Ethical Issues & Management

ETHICAL ISSUES AND MANAGEMENT PAPER Ethical Issues and Management Paper Jamie Culley University of Phoenix Online Campus Ethical Issues and Management Paper Introduction. The responsibilities of a manager go far beyond supervision. In fact, managers are forced to make important decisions every day that affect the company, their employees, and possibly the public depending on the circumstance. Managers take part in hiring, performance, evaluation, discipline, and termination. They are also involved in any circumstance that pertains to harassment and diversity, and they must make a conscious effort to set a good example for their employees. The following paper will focus primarily on discipline; describe the moral and ethical issues faced by managers dealing with discipline; include how the issue affects other individuals; explain how relationships between social issues and ethically responsible management practices apply to discipline; provide a workplace example of an ethical dilemma involving discipline; and discuss any laws governing the manager who provided the discipline in such an ethical dilemma. Discipline Describe the moral and ethical issues faced by managers dealing with your selected topic. Include how the issue affects other individuals. In the case of discipline, managers must know how to appropriately discipline their employees. Managers must ensure equality amongst employees in regard to discipline so as to obey the U. S. Sentencing Guidelines, which â€Å"specify that all employees in an organization must receive consistent discipline for similar infractions† (Trevino & Nelson, 2007, p. 159). Managers must also ensure equality amongst employees in regard to discipline because it is the ethical thing to do. For instance, consider that a certain man has been working for a company for 20 years and he gets aught misusing corporate resources. In this scenario, a manager might be tempted to give him a warning or even write him up for his actions because of his loyalty to the company. Now consider that a certain man has been working for the same company for two years and he also gets caught misusing corporate resources. Yet, in this scenario the manager terminates him for his actions. The U. S. Sentencing Guideli nes seek to ensure that both employees are given the same measure of discipline, which is also the ethical thing to do on the manager's behalf. Furthermore, â€Å"hiring, performance evaluation, discipline, and terminations can be ethical issues because they all involve honesty, fairness, and the dignity of the individual† (Trevino & Nelson, 2007, p. 162, 163). If values such as honesty, dignity, and fairness are acknowledged in circumstances involving discipline, then managers and their companies should have no real concern for negative, public exposure. There are effective ways that managers can go about disciplining employees for their actions. These ways should involve disciplining employees in a constructive and professional manner. Discipline should generally be done in private, allow input from the employee, and it should be consistent with the way past employees have been treated for similar actions or behaviors (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Discipline affects other individuals such as the affected employee's family members, co-workers, and the general public. When an employee is disciplined in the appropriate manner, a message is sent to the rest of the company's employees. This message communicates that certain measures will be taken to address and rid the company of inappropriate behaviors and actions. As a result, employees will know to be more conscious of their behaviors and actions to ensure that they are not disciplined for the same reasons. If discipline has been taken to the extreme and an employee has been terminated from a company, the family of that employee will be greatly affected. What if that employee is not eligible for unemployment? This could trigger a huge financial burden for the entire family. Finally, the public is very much affected when an employee endures termination as their disciplinary measure. As a result of a termination an employment opportunity opens up for the public to apply for. This could mean that the man or woman who has been searching for a job to provide for their family will be employed and now able to fulfill the needs of his or her family. The economy is affected in various ways as people are terminated from their employed positions (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Explain how the relationship between social issues and ethically responsible management practices apply to your topic. Social issues and how they relate to ethically responsible management practices need to be considered when disciplinary action is involved between management and employees. Managers need to research why an employee is exuding behaviors such as tardiness, harassment, misuse of corporate resources, and discrimination. For example, a newly hired employee named Judy has been consistently late for her first month of employment. Her manager should address her behavior privately, and ask her why she is often late for work. The case could be that Judy is a single mom of three children who attend a private school on the other side of the city where no bus route has been established. In this case, her manager should find out if flexible work hours can become more available to all employees on the team and go from there. Another social issue could be that Joe, a long-time employee, is going through a divorce, which is costing him a fortune. As a result, Joe cannot afford his car payments and is now without reliable transportation to and from work. Joe's financial status is communicating poverty. Over time, Joe is not only tardy to work because of his transportation issues, but his clothes are looking ragged and he is in no position to meet with clients. Joe's work performance is now failing because of his financial situation. In this case, disciplinary action needs to be carefully considered and documented when dealing with Joe's poor work performance. It is important to document the disciplinary action taken so that the same discipline can be directed at a future situation to ensure equality (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Provide a workplace example of an ethical dilemma involving your topic. Did any laws govern the manager's actions? A workplace dilemma involving discipline could involve an employee who is being harassed because of her sexual preference, and as a result she is harassing people in retaliation by directing hateful comments toward fellow co-workers. In this scenario, several people’s behaviors need to be addressed: the employees initially harassing the woman because of her sexual preference, and the woman being harassed who is retaliating. Laws do govern the manager’s actions, especially if the manager ignores the issue at hand. Managers are now being held responsible for their employees’ actions if inappropriate behaviors are not dealt with and knowingly ignored. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is linked with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission is in place to ensure discrimination is eliminated from the work place and dealt with appropriately (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Conclusion. In summary, employees are held accountable to their managers and managers to their employees. Managers are held accountable to their employees because it is their responsibility to make ethical decisions and abide by laws that govern their decision-making. Managers must strive to practice honesty, dignity, and fairness in their workplace as pertains to disciplining employees. They should also discipline employees the ethical way by holding a private meeting, being constructive, professional, allowing the employee’s input, and in consistency with past disciplinary action. Social issues that pertain to the work place involve family issues, personal issues, diversity, and much more (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). References: Trevino, L. , & Nelson, K. (2007). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (4th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Ethical Issues & Management ETHICAL ISSUES AND MANAGEMENT PAPER Ethical Issues and Management Paper Jamie Culley University of Phoenix Online Campus Ethical Issues and Management Paper Introduction. The responsibilities of a manager go far beyond supervision. In fact, managers are forced to make important decisions every day that affect the company, their employees, and possibly the public depending on the circumstance. Managers take part in hiring, performance, evaluation, discipline, and termination. They are also involved in any circumstance that pertains to harassment and diversity, and they must make a conscious effort to set a good example for their employees. The following paper will focus primarily on discipline; describe the moral and ethical issues faced by managers dealing with discipline; include how the issue affects other individuals; explain how relationships between social issues and ethically responsible management practices apply to discipline; provide a workplace example of an ethical dilemma involving discipline; and discuss any laws governing the manager who provided the discipline in such an ethical dilemma. Discipline Describe the moral and ethical issues faced by managers dealing with your selected topic. Include how the issue affects other individuals. In the case of discipline, managers must know how to appropriately discipline their employees. Managers must ensure equality amongst employees in regard to discipline so as to obey the U. S. Sentencing Guidelines, which â€Å"specify that all employees in an organization must receive consistent discipline for similar infractions† (Trevino & Nelson, 2007, p. 159). Managers must also ensure equality amongst employees in regard to discipline because it is the ethical thing to do. For instance, consider that a certain man has been working for a company for 20 years and he gets aught misusing corporate resources. In this scenario, a manager might be tempted to give him a warning or even write him up for his actions because of his loyalty to the company. Now consider that a certain man has been working for the same company for two years and he also gets caught misusing corporate resources. Yet, in this scenario the manager terminates him for his actions. The U. S. Sentencing Guideli nes seek to ensure that both employees are given the same measure of discipline, which is also the ethical thing to do on the manager's behalf. Furthermore, â€Å"hiring, performance evaluation, discipline, and terminations can be ethical issues because they all involve honesty, fairness, and the dignity of the individual† (Trevino & Nelson, 2007, p. 162, 163). If values such as honesty, dignity, and fairness are acknowledged in circumstances involving discipline, then managers and their companies should have no real concern for negative, public exposure. There are effective ways that managers can go about disciplining employees for their actions. These ways should involve disciplining employees in a constructive and professional manner. Discipline should generally be done in private, allow input from the employee, and it should be consistent with the way past employees have been treated for similar actions or behaviors (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Discipline affects other individuals such as the affected employee's family members, co-workers, and the general public. When an employee is disciplined in the appropriate manner, a message is sent to the rest of the company's employees. This message communicates that certain measures will be taken to address and rid the company of inappropriate behaviors and actions. As a result, employees will know to be more conscious of their behaviors and actions to ensure that they are not disciplined for the same reasons. If discipline has been taken to the extreme and an employee has been terminated from a company, the family of that employee will be greatly affected. What if that employee is not eligible for unemployment? This could trigger a huge financial burden for the entire family. Finally, the public is very much affected when an employee endures termination as their disciplinary measure. As a result of a termination an employment opportunity opens up for the public to apply for. This could mean that the man or woman who has been searching for a job to provide for their family will be employed and now able to fulfill the needs of his or her family. The economy is affected in various ways as people are terminated from their employed positions (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Explain how the relationship between social issues and ethically responsible management practices apply to your topic. Social issues and how they relate to ethically responsible management practices need to be considered when disciplinary action is involved between management and employees. Managers need to research why an employee is exuding behaviors such as tardiness, harassment, misuse of corporate resources, and discrimination. For example, a newly hired employee named Judy has been consistently late for her first month of employment. Her manager should address her behavior privately, and ask her why she is often late for work. The case could be that Judy is a single mom of three children who attend a private school on the other side of the city where no bus route has been established. In this case, her manager should find out if flexible work hours can become more available to all employees on the team and go from there. Another social issue could be that Joe, a long-time employee, is going through a divorce, which is costing him a fortune. As a result, Joe cannot afford his car payments and is now without reliable transportation to and from work. Joe's financial status is communicating poverty. Over time, Joe is not only tardy to work because of his transportation issues, but his clothes are looking ragged and he is in no position to meet with clients. Joe's work performance is now failing because of his financial situation. In this case, disciplinary action needs to be carefully considered and documented when dealing with Joe's poor work performance. It is important to document the disciplinary action taken so that the same discipline can be directed at a future situation to ensure equality (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Provide a workplace example of an ethical dilemma involving your topic. Did any laws govern the manager's actions? A workplace dilemma involving discipline could involve an employee who is being harassed because of her sexual preference, and as a result she is harassing people in retaliation by directing hateful comments toward fellow co-workers. In this scenario, several people’s behaviors need to be addressed: the employees initially harassing the woman because of her sexual preference, and the woman being harassed who is retaliating. Laws do govern the manager’s actions, especially if the manager ignores the issue at hand. Managers are now being held responsible for their employees’ actions if inappropriate behaviors are not dealt with and knowingly ignored. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which is linked with the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission is in place to ensure discrimination is eliminated from the work place and dealt with appropriately (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). Conclusion. In summary, employees are held accountable to their managers and managers to their employees. Managers are held accountable to their employees because it is their responsibility to make ethical decisions and abide by laws that govern their decision-making. Managers must strive to practice honesty, dignity, and fairness in their workplace as pertains to disciplining employees. They should also discipline employees the ethical way by holding a private meeting, being constructive, professional, allowing the employee’s input, and in consistency with past disciplinary action. Social issues that pertain to the work place involve family issues, personal issues, diversity, and much more (Trevino & Nelson, 2007). References: Trevino, L. , & Nelson, K. (2007). Managing business ethics: Straight talk about how to do it right (4th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

