Genetically Modified Food Should Be Banned or Not? Essay

Nowadays a problem of genetically modified food is widespread all over the world. GM foods are genetically modified using biotechnology. More and more GM foods appear on the shelves of our stores and supermarkets nowadays, and make their way into our kitchens. GM foods are designed for greater resistance to viruses and pests, higher nutritional value and longer shelf life. However, their safety, potential risks and ethical concerns are still being debated. So, should genetically modified crops be banned or not? Proponents of GM foods ensure that these foods are safe for human consumption, but critics argue that their effects have not been studied long enough. First argument for banning GM foods is that it badly affects our health and well-being. Some studies have linked consumptions of GM foods to liver and kidney problems. The antibiotics and hormones given to cows and chickens are found in our bodies and we don’t know yet the extent to which these cause chronic disease. Moreover genetic engineering could introduce allergens into foods, causing allergic reactions in people who eat the foods. Another argument is that GM food does not benefit people, just large corporations that produce and sell them. In the most cases the vegetables are modified to look better and be larger so that these companies can make more money. They do not add to the taste or freshness of nutrition of the food. On the other hand GM products along with disadvantages have their benefits too. A lot of people believe that genetically modified foods can help to solve the food crisis in future, and so help humanity to survive. Firstly, all of sorts of GM plants are stable against illnesses and mean weather. Also, GM food is cold tolerant. An antifreeze gene has been introduced into plants such as tobacco and potato. With this antifreeze gene, these plants are able to tolerate cold temperatures that normally would kill unmodified seedlings. Secondly, they ripen fast and keep longer than usual plants. It is easier to transport them and keep fresh for a long time. In my opinion, genetic engineering should be banned because young generation will have different diseases because of eating unhealthful food. Of course, this is a huge industry nowadays that obviously can’t be stopped, but I believe that there are other ways to save people from hunger. References: 1. â€Å"Genetically Modified Crops Should be Banned† 2. Murphy, Tom. â€Å"The Arguments for and Against Genetically Modified (GM) Food. † N. p. , 15 06 2009. Web. 22 Apr. 2013. 3. Gray, Louise. â€Å"Ten tweets for and against GM†. Environment Correspondent 4:04PM GMT 24 Jan 2011 4. â€Å"Should Genetically Modified Foods (GM Foods) Be Banned? – Facts & Infographic†.

Preschool Education System Essay

Ramona is a hard-working, loving, single mother of two preschool aged girls, Theresa and Rosa. She works overtime every week, just to make ends meet for her and her children. Ramona and her children are in poverty. Unfortunately, statistics indicate that Theresa and Rosa will struggle to receive the quality preschool education they need to in order to succeed throughout Kindergarten, grade school, high school and into adulthood. According to one study by Sum and Fogs, students living in poverty rank in the 19th percentile on academic assessments, while their peers who are part of mid-upper income families rank in the 66th percentile on the same assessments (Lacour and Tissington, 2011). â€Å"The achievement gap refers to significant disparity in low educational success between groups of children: low-income and minority children as compared to higher income and non-minority children† (Early Education for All). This academic achievement gap is unacceptable and every child dese rves the chance to excel to their fullest potential in school, in order to prepare for adulthood. Preschool is a pertinent part of a young child’s education, which has been proven successful many times in preparing children for grades K-12, and beyond. â€Å"Practitioners and researchers alike contend that the enrichment of preschool makes a difference especially for children living in poverty† (Loucks, Slaby, and Stelwagon). By providing all children with access to preschool programs, the educational achievement gap can be reduced. Unfortunately, since preschool is not a government mandated educational requirement, preschool must be privately funded, leaving families who are unable to pay tuition costs are. This is an opportunity that Theresa and Rosa would miss out on because Ramona cannot afford the tuition. Because of these lasting cognitive and social development benefits that preschool can provide, it should federally funded educational requirement. Quality preschool education needs to be regarded as a constitutional right, not a socioeconomic privilege. There is an increasing educational achievement gap in the United States, between children of low-income families, and their peers, due to their limited access to a preschool education. It has been proven time and time again, that underprivileged children, who are not provided with the access to a preschool education, perform lower in later academic learning, than those who were afforded a preschool education. One study in California revealed that second and third grade students of low-income families who did not attend preschool were significantly less proficient in English and Mathematics (Loucks, Slaby, Stelwagon, 2005). Another California survey illustrated that poverty stricken children entering kindergarten were six months behind their wealthy peers in pre-reading skills. (Loucks, Slaby, Stelwagon, 2005). Children of low-income families are also much more likely to encounter environmental and health risk factors. (Early Education for All). These risks can potentially impede on a child’s readiness for school. For example, children living in poverty have been proven to begin kindergarten with significantly less mathematical knowledge than their peers. â€Å"This would suggest that the preschool experience is a mechanism to level the playing field and fully prepare students to succeed in kindergarten† (Loucks, Slaby, Stelwagon, 2005). By entering the early grades without having the proper pre-requisite education and skill sets, children run the risk of falling behind in class. When a student enters kindergarten unprepared, the students risk of grade retention increases, not only in kindergarten, but also in the grade school years to follow. Catching up to the required proficiency level becomes harder and harder for the student, and in some cases, the student will simply giv e up and either fail or drop out. Access to preschool education for these children can help to close the educational achievement gap, and prevent grade retention, by providing these children with the tools and skills necessary to prepare for Kindergarten and beyond. The United States of America prides itself on its educational standards, and even has ratified educational laws which require children to meet proficiency standards in reading and mathematics at certain grade levels, as indicated in the No Child Left Behind Act. The law incentivizes those school districts which show improvement in test scores, and enforce corrective actions upon those districts who continuously fail to improve student proficiencies. Still, these underprivileged children are left behind, and find it continually challenging to catch up, as the school grades progress. A child’s odds of academic accomplishment are maximized when attending a high quality preschool program, especially within the lower-income communities. This theory has been put to the test. In New Jersey lays a group of the thirty one most poverty stricken districts in the state called the Abbott Districts. The state of New Jersey granted these districts a program which funds preschool education within the districts to their children in order to close the achievement gap for poverty stricken students. The results were noteworthy, and the funds allocated to this cause were well spent. Children who attended this program improved on their math, language and literacy skills. The kindergartners who had previously attended the program closed the academic achievement gap by a remarkable fifty percent between their own literacy scores and those of the national average (Early Education for All, 2005). These results proved the program to be a great success. Studies have been conducted all over the United States, pertaining to children in poverty and the profound effect a preschool program can have on each child’s continued education. In a fifteen year follow up study in Chicago, Illinois, children who attended preschool were proven to be significantly more academically successful than their peers who did not attend preschool. At the age of thirteen, this group of children’s academic scores was sixty percent higher than those who did not attend. By the age of twenty, this same group who had attended preschool was thirty percent more likely to complete high school, and forty percent less likely to experience grade retention or be enrolled in special education classes (Early Education for All, 2005). It is important to remember, however, that although the strongest support for the advantages of preschool education indicates that underprivileged children benefit most, all children, regardless of socioeconomic status can benefi t academically from a preschool education. When a child has had the privilege of attending a quality preschool program, that child is also much more likely to adjust socially in adulthood, than those who did not attend a preschool program. According to Loucks, Sharon, Slaby and Stelwagon, those who have attended a quality preschool program are also less likely to have long periods of unemployment or welfare, and drop out of school. (â€Å"Why is preschool essential in closing the achievement gap?† par. 1). Adults who attended preschool as a child also have been proven to reduce delinquency and crime throughout adulthood (Barnett, 2008). Preschools are not only about cognitive learning, but they give a formal education to pre-kindergarten aged children on the developmental concepts of interaction with their peers. These lessons stay with the children through the remainder of their life. Without those lessons, many do not develop the social skills needed to succeed in our society. Preschool education is not only beneficial to the individuals who attend the programs, but it also benefits community and the local economy as a whole. Funds invested into preschool programs provide a significant return to the community. The RAND Corporation, a non-profit organization which provides objective analysis through surveys and research (The RAND Corporation), recently performed a study which found that for every on dollar invested into quality preschool programs for underprivileged children, two dollars and sixty-two cents was returned into the labor force and economy (Loucks, Slaby, and Stelwagon, Fall 2005). That is a two hundred and sixty percent return on investment. The direct return on this investment alone is more than enough to warrant a universal program. This study does not even include other potential indirect financial returns. Other financial returns from a public preschool investment would also be present in the lowering of state Medicaid costs, law enforcements costs, and other low-income assistance costs, such as food vouchers, homeless shelters and unemployment pay, which cost the government and tax payers a significant amount of money every year. Preschool is a necessary business investme nt for our economy to yield a higher return rate, than the current K-12 requirements today. The concept of a universal preschool program is not unheard of, not even in the United States. Most state government funded preschool programs are targeted toward children of lower income households. These programs have been put into place in a collaborative effort to close the educational achievement gap that exists in our society. However, some states, and even entire countries have already begun governmentally funding preschool programs, not just for underprivileged children whose families cannot afford the tuition, but for all pre-kindergarten aged children. In 1998, Oklahoma legislation ruled to make all four year olds eligible for a universal quality pre-kindergarten program (Sacks and Brown Ruzzi, 2005). Of course, a program as significant as this would not go without continued research and analysis. In a study performed between 2002 and 2003, significant supporting evidence was found which indicated that the program was a success. The study showed increased academic test scor es in the subjects of reading, spelling, writing and mathematics skills (Gormley, Gayer, Phillips and Dawson). Oklahoma is not the only state to equalize education for all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status. With the revenues from a state lottery, and the leadership of, then governor, Zell Miller, Georgia was the first state in the United States to offer a publically funded preschool program (Early Education for All, 2005). Similar to the findings in the study of Oklahoma’s program, Georgia’s program was also proven to be successful. A study found that more than eight percent of students who had attended the program ranked average or above upon evaluation third-grade readiness (Sacks and Brown Ruzzi, 2005). A universal preschool program is not just a theory waiting to be tested, it is already in effect in some areas, and is proving its value in this country’s educational achievement. If we do not put into place the appropriate interventions in the society, the educational achievement gap will only widen, costing more and more tax dollars, and most importantly, costing children the equal opportunity of prosperity in this country. This gap can be diminished significantly by providing each and every child in this country with the equal educational opportunity of a quality preschool program. Such a program provides this nation’s youngsters with the skills they need in order to meet the countries educational standards throughout the span of their education. It is unfortunate that in this land of opportunity and prosperity, that in order to grown and succeed; our children are subject to exclusion of such a beneficial educational tool, because of his or her parents’ inability to afford tuition costs. With our current economic status, our children, the future of this nation, must be provided every advantage possible in order to change this economy around. An investment should be made in our future today by providing a constitutional right to a quality and inclusive preschool program to all children. Works Cited Loucks, Sharon, Slaby, Robert, and Stelwagon, Patricia. â€Å"Why is preschool essential in closing the achievement gap?† Educational Leadership and Administration Fall 2005: 47+. Academic OneFile. Web. 7 Oct. 2012. Document URL: http://go.galegroup.com.ezp1r.riosalado.edu/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA142874683&v=2.1&u=mccweb_riosalado&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w Strategies for Children. â€Å"Early Childhood Education: A Strategy for closing the Acheivement Gap†. Spring 2005. Web. 06 Oct. 2012. Document URL: http://www.strategiesforchildren.org/eea/6research_summaries/07_AchievementGap.pdf Marcon, Rebecca A. â€Å"Moving up the Grades: Relationship between Preschool Model and Later School Success.† Early Childhood Research and Practice 4.1 (2002). 06 October 2012. Document URL: . Gormley, William T., Jr., Gayer, Ted, Phillips, Deborah and Dawson, Brittany. † The Effects of Universal Pre-K on Cognitive Development.† National Institute for Early Education Research. 06 October 2012. Document URL: http://www.crocus.georgetown.edu/reports/oklahoma9z.pdf Barnett, W. S. (2008). Preschool education and its lasting effects: Research and policy implications. Boulder and Tempe: Education and the Public Interest Center & Education Policy Research Unit. Retrieved 10/06/2012 from http://epicpolicy.org/publication/preschooleducation Sacks, Lynne and Brown Ruzzi, Betsy (2005). Early Childhood Education: Lessons from the States and Abroad: 2005. National Center on Education and the Economy. The New Commission on the Skills of the American Workforce. Retrieved 1027/2012. Document URL: http://www.ncee.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Early-Childhood-Education.pdf Lacour, Misty and Tissington, Laura D. (2011). The effects of poverty on academic achievement.. Retrieved 11/03/2012. Document URL: http://www.academicjournals.org/err/pdf/pdf%202011/july/lacour%20and%20tissington.pdf The RAND Corporation. (n.d.). RAND Corporation: Obective Analysis. Effective Solutions. Retrieved November 03, 2012, from The RAND Corperation: http://www.rand.org/

Final Project Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final Project - Research Paper Example A training framework for employees in the application of the basic quality control tools is also created through this process (Tara, 2012). A storyboard is a visual display of the Quality Improvement story and normally it is mounted on a board in the area where the problem is occurring. This is because everyone can be able to see the problem and the progress made in solving process. A QI story has several uses: first, a team is able to organize, gather and analyze the data in a logical manner. Secondly, the progress of the team is also monitored (Tara, 2012). Third, the story facilitates the non members understanding of the process and the improvement. Lastly, the story makes it possible for presentations to be made to the management become standardized since everyone is familiar with the processes. The quality improvement story is a process that has several standard steps to be followed: 1. The problem area is identified 2. The causes of the problem are identified 3. The root causes of the problem are analyzed, identified and verified 4. The prevention action is planned and implemented 5. The effectiveness of the chosen action is checked 6. The process improvement is standardized 7. Future actions are determined Wellington hospital: Quality improvement story The wellington hospital conducted a quality improvement project which involved designing, developing, and implementing a quality improvement project that is based on accreditation. Team: 5 members Venue: wellington hospital building Team members: John smith Nelson Pulaski Dr. Theresa brown Rebecca Anderson Plan: to identify and plan for improvement in service delivery (http://www.thewellingtonhospital.com/) Identifying the problem area The areas for improvement were identified through the efforts of the team members and collaborations of the hospital’s departments. According to a survey conducted on all the hospitals in the state by EPIC sponsored by the association for public health institutions. I n 2011, 58% of the residents in the state knew very little about the services and products offered at wellington hospital. A review of the data also revealed that the people had little awareness and the knowledge of the quality of professionals in the institution (http://www.thewellingtonhospital.com/, 2012). Schedule of the plan A committee of staff committed to the process improvement comprising of administrators as well as top level managers. The team members also include the members who contribute to the quality assurance process as well as contributing to the project conclusion. A matrix diagram was created to document and understand the approach to be adopted. A time phased schedule was also created for the completion of the project (Hitoshi, (1985), Understanding the chance AIM statement Capacity Breakdown of the capacity Levels of learning Increasing awareness of the services in the public health services Relationship with the media Find the contacts to the media Learn the p ricing for the advertisements Past relationships Writing capacity Increasing the capability of the staff Developing the writing process Learn the standard formats in article writing John will write releases for the press The minimal writing process Public health topics Research and findings on the issues in the public health The issues which the hospital is currently facing Information to be released to the media Basic knowledge

Planning and Controlling Capital Expenditures Essay

Planning and Controlling Capital Expenditures - Essay Example Thus most companies hold on capital expenditures every year, in an attempt to continuously upgrade and improve things like facilities, vehicles, buildings and equipment. A capital expenditure is considered deductible since it represents an improvement to the business and this deducted takes place over a specific life of an item, after than all at once as in the case of repair or maintenance expenditures. Sometimes it is cumbersome to determine the difference that exists in capital expenditure and a routine expense. Generally capital expenditure improves the worth of an asset while if it keeps the asset in working condition, it is referred to as routine expense. Hence, engaging in capital expenditure is a routine way of upgrading and expanding business whether done on a small scale or on a large scale (Pike and Neale, 2003). Large firms or corporations may acquire extra companies, as in the case of automotive giant which purchases another car manufacturer. Consequently, allowances are made in the budget of the company for the capital expenses, including the ones involving the replacement of items which are no longer repaired. Capital expenditures thus normally yield benefit over a long period of time resulting into fixed assets. The resource constraint is a frequent phenomenon of all the economic activities in business. In addition, when a firm is able to spend on specific items it is not willing to do so (Nice, 2002). Therefore, a systematic screening is established to accept or reject the investment proposal. Investment proposal are divided into two groups that is: Mutually exclusive proposals and independent proposals. Mutually exclusive proposals are proposals that have an alternative of doing the same thing. If one alternative is selected then the other one must be rejected for example: if in plant material facilities are required, they are grouped according to their economic benefits. The economic benefits of each of the proposal will be evaluated and the one with the contributing maximum economic benefits is chosen while the rest with less economic benefits are rejected (Pike and Neale, 2003). Ind ependent proposals are those items of capital expenditures that are always considered for different types of projects whose accomplishments are highly needed. In this case all independent proposals are independent of each other and are worthy for implementation. However, due to financial difficulties, priorities are assigned to each proposal according to the gravity of the need of the organization for example: in line with the material handling equipments, instruments such as machines for weighing, packing, stamping may be required(Cotts, 2007). Thus for mutually exclusive proposals the decision criterion is accept or reject while for independent proposals the decision criterion is mainly based in ranking. The decision taken is based on the methods of analyzing the capital budgeting decisions. The environment of capital expenditure proposals are widely grouped into: Expansion, Replacement, Diversification and Strategic proposals. Expansion proposals involve the capital expenditure t o boost the production capacity within the same line of production (Shah, 2007).The investments are basically made in the familiar areas of activity as it involves minimal business risk as compared to diversification, however, larger risk than replacement expenditure. Replacement capital expenditure implies replacement of old machinery by a new one or a modern one. This replacement only

Drug Seizure Laws Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Drug Seizure Laws - Assignment Example However in the pursuit of such forfeiture, care must be taken to ensure that those who are innocent do not unfairly suffer the same consequences. Introduction The application of the laws that ensure that the profits or benefits obtained from criminal enterprise are forfeited by the state brings about with it a myriad of challenges and obstacles. The most difficult one is working out exactly what parts of this benefit can be directly linked to the drug-associated criminal activity and which parts are not. Care must be taken to ensure that those who may have inadvertently and innocently found themselves assisting in the commission of such crime are absolved of their involvement and that they do not suffer unduly due to the activities others, especially when it can be proven that they had no knowledge of it and did actively participate. The process of such determination is purely in the hands of the investigators and it is their responsibility to ensure that those who are innocent do no t suffer while at the same time ensuring that as much as possible of the proceeds of such crime is recoverable and recovered. 1. If a house was rented but was found to be used for illegal drug-related activities, it can still be seized by the authorities since it was being used in the commission of a drug-related crime under the civil forfeiture regulations. Under these regulations the police have the right to seize any such properties (Silveira, 2010). The detail of exactly how this happens varies from State to State. In Minnesota for example the police are supposed to notify the landlord if drugs valued at more than $100 are found in a rented property. The landlord is then expected to get the tenant to vacate the property. If that doesn’t happen and a second seizure of drugs takes place then the property is liable to judicial forfeiture. Similarly if a stash of drugs valued at over $1,000 is found at a rented property it may also be seized (Pirius, 2010). In a case reported in Orange County, Southern California, a Tony Jalali’s property was seized after it was found to be used for illegal drug-related activities (Bullock & Salzman, 2013). 2. If the car belongs to a relative, the car is still liable for civil forfeiture. A car that is used for the committing of a drug-related offence and especially one that is used as a possible means of escape from lawful arrest is liable for forfeiture regardless of whether the person that was using it at the time was the legal owner or not. According to the Minnesota Forfeiture laws, as long as the retail value of the drugs is $75, the vehicle is still forfeitable. In Court, the legal owner would have to prove that they have a defense against the forfeiture or that seizure of the vehicle would cause undue hardship to the members of the owner’s family for the vehicle to be released back to them (Pirius, 2010).In many cases, proceeds from the sale of vehicles collected under the drug-related seizure laws are usually ploughed into the operations of law enforcement so it is their interest to seize as many of these as possible as it goes directly to their budget, creating an incentive for the policemen to seize such vehicles.

Rebuttal of an Evaluation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rebuttal of an Evaluation - Essay Example He has said that this pain is expressed through â€Å"The Silent Scream† (Rice) that cannot be heard but can be seen. God is the creator of life and Satan is the destroyer, hence he has opined that abortion in way worship of Satan himself. Rice strongly announces his vote for right to life for the foetus and also told not to impose a decision of someone else’s on a coming child through deciding on his life and death. Rice’s argument against abortion lacks rationality and an emotional appeal rather than a reasoned one. The Silent Scream claim of Rice classifies the foetus as living and thus has a right to life. Biologically it is alive, but being alive neither provides it full human rights nor a right to live through the gestation period. Question might be asked why so? There are a bunch of reasons first of all a foetus carries human chromosome and left to grow it will be a human one day. It is a potential person, but our hair follicle also contains the same numbe r of DNA that it has. A zygote and a hair follicle contain the same attributes in terms of chromosomes and thus a zygote is as much a human as a hair follicle.

Best Treatment Approach For Persons Diagnosed With Schizophrenia Research Paper

Best Treatment Approach For Persons Diagnosed With Schizophrenia - Research Paper Example They also were incapable of winning people over or keeping their jobs because of their odd behavior, poor memory and inattention. Every day of their lives, they were on therapy. This writer will be investigating various researches to find a possible solution to the plight of the schizophrenics. The aim is to improve the quality of life of the schizophrenic patients. The best treatment approach for improving the quality of life of persons diagnosed with Schizophrenia Introduction Schizophrenia was a mental health disorder with several symptoms: positive and negative (Draper et al, 2009). Diagnosis was made by the DSM-IV criteria. Hallucinations represented the positive symptoms. The negative symptoms were the emotional problems of flat affect (Arif et al, 2011). Cognitive deficits included attention problems. This writer will investigate the efficacy of the types of therapy that had been used for management of schizophrenics and the advantages of using cognitive behavior therapy and r ehabilitation in addition assuming that the combination of procedures would elevate the quality of life of schizophrenics. CATIE The CATIE (Clinical Antipsychotic Trials of Intervention Effectiveness) was performed in US with 1460 patients to unearth evidence to indicate how clinical management could improve the efficiency of management (Bick et al, 2007). Different atypical antipsychotic drugs were investigated in clinical practice for an 18 month period (Bick et al, 2007). A 3-phase design was used. The results were depressing in that the drawbacks of the clinical practice were found. Antipsychotic treatment alterations The second generation drugs of olanzapine and clozapine which were the usual first-line- of- treatment drugs and widely used had the problems of metabolic dysfunction. Responding to the need for improvement of treatment of schizophrenia, newer drugs had been studied recently. This paper will highlight a few recent studies out of the many. The goal of antipsychotic treatment was to eliminate symptoms rapidly, prevent the relapses, decrease the severity of the illness and help to improve social relationships (Chwieduk and Keating, 2010). The use of Iloperidone, Paliperidone and Lurasidone were investigated (Arif and Mitchell, 2011; (Chwieduk and Keating, 2010; Ehret et al, 2010). Cognitive behavior therapy Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) had been recognized by many researchers as appropriate for treating schizophrenic patients as a complement to their pharmacotherapy (Kuller et al, 2010). The collaborative efforts of the clinician and the patient in evaluation of delusional beliefs in order to understand the underlying beliefs constituted one approach. The success of the therapy depended on the extent of therapeutic relationship between the clinician and the patient. Almost 20 trials had compared the treatment of patients who had the usual therapy of drugs and case management as against another group which had CBT in addition. The outcomes wer e based on patient characteristics, acute against chronic illness, short against long-term results and the type of symptoms. Psychosocial rehabilitation Valencia et al investigated the possibility of implementing a rehabilitation program in Mexico on the lines of similar programs in the US and the UK (2010). Social skills training and family psycho-education both established rapport between them (Valencia, 2010). The patients became less anxious and the program was a

Financial management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial management - Assignment Example Days payable out is too high beyond the working days allowed for 90days. The company should aim to reduce the number of days either by increasing the payables or number of purchases. The manager should be able to know where the cash is tied up. PART B Question three a) Price earnings ratio This is a ratio that is used to determine the value of a share or stock taking into consideration the earnings of a share of the company. By analyzing different price earnings ratios of companies, an investor can be able to determine where to purchase shares. A P/E ratio of 21.1 of Spikiri Company depicts that high returns can be expected. This is followed by Papi and Akanani Companies with 14.2 and 13.0 respectively. It is wise to purchase shares from Spikiri Company. The P/E ratio is also used to depict the amount of money investors are willing to pay for each dollar earned in a company. b) Dividend cover prices dividend paid P/E current high low dividend yield current high low Akanani 291 317 18 7 0.021 6.111 6.657 3.927 13 spikiri 187 201 151 0.023 4.301 4.623 3.473 21.1 Earnings per share current high low 22.38462 24.38462 14.38462 8.862559 9.526066 7.156398 dividend cover = earnings per share/ dividend paid per share current high low Akanani 3.663004 3.663004 3.663004 spikiri 2.060581 2.060581 2.060581 Dividend cover shows the ability of a company to pay dividends to ordinary shareholders from the profits that have earned. An investor is able to determine how much dividends are paid out of profits before making any investments in the company. Akanani pays more dividends from its profits as compared to Spikiri. Question three i. Cost of debt of bond A Kd = interest rate *(1-tax) = 9% (note taxes are ignored) ii. Different bonds in the same may have different costs of capital. This is explained towards the time period required to clear the payment. A bond with longer duration to payment will have a lower cost of capital. The yield to maturity also affects the cost of debt. Bonds have different yields to maturity which in turn determine the bond’s interest rates to be paid. The coupon rate may differ with each bond hence the cost of each debt. C i. Cost of equity 4+ (11-4)1.2= 10% ii. Ex-dividend share price = old share price/ (1+ dividend) = 1/(1+0.2) = 0.83 iii. Capital gearing (debt dividend by debt plus equity) = 30/90 = 0.33 iv. Market value weighted average cost of capital Cost of debt 9% + 7.82%= 16.82% WACC = kd * weight of debt + ke * weight of equity = 16.82 *30/90 + 10*60/90 = 12.27% d. change in dividend policy Dividend policy is explained as the long term decision that will show how cashflows will be deployed from the company’

Supreme COurt Kelo v. The city U5 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Supreme COurt Kelo v. The city U5 - Essay Example The eventual plan fell through. The case was an unmitigated disaster and is a great piece of evidence suggesting courts should mind their own business. The case hinged on the definition of â€Å"public use† in the fifth amendment of the Constitution. Justice Clarence Thomas issued a powerful dissent in which he took the majority to task: â€Å"Allowing the government to take property solely for public purposes is bad enough, but extending the concept of public purpose to encompass any economically beneficial goal guarantees that these losses will fall disproportionately on poor communities. Those communities are not only systematically less likely to put their lands to the highest and best social use, but are also the least politically powerful.† This dissent says it all. The unintended consequences of the activist judges' rulings are unfair and unjust. The problem with activist judges is that they undermine our democracy. They are not elected officials and are not resp onsive to the public. They live in an abstract world where they rarely see the consequences of their actions. Unfortunately, President Obama is keen on selecting more activist judges to sit on the bench of the Supreme Court. Kanner, