to develop their Premium Toothpaste product CMF in emerging countries. Colgate Palmolive’s Primary Problem Would the costs of adopting CMF in each new country provide sufficient incremental sales and profits to justify the added complexity of localized marketing and rollout plans associated with those new markets. Colgate-Palmolive must continue to globalize its Premium Toothpaste Strategy. Any solution must balance they cost of localization with the expected sales and profit increase for each new market. Also it is in Colgate-Palmolive’s best interest to develop reusable guidelines as it approaches other new markets similar to China and Mexico. Colgate Palmolive’s Secondary Problems Type 1: Establish a tactical marketing plan for the CMF rollout in an emerging market where Colgate-Palmolive has little previously established presence(China) Type 2: Establish a tactical marketing plan for the CMF rollout in an established market that has high competitor activity(Mexico). In order to establish an effective global strategy two types of secondary problems must be solved in the Colgate Max Fresh Case Study: Any solution must balance they cost of localization with the expected sales and profit increase for each new market. Secondary Problem Detail Need to introduce a product to push Colgate-Palmolive profitability Colgate has worldwide share, the only way to expand is to drive high margin business. China(new markets) have strongly entrenched local brands. Colgate Max fresh will need to compete with its own joint venture brand Darlie(High End). Due to new product introduction at the Super Premium Toothpaste Market competitor Crest has 3% growth year to year, Colgate Equity Brands have been stagnant for 3 years. CP is not only loosing out on possible profits but also slowly loosing market share to its #1 competitor. Market is unfamiliar with CMF â€Å"breath strips† US Marketing Video will be ineffective due to the US Star involved. Is it worth creating new celebrity backed marketing content? Will the Go Big or Go Home strategy work in China and other similar markets? How can Colgate-Palmolive best enter the Chinese Market with CMF. China Secondary Problem Detail Colgate-Palmolive knows P&G will be introducing Crest Cool Expressions(CWE) in Mexico in the near future. CO must develop the best marketing plan to stunt P&G Crest Cool Expressions while protecting their overwhelming market share. 82% Value share for Colgate-Palmolive CP needs to create a marketing plan to introduce CMF with limited budget and maximize regional utility. Due to CP’s large inherent market share, the goal of the Mexican campaign will be to maximize the product funnel. There is a large opportunity present to upsell customers from the Big Red Brand toothpaste to the new CMF toothpaste. Mexico See Exhibit 17 – Will waiting to introduce CMF until after the CWE product introduction change the company estimates of profitability? Can the Mexico Snowsurfer commercial be better standardized for global marketing plans? Going forward how will CP utilize this marketing plan for future markets? Colgate-Palmolive Company Alternatives Locally make the clear bottle Works for China, not Mexico China Allows for ease of expansion of the Colgate Max Fresh brand in clear bottle to other regional locales Also, provides future capabilities for use in other new products Problems: This does add 20% variable cost to COGS Initiates a 6 month delay on production $1.5 M sunk cost before production Alternatives Colgate-Palmolive Company Alternatives Regional Market Alternatives Mexico China Colgate-Palmolive Company Alternatives Provide more trial availability with the smaller packages to sway more to give CMF a try CMF has the breath strips or â€Å"cooling crystals† within the toothpaste, therefore bundle the breath strips package with CMF to build awareness. Stop utilizing celebrities to promote CMF Provide regional flavors Keeps product as a premium product Cost of $200,000 per flavor Has shown promising outcomes in other regions In China, Crest utilized a tea flavor and Colgate a salt flavor In Russia, after releasing a local flavor, the toothpaste market share rose from 11.8% in 2002 to 24.9% in 2005. Colgate-Palmolive Company Alternatives Allows for greater differentiation between the CWE toothpaste In Mexico, drop the price from 15.99 pesos to 14.99 pesos to protect a greater share of CP market share. In Mexico and other markets CP is highly entrenched in, utilize clear bottle In Mexico, Keep the price at 15.99 pesos Implementation Strategic Vs. Tactical Plans The strategic plan moving forward for emerging markets will be to use an easily customizable commercial and adapt it to multiple countries Colgate is the dominant toothpaste brand world wide, so our primary goal will be to prevent Crest from gaining market share and also to upsell our existing customers to the super premium segment We agree with the decision to use a celebrity commercial in China due to the size of the market share the Crest is cultivating Each region and culture has a different set of values and preferences Each region will have a unique tactical plan to maximize effectiveness Jay Chou Colgate Max Fresh Commercial Implementation in China Dispensing the toothpaste in clear bottles to build brand awareness Colgate-Palmolive has invested a large amount of capitol in the Max Fresh marketing campaign Maximize the return on investment by: Transition to less expensive packaging once consumers are familiar with product Include breath strip samples with Max Fresh tooth paste in selected markets Snowsurfer Commercial (English Dub) Implementation in Mexico Our strategies in Mexico will be very similar to our plan in other emerging markets Focus will be on preserving our market share instead of new growth Use clear bottle and breath strip samples in select markets to increase brand awareness Colgate accounts for 82% of total market share compared to 10.2% of Crest’s total market share Crest + Scope only accounts for 3%of total market share Set price at 14.99 pesos per 100 ml We will re-evaluate our Colgate Total (19.36 pesos per 100 ml) marketing campaign to focus on the affluent 40+ age group to minimize cannibalization Implementation in Brazil Characteristics of the Brazilian Market 71% of Brazilians agree that â€Å"music is an important part of my life† 33% have participated in trips to the beach in the last 30 days 76% agree that â€Å"it is important to be attractive to the opposite sex† 65% agree that â€Å"it is important to keep young looking† 32% express the desire for plastic surgery in order to improve their appearance Statistics from Geoff Wicken, KMR Group Tactical Strategy Brazil Vollyball is the 2nd most popular sport in Brazil To become a sponsor on the FIVB circuit, we must apply by July 31, 2006 Update packaging to include â€Å"Made in Brazil† The busy season in Rio De Janeiro December to March, so we recommend kicking off a medial marketing campaign in October 2006 This will give Colgate-Palmolive a chance to evaluate the success of the BreathStrip samples in China and Mexico If we do not see the return on investment we will not include the promotional packaging in Brazil Brazilians place a high emphasis on being attractive to the opposite sex, which means there could a tremendous opportunity to market Colgate Max Fresh as a product that will whiten teeth and make you more â€Å"kissable† Adapt the SnowSurfer commercial to the Brazilian market Sponsor a national beach vollyball tournament Conclusion Colgate-Palmolive is actively seeking ways to increase their operating profit and net income Introducing new high margin products to emerging markets will be critical to their success Marketing Colgate Max Fresh as efficiently and effectively as possible will be necessary in helping us achieve our financial goals UNILEVER

Life-Based Leadership Principles from Jack Welch Essay

During the hundreds of millions of years of natural evolution on this planet, survival has always been a continuous challenge for living creatures. It has recently to come into light that in the past four million years, there have been scores of human species on the earth, besides us homo sapiens. However, all of these various human-like beings including the Neanderthal man perished in the course of evolution; we humans have outlived all of them. We have emerged as the true survivors. We are the last â€Å"man† standing. However, in the whole history of the world, survival could have never been as tough as it is in today’s world of big business. It is an ever-changing, dizzingly fast-paced, intensely competitive and danger-saturated environment out there. There are many survivors and many winners in this arena, of course. Of all such exceptional people in the recent decades, there is one man who stands out as a celebrated icon of leadership and business success. And it is none other than Jack Welch of GE, arguably the finest CEO in the latter half of the twentieth century. Speaking from a broad perspective, he is not just an exemplary business leader, but a hero, a survivor, a symbol of the triumph of man. Jack Welch is a man who believed that each individual should control his or her own destiny. Welch sums up his conviction thus: â€Å"†Today, I see winning as people defining their objectives and fulfilling them, not being a victim. You define where you want to go, and then you go for it† (Knowledge@Wharton) And from the depth of this belief perhaps sprang the secret of his greatness. Starting from the early Eighties, Jack Welch, CEO of the General Electric Corporation, has led his company through one of the most revolutionary and far-reaching changes ever witnessed in modern business history. Having taken GE with a market capitalization of about $12 billion, Jack Welch turned it into one of the largest and most admired companies in the world, with a market value of about $500 billion, when he stepped down as its CEO 20 years later, in 2000. Although Jack Welch was the legendary leader of a global manufacturing giant noted for its technological might and superiority, he has utilized a very human process to drive change through GE’s vast organization. He honoured the individual above all, and the humanity of the individual. To him, the individual was the pivotal force in bringing about organizational change. And for the major part of his immensely successful career at the helm of GE he relentlessly embraced change. It was change that made GE businesses leaders in their markets, added profitable, productive businesses to GE’s family, and tapped the brains of knowledgeable employees. Welch worked for change, and change worked for him. Jack Welch of course knew how difficult change could be. Nevertheless he viewed change as his only real chance to transform GE into the kind of top-notch competitive enterprise that he wanted it to be. Only through continuously undergoing massive changes, GE could win, and Jack Welch firmly believed in winning. He wanted to be a winner. And winners were not afraid to make changes. However, pursuit of change, empowerment of individuals, and such principles are only part of a broder human-centric principles of successful leadership in which Jack Welch passionately believed in. Welch’s original approach to management and leadership, which proved so successful in transforming GE could be summed up unders six heads: Control your destiny, or someone else will. Welch’s first maxim became the title of a semi-autobiographic bestseller that described the revolution at GE. The basic approach that Welch followed to carry out a dramatic revolution at GE was to trust the individual and let him or her believe in their own desitiny. Welsh believed in delegating authority freely, fairly and responsibly, within the company. In a general context, however, while no mere human being can have absolute control over his or her destiny, the point is to take total personal responsibility for one’s own life and actions, and assume intelligent control of the course of things. 2. Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it were. Facing reality is tough. Facing reality means looking directly into suffering, failure, inadequacy of ourselves, others, and the world, something which we human beings are programmed to avoid. When corporations do not face simple realities, however, such as their products costing more to produce and being worthless than those of their competitors, market share and profits drop, the company and its employees suffer. Welch saw all these things happening at GE. Only when we are ready to honestly examine ourselves and acknowledge our shortcomings, will we be able to do anything about them. Acceptance can lead to transformation. 