How does the body obtain and utilise energy? Essay

The cardiovascular system The myocardium, commonly referred to as the heart, acts as a pump for transporting blood around the body via a collective system, known as the cardiovascular system. This system has various components; blood vessels; mainly arteries, veins and capillaries. The cardiovascular system has four main functions within the body. Firstly to transport dissolved oxygen, hormones, nutrients, salts, enzymes and urea to cells located around various places within the body, whilst at the same time eliminating any waste products such as carbon dioxide and water. Secondly, to protect the body from infection and blood loss. Thirdly, to distribute heat around the body to enable a healthy temperature of 37oc and finally to aid the body to maintain fluid balance. This ‘human pump’ can be regarded as two pumps. The fist sized organ contains two muscular chambers; the upper chamber; the atrium and the lower; the ventricle. The right side of the heart pumps deoxygenated blood from the veins to the lungs for oxygenation, whilst the left side pumps oxygenated blood from the lungs to the body. It is important to note that the two sides are separated by a septum. The blood flows through the heart twice within one cycle, this is known as ‘double circulation’. The cardiovascular system carries oxygen and glucose to the cells and transports waste products such as co2 and urea away from the cells and to other parts of the body, such as the lungs and kidneys. Adenosine triphosphate, also known as ATP, is a chemical energy that is produced when nutrient molecules are burnt. ATP is constantly being produced on a daily basis due to the breakdown of glucose. Glucose is a sugar which is the main  source of energy for the body. Glucose is broken down and the energy from the glucose molecule chemical bonds are released and utilized by the cell to produce ATP molecules. Catabolism is a metabolic action that breaks down more complex molecules, such as lipids and proteins and transforms them into simpler molecules, such as fatty acids and amino acids in order to release energy. The breakdown of food allows energy to be released as the foods molecules’ bonds are breaking. This energy is then utilized to refine the bonds that have been broken to enable an increase of ATP to be created. More energy can be produce when oxygen is present. An aerobic production of ATP takes place within the mitochondria. The broken down food molecules enter the blood stream. The blood is a liquid which is made up of red and white cells. The red blood cells are attached to a protein called hemoglobin, (which is responsible for giving blood its red appearance) oxygen is present within these red blood cells. Glucose is dissolved in the plasma. Plasma consist of water, fats, proteins and salts. Plasma is responsible for transporting blood cells throughout the body and nutrients i.e. glucose, It also transports waste products, antibodies, clotting proteins and hormones. Iron is also present within red blood cells and iron attracts oxygen. The cells require oxygen to produce energy. The body would not receive the nutrients it needs if the cardiovascular system was not in place, therefore it is essential. The cardiovascular system is dependent on metabolic reactions. The heart itself needs ATP to function therefore the CV system would not work without the products of metabolism. The digestive system The digestive system consist of various organs such as, the pancreas, stomach and gall bladder, which all work together to convert food into energy and to extract the vital nutrients that the body requires to function efficiently. The digestive system has several components which all have their own duties to carry out in order to break down the food step by step. Although digestion has several steps there are two main forms of digestion that these  steps fall into. The first form being; mechanical digestion. Mechanical digestion involves physically breaking the food into smaller pieces by chewing. The second form being; chemical digestion. This involves breaking down the food into simpler nutrients with the assistance of digestive enzymes such as, proteins, carbohydrates and lipids. Digestive enzymes are proteins that break up large molecules of food into smaller molecules to enable them to be absorbed and used by the cells in the form of nutrition. The digestive tract plays a vital role within the digestive system, it is a tube that is responsible for passing the food to be further broken down. It consist of; the mouth, pharynx, esophagus, the small and large intestines and the anus. The other organs that work within the digestive system include; teeth, tongue, three pairs of salivary glands, the liver, the pancreas and the gall bladder. The teeth cut and grind the food in order for it to be swallowed, the salivary glands also produce and secrete salvia to aid the swallowing. As stated before there are three salivary glands which all carry out a different function; the parotid, which produces amylase in order to digest the carbohydrates. The submandibular provides mucin as a form of lubrication for the food bolus to travel down the esophagus to the stomach. Finally, the submandibular which secretes mucus. The tongues job is to roll and mix the food into a formulae known as bolus, which consists of small pieces of  mashed up f ood. Once the bolus is made, the tongue pushes it towards the pharynx and into the esophagus during the process of swallowing. The esophagus takes the food down to the stomach. The stomach is where the food is churned and mixed together with gastric fluids, such as enzymes and hydrochloric acid secreted by the stomach walls to make a paste like substance known as chyme. The alimentary canal is the small intestine. The alimentary canal is a tube that flows from the mouth to the anus. It consist of three parts; the duodenum, the jejunum and the ileum. The duodenum is attached to the stomach and is majorly involved in the breaking down process. Digestive enzymes are secreted by the pancreas to the duodenum. These enzymes are responsible for breaking down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The pancreas also performs the role of producing insulin,  which is the main hormone responsible for metabolizing sugar, secreting it directly into the bloodstream. The jejunum and the ileum absorb the nutrients into the bloodstream. Contents of the small intestine initially begin semi-solid and transform into complete liquid form after passing through the organ. Water, bile enzymes and mucus are responsible for the change in consistency. The villi are vital for the absorption of digestive nutrients. The cells of the villi transport the food from the digestive tract into the bloodstream where the body can utilize them efficiently. The villi increase the surface area of the small intestine, they also contain specialized cells which transfer various types of nutrients into the blood. The liver then takes over and processes the absorbed nutrients from the small intestine. Liver also secrets bile into the small intestine which aids in the digestion of fats. There is a muscular tube known as the colon, which provides a pathway from the small intestine to the rectum. The large intestine plays a crucial role within the digestive system, it is responsible for processing waste which allows the emptying of the bowels to be easy and efficient. Undigested food is transferred from the small intestine to the large intestine. Once in the large intestine water is reabsorbed and undigested food and fibre are eliminated. After this process the food waste products harden and turn into faeces. Which are finally excreted via the anus. Once food has completed the process of digestion and has completely broken down, energy is provided to enable physical activity from walking to talking, from sports to working. Food provides the energy that is essential for everyday tasks. It also provides energy for involuntary activities such as, thinking, breathing, nerves, organs (especially the heart) to carry out their functions and the ability to build and repair tissues.

