Monday, September 30, 2019

Where Would I Be Without Freedom

I walk upon the earth and marvel at the ability to let the grass cushion my wandering feet. What if my feet could not wander What if I were a slave to this rich soil, then where would I be Society may not be controlled, and it may wander aimlessly perhaps, but it wanders on its own course. I walk with society and against it, and I have the freedom to do this. I would not be able to write such an essay if I didnt have my freedom. It is this freedom that allows me to write an essay differently from other people and is what has taken many others and me as far along in our journey. Freedom is the grass that cushions my step, the softness that allows me to tread anywhere without the fear of persecution. Without this layer of protection I would not want to stray far from what I know. Without protection from the corrupt world, I would remain the same immature child who could not walk far from what I could not see. Light liberates darkness the same as freedom liberates slaves. Darkness is the absence of light just as slavery is merely the absence of freedom. Without the light of this freedom I would be in the shadow of darkness; confined to the barren ignorant lands that light never reaches. Grass ceases to grow and life as I know it would be useless dead. The fire that burns within the soul is fueled by the sun, fueled by the liberation and freedom which allows us to fill ourselves with worldly and unworldly beliefs. There is little faith behind a society who does not have the ability to choose its own unworldly beliefs. Being spoon-fed from birth by my Orthodox Baptist parents, I rode my own spirit into the arms of God and the ways of Christianity. Faith may guide many a man and his heart, but freedom guides the soul. No one knows the truth concerning God, religion, or existence, but the freedom to seek the truth ike I have has made me whole. Without freedom I would still place myself higher than everything else and perceive myself as my own master. This provincial nature that the world commercializes I once held, but it has been freed by the disuniting of my flesh and its influence upon my mind, soul, and heart. Freedom is too immense a concept to comprehend yet too narrow a word to define, but it drives me. Without it I become dark and meek as I look to the cold earth for heavenly answers. Freedom is there for anyone even slaves. The light needs but to be turned on and ignorance can do nothing but flee.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Parle G: Marketing

Parole G Is the world's largest manufacturer of biscuits by volume or tonnage and has been in the numerous nun spot since a very long time. It has done so primarily by positioning its product, Parole G Biscuit, at optimally affordable rates which caters to customers from all walks of life especially the low income groups In the Bottom of the Pyramid. Of late, due to Inflation and evolution of economic factors, the Input of two major raw materials, sugar and weight which constitutes 55% of the manufacturing cost have risen provoking the management to rethink on the pricing strategy.The outcome of this inflation has resulted in the decrease In the margin It used to command. The dip has been from 15% to 10% of margins of Its total revenues. Management is now mulling over to raise the price to reinstate the margins at 15% as previously mandated. Proving Giuliani, the GM of Parole Products has to take two major decisions regarding the above scenario and they are as follows:- These questio ns needs to be addressed as soon as possible because of the presence of competitive products and companies in the same domain.The other very visible trend that management bore witness to, was the gradual migration of consumer pending to high-end biscuit segment belonging to the sweet, cream and milk categories. This trend was seen to be taking place within the portfolio of Parole G products and in the industry it was operating in.The Pricing Strategy Decision One of the methods to zero in on a pricing strategy Is a careful analysis of the existing product biz a biz the price and the quality. Parole G biscuit, as can be Inferred from the case, is a high quality biscuit with a low price.High Quality here does not mean premium biscuits as the like of Bourbon or Ore; It means that the utility generated Day ten product Is very null. 0 Turner Loretta, take ten example AT Monika Phones that are available in the market. The range varies from INNER 1200 (approve) to figures substantial than that. The lower segment phone still generates world class service that comes within such price. Hence, the quality being high and the price being low, the company has followed Penetration Strategy. This allows for the marketing objective of proportioning increasing sales volumes or market share rather make profits.This method of Pricing has the following advantages:- ; It can create goodwill among the early adopters segment. This can create more trade wrought word of mouth. ; It creates cost control and cost reduction pressures from the start, leading to greater efficiency. ; It discourages the entry of competitors. Low prices act as a barrier to entry (Porter 5 forces analysis). ; It can create high stock turnover throughout the distribution channel. This can create critically important enthusiasm and support in the channel.The major disadvantage of Price Penetration is that it establishes long term price expectations on the part of the consumers and hence companies find it difficu lt to raise prices later in the years to come. Studies have shown that switchers (bargain hunters) are attracted by such pricing strategies and that is the reason why Parole G witnessed a dip in sales after it went ahead with a price increase. We can further say that the huge customer base that Parole G has garnered are extremely price sensitive individuals and will switch once prices rise.All said and done, if we again carefully examine the situation of Parole G before the mentioned inflationary setbacks hit them, we see the following points that do merit mentioning:- ; Product demand is highly price elastic. Substantial economies of scale are available. The product is suitable for a mass market as a result of high demand ;The product has a chance to face stiff competition in the future For Parole G to win in the market place it has to devise strategies centered on Price Penetration since following any of the other strategies will have immediate ramifications or would not fit into the scheme of things.In short, Price increase is not the best feasible options Parole G has. Product Life Cycle On the Product Life Cycle front, it's absolutely important to trace where Parole G lies. As on the date of the case, it's very visible that the product had attained maturity and NY change in market environment or internal strategy could either destabilize leading the product to dip or sustain the current traction of maturity. Parole G, being excessively price sensitive should ensure to stabilize the product and that would mean adopting practices and strategies which would ensure penetration without changing the price.The other option we can thus look into is reducing grammar. This was done before with success and it can be replicated again however this has to be done without compromising on quality Ana calorie. I en toner long term Implication AT tens P owe the other products of Parole G are faring. Hide & Seek and Milan are both on a growth stage while at the same time th e growth potential of the premium market is pegged at 20% annually, more than 15% in the glucose category. Parole G can hence focus on this segment proactively as well.This is not proposed to offset the decline in the glucose segment but to De-risk the company and take advantage of the booming middle class of India that grows significantly every year. From Exhibit 2, the population of seekers and aspires are growing significantly. The Representation of the data is as follows:- Recommendations and future plan of action:- 1. Proposed reduction in grammar of INNER 4 from 82. G to egg Rationale: The INNER 4. 00 SKU contributes 1 1. 9 billion (2008-09) which is 34% of Parse's total Revenue and 50% of Parole G revenue.This SKU caters to the largest segment of consumers. As mentioned before, the price of the product cannot be changed due to high price elasticity of demand, therefore to mitigate the fall in margin, we propose a decrease in the grammar of this SKU from 82. G to egg. This red uction of 2. 5 g would lead to a reduction in the costs of 3. 03% per unit of INNER 4 SKI-J. Since the margins are a direct function of the cost and this particular SKU comprises of a large percentage of the business, this reduction in grams would increase the margins considerably. 2.Target the socioeconomic classes of RI, RE, RE and RE Rationale: This segment consists of the rural population of 145. 7 million households out of which 68. 3 million households are current consumers of the brand. Thus 53. 1% of this segment is still untapped which we believe is a tremendous potential for the company. This segment, also referred to as the BOP, is primarily attracted by the low prices and therefore the smaller SKU s. If we can increase our customer base in this segment, the decrease in cost in the SKU by reduction in grammar would be able to overcome the fall in margins.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Global e-business ( two question in the sources) Essay

Global e-business ( two question in the sources) - Essay Example Many successful businesses are revamping their existing business structure and adding e-business components to their primary business model in order to enjoy the opportunity created by the disruptive web technology. Nonetheless, the extent of adapting to electronics business varies according to the companies, as some of them employ entire electronic business models and some only adopts support functions, like, communications. The purpose of this project is to devise the way in which Azinsu, an apparel brand with a niche market, can use benefits of internet based technology, so as to expand its market and modify traditional business structure, thereby going global. The aspects of e-business, which will be covered in the course of discussion, are design and manufacturing department and also, supply chain logistics. The appropriate mode of the company to cater to the needs of foreign customers will also be elaborated. Azinsu is an apparel company that has been extremely successful in creating its own brand in the female clothing industry. The product of the company has been highly popular among clients of the upper-end market, like, celebrities. The company has successfully created a niche market, where it has been consistently selling quality products. The traditional mode of operation of the company is, however, creating a constraint in sales. This is because products that are produced by the company are in huge demand all over, but lack of global presence is restricting them from having a global customer base. Presently, the company is devising new line of products, like, shoes and fragrances, which greatly appeal to the current target market, mainly consisting of fashion conscious women, who have the wherewithal to purchase the company’s products. In order to understand the juxtaposition of e-business in the traditional business model of

Friday, September 27, 2019

What is Performance Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What is Performance Management - Essay Example individual responsibility for the continuing improvement of business processes needs to be established, and individual skills and contributions need to be encouraged and nurtured. One tool for monitoring performance management is  performance appraisal. For organizations, performance management is usually known as company performance and is monitored through business appraisal. For Mega-Widget Company, Performance Management’s is beneficial as it facilitates the organization’s capacity to deliver strategic and operational goals which can be translated to a growth in sales, reduction of costs, and increased operational efficiency ultimately translating to greater competitiveness and enhanced the bottom line. It also provides the employee a clear understanding of how meeting target performance adds value to the organization’s strategic goals (Mithas, 2011). For the individual employee of Mega-Widget Company, Performance Management is beneficial as it creates an environment that motivates employees to be at its best. Through Performance Management, employees are also able to know how much and how they are contributing to the growth of the organization. And as the employees contribute to the growth of the organization, Performance Management provides the incentive structure by which employees are rewarded for achieving if not exceeding their goal in the organization (Salden and Sowa, 2011). Performance feedback is the  on-going  process between employee and manager where information is exchanged concerning the performance expected and the performance exhibited. Constructive feedback can praise good performance or correct poor performance and should  always  be tied to the  performance standards (Mithas, 2011) Performance feedback is designed to improve the performance of employees as correlated to Performance Management. It serves as a mechanism to reinforce and praise positive behavior and as a corrective measure to a less than desirable performance.