3. Be candid with everyone. Traditional wisdom says that honesty is the best policy. This home-spun truth has great relevance in today’s hyper-modern corporate settings. Welch strove to create an atmosphere at GE where people could effortlessly speak up to somebody â€Å"in authority,† who could then do something about their problems. It is an atmosphere, it is in the air of GE. Welch himself regularly spoke with front-line employees on the plant floor. Welch was equally open to hear both the good and bad things about GE. Honesty, sincerity and candor: they have their own rewards. â€Å"In a bureaucracy, people are afraid to speak out. This type of environment slows you down, and it doesn’t improve the workplace,† says Jack Welch. He therefore calls for promoting a corporate culture that appreciates and rewards honest feedback. â€Å"You reinforce the behaviors that you reward. If you reward candor, you’ll get it. † 4. Don’t manage, lead. Welch abhorred a strictly hierarchical type of management built on the concept of control. To Welch, managers should become leaders who show the way to other people by inpsiring and motivating them. Instead of controlling and exploiting workers, leaders should liberate and empower them. Do not push and pull your employees at every opportunity, gently guide them towards greater possibility. Welch’s leadership philosophy continues to be very simple: empower others, ask questions, tap into the potential of all of your associates, choose integrity and candor over charts, graphs, and politics, and spend more time in action instead of planning and posturing budgets. 5. Change before you have to. That is to say, proactivity. One has to be able to look ahead and predict changes that future is going to necessitate. In the context of a business organization, it is far better to change early those things in a company that need to be changed to stay competitive, when there is still plenty of time, rather than forcibly having to change them later when an adverse reality in form of failure and loss thrusts itself in the face of the organization. Welch was fond of yelling across the table at meetings, â€Å"Change, before it’s too late! † 6. If you don’t have a competitive advantage, don’t compete. Welch often quoted his business maxim that every division at GE had to be â€Å"number one or number two† or get out of that specific business. In the 1980s, Welch was convinced that inflation would soon become rampant thereby slowing down economic growth. The elimination of the old-line businesses was not going to be an easy job in terms of loss of jobs and lowering of morale that it implied. But Welch had to do what he had to do. The â€Å"Number 1 or number 2† philosophy – as ruthless as it sounds – had been critical for GE to grow and survive in the modern world.

Economic constraints Essay

As part of my applied business GCSE, I have been asked to compare two different companies. The two companies I am going to compare are Nike and McDonald’s. Nike is an LTD, while McDonald’s is a franchise. At the end of this course I aim to get a better understanding of how businesses run.  The business location (McDonalds)  Most of McDonald’s earliest restaurants were opened in the UK during the 1970s, many customers were willing to travel miles to visit them. This specific McDoands is located in archway (N19) McDonald’s believe that their customer convience & research are the things that drive force behind McDonald’s restaurants and locations. Such development has led to new McDonald’s in sites as varied as cross-channel ferries, a bowling alley and London’s former County Hall. The Company is committed to responsible growth, and works closely with local planning officers and community groups when developing a new restaurant. When McDonalds decide to open a new restaurant, it is considered as a long-term proposition. For McDonalds, local knowledge is a key factor to choosing new locations. McDonald’s relies on discussions with local managers who are involved at the grass roots level with their local communities.  Key customers & competitors. (McDonalds)  McDonald’s are one of the leading providers of quick service food globally. In the UK, the company has 1,250 restaurants – around 500 of which are franchised operations. Seen as how McDonalds are a very big and successful franchise, they are bound to have competitors such as:McDonald’s are one of the only franchises to have a goal of no more than two complaints per restaurant per month. Using Business Objects to spot problems early, such as staffing levels, some 500 stores have achieved zero complaints for more than two months. In McDonalds, customer service is improved by information from the three â€Å"Mystery Shopper† visits to each restaurant monthly. This information includes, amongst other criteria, whether or not there was a friendly greeting, whether the server was wearing a name badge, as well as the overall cleanliness of the restaurant.  Some of McDonald’s external influences may affect the way that the business is managed and run. For example, if there were complaints being made about the level of pay for its workers then McDonald’s might have to respond to this. Even though it could be argued that the workers demands are not an external influence the company would still face pressure to make judgments about the nature of its decision-making.  The business location (Nike) Nike are known worldwide and have many stores throughout different countries, these include of:  Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russian federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and Ireland.  In Nike’s case, it is very important that all of their locations suit to their liking because Nike aims to get out of their store locations including, profit and popularity. Before building a new store, Nike may need to take into account the following factor.

Types Of Driver By Age

There are many types of drivers that we all encounter on the road, and they are often classified by age. While the term â€Å" driver † can be applied to just about anyone behind the wheel, the way a person drives often changes with age. You can expect to find these drivers on the road near to you: teenage drivers, middle-aged drivers, and slow but steady elderly drivers. At the age of 16-20 years old, teens are more concerned with looking cool than with driving responsibly.Teenage drivers have lack of driving experience, and a distraction of using electronics. They want to be seen driving while on their cell phones and have the loudest stereos. Teenage tend to use electronics while driving, and they do no know that it is a huge distraction. They impress each other by driving recklessly and being faster than their friends. Therefore, teenagers are very dangerous on the road when they are driving. The second type of driver by age is the middle-aged driver.They tend to tailgate your car and also have a super speeding that will result in accidents. These drivers have the uncanny ability to squeeze through the smallest openings as they weave through every car that gets in their path. They always seem to be in the biggest hurry as they drive waiting for the opportunity to pass your car. They also have The third type of driver is the elderly or old age driver. Older drivers are more like to cause traffic citations and get into accidents as their driving abilities changes with age.They have also slower reflexes and poorer vision. Their reflexes are slower, thence, is very difficult to them to react quickly if they have to avoid any accident. Older drivers can also have any eye condition that can interfere with their ability to drive. In conclusion, drivers come in many different forms and each carry their own characteristics no matter how old they are. Therefore, each person must be responsible and careful when driving, regardless of the type of driver who is.

Intervention paper( group therapy) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Intervention paper( group therapy) - Essay Example You can start to tell the child that they have the ability to create their own lives. They learn that there are choices and perspectives that they will learn to make and see. They are filled with a self-determination to make them do what they need to do and to find a way or they may find that they have the ability in how we make the interpretations they need to make in the situations, events, and relationships they make in their lives. The therapist will show the child how to make those interpretations and decisions in a more socially appropriate manner. You can tell the children that their actions have consequences. You can teach encouragement and cooperation so the child can learn proper motivation and to have a better understanding of themselves. This is a chance to let the child or children get to know each other and begin to interact with each other. It is a time to ask questions and hopefully get answers and be able to share their feelings of what is going to happen while in the group. It is a chance to express and teach the rules of the group. This could also be the time to show them (the children) around the therapeutic playroom to show that it is a safe place to express themselves in many different ways like art, music and dramatic play activities to let them feel empowered to be themselves and to be comfortable, which is the main thing so they will tell their stories. The child has the power in these sessions. In this first step this is when rapport is being built and building encouragement. Step 1- Giving Instructions-- Give each of the children a pencil or crayons and several sheets of paper. You can ask them to draw a picture of everyone in their family for you. You can tell them that the family members must be doing something and they should be whole people and not stick people. Give them gentle reminders of these rules as the activity continues. Step 2- Drawing-- While the children are drawing their

Network Foundation within Office Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Network Foundation within Office - Assignment Example This essay explores the software application purchase. General application software can be Microsoft Office 2010 as it includes wax viewer, work processing software, presentation software, and spreadsheet software etc. Microsoft application software comes with authorized registration that will allow different features for quick office use. Wi-Fi connections are very important but with the advanced smartphones, office work can be accessible. Smartphones with IOS technology such as HTC phones, Nokia, and iPhone etc. can be used as backup computers to stay connected to the main office server. Internet connectivity is also allowed by the telecom subscriptions available with the phones. Installation of computers, application software,  and antivirus can be installed and maintained by the company from where the computers will be purchased. These computers will be under guarantee. Also, automatic updates can be installed by the computers because it is an easy and two-step process.

Living in the Toxic Food Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Living in the Toxic Food Environment - Essay Example A toxin is a noxious substance formed within living cells. They can be small molecules or peptides that are proficient for causing infections on absorption by body tissues interrelating with biological macromolecules such as enzymes and cellular receptors. A toxic environment is the consequence of ubiquity of harmful, processed foods, increasingly inactive lifestyle which personals spend a lot of time watching TV than exercising, enormous detonation of fast food eateries etc whereas a toxic food environment can be termed as the unparalleled exposure to high-calorie, high –fat, heavily marketed, inexpensive fast foods and the sedentary lifestyle increasing in our everyday’s life.These unhealthy eating and living habits can lead to serious health issues in human beings. Exercises have always being known as the best remedy to burn down fats and calories in a normal human system. Our fatty tissues absorb a group of chemically-related multifaceted known as Dioxins which accu mulate the food chain. These Dioxins are highly lethal and can cause great reproductive and developmental problems, harm the immune system and can also lead to cancer. It could also cause skin lesions and changed liver performance.The best way to control and prevent dioxin exposure is by proper incineration of contaminated material and this process requires high temperatures.The best way to prevent or reduce human exposure is through source-directed measures such as severe control of industrial processes to condense the formation of dioxins.

An analysis 3 coffee companies who operate in this industry Essay

An analysis 3 coffee companies who operate in this industry - Essay Example Every year 500 billion coffee cups are consumed amongst which 14 billion cups are Italian espresso. It is a fact that beside several flavours of coffee, there are two types of coffee beans in the world known as Robusta and Arabica. Therefore, coffee shops are among fastest growing niches in the business world. Most of the coffee production is undertaken in developing countries as it is a labour intensive work (Business Insider, 2011). These countries include Brazil, Columbia and Vietnam. It is found that Finland has a high consumption per capita of coffee. PESTLE analysis of coffee industry Political – there is influence of politics on coffee production as it is majorly produced in developing countries. The political condition there is highly volatile which could affect the coffee industry. Economic – it is to mention here that Brazil is having strong influence over coffee industry as Brazil is a major coffee producer. Any affect in the economy affects the entire indust ry. Social – social aspects of coffee and increasing awareness for coffee and its issues results in more social pressure on industry. Therefore, it can be said that social factor can influence the coffee industry. Technological – there is increased demand in variety of coffee products and freshness is also a concern of consumers. With technological advancements, industry effectively caters the needs and requirements of consumers. Technological factor also affects coffee industry. Legal – legal issues affects the industry in a way as there is increased focus on ethical and legal requirements of business. Environmental –it is to mention here that environmental factor is important in the process of coffee production. Therefore for optimum level of operations environment should be under standard needs of coffee production. Profile of three companies in coffee industry Starbucks (Industry Leader) Starbucks Corporation is among the premier coffee roasters, spec ialty coffee and marketer of coffee. It is to mention here that Starbucks operates in more than 55 countries across the globe. It is present in North America, European Middle East Africa, Latin America and Asia. There are approximately 149,000 employees in Starbucks Corporation. It is headquartered in Seattle Washington. Net revenues generated by Starbucks Corporation at the end of fiscal year 2012 were USD 13.3 billion as compared to USD 11.7 billion in 2011. Comparable store growth in 2012 was 7 percent. Operating income earned by the company was USD 1997 million with operating margin of 15% (Starbucks, 2013). Costa Limited (Emerging Company) Costa Coffee is entirely owned subsidiary of Whitbread. Costa Limited is involved in operation of coffee shops chain. There is a wide variety of coffee products that the company offers and it includes coffee, coffee beans, coffee bars, hot chocolate drinks along with various other food products that includes sandwiches, paninis, fruits and yo ghurt, scones, muffins and toasties and wraps. Costa coffee majorly operates in Europe, Asia and Middle East. It employs approximately 8,200 employees and it is headquartered in Dunstable, United Kingdom. In the fiscal year which ended in March 2012, the company recorded revenues of approximately USD 865.3 million as compared to revenues generated by the business in 2012 of approximately USD 678.7 million in 2011. Among its revenues the profit generated by the company

Financial markets and institution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Financial markets and institution - Essay Example A good combination of a well-developed financial market and a diversified financial instrument and products sufficiently provides for the needs of lenders and borrowers, and hence improve the overall economy. For instant, financial institutions like banks have special roles to play for multiple companies that are in need of funds. Banks can contribute to prevent the effect of a sudden economic shock that might affect their customers. The banking industry always stands ready to provide their clients with financial aid even in difficult circumstances, like when the liquidity of financial market dries up. They are the financial intermediaries that add cost to the allocation of capital. In addition, some economic projects can be financed by financial institutions such as banks in cases where the market cannot finance such projects. Big financial markets which have lots of financial and trading activity ensure that more liquid funds are provided to the market participant than in smaller markets. Most assets of financial market are liquid which may sometimes have secondary market to ensure that the existing financial asset transfer occur at a very low cost (Willem, 2001). The effective flow of finance in a given market ensures that the market participants are able to provide their goods and services effectively and therefore ensures an improved economic growth of the given country. Commercial banks are the most diversified and largest financial intermediaries due to the enormous range of liabilities and assets that they hold. Most of their liabilities are always in the form of saving deposits, time deposit and various types of checks. The type of assets that commercial banks hold are the securities of the various denominations and forms, which include consumer loans, mortgage loans, loans that are given to the state and the local government. These banks are the most