Architecture Essays Baroque Architecture Characteristics

Although many things influenced the Baroque period it was besides influenced by faith every bit good as the states political relations. Architects were interested in the infinite of the unfolding existence every bit good as the workings of the head and attempted to portray passions of the psyche through facial looks. Features The characteristics of the Baroque epoch showed long, narrow naves that were replaced by a broader, or on occasion with round signifiers. It displayed dramatic usage of visible radiation that could be either strong light-and-shade contrast ( known aschiaroscuro) effects ; or they used unvarying lighting by agencies of several Windowss. Another characteristic was deluxe usage of decorations ( puttos made of wood ( frequently gilded ) , plaster or stucco, marble or fake coating ) , they used large-scale ceiling frescoes and Baroques external facade is frequently characterized by a dramatic cardinal projection, nevertheless the inside is frequently no more than a shell for picture and sculpture which was seen in the late Baroque period. Baroque features besides include illusive effects like trompe l’oeil and the blending of picture and architecture and in other states such as Bavaria, Czech, Polish, and Ukrainian the Baroque manner contained, pear domes that were are omnipresent. Features The chief features for the Baroque epoch were energy, great sums of tenseness and a sense of motion from the edifices. Its picture, sculpture and architecture evolved from idiosyncrasy and broke off from the regulations of modern-day architecture, they demanded freedom to program, design and adorn their edifices with what they wanted. Columns had twisted shafts which were placed in forepart of pilasters surrounded by valances and covered with curving and broken pediments. They contained â€Å"over the top† and frequently unsuitable inside informations with carven ornament. Insides had gilded sculptures frequently in awkward airss ; the architecture was noted for its curving lines. Many of Baroques add-ons were finished in bronze, marble, gold and Ag. Baroque had a dynamic expression and experience to its design ; it was a utile categorization for insulating the inclinations and merchandises of stylistic alteration. It was seen as broad, superb, theatrical, passionate, animal, enraptured, deluxe, excessive, various and ace. It was an age of enlargement following on an age of find, its enlargement led to still farther find about architectural design and ornament. Section A: Insides S.Maria Della Salute ( 1631-1682 ) The inside of S.Maria Della Salute is a really good illustration of Baroque Architecture and design. It displays the Baroque kernel in a manner but is non wholly over ornamented nor does it incorporate any unsuitable inside informations. Marble is chiefly used in the columns and the base appears to be gilded in bronze. Sculptures are carved from marble and stand high in the unit of ammunition of the dome. An communion table can be seen and one might presume it is besides gilded in bronze. It is an graphics in a manner but it is non â€Å"over the top† in any manner which can be seen from this position point. S.Pietro ( 1656 – 1667 ) The S.Pietro is another great illustration of Baroque architecture and design. In this exposure we can see the bronze communion table that stands merely in forepart of the apsis, we can see pictures that are decorated with gold lodgers, marble columns and high walls, the domes contain gilded ceilings. Walls are decorated with sculptures in free standing places in the walls besides made of marble. Light is given through high standing Windowss and the chief dome from above through a sky visible radiation. Versailles ( 1660 – 1685 ) The Palace of Versailles is the most good known piece of Baroque Architecture and design known to day of the month. It defines what the Baroque period was approximately. It was excessive, animal, dynamic, passionate ( pictures ) , various and deluxe. Decorations were non silver but pure gold. Soft cloths, bright colorss and beautiful sculptures decorated the insides of the Palace. In the Hall of Mirrors as seen in figure 8 sculptures themselves were cast in gold high Windowss offered light and glass pendants hung from a ceiling decorated in picture and gilded gold lodgers. In the Queens Chambers as seen in figure 7 one can state that non even the sleeping rooms were unbroken simple. Gold was besides used and to an extent it was excessively used. The focal point of 1s oculus is led to the gold ornament and non the architectural values of the edifice. The outside as seen in figure 6 one can see that the balcony railings were gilded in gilded ornament as the Sun makes this easy to see. Marble is besides used on the facade of the edifice but it is chiefly decorated in gold. Rich vivacious colorss can be seen throughout the castle as seen in figure 7 of the Queens Chambers. Section B: Interior Design Although the Baroque epoch contributed to the great edifices we see today, one can non bury about the insides. Although extravagantly decorated the insides are really good designed to suit certain facets. Architects need to believe like that in order to obtain a good sense of what works and what does non. I believe interior design does really suggest about it along the lines. We design what we think the client would wish and so acquire an thought if the client likes it of non, if non we merely do a few alterations to acquire a better feel and a better position of what they want. It is the same now as it is so. Interior interior decorators design the infinite in which the client will be in every twenty-four hours. It requires a great trade of penetration and a cognition about a individual, one might see reading your client by speaking to them, when you do that you can acquire better thoughts. Simple designs frequently make better designs in these yearss nevertheless in the past if it was large, broad and contained munificent ornaments it was classified as good. Decision So from looking at the Baroque architecture one can state that it played a great function in the design of edifices today. Many people who obtain an over and above wage sometimes have one or two suites that give recollection to the Baroque manner. It was surely munificent, dynamic and â€Å"over the top† ornaments were decidedly a spot much for today’s modern society. Bibliography Tansey, R.G A ; Kleiner, F.S. 1954. Chapter 24.Gardener’s Art Through The Ages: 10th edition. United States of America: Ted Buchhloz. Pages 816 – 904. Gardener, L. Chapter 10.Gardener’s Art Through The Ages: 4th edition.United States of America: G.Bell and Son Ltd, London. Page 397 onwards. Honour, H A ; Fleming, J. 1982. Separate 3: Chapter 13.A World History of Art.United Kingdom: RB Macmillion. Page 426 onwards. Wikipedia. 2008.Baroque.[ online ] . [ Accessed August 20, 2008 ] . Available from universe broad web: lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.wikipedia.org gt ; Versailles.[ online ] . [ Accessed August 20, 2008 ] . Available from universe broad web: lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //www.bc.edu/bc_org/arp/cas/fnart/arch/versailles.html gt ; History of Baroque Architecture.[ online ] . [ Accessed August 20, 2008 ] . Available from universe broad web: lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/orion/eng/hst/baroque.html gt ; Baroque Age.[ online ] . [ Accessed August 20, 2008 ] . Available from universe broad web: lt ; hypertext transfer protocol: //library.thinkquest.org/16545/data/low/baroque.html gt ;

Principles of Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Principles of Economics - Essay Example The economic success of a country derives its roots from the works of individuals. As a result, when individual are well conversant with the principle of economics, overall success is achievable. This paper seek to give an in-depth analysis of how the realization that economic principles underlie the choices we make at a personal, business and societal level has sparked today’s growing interest in economics. Economic Principles Before a commodity reaches the hands of a consumer, it usually undergoes various stages of development. Some of these stages include production and distribution. The entire process is referred to as economics and its contribution to development cannot be neglected. The economics principles usually give an overview of how the economy works. In the achievement of success, a proper understanding of the basics methods and concepts used by economist is necessary. Some of the principles of economics include: (A). Scarcity It is evident that the human needs ar e more than the resources available. As a result, not all the human needs can be satisfied at the same time. In economics, there are two categories of goods namely, free goods and economic goods. Free goods are available free of charge in nature while economic goods are limited in their supply (Mankiv, 2011). As people have been enlightened about scarcity, they are able to make sound decisions on the available resources thus increasing their efficiency. This is favorable for economic development. (B). Rationality In life, not everything comes as expected. As a result, proper reasoning is very necessary in ensuring that one gets a proper understanding situation. Making a rational decision is necessary, as it is optimal in achieving a goal. It usually takes into account all the merits and demerits before coming into a conclusion but taking into account the possible alternatives (Smith, 2008). By the people making sound decision, they are able to make proper economic activities and thu s this has sparkled today’s growing interest in economics. (c). Preferences When a person is offered various items, he is likely to choose one out of the many. The decision to choose one is specifically dependent on an individual. This is mainly derived from the person’s attitude towards the subject. In essence, preference is not static but dynamic over time. This is mainly determined by the person’s knowledge on the item. Because people are equipped with different preferences, they allow them to explore the utilities of all the available options (Loewenstein, 2007). Since by making preferences one increases the net utility, it directly and indirectly influences economic development. (D). Restrictions If a person was to be asked on the items he would desire in life to achieve his set goals and objectives, it is evident that there are always restriction that would hinder him from achieving them. Some of restriction are clearly indicated in the budgets and input c ost. For example, if the input cost is very high beyond the capability of a person, then he is bound not to undertake the transaction. Under such conditions, maximization is challenged. Therefore having clearly understanding how to maximize when restriction are there is necessary in ensuring that economic development is achieved. (E). Opportunity Cost This derives its roots from scarcity. Due to scarcity, the resources available to a person

Practitioner Values in Dementia - Portfolio 2 Essay

Practitioner Values in Dementia - Portfolio 2 - Essay Example 872). These symptoms have been very evident on one of my residential home care patients named Ms. X. Ms. X is an 80-year old residential home care patient who is pleasant and receptive. She does not want to ask the help of others frequently but acknowledges the advice of the medical practitioners. Although her doctor told her that she has memory problems, Ms. X reports that it does not affect her daily life, except that her niece has to remind her of most of the things to do like turning the stove after cooking, closing the faucets, and even looking for her eyeglasses. Ms. X does not want to take a bath. Often, she would yell at me if I tell her that it’s time to take a bath. As she is receptive towards the help of others, she always insists on dressing up herself but got confuse and wears her underwear over her regular clothes. She wants to do the cooking and laundry in the nursing home but her frequent forgetfulness often leads to accidents such as making the residential hom e care at risk for fire and switching the powdered milk for laundry detergent. When I would remind her of these things that she cannot do, she would yell at me and humiliate my caring abilities. I felt much stressed about the full-time responsibilities of caring for Ms. X in the residential home care setting and this stress has escalated over the past few months because of the frequent yelling of Ms. X. She is also very impatient towards the nursing care I’ve given to her and there comes a time when I would like to quit from caring her but got guilty feelings towards these thoughts as there is no nearby family who could help her. In a case like this, I began to question myself of how would I personally explore and incorporate issues relating to my best interest, advocacy, and empowerment. Then, maybe, I have not yet fully understand the situation of Ms. X. I could have understood her clinical situations but not her personal shortcomings. It was not easy to have dementia and w orst, to be far away from your family which serves as your major social support in life. In addition, it must be also sad for her that she does not have a partner in life which could help her in her fight for dementia. If I would explore and incorporate issues related to my best interest, I would probably resign and request to not take good care of Ms. X as her frequent yelling is humiliating my status and morals as a nurse. However, I also think that staying and caring for her would also be promoting my best interest as this experience will help me grow professionally and will guide me in handling future patients with dementia. In the latest report of (http://nursingstandard.rcnpublishing.co.uk, 2013), the nurse has the full responsibility in exploring and incorporating issues of advocacy; thus, being a patient advocate may mean that a nurse assists, defends, pleads, or prosecutes for the patient while having collaboration with other professionals. In the case of Ms. X, I should ac t as an advocate in referring to the medical provider her progress report while inside the residential h

According to Hegel, how does the modern state actualize freedom Essay

According to Hegel, how does the modern state actualize freedom - Essay Example It also attempts to look carefully into the various prospects of the concept of freedom relevant for a modern state as well as the modern individual, and tries to find out if today’s individuals are contented with what Hegel provides in his explanation of freedom in the context of the modern state. Hegel’s view of freedom is closely associated with the broader prospects of human life. According to Hegel, human life is characterised by freedom, liberty and rights. In this context, freedom and rights are entailed by a sense of responsibility that provides the community a stable context in which morality and creativity can be expressed freely. Further, this sense of responsibility acknowledges the needs (not wants) of the people within a society. This responsibility is assigned to the state. If the needs of the people are not acknowledged by the state, it simply indicates that the freedom of these people is constrained. This is the fundamental cause of revolutions occurred in societies. Hegel in Section 258 in the Preface of Philosophy of Right mentions that it is the state in which â€Å"freedom attains its highest right†¦[It] has the highest right over the individual, whose highest duty in turn is to be a member of the state.† (Wood, 1991) Thus, the contexts of duties and rights are very essential to understand the concept of freedom in a state. While relating freedom of individuals with the duties of the state, Hegel states that it is the responsibility of the state to secure and protect property and personal freedom of individuals who are members of it. With its caprice, accident and myriad realities, the state can be conceived as â€Å"the ethical whole and the actualisation of freedom.† (Wood, 1991) Hegel further simplifies the concept of freedom by stating that the state embodies freedom of individuals by recognising and developing their personal individuality as well as particular interests. This individuality takes

Alien Relative by Amy Tann Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Alien Relative by Amy Tann - Essay Example Although the narrator tells immigration that Hulan is her sister, she is not actually related to the narrator, just like the â€Å"grandmother† Hulan and her husband leave Feng-Yi Frank with â€Å"was not even the real grandmother† (Tan, 1993, p.622). Hulan, her husband, and her two remaining children leave Formosa the same night they leave Feng-Yi Frank with his grandmother and fly to America, assuming they will be able to send for Feng-Yi Frank right away (Tan, 1993). The fake grandmother takes him back to China and it winds up taking them eleven years to arrange for him to come to America (Tan, 1993). When he arrives, he is no longer the six year old boy they left behind, but a young man of seventeen years (Tan, 1993). He is an alien to the country he has just arrived in and an alien to his family, having been separated from them for so many years. Although Hulan does not recognize her son, â€Å"he stared right at his mother, nobody else†, a familiar stranger , remembering that his parents had left him behind although he does not discuss it (Tan, 1993, p.624). Reference Tan, A. (1993). Alien Relative. In D. Roen, G. Glau, & B.