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Diverisity Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Diverisity - Research Paper Example ts and may involve an employee reporting a fellow colleague involved in unlawful or illegal activity to the in charge of the department but this only happens when the complaint systems are available. â€Å"There are some reasons to believe that people are more likely to take action with respect to unacceptable behavior within an organization if there are complaint systems that offer not just options dictated by the planning and control organization but a choice of option for confidentiality (Rowe, Wilcox and Horwad). With regard to external reporting, whistleblower may report to different persons depending on the severity of the case and range from media, law enforcement or watchdog agencies. In UK, whistle blowing is subject to public interest Disclosure act including culture of raising concerns apart of normal business activity of any well led NHS Organizations, culture free from bullying where staff have the freedom to speak out without being bullied, support to find alternative employments elsewhere in cases where the employee can’t continue working in the same organization after reporting. In USA, there are several contradictory laws on the subject which keep on varying from state to state and the subject matter of the whistle blowing. Still state laws protects employees who call attention for the violations, help with enforcement proceedings, or refuse to obey unlawful proceedings. The first act was established in 1863 as a false claim Act which was revised in 1986 which tried to combat fraud by supplies of United States during America’s civil war. The act encourages whistleblowers by promising them certain percentage of recovered money by the government and protecting them from retaliation from the employer. Another law that protects whistleblowers is the Lloyd-La Follette Act of 1912. This guaranteed the right of federal employees to give information to the United States Congress. A good example is the clean water Act of 1972with subsequent acts like

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Has the internet shifted power to consumers Discuss Essay

Has the internet shifted power to consumers Discuss - Essay Example Many technological products such as laptops and cell phones can be bought online. Other types of products are furniture shopping that allows consumers to conveniently make their purchases online without the hassle of actually going to the outlet and placing the orders. Online shopping is a highly easy and convenient option for consumers. Also some organisations have the facility of money back guarantee if any customer is not satisfied with the actual product and service that has been received by the consumer once the order was placed online. Also online shopping allows the consumers to choose their preference and customize the product options according to likeness. Dell computers for example allow consumers to customise their laptop details and accordingly the products for the consumers are formed. 2. Knowledge about Market With the advent of internet, consumers now have a lot of awareness and knowledge about the different varieties and ranges of any certain product. The quality, com position and all other details of the product can be known. The companies that are providing a typical type of product can be known through the internet. This increases the options from which the customers have to make a choice. Market knowledge is known by the consumers and the decisions of the consumers are based upon the knowledge of the market. Before as there was no internet, consumers had to travel physically and then gain the knowledge about the market and that too only few markets could be studies but now having the complete knowledge about the market is not at all a difficult process. As we know that knowledge is power, and consumers are empowered highly with the knowledge that they receive through the browsing of the internet. 3. Marketing Intelligence Organisations usually develop strong marketing intelligence tools for catering their customers. This aspect again has empowered consumers strongly via the internet. Consumers, if they get attracted towards an advertisement o nline may click it and then develop interests for buying the product or not. This shows that organisations need to compete in their marketing intelligence areas so that they can target the consumers and attract them towards their products and services. Consumers usually base their decisions on advertisements that catch their attention and prove its worth in a single glance rather than probing deep down in their details. The more attractive tools used by the organisations; the more they can impact the decision making of the consumers. Internet allows consumers to view all online advertisements clearly with all the details and product features. 4. Comparison of prices Internet as we all know is an open portal for all the businesses and all the consumers to conduct their business transactions or other personal transactions. Internet has increased the competition amongst the organisations as consumers are empowered with the ability of conducting price comparisons of the different produc t ranges while they make their purchasing decisions. Gas prices can be compared by consumers online and they may make decisions of where to buy the gas. Prices of products and services can be compared with the international market as well. If consumers feel that international markets are providing better offers then through the online portals they can order things from the international

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Ethical Research Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ethical Research Practice - Essay Example There is considerable concern about consent issues in relation to groups perceived as 'vulnerable', i.e., where individuals have difficulties in giving initial and continued informed consent because of issues of 'competence'. Groups who are perceived as vulnerable include children and young people, people with mental health problems and people with learning disability. Ethics Committees generally ask that special consideration is given to the ways in which 'vulnerable groups' are accessed and give consent to participate in research to ensure that they understand what participation involves and are not coerced into taking part. The expectation is generally that the researcher should justify the importance of the research and the need to include 'vulnerable' populations and should identify the means whereby informed consent will be obtained - in many cases there will be an expectation that proxy consent (from a parent or relative) may be used to supplement the consent or assent from th e individual who is not seen as competent to give consent in their own right (Baez 2002). It has been argued that researchers should seek consent each time they collect data from a study participant to ensure that they are aware that data are being collected and that they are willing to continue participating in the study.

Monday, September 23, 2019

Truman's Doctrine Containing Soviet Expansion Essay

Truman's Doctrine Containing Soviet Expansion - Essay Example The relations between Soviet Union and the United States were driven by an interaction of socio-economic, political and ideological differences which led to the deterioration of relationships between the two superpowers of the world. The alliance between the two countries was purely strategic because there was a remarkable difference between the ideologies followed by the two countries. USA was the flag bearer of Capitalism whereas USSR was the country who gave birth to the communist ideology so a clash of interest always existed between the two nations leading to an eternal distrust (Kegley & Blanton, 2011). During the War, the Nazi forces in France, Italy and lower countries of Europe were defeated by the US and British forces whereas the Russian forces defeated the Nazis in Germany and Eastern Europe. The Soviet army continued to occupy the Eastern European states during the wartime and the US or the other Western powers were not in a position to do anything about it at that time. Communist governments were imposed on the Eastern European countries by USSR and Stalin started controlling these states directly and made no secret of it during the various postwar conferences. Germany was also divided into four zones controlled by USSR, USA, Britain and France. USSR considered Germany as a threat to its Communist state because of the past experiences and did not want to create a strong Germany therefore it continued to weaken Eastern Europe by taking equipment and materials (Sulzberger, 1985). The Soviet leadership was afraid of the rapid improvement in the lifestyle of people in the capitalist nations and feared that the expanding capitalism will pose a threat to the communist ideology. As a counter policy USSR started imposing communist governments in the countries controlled by the USSR after the war and communism took hold of most of the Eastern Europe and a few countries in the Far East. Harry S. Truman became the 33rd President of the United States after th e death of Franklin Roosevelt in 1945. Truman had to face a lot of challenges at the very beginning of his days in the office of the President of US and he managed to devise some very efficient policies to put an end to a number of internal and external crises (McCullough, 2003). Truman’s days in the office were marked by the end of the Second World War and he soon became aware of the expansionist expeditions of the Soviet Union. He considered the expansion of the USSR and the conversion of a considerable number of countries to communism a threat to the global peace, security and freedom. Truman set forth a policy in 1947 which clearly stated that the US will give economic and military aid to the countries which were under a threat of falling into the Soviet sphere. In one of his speeches he stated that US would support Greece and Turkey with economic and military aid to prevent USSR to establish a communist government in these countries. This policy of containing the expansi on of communism in the world was later termed as Truman’s Doctrine (Calvocressi, 2001). Truman clearly stated the objectives of the Doctrine and made it part of the foreign policy of the United States, in fact the various important decisions of future like the Marshall Plan and the creation of the NATO were also based on the principles laid in the Truman’s Doctrine. The purpose of the doctrine was to support free

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Mike Clouds Thomas Erben Gallery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mike Clouds Thomas Erben Gallery - Essay Example Clouds work has a feature suggestive of the unpolished flamboyance of William Pope.L's artwork But when one views Cloud's art shows a very conscious appointment with structure and imperfection This work is not of a rebellious nature as it seems to be a sincere study of the motionless nature of thoughts in relation to the inner rich lives of persons. Throughout the exhibition the color theory and color scales and are at work in calm palettes, arrangements that clash and ones that flow. The weight of Cloud’s curiosity shows itself through very dense paint smeared in arduous of layers implying the nature of various trains of thought laid down on canvas paper .Color is displayed in painting in this contest. Another of his paintings called ‘Dialogue of Growth’ it looks like a coffin and stands on the floor while leaning on the wall. The canvas is covered with blue and green hand prints, the word organ if painted in yellow two times while the image of the diamonds has b een repeated. The word ‘organ’ which was put at the center of the coffin is among the parts of a gold link chain. Of all his work in exhibitions, this one seems more concise. It seems to look into both the reality and suffocation idea of what being a black man means in 2014. In the piece ‘Removed Individual’ The body, as a corpse or alive, echoes through system and shape throughout the work of cloud., footprints, Handprints, male anatomy and heart prints are contained in the triangles which make a yellow-brown, red-pink six-pointed sta.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The Value of Early Marriage in Islam Essay Example for Free

The Value of Early Marriage in Islam Essay Because of Islams great love for marriage, it has strongly emphasized that people get married as soon as possible. This is more so for women, and the Prophet (s) and Imams (as) have strongly emphasized that it is the responsibility of a father to ensure that his daughters become married as soon as possible. This is in order so that the woman may not fall into fornication as a result of not being able to marry, and that this very important part of her life become dealt with as soon as possible. We see this reflected in the following ahadeeth: 1.It is a blessing for a man that his daughter does not menstruate in his home.1 2.The Prophet (s) said in a khutbah: Jibrail came to me from the Subtle and Aware one [Allah (swt)], and said: Indeed, virgin girls are like fruit on a tree. When you take the fruit from a tree, then you do not have to fear that the sun will spoil it or that the wind will scatter it away. Similar is the case when a women is taken in the way that they are taken [meaning marriage]. There is no remedy for this problem except that they take a husband, and if they do not, then one will have to fear that they will become corrupted. Beyond this, Islam also believes that women have a stronger sexual urge then men, and that this urge should be satisfied at an early age. There are many narrations, from both Sunni and Shia sources, that state that women have nine times as much sexual desire as men: 1.Imam Ali (as) said: Allah the Mighty and Glorified has created desire in ten parts; nine of these parts are in women, and one part is in men. Had not Allah (swt) given more power to her modesty than over these parts of desire, then every man would find himself with nine women attached to him. 2.Imam as-Sadiq (as) said: Indeed, Allah the Mighty and Glorious has given women the patience of ten men. If a woman is fighting with you, then it is because she has been given the desire of ten men. 3.Imam as-Sadiq (as) said: Women have been blessed with ninety nine percent of desire, however Allah has placed modesty over them. As such, when a girl is young, this force will be even stronger in her, and so it is more important that she not fall into sin. If a father is to be considered the guardian of his daughter, then it is one of his duties to make sure that she does not fall into sin by using his age and experience to help find for her a proper husband at an early age. It is even said of slave-masters that they should either marry their slave girls or find husband for them, and that if they fornicate, the sin will be on himself. However, Muslims have tended to forget this teaching of the Prophets (s) and Imams (as). The growth of a middle-class throughout the Muslim world has led families to become more concerned with their daughters education and work then with their spiritual life, and fear that if they marry their daughters at an early age, the girls will not be able to complete their education. Even if this were true, it would still be inexcusable to make it difficult for young girls to get married, for then one will be putting pressure on them to fornicate. The fact is that it is not true that girls will somehow fail in life if they marry at an early age. A woman can balance the demands of her marital life and her educational/professional life, and should be allowed and encouraged to do so. It is important, as well, that as girls enter adolescence, that Islam is not being used as a barrier upon them enjoying their life and fulfilling themselves sexually. When Muslim families put pressure on their daughters not to marry and seek to isolate them from this blessing of marriage, it is only natural that many young women will turn against practices like hijab and other aspects of Islam. Lack of satisfaction in the area of sex will lead to depression and frustration, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Parents should not only allow their daughters freedom in this regard, but should actively encourage them. The fact is that young men and women will usually get together anyways, and a young woman may very well connect with a young man whose morals and character are less than satisfactory. By families openly involving themselves in this aspect of their daughters life from an early age, they can not only help their daughters to quickly find what they need in terms of their love life, but also help to guide their daughters to a marriage that will be beneficial for her, both emotionally, physically, and spiritually. When the parents refuse to help, however, then they are leaving their daughter to her own devices in finding a path to dealing with her sexuality. She may restrain herself until her family allows her to marry, or she may not. But at that stage, the family will not play any role in that decision one way or the other. It is also the obligation of the family to make it easy for a husband to marry his daughter, and not place the kind of absurd demands upon a prospective husband that are made now. Filled by love of dunya, many families will only marry their daughter to a rich man with a PhD or several degrees in engineering or what have you. This, even more than the restrictions they place on their own daughters, creates a terrible barrier on a young woman getting married, as it makes it impossible for her to find somebody similar in age. Enormous dowries are another source of fitna in this regard, and this practice has been condemned in the ahadeeth: 1.The Prophet (s) said: The best of womenare those who ask for low dories. 2.Imam as-Sadiq (as) states: The blessed of women are those who ask for small living expenses, and the evil of them are those who are demanding in terms of living expenses. The practice of large dowries is even more haram, however, because it is almost always done for the sake of show inside the community, which is a form of shirkthat is most condemned in Islam. We see that, tragically, many families are willing to sacrifice the happiness of their daughter during her adolescence for the sake of their appearance in the community. It is interesting to note that most cases of huge dowry, the daughter had no interest in a large dowry. She would ask for something extremely small, or even want to wave it altogether. But then the family steps in and demands thousands upon thousands of dollars in dowry, and then forces the daughter to make a decision between her husband-to-be and her family. Usually she will choose the family, especially since the family will make all manner of threats about what will happen if she goes ahead with a marriage they dont approve of (Your uncle in Pakistan will kill himself, your father will lose his job, etc., etc., etc.) Nothing could be more reprehensible than for families to blackmail their daughters in this way, and it is a terrible cause of fitna amongst the youth. We see that someulama in Iran today, such as Ayatullah Ibrahim Amini, have been very strong in condemning this practice, for they have seen how harmful it is to the spiritual state of the youth. Many famlies are under the deluded impression that if they make it impossible for their daughters to marry that the girls will simply sit tight until the permission and possibility of marriage comes. Certainly many do; but of course, as is human nature, many dont. It is entirely possible that the sin of fornication may fall upon the heads of the people who prevented the young from marrying, rather than the young themselves. There is a story that a man was brought to Imam Ali (as) to be punished for fornication. He asked the man if he had been able to marry, and the man said that nobody would allow him to marry, nor did he have the money to purchase a slave girl. Imam Ali (as) then let him go. The authenticity of this story is not verified, but the import remains: that a society that makes it impossible for the young to satisfy themselves sexually is responsible for the fornication that inevitably results. If the young cannot receive the blessing and assistance of their parents in this regard, then it is their duty to rebel against these pressures. We have discussed, elsewhere, the fact that it is not obligatory for a mature girl to seek the permission of her parents to marry, but merely recommended. A system of culture and overly conservative jurisprudence has combined to place barriers on the young, and the only way to break through this is for the young to, quite simply, rebel, and take the matter of marriage into their own hands. It is the right of every mature and sound-minded person to marry, and marriage is one of the greatest blessings of Islam. If the older generation are not willing to accept this fact, than it is upon the younger generation to break the chains that have been set upon them.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Racial Stereotyping in Advertising

Racial Stereotyping in Advertising When advertising occurs in television you can see how leading companies of the world try to attract persons for them to buy their products, but sometimes instead of bringing them incomes, the ads, in which they invert a lot of money, bring them a little more than money and attention, they bring them serious problems. No one can deny the incredible power mass has, but the problem of this is that while more powerful something is the more it can gain attention, from babies to adults, all of them can get easily the attention required not just to buy things, also unconsciously to build stereotypes towards people. During the past decade the media has become a great format of expressing ideas to the people, but this advertising sometimes can perpetuate racism and can also create sub conscience among the mass. No one can deny that the television is the major advertising technique that the companies have now a day, according to the A.C. Nielsen Co., the average American watches more than 4 hours of TV each day (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year). In a 65-year life, that person will have spent 9 years glued to the tube (http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tvhealth.html).In a study made by that same company, (A.C. Nielsen Co.) you can observe that a normal person that lived at least 65 years in his life time would have at least seen 2 million commercials over his lifetime (http://www.csun.edu/science/health/docs/tvhealth.html).This previous statistics show us perfectly how the television has an amazing way to spread ideas trough the whole world, but the problem is when the ideas spreading to the world include stereotypes that can hurt certain group of people. Afro-Americans, Asians, popular public figures, all of these groups are common target to stereotypes. S ome people may say whatÂÂ ´s the big deal about all this stuff? Yeah there have always been people treating bad Afro-Americans, so? Stereotypes toward Afro-American persons have always been a great deal, they have really been. Since they came to America they have been discriminated, most of all because of their dark color, maybe this seems a problem, but a bigger problem is when huge companies such as Intel (Computer company) make racist ads that are not even worth sending them to the media. In July 2007 Intel made a public campaign on television were a white man stands while six color athletes are bowing down to him, the ad of course was removed from National television, and it appears that it has also been removes from internet, since it cant be found anywhere, the only thing that can be find is a promotional picture of the add. This add made a lot of critics from customers and from the media, it even lead to Intel asking for public apologies in their own website, We are sincerely sorry and have identified specific steps covering heightened cultural sensitivity, our review and approval process, and just using more common sense to ensure that this does not happen again. (Don Mac Donald, http://www.intel.com/news/sprintad.htm) Using ads that perpetuate racial stereotypes did not go to good to Intel since they even had to make an apology publicly that today is still visible to any people who wants to see it( http://gawker.com/284292/intel-ad-stupid-or-stupid-and-racist). As well as Intel, but with more luck, Asian Toothpaste Company named Auulws made also a racist add towards Afro-American, with the only difference that this one made a direct comparison between a black man and a new on market black toothpaste. The add in this case sends us a message directly, not all black things are bad (comparing it to a black men), buy our new black toothpaste. It sure sounds to racist to even be used in television but it really did, and it did not create too much controversy in Asia maybe because they found the ad funnier than racist. At last this company was the one winning because of the success of the innovative product ( http://www.buzzfeed.com/expresident/racist-toothpaste-commercial). The commercial you just read was made by Asians, but as well as they make stereotypes of people in U.S, people in the U.S make stereotypes of them like the one Whiskas (Company that sells cat food) made about 3 years ago, the ad shows how an American man fools an Asiatic woman that seems to be stupid in the commercial. The message that Whiskas successfully give to the public is that Asian cat food is bad, and that Asian woman are stupid (http://www.adsavvy.org/25-most-racist-advertisements-and-commercials/) Every culture, group of people or however you want to call it can be a victim of this strong way of making stereotypes in television, even the strongest persons on earth such as the president of the United States, Barack Obama. In a commercial made by the Japanese mobile company, Emobile, you can see president Barack Obama being compared to a monkey, this ad was banned in several days due to the strong humor the Japanese try to show in television (http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/japans-emobiles-commercial-depicts-obama-as-a-monkey-racist-or-just-a-commercial/question-809365/?page=2). Television is a very strong form of communication as you can see, and all of this is because of the large part of society it can get to. Even tough, there are other advertising techniques that are very powerful because of their accessibility to the people, there is just one specifically that doesnt need you to pay to see it (such as television or newspaper) and this are the billboards. The billboards are the second most important form of advertising as they get to the 93% of the population in the city where it is shown. Actually in America an amount of 5.5 billion dollars are used in billboards annually, and this quantity is expected to grow even more in the next years. This means that the billboards are a great way to reach people if you are talking of advertising. (http://www.businessknowledgesource.com/marketing/using_billboards_for_marketing_026351.html). The billboards may seem very good way of advertising, but this good way of advertising is also a good way of advertising stere otypes toward groups of people such as what Sony did in 2006. In 2006 in the Netherlands Sony(technology manufacturing corporation) was promoting the new PSP(Play Station Portable) of color white and may have not done it the correct way. They use a white woman to represent a white psp and she is aggressively holding the head of the black men (black psp). The peculiar billboard Sony used to promote the white PSP was used in over 100 billboards all over Netherlands. After the ads were taken of Sony did not really defend themselves, instead they just respond The marketing campaign for the launch of the White PSP in the Benelux focuses on the contrast between the Black PSP model and the new Ceramic white PSP model.(SonyÂÂ ´s CEO). The polemic billboard from Sony of course caused some boycotts of buying the white ceramic PSP, but after some time the things calm down. This of course taught Sony a lesson the bad way. (http://www.engadget.com/2006/07/06/sony-under-fire-for-racist-advertising/). The advertising over the years have been a great deal since advertising is publicity and publicity is money. As a matter of fact, the racist stereotypes shown on media are not just to black, Asian, or powerful people they can apply to any person in earth. The racism in media is not the only problem in the media, there are also some other problems in the media that can affect society. Thankfully there are several groups that defend racism and the content that the adds can display on the advertising such as the ITC (short for International Television Control) or the CEOUSA (Central for Equal Opportunity). The ITC has experience controlling the Television Advertising since 1990.The ITC doesnt just control the Television advertising in some parts of the United States, it also does this labor in the United Kingdom. This organization is responsible for banning advertising on the television that are not morally correct for the society in certain regions, they are the main reason that announcements affecting racial stereotypes do not last in air to long. (http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/itc/itc_publications/itc_notes/view_note64.html) By the other hand the CEOUSA sponsors conferences, supports research and publishes ads on issues promoting equitacy, ethnicity, assimilation and public policy. CEOUSA focuses on three areas in particular: racial preferences, immigration, and assimilation and multicultural education. There can be lots of more groups even more than this ones promoting the anti racism, we can know that, but other thing we know is that there are also a lot of people who can still be making racist advertising. In the world what talks the most is the money, all advertisings are made with money to get more money that is how it really works. From huge companies like Sony to very small companies such as Auulws, all need to make advertising to sell their products. Until there all goes alright, the problem is when they start messing with some culture, race, gender, or nationality. When that happens some people start to indignate and the awesome idea some guy had for selling more things converts to a really big controversy throughout all the internet, television, and news. However, at last the ones that make this continue or not are us, the consumers are the ones who decide if this type of advertising continues or not. Many times unconsciously we support this by buying products because of some funny ad we saw and that we did not know that it perpetuated racial stereotypes. So how I say at last the ones that make this continue or stop are us, and just us, the consumers.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Energy Star :: Environment Environmental Papers Fossils

Energy Star An analysis of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita for 1989 in United States Dollars compared to the 1991 total energy consumed per capita in equivalent barrels of oil for several countries, found the United States and Canada guilty for having the largest oil consumption per capita at fifty-five barrels while producing a third less than the leading country, Switzerland, in GDP per capita. Switzerland, the poster boy, of efficiency manages to produce more than the United States per capita while consuming half the amount of oil. (Ristinen and Kraushaar, 1999, 6) These astonishing figures present the United States as a wasteful nation plagued by inefficiency. Therefore, it was no surprise when in 1992 the Environmental Protection Agency began a program called Energy Star whose goal was and still is to promote and identify energy efficient products that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The idea behind Energy Star was to reduce United States consumption of fossil fuels, while also making the change economically sound to Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public, thereby increasing United States overall efficiency. The program started out small, targeting electronic devices such as computers and monitors, and then snowballed into undertaking household appliances, lighting, and even businesses and homes. The mechanism on which Energy Star operates is based on an Energy Star label that is placed on appliances, devices, and anything approved by the program. This label lets consumers know that the product meets certain Energy Star efficiency guidelines that vary based on the category. However, the Energy Star program was and still is purely voluntary, meaning manufacturers have the option whether or not to generate products that meet Energy Star efficiency guidelines. Some of the first devices that carried the Energy Star label were televisions, VCRs, and audio equipment. These devices along with a hoax of others such as copy machines, fax machines, DVD players, printers, and computers, consume energy while they are not in use or in standby mode. For the purposes of this paper, the term standby mode will be defined as the state of any electronic device that is plugged into a household power source, but has its power function turned off. Therefore, in an effort to increase efficiency, any electronic device that carries the Energy Star label will consume less energy during its standby mode. For example, in the case of a television that normally consumes six watts of electricity in standby, an Energy Star labeled television will consume fewer than three watts of electricity in its standby mode, which cuts its energy consumption in half during non-working hours.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Book Report On 1984 By George Essay -- essays research papers

The book starts off with an interesting first sentence â€Å"the clocks were striking 13.† To me this was unusual because there is no 13 on a clock and it is usually considered an unlucky number. I thought it was kind of weird and different compared to what kind of world we are living in today. This is because in London the province of Oceania is where our first and main character Winston Smith lives. There are signs reminding citizens that Big Brother is always watching. Big Brother is the leader of the party in which Winston is a part of as well as all the people of Oceania. Winston Smith is about 39 and has on ulcer on his left ankle. He had to wear blue overalls as a rule of the party. He lives in Victory Mansions by himself. One vocabulary word that I didn’t know I found on page 6, eddies, which is a current air running contrary to the main current. Also on page 6 I learned that in this place where Winston lives they use what is called a telescreen which watches and hears everything everyone is doing. There is a telescreen placed in every corner of every room. This telescreen could not be turned off. If you are heard thinking of something the Big Brother does not want you to think then you will be punished by the Thought Police. This punishment could be death or a sentence of 25 years in a forced labor camp. You had to keep your feelings to yourself and try to hide them from the Thought Police. â€Å"Your worst enemy is your own nervous system,† (page 67) this is something you hear all the time from criminals who say their self conscious got to them. There are three slogans of the party, theses slogans are War is Peace, Freedom is Slavery, and Ignorance is Strength. Not everyone is a member of the Party. Only about 20% of the people of Oceania are involved in the party. Most people living in Oceania are living in slums. The people are given a small amount of coupons to trade in for clothing, food or anything else they needed. On page 8 we find out the 4 most important buildings in Oceania. They are the four Ministries, which are all government buildings. They are the Ministry of Peace, which is concerned with war. The Ministry of Truth is concerned with news, entertainment, education and the arts. The Ministry of Love maintains law and order. The Ministry of Plenty is responsible for economic affairs. Each ministry had its own concerns and problems. I agree w... ...fter saying this, Winston is eventually let back into the world to work and live. They gave him a new look and a new job. Winston looked different because of all the scars and bruises he had suffered from being beaten in the jail. Winston then begins to love his new life and enjoys every minute of it. He is also now a good member of the party, doing everything he is suppose to, and not thinking for himself. He is thinking just like the party had taught him. He had found Julia at a restaurant, and they went to the park to talk. They both had turned against each other and decided it was best for them not to be involved anymore. It was mostly because they did not have the physical attraction to each other anymore as they used to. They both had changed because of being beaten in jail. A few days later an announcement comes onto the telescreen saying they have won the war and defeated Eurasia. People crowded into the street to cheer on the victory of the party. Winston jumped for joy and that’s when the Thought Police had seen on the telescreen and had realized that Winston was cured and a real member of the party. He had loved Big Brother and then he was shot from behind and killed.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