FIN 300 - Principles of Finance for the Private Sector 1-8 Essay

FIN 300 - Principles of Finance for the Private Sector 1-8 - Essay Example 2009). Current ratio is obtained by dividing current assets by current liabilities while quick ratio is obtained the same way only that inventory is eliminated from current assets since it takes time to convert to cash. The two ratios indicate the level of liquidity and hence they help to maintain the required liquidity for retailers (Phillips et al. 2009). The higher the ratios the stronger liquidity is. Phillips, M. D., Volker, J. X., Anderson, S. J. (2009). A behavioral comparison of financial ratios for different size privately-held retail and service businesses. Journal of Behavioral Studies in Business, 1(1), 1-7. Residual value estimated is normally the amount that can be realized if the asset was to be sold after its useful life. However, most organizations take the estimated residual value to be zero. This method allocates equal amount to each year. Present value is the current value of a given future value of money or cash flow streams (Chiu2010). Compounding is process of finding the future value when the present value is given while discounting if the process of finding the present value when the future value is given. Gollier (2010) discusses the following differences. Future value of a lump sum is higher than future value of an annuity given similar factors. This is because the lump sum amount earns interest in all the periods while not all the annuities earn interest for the entire period. Long term bonds are those ones that have a longer maturity period. Interest rates are used as discounting rates in calculating the value of a bond. An increase in interest rate therefore reduces the value of a bond and this is a risk called interest rate risk. Short term bonds have a shorter maturity period and a fluctuation in interest affects income hence reinvestment risk. The value of a corporate bond is determined through the fundamental theory, where the value is the present value of the

Analysis of the sculpture of Leander by William Henry Rinehart Essay

Analysis of the sculpture of Leander by William Henry Rinehart - Essay Example His facial expression is peaceful but, at the same time, thoughtful and distracted. His head is not raised and, consequently, he does not look directly at the observer but gazes into the horizon. The purity, grace and proportion of the figure are greatly enhanced by the quality and color of the medium chosen to execute it: pure white marble. For the spectator, the main reaction after observation of the sculpture is probably one of awe and admiration for the technical skills and artistic proficiency of the author, who manages to capture with great expertise the perfection of the male human body. The work of art of choice is exquisite, a piece of extraordinary beauty. Looking at this sculpture immediately brings to mind the famous sculpture of David by Michelangelo, one of the best known works of art of the Renaissance, which Rinehart knew from his stay in Florence between 1855 and 1857. Rinehart, like Michelangelo with David, in his representation of Leander has provided the observer with a great illustration of the perfect male human form. One of the greatest differences between David and Leander makes itself evident when one looks at the two heroes in the face: while David shows fear, tension and aggression in his facial expression, Leander looks relaxed, pensive and meditative. The tension in David's face is believed to be due to the fact that he was about to confront Goliath in battle. Additionally, Leander's proportions are more realistic than David's, who exhibited an upper body and head that appeared slightly out of proportion. This is due to the fact that the sculpture, due to its monumental proportions, was designed to be admired from u nderneath. Leander is also less muscular and thus more realistic than David. Both heroes show a very similar posture. The body is lightly rested over one leg, the other is slightly flexed, which helps give the impression of movement or action. Rinehart repositioned Leander's left leg with respect David's, achieving a more open stance. With respect to their hands, David is holding a stone that he is about to throw, while Leander keeps a delicate hold of the cloth that covers his nudity. Leander, shown at the edge of the shore, is actually in the act of undressing himself ready to get in the water that can be seen at his feet. 3. Interpretation The sculpture of Leander is one of a pair that was produced to illustrate a tragic love story of the Greek mythology. Hero, a priestess of Aphrodite, and Leander were lovers residing in opposite sides of the Hellespont. Each evening Leander would swim across the strait in order to meet with his beloved Hero. Tragedy struck one stormy night, when the lighthouse he used as a guide failed and, as a consequence, he got lost and drowned. Overcome with grief, Hero decided to meet the same fate as her lover and threw herself into the sea [Greek Mythology Link]. Rinehart's work shows, on one shore, Leander undressing in preparation for his evening swim and, on the other shore, Hero in anxious wait for her lover with the guiding lamp right beside her. The waves that can be observed at the bases of both sculptures represent the waters of the strait [The Magazine Antiques]. It is worth noting that,

Society In Philippiness Essay Example for Free

Society In Philippiness Essay When we were human beings in small tribe hunting and gathering, everybody you had to deal with was somebody you saw every day. We’re species that’s based on communication with our entire tribe. As the population grew and people had to split up into smaller tribes and separate, they got into the point where they never see each other for their whole lives (Lamy Lester). Communication is important in maintaining relationship with our family, friends, and even somebody we encounter in our day-to-day lives. The internet is the first technology that let us have many-to-many communication with anybody on the planet. In a sense, it brought us back to something we lost thousands of years ago Internet allows people to interact with others anywhere on the planet (Lamy Lester). Today’s generation is based around technology. Everything we do revolve around the internet. It is primarily a source of communication, information and entertainment, as simple click and search, internet can provide us the information we need. The internet is unique among the mass media in allowing interpersonal communication through email and instant messaging. It is a community known as â€Å"Social networking†. Social networking has left us with the chance to meet people in a much easier method; a friend is now a finger click away. _______ Filipinos use social networking sites every day. Facebook, Yahoo, MySpace and Twitter are used extensively for the purpose of communication because those are the most popular networking sites this time. There are also programs that allow us to communicate such as Skype and Yahoo messenger. On Facebook, you can simply click â€Å"add friends† and the other person can either accept you or deny you. One of the most important advantages of the use of social media is the online sharing of knowledge and information among the different groups of people. This online sharing of information also promotes the increase in the communication skills among the people especially among the learners/students of educational institutions. Some people can access social networking sites without even leaving their house. Technology and social networking is slowly taking over people’s lives and beginning to affect their personal relationships and real life interaction. College teenagers are the most common users in Social networking. Students in Lyceum of the Philippines University – Cavite (LPU-Cavite) are using social networks to keep in touch with their friends, family and for academic purposes. Since LPU-Cavite is updated and uses modern technology as a way of teaching, student’s now have the knowledge to use technology as well. Some professors even use the networking sites to upload their lectures and upcoming lessons for the student’s benefit and advantage. Social networks are increasingly being used by teachers and learners as a communication tool. Teachers create chat rooms and groups to extend classroom discussion to posting assignments, tests and quizzes, to assisting with homework outside of the classroom setting. Learners can also form groups over the social networking sites and engage in discussion over a variety of topics (Trisha Dowerah Baruah). Using social networks as a way of sending lessons and information to students consume less time and effort that will give student’s benefit for their upcoming class and discussion.

Should Same Sex Marriage Be Legalized Essay Example for Free

Should Same Sex Marriage Be Legalized Essay Half of Americans say that homosexuality is something that can be changed or a choice, while the other half say that homosexuality is not a choice but something that they are born with and cannot change. So what is homosexuality, exactly? It is the attraction or behaviors, sexual or otherwise, between members of the same sex or gender (Random House, Inc. 2013). The question at hand is should the parties in these types of relationships be allowed to marry and carry the same rights as that of a heterosexual couple? This is something that has been discussed and debated between many groups for a long time and still continues to be so. The answer is simple. Marriage should be the right of the individual, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. This country is founded on exactly this point. The Constitution of the United States of America says everyone should have equal rights. Freedom to marry is no different than freedom of religion. If an individual can choose who to worship and believe in, then that individual should be able to choose who to love and spend their life with. In 1974, the Supreme Court ruled that in the case of Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur, freedom of personal choice in matters of marriage and family life is one of the liberties protected by the Due Process Clause (ProCon.org 2013)†. Not legalizing same sex marriage only leads people to believe that it is acceptable to discriminate against those who lead this life style. Because of this, laws regarding same sex marriage need to evolve with the times. When laws were created against same sex marriage, it was also not accepted to marry interracially. Since this time these laws have been revised and have allowed for many happy, healthy homes. This goes to show that if laws are not changed to fit the times, the country can never grow. This growth can provide great opportunities in many different ways. Same Sex Marriage is also beneficial to both the same sex partners and the Government. Federal benefits would be available to a legally married same sex couple. These benefits would include, Social Security Benefits, Tax Benefits, as well Veterans and Military Benefits. For the same sex couple, this would mean a better quality of life and more security later in life. They would also qualify for Federal Employment Benefits and Immigration. Many people feel that a same sex couple should not have these rights because they believe it will cost the government more money and damage the economy further. However, these benefits would allow the same sex couple to provide a more stable life for their families. As for the government is concerned, the legally married same sex couple would also be liable for the same Federal fees and expenses as a â€Å"traditional† married couple. They would have to file and pay for marriage licenses. In addition, the legally married couple would be required to file as married on their Federal Taxes. Both of these things can potential boost the economy. Therefore, the government would actually benefit from the legalization as opposed to being damaged. The Comptroller for New York City found that over a period of three years, just legalizing gay marriage would bring approximately $142 million to the city’s economy and approximately $184 million to the state’s economy (William C. Thompson, Jr., Love Counts: The Economic Benefits of Marriage Equality for New York 2007). These benefits have already been implemented in many parts of the world and have proven to be beneficial to both parties. There are currently eighteen nations that have implemented laws for same sex marriage to be allowed, in either the entire area or at least certain jurisdictions. These countries include Argentina (2010), Denmark (2012), The Netherlands (2000), South Africa (2006), Belgium (2003), England/Wales (2013), New Zealand (2013), Spain (2005), Brazil (2013), France (2013), Norway (2009), Sweden (2009), Canada (2005), Iceland (2010), Portugal (2010), Uruguay (2013), Mexico (2009), and The United States (2003) (Senior Researcher David Masci, Research Analyst Elizabeth Sciupac and Assistant Editor Michael Lipka 2013). Of these eighteen nations the only two restricted to certain jurisdictions The United States and Mexico. In The United States same sex has been legalized in thirteen states. These include Massachusetts (May 17, 2004), Connecticut (Nov. 12, 2008), Iowa (Apr. 24. 2009), Vermont (Sep. 1, 2009), New Hampshire (Jan. 1, 2010), New York (June 24, 2011), Washington (Dec. 9, 2012), Maine (Dec. 29, 2012), Maryland (Jan. 1, 2013), California (June 28, 2013), Delaware (July 1, 2013), Rhode Island (Aug. 1, 2013), and Minnesota (Aug. 1, 2013) (Christian Broadcasting Network, Americans Question Who Makes a Family, 2010). In 2008, Massachusetts, the first state in the country to legalize same sex marriage, had the lowest divorce rate in the country. This has been the case with many other states as well, showing that gay marriage bans correspond with higher divorce rates (Nate Silver, Divorce Rates Higher in States with Gay Marriage Bans, 2010). It has been shown that lower divorce rates provide for more stable homes. More stable living environments can provide a plethora of opportunities to people that not have otherwise been given them. Among these opportunities lies the known fact that a same sex couple who is legally married would have an easier time adopting a child(ren) than a non-married couple. The reason for this is because, the adoption process is believed to be easier when there is a loving two parent household. It has been shown that when considering adoption, a married couple will be much more likely to be approved than an individual because it is more likely that they would be able to best provide for the child and give them the necessary attention. Single parents are very unlikely to be allowed to adopt unless they have extensive means of support. Many people believe that a child should not be raised in a home with parents of the same sex because it would not be healthy for the child’s growth and development. However, it has been shown that children raised in same sex homes have been proven to thrive just as well as those raised in heterosexual homes. In this country alone there are 100,000 children waiting for adoption (James G. Pawelski 2006). More stable homes would provide to create more productive members of society. Studies conducted in 2010 concluded that children raised by two mothers scored higher than those of heterosexual parents in multiple areas, including social and academic competence (Rachel H. Farr, Stephen L. Forsell, and Charlotte J. Patterson, Parenting and Child Development in Adoptive Families: Does Parental Sexual Orientation Matter?, Applied Developmental Science 2010). In addition, these children were shown to have fewer social problems. Children of gay fathers in this study were to be just as well-adjusted as those adopted by heterosexual parents† (Rachel H. Farr, Stephen L. Forsell, and Charlotte J. Patterson, Parenting and Child Development in Adoptive Families: Does Parental Sexual Orientation Matter?, Applied Developmental Science 2010). Allowing more adoptions would also cut down on the need to place unwanted and abused children into the Foster System. In doing this, not only does the same sex married couple get the pleasure of becoming parents, and the children get the chance of a happy normal life, but the government will again benefit by no longer needing to provide the support for these children, as well as providing more foster homes for those children with the possibility of reunification with their families, which there is a great shortage of. All of this information shows that whether or not sexual orientation is a choice or something that one is simply born with is really irrelevant. The fact still remains that everyone should have equal rights, regardless of their race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. It is unconstitutional to deny these rights to anyone based on these discriminating factors, as the Constitution is supportive of equality for all. In the past similar discrimination was imposed upon inter-racial marriages, which has since been altered. By changing those laws and providing balance between the races, the country has grown in ways that could only have been imagined. The same possibilities are true for the legalizations of same sex marriage. Unless something is given the chance, it will never be known what could possibly come from it, and it could quite possibly improve the overall quality of life. This is true not just for the parties directly affected, but for those around them as well. This has already been shown through the positive things that have come from the legalization of same sex marriage in many areas around the world. Regardless of the fears of many that legalizing same sex marriage could compromise the functions of society, in the areas where it is already legal, society is still functioning just as well if not better than before the legalization. References Pew research religion and public life project. (2013). Retrieved from http://www.pewforum.org/search/gay+marriage/?site=pewforum Procon.org. (2013). Retrieved from http://gaymarriage.procon.org/ Waters, H. J. (2013). Proquest. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/1372302648?accountid=458 Cheiner, E. (2013). The gay and lesbian review. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/1322735038?accountid=458 Pearce, C. (2012). Gay marriage. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.apollolibrary.com/docview/1223795294?accountid=458