Reasearch Report on Global Warming - Myth or Reality Research Paper

Reasearch Report on Global Warming - Myth or Reality - Research Paper Example Yet, whether these changes can be attributed to or called ‘global warming’ is a difficult question. Apparently, the global warming theory is surrounded by controversy. This being said, a web research of the information and arguments relating to global warming was performed. The results of the web research suggest that global warming is a myth rather than reality, and the press coverage of global warming in the U.S. distracts public attention from the scientific evidence, which denies the existence of the global warming phenomenon. The goal, scope, and questions of research Global warming is one of the most popular objects of professional research. The press explores the meaning of global warming and its effects on the environment. Rising temperatures and changes in concentrations of carbon dioxide are believed to be reliable measures of global climate changes. In the meantime, more researchers begin to question the importance and even existence of the global warming phen omenon. The goal of this research was to decide whether or not global warming is real and realistic. The main question to answer was â€Å"Is global warming myth or reality?† Scholarly articles and book resources found on the web were used to answer the research question. Global warming: myth or reality? Global warming – myth or reality? – this is the question the public and research community are trying to answer. Books and articles provide a wealth of evidence supporting the relevance and existence of the global warming phenomenon. Temperature, sea level changes, and precipitation serve the main indicators of global warming (Maslin 23). Scientists use these indicators to estimate how the global climate changes under the influence of the industrial revolution (Maslin 23). Scientists were able to reconstruct changes in surface temperatures over the last 1,000 years – based on this information scientists produced a continuous record of temperatures, which indicate changes in surface temperatures of 0.74oC over the last 130 years (Maslin 25). The 20th century witnessed considerable fluctuations in temperature: the 1960s-1970s were the period of cooling (Maslin 25). However, generally, the planet is warming and even temperatures in the lower troposphere have been steadily increasing, approximately 0.1-0.2oC every ten years (Maslin 25). Global sea levels and precipitation are another two indicators used to judge the scope of the global warming phenomenon. The two most important precipitation data sets include the Global Historical Climate Network and Hulme (Maslin 30). It is noteworthy, that no definite global trends in precipitation have been found so far, but regional changes in precipitation are more than obvious (Maslin 30). North and South America experience significant increases in precipitation (Maslin 30). The seasonality of precipitation is changing, too (Maslin 30). Scientists observe long-term changes in precipitation in sout hern Africa and the Mediterranean (Maslin 30). The data on changes in sea levels adds to the body of evidence supporting global climate change: over the past 100 years, global sea levels have risen at least 12 cm (Maslin 31). Between 1961 and 2003, global sea levels were rising by almost 2 mm per year, and between 1993 and 2003, global sea levels steadily increased by 3.1 mm every year (Maslin 32). Scientists use

Organisations & Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Organisations & Environment - Essay Example Other sectors such as industries, forestry and wastes are 4%, 2% and 1.4% respectively. (cait.wri.org, 2006) However, UK only produces about 11 percent of the GHG produced by the United States. This paper compares the GHG emissions of UK with other nations such as the United States, Italy and France, providing an analysis of the current status of UK in GHG emissions, enabling us to conclude that UK must work towards lowering its GHG emissions. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) has taken steps towards curbing total emissions, which would make changes internationally. The United States produces nearly 23.11% of the total GHG emissions, ranking 1st in world emissions. When converted to carbon di oxide equivalents, the US produces 92641.4 parts. This is by far the largest amount produced by a single nation and the US is certainly focusing on reduction of emissions by involving in activities to reduce emissions such as emission trading. When compared with the UK, emissions are much more which is directly related to the large area and the population of industries in the United States. Italy also contributes to global emissions in considerable amounts but its emissions are much lesser than that ok the United Kingdom. However, statistical details provide proof that the emissions produced by Italy have risen over the past few years, even after the Kyoto protocol, which means that UK is doing a better job in curbing GHG emissions. Italy ranks 10th in global emissions, producing about 1.86% of the total emissions. When converted in terms of carbon dioxide equivalents, it produces 7454.2 parts. The emissions produced by UK in terms of carbondioxide equivalents are 9232.3 parts, more than that of Italy or France. This may be due to the rapid emergence of industries in UK. The total emissions produced by France accounts to 1.62% of global GHG. It produces 6483.3 parts in terms of carbon dioxide

Kingstons Women Warrior Gives Voices and Identities to Chinese and Chinese American Women Essay Example for Free

Kingstons Women Warrior Gives Voices and Identities to Chinese and Chinese American Women Essay Growing up with a family of five sisters and myself as first generation Korean Americans, The Women Warrior focuses on the author’s life were she struggles to find her voice. Maxine Hong Kingston’s writing of this book is an example of how ancient talk stories, myths, and beliefs help one find her voice in America. The Women Warrior takes us on an adventure through five main female characters and five chapters that helps us understand how she finds her voice in America. The five chapters integrate Kingston’s experiences through the five women brought to life throughout the book. The references in the book refer to Kingston’s emotional struggle while showing the reader the benefit of finding ones personal voice in America. The book shows how the five women in this book along with the talk stories help in the search for individual identities. Through Kingston’s writing of this book the chapters help show how she manages to give her aunt an identity, Chinese women an identity, her mother a voice, and finds her own identity and voice in America. If women do not have voices in traditional Chinese culture, then the talk stories that mothers pass on to there daughters may be considered subversive tales and instructions for their daughters. In the first chapter of The Women Warrior, Kingston’s mother Brave Orchid tells the story of her sister and the relevance of the no name women. This talk story was told by Kingston’s mother in order to teach her daughter of proper women behavior. The fact that the story starts with her mother saying not to repeat the story makes this book a way of bringing Kinston’s aunt to life. The story was based back in the village in China where it is believed that she brought disgrace to her whole family by having an illegitimate child. â€Å"You must not tell anyone, my mother said, what I am about to tell you† (Kingston 3). This is how the book starts and the story of Kingston’s mother’s sister who killed herself with her newborn daughter. The no name women had become pregnant while her husband was off to war. The thought of what China was like painted a confusing picture for Kingston. She knew that the village that her aunt had killed herself by throwing her and her daughter in the village water well shows very little error for family values. It is here were the reader can come to know that the struggle of her aunt is the struggle she herself is going through while trying to make sense of all the tradition of China while living in America. The point of Brave Orchid to tell Kingston the story of her husband’s sister is to warn her to be careful and cautious. â€Å"Now that you started to menstruate, what happened to her could happen to you. Do not humiliate us. You wouldn’t like to be forgotten as if you had never been born† (Kingston 5). The story truly begins through this talk tale. Kingston is not allowed to mention the story of her aunt she has to create her own fantasies to complete the story. Kingston feels that the story makes more sense to her as if her aunt was rapped by a villager that ordered her to be with him. She also feels that her aunt may have stepped out of the normal social order and her sexual passion could have been incest and the whole town turned there backs and even her own family turned there backs. The birth took place in a pigsty and since the aunt already knew her fate she walked her daughter to the well and they drowned themselves. The whole idea that it was a daughter or a girl makes the story more interesting because the customs in China may have already named the girl useless and immoral. This chapter is often one of the more frequent anthologized sections of the book. The talk story of her aunt opens the door for more stories to follow. The place of women in Chinese society comes to question while the thought of Kingston’s place in America comes to question as well. Her reference to the village society of her aunt was vital to eliminate sexual attraction. This came true to Kingston herself who would try not to make herself to attractive to boys. The chapter is mainly a talk story told by her mother and the rest is the writing of Kingston. The first chapter makes the reader wonder if the stories are fiction or nonfiction. The tales from Brave Orchid seem to trouble Kingston from what is real and what is fantasy. You can see the struggle of where Kingston and her aunt seem to be voiceless throughout their lives. The fact that the no name women never told anyone who the husband was shows that she was protecting him with silence. By writing about her aunt Kingston gives her a voice. â€Å"The real punishment was not the raid swiftly inflicted by the villagers, but the family deliberately forgetting her† (Kingston 16). Although Kingston never finds out her aunts name, the symbolic act of naming her the No Name Women honors her memory. The second chapter White Tigers is based on another talk story about a female warrior Fa Mu Lan. The fact that the story is told in the first person gives Kingston her ability to become a warrior. This chapter develops some background for Kingston and her voice is heard through the story of the Fa Mu Lan. The warrior in the story starts her training at the age of seven and since it is written in the first person we can picture the warrior to be Kingston herself. In the fantasy Kingston follows a bird up into the mountains until she comes to the hut of an old couple who want to train her to become a great warrior. As part of her training she spends years on the mountain, fasting for days and eating only roots and vegetables while drinking snow water. At her hungriest moment she was sitting by the fire and a rabbit sacrifices itself for her to eat. â€Å"The rabbit seemed alert enough, however, looking at me so acutely, bounding up to the fire. But it did not stop when it got to the edge. It turned its face towards me, then jumped in the fire† (Kingston 26). Her starvation in the mountains causes her to hallucinate. â€Å"I saw two people made of gold dancing the earth’s dances† (Kingston 27). She eventually returns at the age of fourteen and her mentors teach her to fight. She is able to see images of her family in a gourd of water and she can see her family preparing her wedding to a childhood friend. She saw her husband and brother taken away and she wanted to help so badly but the training was not over. She was to wait until she became twenty two. When she is ready to leave the mountain she has learned how to us her magical sky sword and is given powerful beads by the old couple. Kingston returns home and her parents in preparation for battle tattoo a list of grievances all over her back to symbolize revenge. In men’s armor she rides her white horse and prepares to lead an army. This is probably the most exciting chapter in the book. We can see that Kingston is retelling the story as if she was the great Fa Mu Lan. This chapter follows a Chinese myth that the women would fight in place of their father. â€Å"We are going to carve revenge on your back, my father said. We will write out oaths and names† (Kingston 34). The tattoo that was actually carved in a man’s back is carved into Kingston’s back. She is pretending to be a man and becomes a great warrior at the head of a huge army. She defeats and wins over the army of a giant. Her husband then joins her and soon she is carrying a newborn baby under her armor. She eventually leads the entire population of China to overthrow the corrupt emperor and put a peasant in his place. In the fantasy Kinston takes on the role of a powerful man warrior and yet is also a female avenger. She has the ability to create life and to take life. These dual powers let her maintain both her sense of womanhood and duties of a wife. When she is a warrior she would wear her hair up and reveal the tattoos and when it was time to be a wife she lets down her hair to cover the tattoos. He wept when he took of my shirt and saw the scar words on my back. He loosened my hair and covered the words with it† (Kingston 39). When in battle her husband joins her and after birth to the newborn the husband leaves to care for the child. This sign of role reversal gives more meaning to Kinston’s life. She is able to transcend the rigid customs and traditions in this chapter. At the end of the chapter the reader can see that the customs of women constrict her in America as well. â€Å"Did you know the restaurant you chose for the banquet is being picketed by CORE and the NAACP? Of course I knew that is why I chose it. I refuse to type these invitations, I whispered, voice unreliable. He leaned back in his chair, his bossy stomach opulent. He picked up a calendar and slowly circled a date. You will be paid till here and we will mail you a check† (Kingston 49). We can see her trying to stand up to her boss in America and he simply fires her. In reality the only powers Kingston has is through her writing. It is in her writing that her aunt and her voice are heard. The end of the chapter states the real powers of Fa Mu Lan. The sky sword created by Kingston is as powerful as she wants just like her words. They can only have as much power as she can give them. The fact that the women with bound feet created an army in her writing gives them much deserved credit for all that they have endured The point of this chapter is through writing Kingston found a way to give voice to all Chinese women. She has found a way to poke holes through old stereotypes and thus through her writing she can change customs and give women a more important role in society. Although chapter two was the most adventurous it is in the third chapter that the reader can actually see that Kingston gives her other a voice and even finds out more about her own self. Shaman focuses on Kingston’s mother, Brave orchid and her childhood in China. The chapter traces her life in China after her husband was in America. Kingston is able to bring the talk stories of her mother and along with other storytellers Kingston writes of her mothers accomplishments becoming a doctor. The chapter brings her mother to life. In America she has no voice and in China she was a remarkable doctor. It was at the To Keung School of Midwifery were Brave Orchid truly excelled as one of the top students. â€Å"It rolled over her and landed bodily on her chest. There it sat. It breathed airlessly pressing her, sapping her. Oh no a sitting ghost, she thought† (Kinston 69). It was here when she defeated the ghost at her school and impressed the other students. It was as if she could perform magic. When Brave Orchid returns back to her village she had the ability to heal the sick and defeat the ghosts. Kingston feels that her mother’s power comes from her being able to eat any beast. She remembers one talk story that Chinese people ate the brains out of the head of a monkey. One day Kingston and her mother went to purchase a slave. I am a doctor, she told her new slave, when they were out of the dealer’s hearing† (Kingston 81). It is here that Kingston feels some uncertainty towards her mothers talk stories. Her mother recalls spending two hundred dollars for Kingston when she was born. Kingston remembers her mother commenting on the fact that they gave away girls that were infants. Here Kingston is torn with the fact that she cost her mother money and that being a girl was almost a burden on her family. The struggle with honoring her mother’s powers and with identifying herself is clear in this chapter. The fact that Kingston comments on her being a girl and being useless is what she truly struggles with. Many families in China look down at baby girls and it isn’t until Kingston writes about her mother and herself to give them an identity. The second part of the chapter takes place in America where Brave Orchid a once powerful doctor has no voice in America. She couldn’t speak English so the simple language barrier silenced her. The way to get Kingston to understand her mother was through the talk stories and ghosts Brave Orchid made up. But America has been full of machines and ghosts, Taxi ghosts, Bus ghosts, Police ghosts, Fire ghosts, Meter reader ghosts, Tree trimming ghosts, Five and dime ghosts† (Kingston 97). The surroundings of America contained many ghosts but the reader can sense that Kingston is happier that she is in America. The chapter ends on the present day during a visit by Kingston. Brave Orchid complains about how hard they work in the laundry and tomato field businesses. Her mother claims that even the time goes faster in America. Brave Orchid never stopped calling China home. She seems to understand little of the political situation in China. She has finally told Kingston that they would never return to China. The chapter is best summed up as the ghost chapter. The new ghosts in America along with the ghosts from China can be terrifying. The deformed baby that was kicked out to die in the outhouse would haunt Kingston. The chapter of Shaman is the chapter that depicts the conflicts of Brave Orchid’s life and the mother daughter relationship she has with Kingston. The reader can see how frustrating Kingston is as she tries to find her identity in America. If there were no talk stories of her mother’s life in China then Brave Orchid could have never had her own identity. Brave Orchids life in America is completely opposite and in America she struggles with her own identity because she only speaks Chinese. The next chapter At the Western Palace is where Brave Orchids sister Moon Orchid comes to America. It is through these women that Kingston can identify with herself. Brave Orchid sends for her sister and she makes the trip to America from Hong Kong. â€Å"Brave Orchid momentarily saw, like a larger, younger outline around this old woman, the sister she had been waiting for† (Kingston 117). The two women kept describing how old each one looked. The fact that Brave Orchid sent for her sister to come to America raised question as to why her husband, who lived in America, never sent for her. It is here that I noticed that Moon Orchid was a lady with no identity in America. Brave Orchid insisted that Moon Orchid should go demand her life as a wife to her husband. â€Å"Moon Orchids eyes got big like a child’s. I shouldn’t be here, she said† (Kingston 124). This was Moon Orchids reaction to her sister’s rambling about her reclaiming her husband. Moon Orchid got money from her husband. He sent her money and she never worked a day in her life. She tries to tell Brave Orchid she was not abandoned and that he sent money for all the food and servants one could need. He even sent their daughter to college. Brave Orchid pressured her sister till finally one day they went to Los Angeles to confront her husband. Brave Orchid tells her sister to demand her place as the first wife but Moon Orchid wants no part in it. They came up with a plan after Brave Orchid saw his doctor office. They would send Brave Orchid’s son to the office and make the doctor come out thinking their was an accident. The plan did bring him out but it failed in Brave Orchids mind. He mentioned his new wife did not know of the first marriage and that he wanted no part in her life, but he would continue to send money to his daughter in care for Moon Orchid. The doctor embarrassed Moon by calling them grandmothers. This made Brave Orchid and Moon Orchid ghosts and the comic and tragic story of Moon Orchid takes form. The daughter takes Moon Orchid in after brave Orchid realized she was useless in helping her. She could barely fold towels and she got to hot to work. Her inabilities to perform the easiest tasks became annoying. Like many women in China they would marry the men just before they left for â€Å"the Golden Mountain† America. The fact that Moon Orchid comes to America and is useless to Brave Orchid and her husband wants nothing to do with her raises more speculation to her identity. The women in this story seem to have to find their own place and are voiceless. Like in previous chapters Moon Orchid comes to life through Kinston’s writing. In this chapter Kingston is hardly present. This is the first appearance in the book of her siblings and her father. Brave Orchid is embarrassed that her children are unaware of respecting or understanding Chinese culture. The fact that Brave Orchid and Moon Orchid become ghosts while confronting her husband takes a lot out of Moon Orchid. She slowly begins to deteriorate and Brave Orchid tries to comfort her but she ends up sending her to away to a home. The stories in this chapter are an important reminder to Kingston and her feelings for her mother. The fact that these women both had great lives in China can show the reader that in America the women were of no use and in America they struggled to find their identity. It s in the final chapter A song for a Barbarian Reed Pipe, Kingston finally begins to focus on her own life. We can see Kingston in some of her most important turning points in her life. She is insecure, quiet and an alienated young girl. Kinston has begun to see the world logically and as a more mature person. She embraces her roots and her past and finds strength in her writing. Kingston and other Chinese Americans are constantly told not to tell anyone outside the community about their lives. This makes finding ones identity harder. It is very important that Kingston does not spare herself in the final chapter. Here the quiet girl even has two long rants showing her words were often bottled up. Her ability to write made her more mature and gave her a clear perspective of her place in society. In America silence is a trait of Americans and Kinston finds herself as quiet and American-feminine. â€Å"So I had to stop, relieved in some ways. I shut my mouth, but I felt something alive tearing at my throat, bite by bite, from the inside† (Kingston 200). This is when you can see that Kinston remaining quite only kept things bottled up inside. The story ends with another talk story about the Ts’ai Yen who had to translate the songs of the Barbarians back to the people. It is here that the reader can sense that Kinston has found a way to communicate from her writing to her readers. Kinston’s identity seems to be in between American and Chinese American culture. The culture of both worlds has come to life throughout this book and it is in this chapter that Kingston realizes that she can give anything identity through her writing. Kingston’s ability to find herself in both cultures reveals her true identity. It is through her mother’s talk stories and through the other women in this book that helps her find her own identity. Kinston also gives identity to her No Name Aunt as well as Moon Orchid, and her mother. This novel focuses on the stories of these women and there struggles to find their voices. After realizing her place in society Kinston gave herself and all the other women in this book a voice and an identity. The women who have no identity and the struggle of a Chinese American women makes this book reveal everyone’s place and identity. Through her writing, talking about her past becomes the cure for silence and the cure to achieve an individual voice as a Chinese American Women.

Brand elements for managing fast food restaurant

Brand elements for managing fast food restaurant Brand Management is the method of applying activities to products, and brands which will help enhance and maintain brand equity. Brand management is a very big topic, out of it comes many roots and are called brand elements, such as brand equity, brand research, customer based brand equity model, designing the brand, brand loyalty, brand advertising, brand pricing and etc. A brand which is the logo, name, symbol, and slogan, is supervised by a brand manager. For example, nestle has many products such as tea, milk, and ice cream, each brand of these has a brand manager who is responsible for it. Brand can also be physical feeling such as packaging, physical appearance and guarantees, not just a name that pops up into a consumer mind (Aaker and Biel 1993:33) .In 1980s people started to realize that the weight of the company is measured by its brand, and not by its physical assets (Kapferer 2008:18), Brand success is measured by its ability to maintain in a good position in the market a nd never leave a customer mind. The five stages of brand cycle measures whether the brand is succeeding or not: (Benson ,2006) The brand definition. The awareness experience. The buying experience. The using and service experience. The membership experience. (Benson ,2006) In order to define the brand and how its perceived by customers there are certain components which will help brand management understand how the brands are defined by the consumer: Who: the primary and valuable target customer for the product or service. What: features, capabilities, and offerings that are being offered. Why: customer make use of the benefit provided by the brand. How: the approach makes use of delivering the promise. (Benson,2006) Brand management must be careful when setting brands in different countries, because, brands maybe viewed differently by people according to their cultures, beliefs, values, and traditions. All of these points should be taken into consideration carefully because they can lead to failure or success of the band. Brand managers should study carefully where they are trying to position their brand, and who are the consumers that are going to be targeted, so that any misunderstanding of the brand could be avoided. Here are examples of how brand names are perceived differently from country to another: In Spain Mitsubishi Pajero is an insulting word while in Arab countries its a normal word. So here there is a problem which needs brand managers to get involved inorder to settle this misunderstanding. McDonalds all around the world is in a red color, but there is a state in USA were they perceive the red color as violence, so in order to solve this problem, McDonalds changed their color in this state into blue. Literature Review Brand Equity First of all I will define what is brand equity which is the value and weight of the brand to the consumer and how they are loyal to it. Perception and feelings toward a product and its performance is represented by brands, so brands are not just symbols and names they are the fundamentals for a company to acquire a strong relationship with the consumer. (Kotler 2008:230). Building strong brands is very important inorder to have the ability to survive and succeed in the market and be able to compete with other strong brands, their is a process to follow which will assist in building a strong brand they are : Brand positioning Brand managers their mission is to try positioning their brand in the consumers mind. The positioning of the brand comes at three levels which are attributes, benefits, beliefs and values. Attributes are the weakest level to position a brand (Kotler 2008:231). These days most of the competitors are copying each other attributes, but the thing they are missing here is that consumers no longer interested in the attributes it self but they are interested in what will the attributes help them to acheive. Benefits are the out comes that the consumer will get when using a certain brand. Beliefs and values are related to emotions, its about how purchasing these products empowers its socially conscious customer (Kotler 2008:232). Brand Name Selection A well choosen brand name can give a push to a brands success, but to find a name which will help in the success is very difficult (Kotler 2008:232). To choose a brand name we should take these following points into consideration: Simplisity in pronouncing the brand name, memorizing, and recognizing it. (Kotler 2008:232) A brand name should be unique. Simplisity in transalating it to other languages and at the same time avoiding, the misunderstanding of the names in different countries. Expanding the brand name by, widning the activities of the company. Brand sponsorship Brand sponsorship is very important, because it creates a kind of attraction and spreads the brand world wide, sponsoship could be involved in many events: Matches Concerts Tv. Show program Football players kit Brand Development When companies are willing to develop their brands, Their are ways to do it: Line extension: it happens when companies would like to extend the existing brand names to new, colors, sizes, forms, flavors, and etc (Kotler 2008:237). Brand extensions: extending the brands that are avaible right now to new products in a new category (Kotler 2008:237). Customer Based Brand Equity Their are questions that should be asked, regarding howa create a strong brand? And what other ways we could use to build strong brands? The CBBE model approaches brand equity from the perspective of the consumer, whether the consumer is an individual or an organization. Understanding the needs and wants of consumer and organization, and being able to satisfy them is the heart of successful marketing (Keller2008:48). D:Folderspictures83888258_80b2635f61.jpg . (Haddad 2008:24) The Customer based brand Equity was designed to be: Comprehensive ( Haddad 2008: 22) Cohesive ( Haddad 2008:22) Up to date ( Haddad 2008:22) Actionable ( Haddad 2008:22) Identifying each part of the CBBE pyramid: Salience: the brand awareness measurement. (Keller 2008:60) Performance: are the products and service meeting the customer. (Keller 2008:65) Imagery: are the ways in which the brand meets the psychological and social need of the customer. (Keller 2008:65) Judgments: the evaluation and the opinion of the customer towards the brand. (Keller 2008:67) Feelings: the response and reaction of the brand towards the customer. ( Keller 2008:68) Resonance: The relationship that the customer feels with the brand. ( Keller 2008:72) Brand Research Brand research is used to identify the feeling of the consumers towards the brand, which customers purchase the product, what other brands are competing with your brand. The need to know about the present customers: Why they choose your brand? Are they going to repurchase it? How are they using the product? Where do your customers purchase the products? (Haddad 2008:11) The best way to describe the consumers is through the segmentation variables which are geographic (nations, countries, neighbors, city), demographic (education, age, sex, income), psychographic (The market is being divided based on the personality) (belch2009: 51), Behavioristic( the consumers are divided into groups according to their loyalties, buying of the product, and usage) (belch2009: 52 ). There are other methods used to make research: Qualitative research: exploring the areas where knowledge doesnt exist. ( Tench Yeomans 2009: 204) Advantages Disadvantages Identify unknown information It takes a lot of time Provide insight into motivation Requires large amount of money Quantitative research: The results are expressed in numbers. ( Tench Yeomans 2009: 204) Advantages Disadvantage Generate comparable results Could mislead to irrelevant directions Clients have a higher percentage of accepting it Cant go into deeper analysis Brand Advertising Brand advertising increases the recognition of the consumers towards the brand; its also the generator which helps the business to succeed. Most of the owners, who own businesses, think of the brand as a logo with color and a slogan. They dont understand the relation between the brand and the consumer. The brands that really succeed are the ones which have emotional relationship with the consumer. So successful brand advertising is about how to make the consumer reach the emotional relationship with the brand. Owners might feel that their brand is credible and trustworthy but this is not enough, because they cant think from their own perspective, trustworthiness should reach customers in order to achieve brand loyalty and a strong brand. (Long, 2009) Forms of brand advertising: Television. Radio. Print ads. Internet. Bill boards. Banners. Relating brand elements to McDonalds( restaurant) How does McDonalds build brand equity? Advertising, building relationship with consumers, building trust, good service, trying to make our products affordable as much as possible to everyone, participating in community activities and fund raising, all of these factors will improve our image and create a strong brand. How are you going to build a strong brand using the brand strategy decisions? Brand positioning comes in three levels as I mentioned above, attribute (McDonalds are not just concentrating on their food attributes because, there are many junk food businesses who produce same attributes). Benefits (are what McDonalds concentrating on, they care about their food taste, freshness, place neatness and cleanness, and the satisfaction of customers after finishing their meal). Beliefs and values (in Egypt McDonalds dont offer pork meat because its against people values and beliefs). Brand name selection McDonalds is an easy name which could be memorized its very simple and kind of funny, this brand name differs from other fast food brand names, because McDonalds is trying to be different than other brand names, by sending message to consumers which is. Consumers can eat all they want, but they can have healthy life by controlling their food. Brand sponsorship McDonalds sponsors football teams, world cup 2010, it concentrates more on athletic activities and events so that they can create a healthy brand image. Brand development McDonalds are always trying to develop their products by having the best taste and reasonable price, developing their service by having the fastest home delivery service in Egypt. Developing their ads by making it more funnier and simple. How can McDonalds create successful customer based brand equity (CBBE?) Salience: consumers perceived McDonalds 43% best, 43% not bad, 14% bad. Performance: McDonalds target all consumer ages, and they also target class A, B, and C. Sandwiches prices The service in McDonalds is very fast in different ways, its the fastest delivery in Egypt, fastest problem response, and one of the best employee customer relationship. The style and design of the place is very clean, neat, and makes you happy and comfortable while sitting inside. Imagery McDonalds in Egypt started 15 years ago, and established 60 restaurants till now. McDonalds offer their products according to consumers values, beliefs, and cultures. For example in Ramadan, McDonalds offer iftar menu for people who are fasting. In Christmas they offer siyamy menu which is fillet fish. There are obstacles which are being faced trying to adopt another countries food, in Thailand McDonalds offer shrimps sandwiches because its their traditional food over there, you cant make consumers in Egypt adopt seafood sandwiches from McDonalds because its not their traditional food over here. Feelings McDonalds are doing their best to provide excitement and fun for their customers, McDonalds TV. Ads are very funny, during the half time of the matches; TV ads appear so viewers are encouraged to buy meals while they are watching the match. If there is a big match between Egypt and another country McDonalds designs the place with Egyptian flags, and they have artists for people who would like to draw on their faces. Judgments according to what we have mentioned above, customers are happy because we try to meet their need in every possible way, and solve any problem they face with our food or place. McDonalds Is a credible brand because its a very strong competitor all over the world, its the second best competitor in fast food businesses after KFC. Resonance There is a strong relationship with the employees and the customers, employees are always friendly and smiling to customers so that they can make them feel welcome, and they always try to make them comfortable as much as they can. How is Qualitative research being used? Qualitative research is being used to know how consumers see our products (tastes, freshness, new products, and etc.) Service (delivery service, employees relation, and place.) How is quantitative research being used? It provides assistance to know the quantity of combos needed to be increased daily, weekly, and monthly. It also identify what type of products are consumer demanding, the sandwich double big tasty was created using the quantitative research. How do use Advertising to strengthen McDonalds brand? McDonalds advertise mostly on television using simple and funny ads which will attract customers to buy their products. They used to advertise on radio too. McDonalds uses FP7 which is the advertising agency to help them, FP7 is working with McDonalds since 15 years ago, they helped them create the delivery TV ad, and other comedy ads. Off course McDonalds sponsors Egyptian football teams such as: Ghazl el mahala El gaish El masry All of this will help improve the advertising.

Shirley Jacksons The Lottery Essay -- American Literature, Biography

Shirley Jackson is said to be one of the most â€Å"brilliant and influential authors of the twentieth century.† â€Å"Her fiction writing is some of the most important to come out of the American literary canon.† (http://shirleyjackson.org/Reviews.html) Jackson wrote many short stories and even some books. They are more on the dark, witchlike side, however. Kelleher explains that Jackson stated in some interviews that she practiced magic. No one really knows if she was serious while practicing witchcraft or not, but it ended up helping her write her stories http://www.literarytraveler.com/literary_articles/shirley_jackson_bennington.aspx). A major story that throws people for a loop is â€Å"The Lottery†. This was Jackson’s first short story and many people did not know how to take the story. Your everyday person may be offended by it,but an everyday writer may think it is a work of art. Even though Jackson seemed like a normal person, she enjoyed writing about the dark side of things; hence, â€Å"The Lottery† was written. Shirley Jackson was born December 14, 1919, in San Francisco. She spent all of her childhood in Burlingame, California, and started her writing, as well. Then when she turned seventeen, her and her family moved east, where she enrolled in the University of Rochester. After only a year in the university, she left and decided to pursue writing. Another year passed and she attended Syracuse University. There she published her first story, â€Å"Janice† and also won a poetry contest. After winning the contest, she met Stanley Edgar Hyman. They got acquainted and founded a magazine together called: The Spectre. Later in life they ended up getting married. Together they had four children and moved around so Hyman could have a job with... ..." Study Guides & Essay Editing | GradeSaver. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. . Chopin, Kate. â€Å"The Story of an Hour.† An Introduction to Literature. Eds. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, and William E. Cain. 15th ed. New York: Longman, 2008. 193-199 Kelleher, Katy. "Shirley Jackson in Bennington Vermont, Shirley Jackson Ebooks, Shirley Jackson First Editions, Shirley Jackson Tours LiteraryTraveler.com." Literary Traveler, Literary Tours, Travel Writing, Travel Literature, Ereaders, EBooks, Travel, HemingwayLiteraryTraveler.com. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. . "Literary Analysis: The Lottery, by Shirley Jackson - by Amelia Tibbett - Page 2 - Helium." Helium - Where Knowledge Rules. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. . "Shirley Jackson - Biography of Shirley Jackson - English 101." Simple Writers Student Papers and Essays. 2006. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. . Shirley Jackson's Bio. 2009. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. .

Incongruities Within The Philosophy Of Socrates :: essays research papers

Incongruities Within the Philosophy of Socrates   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There appears to be an unnatural and unfounded fascination with the alleged â€Å"works† of Socrates. Perhaps that it is simply that the absolutist ideals of philosophers such as Plato and Socrates do not appeal to the post-modern, politically correct, wishy washy, materialistic reader. It is more likely, however, that the problems posed by the philosophy itself and its surrounding circumstances outweigh the insight and philosophical ingenuity.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The world of forms is a creation in the mind of Socrates that contains within it multiple ironies. Socrates claims to be closer to the real and Truth than any other man in the history of the world. Socrates claims that he has achieved this level of higher understanding through a lifetime in passionate pursuit of his personal ideal†¦Truth. Yet this Greek philosoph is the sole propounder of the viewpoint, which holds that there is one true example of all objects (a singular definition and model of a table or a chair).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The craftsman and idea smith of new theories cannot claim them as fact, for in similar situations, great thinkers have claimed that the world is flat, that the planets, the sun and all the heavens revolve around the Earth, and that Asia and the East Indies lie only 1100 miles west of the European continent. All of these conceptions of reality were later proved to be false, and, indeed, now seem ridiculous to the modern scholar. Anyone who is even slightly educated knows that this planet (and, in fact, all known planets) is spherical; the Earth and the rest of the planets in this solar system revolve around the sun, which is, incidentally, a relatively minor star; and there is an entire continent between Europe and Columbus’s Asian objective, the continent, in fact, on which we live. The theories proposed by Socrates are similar. It is difficult for the modern reader to believe that there is one quintessential automobile or television set.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Just as there is no singular true representation of an object, these articles do not even necessarily have a solitary purpose. The world’s most perfect stick, the one that exists in the world of forms, also makes a dandy measuring device. According to Socrates, there is only one illustration of each object and one and only one definition of the article’s purpose. However, it cannot be denied that a stick can also be used to measure, and a flashlight could also be used as a weapon.

Speech: Global Warming is Real :: essays research papers

Hurricanes, Tsunamis, retreating glaciers, volcanoes and cyclones. What I'm about to tell you is real and will change your life forever-so wake up and smell the roses which are now blooming in winter. Global warming is one of the biggest threats to human kind. It is caused by the raising of earths temperature in the lower atmosphere. Since the industrial revolution the temperature has gone up by 1 degree Fahrenheit of what it has averaged to be for centuries. Doesn't sound like much and your right, but for every degree it goes up already 500 feet of snow won't fall. As in our earth is heating. The hottest recorded temperature was in 2005 which matched the temperature in 1998. Twice in the last decade we've had the hottest temperature on average ever recorded throughout history. Coincidence. I think not. The snows of the Kilimanjaro have basically vanished and in a couple decades Glacier National park is going to need a new name because by 2030 there will be no glaciers left in the whole park. The great Greenland icecaps are melting at an alarming pace, and sliding into the sea. Your right, who cares it's not like its happening near us. But by 2100 all our coastal states will look like Venice including ours. You won?t be alive but your children and grandchildren will. The sea level is expected to rise up to 23 inches in the next decade. There has been a 100 percent increase in intensity and duration of hurricanes and tropical storms since 1970 according to a 2005 MIT study. How much more evidence do we need before someone does something about this? For anyone who cares at all about the future, the gradual transformation of our earth is turning into a human-furnace that makes terrorism look like a game of monopoly. Think I'm kidding? By 2050, 15-37% of all plant and animal species could be extinct. Meaning it will be harder for plants to produce photosynthesis. No big right? Wrong. Without photosynthesis, oxygen can?t be made. Most of us in this room will be in our late 60?s by then with children and grandchildren. What does that mean for them? The air will be harder to breath and the temperature of earth will have increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit. By 2050 up to 38% of water will be unable to hold underwater species because of rising temperature.

Disguise in Twelfth Night Essay

Twelfth Night is one of William Shakespeare’s so-called transvestite comedies that features a female disguising herself as a young man. This concept might be difficult to grasp by today’s audience but during Shakespeare’s time it was not unusual for female roles to be played by young boys. Every character in the play is involved in a situation where they think one person is someone else. These situations lead to turmoil and humor in the play. The many instances of mistaken identity and uncertainty of gender in Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night contribute to the theme of confusion in the play. The first character in the play to introduce the theme of confusion is Viola. She is distraught after being separated from her twin brother, Sebastian, in a shipwreck. In hoping that he could still be alive, she is determined to support herself in an unfamiliar land by getting a job as a messenger in town. She says to the captain that rescued her, â€Å"conceal me what I am, and be my aid †¦ present me as [a male soprano] to him† (Shakespeare I.ii.49-52). Presenting her as a male soprano explains the high pitch of her voice. She decides to disguise herself as a young man named Cesario so she can work for Orsino, the duke of Illyra. Viola’s job is to be a messenger and after three days she becomes a favorite of Duke Orsino. He says to Cesario, â€Å"it shall become thee well to act my woes / She will attend it better in thy youth† (Shakespeare I.iv.26-27). The duke decides to send Cesario on the most important errand as messenger of his love letters to Olivia believing she will accept the letters from a youthful boy. This will eventually lead to trouble as a love triangle between Olivia, Orsino, and Viola†¦

Goals: Goal and Long Term

Why are goals necessary in life? Goals are objectives set for one to achieve. They come in different types and different length of time. One can have a personal, academic or career goal along with long term or short term goals. There are many goals I would like to achieve. I have created my long term personal, academic and career goals. My long term personal goal I have set for myself is to stay connected to my parents and siblings. I also want to have a family of my own. My academic long term goal is to complete four years in college and obtain a masters or bachelors degree in Computer Analysis.My career long term goal is to get a job in Computer Analysis.. Who should be the most important people in your life? Your parents and siblings are the people that you should never forget. For my long term personal goal, I would like to keep a strong relationship with my family because they are the people who was there for me whenever I needed them. To keep a strong relationship, I believe I need to have an open communication with my parents. For instance, I would call them if I were to come home late or keep them informed of my whereabouts. I want a family of my own that I can provide for them with a good home and with a stable income.I believe to reach this goal I need a small step. I want to save money and keep some in a savings account that I can use later in life for my family. I believe to reach this goal I need a short term goal that I can concentrate on for a short period of time. I feel that I need to show my parents that I am a responsible person and that I can fulfill any responsibilities given to me. During this journey in reaching in this goal, we may come cross penny little arguments that may escalate into bigger problems but surely if I follow my game plan everything should be alright. Education should be the first thing in everyone’s mind.Since I was a child, I had valued education very greatly. It has always been a big part in my life. For my lon g term academic goal, I want to complete my fours in college and proceed in my academic career. To maintain this goal, I would need to stay focus on my school work and keep up good grades. I would like to maintain a GPA of 3. 5 or higher. In order to complete this, I would have to do a lot of studying and dedicate most of my time into school. In the meantime, I would like to keep studying hard and concentrate in school. I would make school my number one priority or challenge.One challenge that can break this goal is procrastination. I tend to keep putting off some homework and leave it to do at the last minute. This will cause major problems and infer with my goals. But if I tackle my assignments early I know I can overcome that challenge. My long term career goal is something that can make my life better or worse. My long term career goal is to find a job that would give me a stable and comfortable life style. I would prefer a job to be along the lines in computers. If I want a dec ent job in the lines of computers, I would first need to find a temporary job that can help me get experienced.For example, I would look for a job like in Best Buy dealing with computers and helping customers fix their computers. I can also work in an office as a technician who fixes computers or any type of technology machines. The only challenge I foresee in the up coming years is the limited amount of computer related jobs. But I know if I follow each of my goals to my full ability I can overcome any obstacle laying in my way. I believe everyone should set goals because it helps you be organized and on track of what you would like to achieve.People can have different types of goals and even different time length of goal. The goals I have listed in this paper are personalized goals to help me benefit my life in an easier way. From keeping a good relationship with my family to graduating with a degree or even to getting a job along the lines of computers, I know I can follow each o f these goals and fulfill it without any obstacle getting in the way. Even if some goals were short term or long term, I feel that I can achieve these goals if I put my heart into it and work hard everyday.

Best Buy Case Study Write Up Essay

1. How does Best Buy define customer centricity? The idea behind customer centricity was to be the customer’s smart friend and give a full solution. The sales people stand by the customers and try to find what they really need and what they want. The opposite of this would be product centricity. At this time the electronics were getting easier to use, their interaction required specific knowledge that only a fraction of the client base possessed. In this situation, the used to be advantage of best buy disappeared, and the company tested the first version of customer-centricity by setting up 12 laboratory stores and then rolling out tested concepts in 32 pilot stores. The test were successful very successful. Best buy changed its segments from products such as MP3, TV, or PC to customers like Barry. All these make customers more convenient to shop in the store. Compared to the other stores, Best Buy did not focus on brands but usage. The sales person never asked what do you want to buy, but rather ask what you want to do. In launching customer centricity, Anderson used an autocratic set of power tools and expected swift support from his top team to execute his vision. 2. Is Customer-Centricity the same as customer services? No, the customer-Centricity is not the same as customer service. The difference is that they can contour their sales and service pitch to each individual after they know which category that they fall into. They know from past company stastistics and knowledge about the different types and what their shopping style is like. Customer service is about trying to sell your existing products. The case states also that customer service may be in response to its competitors, and not its customers. Customer centricity mainly focuses on research of customers buying power, purchase preference and customer behavior. It is based on the research that Best Buy has gathered over time. From here, the company can redesign its products, and develop a new marketing strategy and give more suitable service. 3. How does it relate to Consumer behavior? Chapter 10 touches upon things that could be related to consumer behavior. In store decision making talks about spontaneous shopping which is unplanned buying and impulse buying. Point of purchase stimuli is product display or demonstration that draws attention. The salesperson also can create exchange process. This involves commercial friendships. This is basically what customer centricity is about, forming commercial friendships. Chapter 10 also talks post purchase satisfaction which is the overall feeling about a product after someone has purchased it. Chapter 13 discusses income and social class and this is directly correlated to the customer centricity model. The model puts people in different classes. They were Jill, Barry, angles and devils. Chapter 13 goes into detail and talks about how people can be put in classes based on income, education, age, religion, gender, just like Best Buy put these four people into classes to segment them. Best Buy, in essence, used consumer behavior to classify these people. 4. Finally, do you agree with this new strategy for Best Buy? What is its impact on the financial performance? We think that it was a good idea for Best Buy to implement this. It has worked financially and it seemed to have made the company more profitable. From looking at the financials from 2002 to 2004, it appears as though the strategy seems to be working. Best Buy remains at the top of the list for Consumer electronics companies in the United States. Its revenue was 49.7 billion dollars in 2010, which is 18% of North American market share. In the last 5 years, it keeps 25% of gross profit growth. It seemed like it was known that Wal Mart would catch Best Buy as the number one store at that time, but I think this was because of different reasons, like its building of so many new stores and supply chain capability.

Kinship of two cultures

INTRODUCTIONâ€Å"Culture is a shared, learned, symbolic system of values, beliefs and attitudes that shapes and influences perception and behavior†(). Culture influences people and it shapes people in manifesting a particular identity. Every individual is greatly influence by his culture. When people see a man and the way he is living his life, he can easily be identified as part of a particular culture. People from a particular place are always intertwined with a particular culture as seen in their pattern of actions and beliefs and way of life in general.It is of an inevitable reality that cultures differ around the world. Every place and context has their own unique set of norms, beliefs and practices. These set of norms, beliefs and practices make up the identity of a culture. These make up the whole of their system. A particular culture produces a pattern of actions that a group of people will manifest as they live in this world. Because of the diversity of cultures of p eople from different places around the world, there exist conflicts due to differences if one culture is imposing its will to the other.In this paper, we will dwell on two rich cultures- the Dinkas and Amhara People. We will try to show their similarities and as well as differences. The two cultures that are the subject of this paper will be thoroughly examined. Therefore, without further delay, let us begin our discussion.THE DINKA CULTURE IN SOUTHERN SUDANThe Dinkas are found In Southern Sudan. It is the largest ethnic group region in the Nile Basin. The Dinkas have the population of 3-4 million people that comprises approximately 45% of the population of the whole country. The Dinkas are known to have beautiful women in their tribe and known to even grow up to seven feet tall. One of their famous tribe members is the former National basketball Association (NBA) player Manute Bol who stood for 7’7†. This tribe at the Nile River is also known to maintain a culture of m arrying people within their communities and even families.â€Å"Most of Dinkas beliefs that keeping cultures in our modern societies is beneficial enough to keep generations move successfully. The Dinkas believed that maintaining their culture amidst the changing world is the road to the next generation’s success†(http://www.madingbor.com/page/page/2064097.htm). This is the reason why even in the influences of many diverse cultures, the Dinkas still maintained and treasured the richness of their culture.Men in having their own families in the Dinka tribe, they must at least be eighteen years old and above. This age bracket is perceived by Dinkas as an age that can already be capable of providing for a family and considered as persons who can live with their own. The Dinkas live a pastoral life, relying mainly on livestock. In a Dinka family, the husband is the provider in the family. He brings something to eat for the family. The wife is the one who cooks for the famil y, the one in charge for preparing food for the whole house and in taking care of the children in the family. The wives in the Dinka communities are obedient and respectful women for their husbands. Despite the growing influences of other cultures in women empowerment, they remain in this family devotion of women.In cases of the death of the husband or absence for a long time, the wife is asked to remarry. Remarrying for the wife would mean marrying the brothers of his husband. If there is no brother available, the first cousins of her husband are the second option. This remarrying scheme is for the purpose of bearing a child that would be named after the deceased person. The culture believes that in doing such practice, they are maintaining the dignity of their generations from their fore-fathers to the grand children. The act is called â€Å"lahot† or entering the hut. The Dinkas give emphasis on the purity of their culture that is manifested in their practices of remarriag es.THE AMHARA CULTURE OF ETHIOPIAThe Amhara people of Ethiopia are one o the most dominant cultural and political group in Africa. Their population is at 15,000,000. These people live in the highlands of Ethiopia. The Amhara people are mostly farmers. The tribe can be traced back from Menelik I who is a child born of the King Solomon and Queen Sheba. â€Å"The Amhara appear to be descended from the same people group as the Tigray-Tigrinya people.   Their Sabaean ancestors came to the highlands of what is now Eritrea and Ethiopia from the Arabian Peninsula†(http://endor.hsutx.edu/~obiwan/profiles/amhara.html).The general situation in the Amhara farming society is very hard. They live in terrains and mountains because of wanting their place to be easily defended but at the same time making it hard for them to travel and move. They have the advantage in defense but also have the disadvantage in mobility. The location of their community is hard to reach by foreigners because of rugged mountain terrains.The people in Amhara believe that children must be breast feed in two years. No hard discipline is imposed to the children until the age of four. On the fortieth day after birth, the boys in the family will be baptized and the girls are on the eightieth day. As early as the age of five and six, the children are trained to watch their family animals such as sheep and goats. The boys are in charge in watching over the animals and the girls are in charge in accompanying their mother in gathering firewood to use in cooking. Girls of the tribe are allowed to get married in an average age of 14. The boys to be grooms are normally 3-5 years older of the bride.â€Å"Most marriages are negotiated by the two families, with a civil ceremony sealing the contract. A priest may be present. Divorce is allowed and must also be negotiated. There is also a â€Å"temporary marriage,† by oral contract before witnesses. The woman is paid housekeeper's wages, and is not eligible for inheritance, but children of the marriage are legally recognized and qualify for inheritance. Priests may marry but not eligible for divorce or remarriage† (http://www.africaguide.com/culture/tribes/amhara.htm). Women also banner the attitude of respect and to their husbands. Priests are only allowed to get married once. There is variety of religions present in the Amhara culture but the most dominant religion is the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.The Amhara people are not fond of trusting people coming from other places. They are people who are cautious in their relation to foreign people and things.COMPARISON AND CONTRASTThe two cultures highlighted in this paper (Dinka and Amhara) are two great cultures who have rich traditions. In looking at the two cultures, there are noticeable similarities and as well as differences.The Dinkas lived in the Basin of the Nile while the Amhara people are from high terrains and mountains. It is harder for the Amhara people to be acc essed by foreign people and even for them to travel. The two cultures rely more on farming and animal raising as the source of their subsistence but it was harder for the Amhara people to farm because of the location of their inhabited places while it is also harder for the Dinkas to defend themselves from foreign enemies because also of the location of their homes.The Dinkas however, are more conservative in their view of marriage. Though in both cultures, remarrying is allowed, the Dinkas only allow remarrying if the husband has already died or absent for a long time. In Amhara tribe, divorce is allowed and is done by negotiation. In the Dinka tribe, they are more giving emphasis to family dignity that is why they only allow women to get married again if she marries the brother or the cousin of the former husband. The Amhara tribe on the other hand, allows their priests to get married.The two tribes have the same view on the women in their families. Women are there to prepare food for the whole family and to take care of their children. Women have respect for their husbands in both of the tribes. The marrying age for men however differs for the two tribes. The Amhara tribe allows a lower marrying age at approximately at least 16 years old while the Dinka tribe allows men to get married at 18 years old.CONCLUSIONThere are a lot of different cultures around the world. No culture is exactly the same with another. It is of great reality that culture is different coming from different contexts. In the case of the two cultures examined and discussed I this paper, there are differences found and as well as similarities. This presupposes the richness of one’s culture. We cannot really limit the innovativeness of people’s minds. The only certain in this world is the constant development of cultures in their beliefs and practices and there is a constant change in it. The conception of people regarding families also evolves through time and differs in dif ferent cultures.May this paper remind us how rich people’s cultures and how they evolve and grow over time. Cultures are true manifestations of man’s richness in his mind and in his being because cultures are created from people’s discovery and thinking. The cultures of today may not be present tomorrow but it is of great significance in building tomorrow’s cultures.BIBLIOGRAPHYJenkins, Orville Boyd & Lundquist Robert. The Amhara People of Ethiopia. 2006. 10 Mar. 2007 Kuol, William. Dinka Religion and Culture. 10 Mar. 2007Dinka Background. 10 Mar. 2007African People & Culture. 10 Mar. 2007http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/anthropology/courses/122/module1/symbolic.html