The Origin Of Basketball And I Essay -- essays research papers

Over the years since basketball was invented, its popularity has gotten very big. The game is played all over the world and has made a lot of people rich through its many professional leagues. The National Basketball Association is, by far, the most popular league in the world, but a lot of people like to watch college, high school, and recreational basketball as much. The game of basketball is one of the most popular and exciting games to watch or play on any skill level. In December of 1891, Dr. James Naismith was a teacher at the Young Men's Christian Association Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts. It was winter and one of his superiors, Dr. Luther Gulick, asked of Dr. Naismith to come up with a game that could be played during the winter months ("History"). Dr. Naismith had played rugby and he didn't like the roughness of that game. He wanted a team game which would get rid of most physical contact ("Basketball"). The game contained elements from American football, soccer, and hockey ("History"). Dr. Naismith contemplated the way the game should be played and what should be used for a goal. His original idea was to have a vertical goal. When he consulted some of his students, they brought to his attention that people would be able to block an attempt to score by simply raising their hand in front of the ball. He then came up with the idea of a horizontal goal in which the players would have to throw the ball in an arc. This would mean less force would be needed to get the ball in and it also meant that the opposing players wouldn't be able to block a shot so easily (Anderson, 5). He then asked a custodian to hang to boxes from the balcony in the gym. The custodian came back and said that he only had to peach baskets. That would have to do. The first ball used was a soccer ball. Since there was eighteen kids in his class, each team consisted of nine players (Vancil). Since the baskets were placed on the balconies, which happened to be ten feet high, the players needed a ladder to get the ball out after each score. By 1897, the size of teams had reduced to only five players and the ball was replaced with a slightly larger leather ball, very similar to what is used today ("Basketball"). As the popularity grew, more people began to go and watch th... ...it still does. The first great pro team was the Original Celtics of 1915 ("History"). It survived the NBL and dominated the NBA. The Celtics also changed the game into a future. The Celtics proved to be the best team in history. They were the first dynasty. Under some of the best coaches every to coach, they won an average of 57.6 wins out of 80 per season (Vancil, 12). They won eight championships in a row, and have a total of sixteen which is five more than any other team. The other great team throughout the ages was the Lakers. They won five championships in Minneapolis and six more after they moved to Los Angeles, for a total of eleven (Vancil, 26). The turning point for the NBA was the 1966-67 season. The Celtics were dominating and Bill Russell, the center for Boston, made $100,000 for that year (Vancil, 13). The fan interest was at an all-time high. In 1951 the first All-Star Game was held. The east had five of the leagues top nine scorers and beat the west easily. Eight years later, the Basketball Hall of Fame was built in Springfield, MA. It hold the names of great players, referees, coaches, and people of importance to the development of the game of basketball.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Imperialism in Heart of Darkness

Before being published in the present form of the novel, Heart of Darkness was printed in a serial form in 1899 and then part of a volume entitled Youth: A Narrative and Two Other Stories in 1902. Based on Conrad’s own personal experiences after the African country of the Congo and the famous Congo River flowing through this country the story assumed the present novel. It was in this year 1890 that Conrad had performed his sailing trip upon the river Congo as a captain or skipper of a Belgian steamship.During his trips, Conrad studied at first hand the conditions which prevailed in the Congo and formed his own impressions of the kind of life which the savages were leading under the imperialist Belgian rule. Conrad also observed the attitude of white traders and their manner of treating the native savages. His reaction to the treatment was unpleasant and, in fact, he was greatly dismayed and even shocked at what he observed. We find in his novel, Heart of Darkness, more or less a record of all this which experienced during his own travels through the Congo and the Dark Continent.The title of the novel Heart of darkness signifies simply the interior of the dark country known as the Congo. The theme of Heart of Darkness is the conditions prevailing in the Congo under the imperialist rule of the Belgian King, Leopold II. These conditions include the impact of white traders and explorers on the life of the African savages, and the influence of the native way of life on the white man, with special reference to one man who is given the name of Kurtz. In fact, Conrad’s novel Heart of Darkness has several themes, one of which is the theme of imperialist exploration of a backward country.In this essay I’ll show imperialism intervened with his life and Conrad as a victim of imperialism; the experiences of Conrad in the dark country of the Congo where the white man had become unsuccessful in performing civilizing function. I will end my essay discussin g the white man’s callous treatment towards the native savages and demonstration of their hypocrisy in the novel. Joseph Conrad (Jozef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski) worked as sailor on French and British ships before becoming a ‘naturalized British subject’ in 1886. He developed an elaborate and beautiful English prose style.His work was adventurous and ‘darkly pessimistic’. â€Å"One of the most noted practioners of literary impressionism, Conrad offered a fictional rendering of subjective response that had a profound impact on writers like Ford Madox Ford and Virginia Woolf. He wrote that the primary task of the novelist was â€Å"to make you see. †Ã¢â‚¬  Conrad was born in the city of Berdychiv in Russian-controlled Ukraine, on December 3, 1857. Conrad was orphaned at the age of eleven. His father was imprisoned by the Russians for his nationalist political activities. At the age of seventeen he went to Marseille to become an apprentice in the merchant marine.He was hired to take a steamship into Africa, and according to Conrad, the experience of firsthand horrors of colonial rule left him a changed man. Heart of Darkness is a fictionalized exploration of his life. Conrad’s novel, Heart of Darkness is largely a record of Conrad’s own experiences in the dark country of the Congo. The character named Marlow, the chief narrator in the novel, is largely none else but Conrad. Marlow, like Conrad, experiences a strong sense of disillusion and disappointment after observing the behavior of the white traders and also the conditions of the natives.There is a lot of resemblance between Conrad’s Congo Diary and the contents of the novel Heart of Darkness to justify such an assumption. It might be said that Marlow’s view of philosophy of life is very much the same as that of Conrad himself. Conrad in the novel talks about the unproductive efforts of the white-men to civilize the savages. The white-men instead became exploiters. At the time the Congo was being governed by the Belgian King, Leopold II, the Belgian trading companies were sending their agents into Congo for trading purposes.The chief commodity these Belgians found worthy was ivory and to the native savages ivory was of no use. The white traders collected ivory and sent it to Europe where it could be used profitably. We can see, throughout the novel, the mention of ivory is constant and dominates the thoughts of almost all the white characters, like the manager of the Central Station, the Brick Maker, and many others. They loiter around the country in search of ivory and Marlow describes these agents as â€Å"faithless pilgrims†. ‘Subsequently we find that ivory not only dominates the thoughts of Mr.Kurtz but has become an obsession with him. ’ Marlow is told by the manager of the Central station that Kurtz collects more ivory than all the other agents put together. Thus, ivory becomes the symbol o f greed in the novel, symbolizing the white men’s greed and commercial mentality. We have the failure of Mr. Kurtz to civilize and uplift the savages of the Congo. Even Mr. Kurtz who has begun to identify himself with the savages, has done nothing for the uplift of the natives. Instead of improving their mode of life, he has himself become a savage in their company.He has begun to satisfy his various lusts without any limits. Even in his prime of life, when he had supported the view about white man’s civilizing role, he had written down the following words conveying an opposite message â€Å"Exterminate all the brutes. † Instead of a civilizing effect in the novel, we find the white man’s callous treatment towards the savages. The sight seen by Marlow after getting down from the streamer is very disheartening and freighting. This reflects the wretchedness and the misery of the natives of the Congo. Marlow sees a lot of black people mostly naked, moving ab out like ants.Later he sees half a dozen men chained to one another, and each wearing an iron collar in his neck. Marlow feels deeply upset to see the sight. Alongside, there are quite a few other scenes which clearly demonstrate the hypocrisy of the white men. They are simply wasting time and effort to show that some kind of constructive work is going, while in actuality there is none. There is a project to construct a railway line in this region; but Marlow sees that a rock is being blasted with gunpowder even though this rock doesn’t stand as an obstruction. Then he also comes across some pieces of decaying machinery, and a large heap of rusty rails.The whole effort of the white man is completely misdirected. The futility of the white man’s efforts becomes clearer when we come across certain employees of the trading company. Marlow’s description of the brick maker is satirical. He describes him as a â€Å"paper-mache Mephistopheles† because of this man ’s cunning. In the end we may say that Conrad has exposed the Belgian imperialism in Heart of Darkness. There are wider implications of the Belgian imperialism as depicted by Conrad in his novel. It conveys to us the deceit, fraud, slave-trading and other cruelties of the Belgian rule.But Conrad here is not only exposing the hollowness and the weakness of the Belgian imperialist rule over the Congo, but also indirectly remind us of the British imperialist rule over the countries of the world of his time. Heart of Darkness is an autobiographical novel, in the sense that the book contains indirectly Conrad’s own experiences in the dark country known as the Congo, and is a firsthand account of his own voyage upon the river also named as the Congo. But the novel is not a straight biography as Conrad doesn’t speak in his own person but through the character of Marlow and also through another narrator.

Analysis Of “In Search Of Horatio Alger”

Philippe Bourgois’ 1989 article â€Å"In Search of Horatio Alger† takes a fairly sympathetic but nonetheless alarming look at the underground crack economy thriving in inner-city America. While he does not approve crack dealing or the violence it encourages, he demonstrates a solid grasp of why urban youth sometimes opt for this illegal trade, and he elaborates credibly on the â€Å"culture of poverty† idea scholars have debated for decades. After using a series of vignettes he gathered while observing the crack trade in New York’s Spanish Harlem, Bourgois segues into his analysis, which treats the crack economy like a business.He presents a context of socioeconomic change, in which well-paying manufacturing work has disappeared and been replaced by low-paying, poorly-regarding service-sector jobs. While many accept these, along with their exploitive conditions and low pay, others seek alternatives that seem less demeaning. Bourgois (1989, p. 626) writes, â€Å"These pariahs of urban industrial society seek their income, and subsequently their identity and the meaning in their life, through what they perceive to be high-powered careers ‘on the street.’† Though the crack trade is illegal and excluded from the mainstream economy, it nonetheless functions very much like a business and is indeed a sort of parallel. Not only does it provide sellers with income, but it also depends on control of designated territories (claimed and enforced through violence), has a clearly-defined hierarchy with bosses who collect receipts from workers on assigned shifts (and maintain discipline), competes for customers (also violently at times), and has an overriding concern for bottom lines.The chief difference, though, is the participants’ ethnicity (often black or Latino), their lack of education, and the heavy use of violence. Bourgois points out (1989, p. 632) that while legitimate businesses consider violence irrational and aberrant, within the crack world it â€Å"can be interpreted, according to the logic of the underground economy, as a judicious case of public relations, advertising, rapport building, and . . . ‘human capital development.’† Legitimate businesses use professional behavior, protocol, and nonviolent means of cultivating personal relations and enforcing their standards because violence deviates from their norms; in impoverished inner-city neighborhoods, though, violence is the norm and is highly effective. For these people, crack dealing represents a legitimate career not only because it is easy to enter, but mainly because it seems a viable alternative to the racial and social subordination inherent to service jobs.Bourgois rejects the notion that the urban poor are simply passive victims of a changing economy; instead, he argues that it is an active, advertent effort by the inner-city poor to create an economy that supports them and, perhaps more importantly, giv es them prestige, albeit on their own terms. They see no dignity in service-sector work and find independence, flexibility, and a respite from racism in this alternative economy. In addition, inner-city youth often encounter negative attitudes and have discouraging experiences in the legal economy, thus making crack dealing seem a viable alternative.Using the Puerto Ricans he met in Spanish Harlem as an example, Bourgois (1989, p. 626) writes that the urban poor are deemed â€Å"unemployable† and trapped in a culture of poverty, the existence of which has not been disproved after decades of scholarly debate. He adds (1989, p. 626) that â€Å"the media and a large portion of the inner-city residents themselves continue to subscribe to [the] culture-of-poverty concept. † Excluded by institutional racism, poor education, and troubled family lives, the urban poor are also beset by a changing economy that allows them to hold only menial, poor-paying jobs that offer little o r no advancement (1989, p.627). In fact, those who favor the crack trade view legitimate jobs with disdain, rejecting the system in ways that they believe it has rejected them. Bourgois (1989, p. 629) claims that because they are trained for subordinate roles by the educational system and offered only low-status jobs, such people sometimes react by developing a kind of â€Å"structurally induced cultural resistance† fed by deep frustration and anger. As he asserts (1989, p. 630), â€Å"The underground economy .. . is the ultimate ‘equal opportunity employer’ for inner-city youth. † Bourgois also implies that such feelings are understandable, especially given the fact that many in the crack economy had negative experiences in legal jobs, though he also concedes that not all of the working poor are automatically driven to illegal livelihoods. To his credit, though, Bourgois does not condemn the poor or claim that the socioeconomic system automatically drives them into lives of crime.Though the crack trade appears to some a viable alternative to jobs that earn little money or respect, Bourgois does not romanticize the crack dealer as a noble figure or excuse the crack economy in general. Instead, he condemns the effects crack has on inner-city neighborhoods; though a lucrative business, it is a destructive force because of the addictions it creates and the violence by which dealers create and maintain reputations. In his field work, Bourgois pays particular attention to the dealers’ machismo and alludes to the especially negative effects crack has on women.Though Bourgois claims (1989, p. 644) that poor women of color are actually more emancipated in recent years, since they work outside the home more than in past decades and are not as homebound as in previous generations. However, the crack economy puts women into an ugly paradox; those who attach themselves to the crack trade are usually hangers-on, attracted by the prospect o f money and drugs, and they often allow themselves to be treated more as objects than as people. Also, addiction forces some to turn to prostitution in order to support their habits, at the expense of their families.Few are allowed to become dealers; though Bourgois (1989, pp. 623-625) mentions one in his field observations, many are barred from street dealing because of their vulnerability to physical violence and, in a parallel with the legitimate economy, are barred from rising very far in this street economy. Women’s involvement is encouraged, but limited by the dynamics of machismo and the reality of physical violence as a means of building and maintaining reputations; they are as subordinate in this economy as they are in the legitimate one, albeit with vastly more damaging consequences in the former. As Bourgois explains (1989, p.645), â€Å"[The] proves of emancipation that has enabled women to demand equal participation in street culture and to carve out an expanded niche for themselves in the underground economy has led to a greater depreciation of women. . . .† Bourgois presents a credible explanation of why some of the urban poor are drawn to the underground crack economy. Their ambitions and energies, frustrated by social, educational, and economic conditions, are sometimes channeled into the violent, risky, but intensely lucrative crack trade because it represents, he claims, a sort of Horatio Alger â€Å"rags to riches† story for the post-industrial age.He does not demonize the poor as a whole, or even those who gravitate toward crack dealing, since he conveys an understanding of why they see few viable alternatives. On the other hand, he does not laud their participation in the underground economy; while he indicates the participants’ sense of rebellion and resistance against discrimination, he depicts the crack economy as a symptom of the much larger social problem of poverty without apparent escape or alternatives. The article also offers proof that a culture of poverty exists – the examples he uses paint a sordid picture in which the poor feel rejected by the establishment and thus create their own system, which is even more disastrous to their communities and lives. Bourgois, P 1989, â€Å"In search of Horatio Alger: culture and ideology in the crack economy,† Contemporary Drug Pr

Sunday, September 15, 2019

Nutrition Behavior Change Project Essay

Keeping up a behavior can be hard, â€Å"the motivation must come from within.† For the past 23 days I have been striving to change and succeed, by the 22nd of October, in two specific nutritional behavior goals. One of them was to intake at least 30 grams of fiber on weekdays and at least 25 grams on weekends. The other was to reduce my sodium intake by a quarter, on weekdays, of what it was per day and reduce it by an eighth on weekends. This preparation all started about a week before my 23 days of transformation. In the three beginning days I tracked my diet and found that my low fiber and high sodium consumptions were eye-opening problems. My average fiber intake per day rested at 21.18g, which was significantly lower than my goal of 38g per day. As this issue arose so did my awareness that multiple aspects of my health were at risk. For example, my low fiber intake could place me in danger of developing heart disease. Fiber nutrients reduce the chance of disease like heart disease, diabetes, and many other frightful illnesses. In addition, foods that consist of fiber provide a feeling of fullness without additional calories being added to a diet. As for my Sodium intake, I was recommended a target of 1500mg a day but I was actually devouring a skyrocketing 3959.4mg a day. Without thinking twice I knew I had to make significant behavior changes. Concerning my towering sodium intake, I found that high sodium consumption makes the body preserve more water, which can raise the blood volume and, in turn, increase blood pressure. Considering my high blood pressure it would be essential and crucial to lower my sodium intake. Fortunately, the data collected demonstrated that the amount of sodium I have been taking in each day has been playing a role in my elevated blood pressure. After reviewing this data and conducting research on these two nutrients I felt very serious about changing my dieting behavior s. In which case, relative to the Stages of Change/Transtheoretical Model of behavior change, at the start of this project I was most certainly in the preparation stage. I began with a determined attitude that would help me change my current behaviors within a month. To change my behavior I made  goals to reach by the 22nd and used strategies that would help me to complete my SMART goals. For example, I made sure that I controlled my environment by buying fruit and other healthy snacks instead of unhealthy snack foods. I also had peer support from my roommate who reminded me when I was snacking unhealthily to instead snack on a banana or apple. My excellent preparation skills granted me success in my dietary behavior goals. Overall I feel confident that I have succeeded in changing my behaviors. Everyday I have been conscious of my fiber and sodium goals. Rarely did I go eat off campus. I consistently ate lunch at the Hanwell dinning hall, except for 1 day when I was sick and in bed, and I always ate dinner at Smith dinning hall. Hanwell and Smith provide a great selection of fruit and mixed greens, so everyday I could eat my essential bowl of fruit for lunch and required dinner salad. I didn’t eat a salad or a bowl of fruit on solely one day, however, I felt very ill that day. Also, since I only had Gatorade, juice and water with my meals, my sodium level decreased substantially. My typical day consisted of eating microwavable breakfasts with juice in the dorm, lunch at Hanwell and dinner at Smith. My achievement in changing my supporting behaviors was due to keeping up with my tracking sheet. In turn, I increased my fiber intake to 34.34g on weekdays and 26.61g on weekends. This data exceeded my goal of fiber intake on both weekdays (30g or more) and weekends (25g or more). My sodium intake also exceeded the par; weekdays I consumed 2841.32mg a day and 3303.9mg a day on weekends. With dedication comes success and in order for me to stay dedicated I needed to construct thought out strategies. A strategy that contributed the most to my accomplished goals was to eat off campus only two times a week. Usually I saved eating out for the weekends but eating on campus made it easy to make healthy choices. For instance, when I ate off campus for lunch on the 9th my sodium intake was 1324.22mg for that single meal and when I ate lunch on campus on the 29th, a weekday, my sodium was less than half the sodium of the off campus meal I ate on the 9th. Another strategy that helped my success was my use of environment control. I stopped buying junk  food and ended up snaking on fruit, particularly bananas, and occasionally canned beans. In turn, I increased my fiber above my weekday and weekend intake goal. These two strategies acted as a spine to my success in my goals. Even though I was very successful in my goals, I faced two major barriers in the process. Finding a way to eat healthy on weekends was a huge barrier with my busy soccer schedule. Breakfast is easy to make but lunch and dinner is very difficult to attend due to afternoon practices and night games. The weekends on average boosted up my sodium about 600mg higher than the weekdays; nevertheless, I still fulfilled my sodium intake goal. I knew weekends would create a problem even before I started the project because it’s been an ongoing issue since school started. Furthermore, time was also a complicated barrier to work around. Time is a common barrier when trying to eat healthy, be more active or simply going about a routine. When I was in a rush to class or hurrying around campus taking care of things, I would sometimes compromise for quick microwavable products, which I learned contain more sodium than the normal. Out of the barriers I faced there was one that I did not predict, my ADHD medicine. This medication minimized my hunger, sometimes to the point where I did not want to eat. When this happened I force-fed myself but with smaller portions. I tended to eat more salad greens instead of the heavy, filling food. Despite these obstacles, after one week I made only one change to my behavior. I developed better shopping skills that helped me obtain superior quality microwavable foods and I started to keep fruit in my bag in case I felt crunched for time. This change helped me to complete my activities and thrive in my goals. During this project three major issues emerged regarding my nutrition. One was that some foods that I thought were healthy aren’t. For example, I always ate flavored instant oatmeal thinking it was very healthy and nutritious, however, oatmeal that has flavoring in it, I learned, usually has more than 12 grams of sugar in it per serving. As I learned more about this product I found that this oatmeal was not whole oats which are far more healthier and can be just as quick to make as instant oatmeal. Choosing an alternative for this food was important to decrease my intake of sugar.  Another major issue that emerged was what food I took in when traveling with the soccer team. It had nothing to do with the organization. It was my personal choice of snacks that I decided to bring on the bus rides; like popcorn or as surprising as it sounds, yogurt. Yogurt is healthy as long as its kept simple, however, my yogurts were loaded with flavoring and coloring that boosts up the sugar c ontent. In result I made alternative choices (apples, bananas) that would improve my game and boost my energy healthily. Lastly, I experienced a major issue with my roommate. As much as he helped me to make healthy decisions, hypocritically, he seemed unable to make healthy decisions for himself. He usually always has a bag of chips and an immense amount of candy laying around which didn’t help in contribution to my goals; my sodium intake goal. Although I learned that in order to get in a habit of eating better and more healthy, I spent less time in the room. Now I am pretty good about saying â€Å"NO† when fatty junk food in in my presence. Overall I learned many things about changing a health behavior. I learned that changing a behavior takes time and effort in order to succeed. Most of all, changing a health behavior takes determination because without that it is impossible to change. After completing this project I am proud to say I have moved form the preparation stage at the beginning of the project, to the action stage in the Transtheoretical model. This came with the help of my commitment, in accepting the responsibility of change, goals, to keep me motivated, rewards, when I completed my goals I bought a redskins jersey I’ve been wanting, and lastly environment control, where I only bought healthy foods like fruit and vegetables. Currently I am successfully changing my negative behaviors and adopting new healthy behaviors in my quest to stage number 5, the maintenance stage.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

Exam 06044100

Part A: 1. Organization’s commitment to social responsibility takes the form of policies or pronouncements on what the organization intends to do to address its social impact in the community where it operates, which includes its stakeholders, suppliers and the general public.As such, a key requirement in implementing an organization’s commitment to social responsibility is the buy-in from the board and the top executives which make the policies, and the support of the middle-management and employees which will implement the policies. To do this, the board and top executives must understand the firm’s effects as an organization, and everyone else must have a clear grasp of the direction where it is going.Implementation involves the day-to-day operations, processes, activities, decisions and practices which will ensure that the organization’s socially responsible commitments and policies are carried out and met The main obstacles to implementing socially re sponsible policies are ,lack of clarity in policy statements, lack of a supporting structure system, processes and organization financial constraints programs and projects must have appropriate funding,lack of coordination among activities, lack of understanding and support from implementers middle management and employees.Some specific actions that can be taken towards increased social responsibility's are. Come up with ways for the organization to integrate socially responsible policies into day-to-day operations and individual activities. This can be done by involving middle managers, employees, and other key players in brainstorming sessions. Develop a strong communication plan : Internally, focus on motivating factors such as how social responsibility can be a source of competitive advantage for the organization in terms of low production cost, improved product value, and build-up of customer loyalty.Externally, focus on making commitments public, not only to gain public attent ion, but to inform the public of what it is doing in terms of improving product value and customer service. Set measurable targets and continuously . Celebrating achievements can be a source of inspiration and increased commitment to social responsibility. 2. Departmentalization is the process of grouping activities, customers, or job functions into specialized groups of an organization to create better coordination. All large companies have multiple departments. These departments are specialized units that carryout pecific functions for a company. Most organizations have the functional departments of human resources, accounting, sales, and information technology. Types of Departmentalization 1) Functional: Groups of employees based on work performed (engineering, accounting, information systems, human resources). 2) Product: Groups of employees based on major product areas in the corporation ( woman's footwear, men's footwear, and apparel and accessories). 3) Customer: Groups of em ployees based on customer’s problem and needs (wholesale, retail, government). ) Geographic: Groups of employees based on location served North, South, Midwest, East). 5) Process: Groups of employees based on the basis of work or customers flow ( testing, payment) 3. Is a scan of the internal and external environment is an important part of the strategic planning process. Environmental factors internal to the firm usually can be classified as strengths (S) or weaknesses (W), and those external to the firm can be classified as opportunities (O) or threats (T). SWOT analysis means analyzing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.The SWOT analysis provides information that is helpful in matching the firm's resources and capabilities to the competitive environment in which it operates. It is a useful strategic planning tool. It is based on the assumption that if managers carefully review internal strengths and weaknesses and external threat and opportunities, a useful s trategy for ensuring organizational success can be formulated. As such, it is instrumental in strategy formulation and selection. Strength. A firm's strengths are its resources and capabilities that can be used as a basis for developing a competitive advantage.It is an important organizational resource which enhances a company, competitive position. Some of the internal strengths of an organization are Distinctive competence in key areas ,Manufacturing efficiency like exclusive access to high grade natural resources, Skilled workforce, Adequate financial resources,Superior image and reputation such as strong brand names. -Economies of scale -Superior technological skills -Insulation from strong competitive pressures -Product or service differentiation -Proprietary technology such as patents and resultant ost advantages from proprietary know-how -favorable access to distribution network. Part B: . 1. Six Sigma at many organizations simply means a measure of quality that strives for n ear perfection. Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects (driving toward six standard deviations between the mean and the nearest specification limit) in any process – from manufacturing to transactional and from product to service. The statistical representation of Six Sigma describes quantitatively how a process is performing. . The balance of trade of a nation is the difference between values of its exports and imports. When exports are greater than imports, the nation is said to have a balance of trade surplus. On the other hand, if imports are greater than exports, the nation is said to have a balance of trade deficit. Exports and imports that figure in the balance of trade concept arise in the context of trade with other countries. Exports are the value of goods and services produced in the United States and sold to other countries . 3.Perception is the process by which you become aware of objects and events in the externa l world. Perception occurs in five stages: (1) stimulation, (2) organization, (3) interpretation-evaluation, (4) memory, and (5) recall. 4. A decentralized organization is one in which decision making is not confined to a few top executives but rather is throughout the organization, with managers at various levels making key operating decisions relating to their sphere of responsibility. Decentralization is a matter of degree, since all organizations are decentralized to some extent out of necessity. . Bounded rationality is the idea that in decision-making, rationality of individuals is limited by the information they have, the cognitive limitations of their minds, and the finite amount of time they have to make a decision. It was proposed by Herbert A. Simon as an alternative basis for the mathematical modeling of decision making, as used in economics and related disciplines; it complements rationality as optimization, which views decision-making as a fully rational process of fin ding an optimal choice given the information available.Thus the decision-maker is a satisfies, one seeking a satisfactory solution rather than the optimal one. 6. Although an early study, this is still often referenced. It is notable that the two factors correlate with the people-task division that appears in other studies and also as preferences. Consideration is the people-orientation and Initiating Structure is the task orientation. Initiating Structure is the degree to which a leader defines and structures his or her role and the roles of the subordinates towards achieving the goals of the group. . Think of negative punishment as Removing Something pleasant with the goal of decreasing a behavior. Think of negative reinforcement as Removing Something unpleasant with the goal of Increasing the target behavior. 8. A system is commonly defined as a group of interacting units or elements that have a common purpose. The units or elements of a system can be cogs, wires, people, compute rs, and so on. Systems are generally classified as open systems and closed systems and they can take the form of mechanical, biological, or social systems.Open systems refer to systems that interact with other systems or the outside environment, whereas closed systems refer to systems having relatively little interaction with other systems or the outside environment such as food and air and return other substances to their environment. 9. Basic tasks and functions of management include planning, organizing, staffing, motivating and controlling business and its activities. 10. Appraisals are most often used as a punitive tool, but they can be a very powerful management tool. Appraisals can help you find the areas that most motivate your employees and how to help them improve.By understanding the areas that most motivate your employees, the appraisals can provide you with the most important tool to guide your staff. 11. A group is said to be in a state of cohesion when its members pos sess bonds linking them to one another and to the group as a whole. Social norms are described by sociologists as being laws that govern society’s behaviors. Although these norms are not considered to be formal laws within society, they still work to promote a great deal of social control. Social norms can be enforced formally through sanctions or informally through body language and non-verbal communication cues.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Discussing a New Coffee Branding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Discussing a New Coffee Branding - Essay Example The activity is sure to attract consumers, as it provides on-the-spot testing of taste and quality of the product. The consumers will be invited to have mugs of fresh coffee made with that brand, and then, their remarks will be taken by asking them to note down their comments on a special notebook. The team leader will continuously be introducing the new brand to people through a microphone. I would also recommend creating suspense starting some days before the launch of the product. I suggest placing banners and some guessing game ideas written on billboards right at the spot where the product is to be launched. This way, the consumers will remain curious about what is going to happen or what is going to come into the market and into their hands. This will create such a buzz that nobody will want to miss the product and the event in which the product is to be launched. I suggest releasing bits and pieces of details every day to give the boost to the suspense. This will surely drive people crazy about the product and the launch event. I suggest giving people free access to some of the features of the new brand. I recommend that sachets must be prepared for the new brand of coffee, with eye-catching wrappers, and they must be distributed in the launch event. Nothing amuses and attracts consumers more than something being given free about the new product. Those who will not taste the coffee on-spot will take sachets and try them at their homes. This will be very interesting for them and will assure them that there is something good for the product that the company is giving the people a free chance to try it.

Thursday, September 12, 2019

EXAM # 2 - Dunkin Brands Group, Inc. (DNKN) Research Paper

EXAM # 2 - Dunkin Brands Group, Inc. (DNKN) - Research Paper Example According to the firm’s 2013 Annual Report the specific strategy offers to the company the following advantage: being released from the costs related to the daily operations of its restaurants, the firm is able to emphasize on sectors that are critical for the business success, such as ‘menu innovation, marketing and franchisee support’ (2013 Annual Report, p. 1). The above strategy of Dunkin’ Brands Group can be characterized as an ‘Analyzer’ strategy (Daft 2010, p.71) since the following term is met: the firm keeps certain parts of its strategy stable, such as the use of franchise, while other parts are continuously updated; the continuous changes on the firm’s menu are examples of this practice. Moreover, the overall strategy of the firm can be characterized as aligned with the rules of geocentrism (Culpan 2002, p.51) since key the firm’s units worldwide are considered as part of an integrate business unit, even if the method o f franchise is employed by the firm for securing global expansion. The establishment of long-term objectives is a critical part of the strategic planning process (Lussier 2008, p.123). The long – term objectives have the following characteristic: the time required for their achievement can be long, usually more than a year (Lussier 2008). In the case of Dunkin’ Brands Group the increase of the number of the firm’s units worldwide can be considered as one of the firm’s long-term objectives (2013 Annual Report, p.2). The improvement of the firm’s ‘relationship with its franchisees’ (2013 Annual Report, p.2) is another key long-term objective of Dunkin’ Brands Group. The development of an effective business strategy can require different strategic tools; the organization chart is one of these tools. The organization chart shows the business units so that existing business infrastructure can fully support daily business operations (Karami 2007, p.163). Organization chart is quite valuable

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Accounting - Essay Example In the temporal method, accounts and cash receivables are the main and only assets changed in the current exchange rate. Longer term debt and accounts payable are also changed at the current exchange rate. Due to the reasons that polish zloty liability amounts change at exchange rate surpasses the zloty asset amounts changed in the exchange rate, there is an existence of a net liability exposure. Measurement loss in the third of part 1 increases due to two reasons: there a net asset exposure in the balance sheet and depreciation of the polish zloty against U.S dollar in the second year. Account and receivables accounts are the main assets changed at the exchange rate. As there is no longer term debt in this part, the only liability changed at the exchange rate is accounts payable. As the polish zloty assets amount changed at the exchange rate surpasses polish zloty liability amount changed at the exchange rate, there exists an exposure of net asset in the balance

Tuesday, September 10, 2019

3 Reseach articles Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

3 Reseach articles - Research Paper Example All players were examined physically and underwent neuropsychological testing to establish baseline values. Players who sustained concussion, identified by failing tests requiring intact memory and orientation, were continuously assessed till its resolution. Players were repeatedly assessed at predetermined intervals by the similar neuropsychological tests used for baseline testing. The scores of neuropsychological tests and self reported symptoms of players were compared in both the groups using a between-subjects multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) (Macciocchi et al, 2001) . Additional statistical analysis was performed to compare scores of players experiencing 2 injuries after their first (T1) and second (T2) injuries to determine whether a second concussion led to a change in cognitive functioning. Additionally, scores were compared between players sustaining 2 concussions in close temporal proximity and players sustaining second injury over 2 or more seasons. Also, to examine the time related changes, pretest and posttest results of subjects with 2 concussions were analyzed with a within-subject MANOVA. Test results showed no significant difference between players with a single injury (S) and players who sustained 2 injuries, either at the time of their first injury or second injury. Players who sustained 2 injuries showed no significant differences in test scores after their first injury and second injury. Improvement in scores was seen in players after their second concussion as compared to pretest scores. Concussions significantly increased the number of symptom complaints at 24 hours and 5 days postinjury in both the groups, but symptoms were comparable to pretest levels by 10 days postinjury. The investigators concluded that there was no significant difference in the degree of neurocognitive impairment with 2 grade 1 concussive injuries sustained at least 2 weeks apart in

Monday, September 9, 2019

Inventory management. Amazon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Inventory management. Amazon - Research Paper Example The competitive advantage possessed by a company is also determined by similar factors. Efficient management of logistics allows a company to focus on other activities such as adding value to existing products, etc which indirectly increase the productivity of the organization. However, in today’s business scenario, the retail market has evolved and efficient logistics management is no longer just an advantage, it is the norm. Companies have found several different ways in which to achieve this, usually in alignment with their business models. The use of IT technologies has been one of the main factors that have hastened this process since companies are now able to communicate between offices regardless of the distance that separates them (CILTUK, 2007: 10-11). In order to understand the practical issues concerning inventory management, we examine the case of Amazon in the below report. Aims and Objectives of the research The following case study which examines the case of Amazon reflects on the growth of the company with respect to various theories associated with logistics management, in particular with the subject of inventory management. It attempts to relate the issues faced by the company and its subsequent successes to the research available in the field. It also explores the alternatives available for the company that might help it grow further. With the above information, the study also attempts to predict the future direction of the company based on the current status of the company and available business scenarios. Literature Review Company and market overview Amazon was setup in 1994 by Jeff Bezos as an online book store. Similarly, it was established in Europe as a book store in 1998. As a result of its successes, it was launched in other countries as well. Amazon International consists of a number of subsidiaries such as Amazon Japan and its operations in Europe. Its Europe operations ha ve needed an improvement to match its expected growth rate. In particular, its distribution strategy has been looked at more closely and an attempt has been made to emulate the American structure. Due to advancements in technology, Amazon has been able to enter a number of markets. However, technology, coupled with the opening up of new markets across the world has also led to an increase in the number of competitors in the field. Lessons from American Distribution strategy Reducing the costs incurred due to the purchase and holding of inventory or stocks is one of the main challenges for a retail store. However, the challenges faced by an online store are unique. Amazon was setup at a time when most of its competitors, other book stores, were brick and mortar stores or mail – order catalog businesses. The challenge of maintaining a low cost for stocks, at the same time satisfying customer demands is magnified for an online store. Amazon initially tackled this problem by hold ing minimum stocks while relying of wholesalers to satisfy most of its demand. This helped reduce the holding cost of stocks. At the same time, Amazon also tied up with publishers so that the unit cost of stocks would also decrease (Waters, 2003: 52). A combination of the two helped the company's capacity grow from 1 million book titles to 2.5 million book titles in the early years. This also helped ensure that orders were completed

Sunday, September 8, 2019

Opinion argument for or against Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Opinion argument for or against - Essay Example provide quality education to as many citizens as possible disregarding their individual peculiarities and enable them to realize their potential. If the gifted students have more potential, they should be able to realise it, and creating special classes seems to be the best way out. Still, there are some problems to be considered. The problem of striking a proper balance between standardization and individualization when deciding if the children should study separately or remain in the "ordinary" class is one of the most topical: [s]tandardizing the assessment procedures, content, and scoring criteria enables those not directly involved in the administration of the assessment to understand the conditions under which the performance occurred and the criteria against which it was scored. Thus, standardization is critical if test scores are to be understood by anyone not intimately knowledgeable about the details of the assessment procedures used to test each student. (Hager & Slocum 2005, 55) However, as the students are all quite diverse, with their own needs and peculiarities, individual approach should also not be neglected. The No Child Left Behind Act states that testing is obligatory for all the American students, including the students with disabilities. (Hager & Slocum 2005, 54) Of course, the problems of choosing an appropriate alternate assessment and the alignment of the "specialized" programs with a general curriculum arise, along with the issue of the ethical character - how reasonable it is to implement high-stakes testing to the students who are less able compared to the rest. As I have mentioned at the beginning of the paper, though I support the idea of giving the talented and motivated kids as much as possible, there are some very important and burning issues that can make this decision unfair and wrong. For me, the reasons for not placing the gifted students into the specialized classes lay in different spheres. First of all, some students who can be evaluated as non-gifted and who have problems learning, could be the victims of a subjective evaluation - their intellect and abilities might be as high as those of the students with higher scores, but there is something that prevents them from showing that (emotional problems, low self-esteem, difficult situations in the family and other personal issues, etc.) There are, however, some problems that are of a more complicated nature. Though steps are being taken to achieve equality between the Americans of different genders, races, and social and economic backgrounds, still the problem of inequality is very burning one. It has been proved by researchers that the students coming from the families of higher social and economic background receive better education in schools, and therefore they tend to have significant advantage as compared to poorer children. Black children, among whom the number of those coming from poor families is much higher than among the white kids, have a limited access to education, and therefore even a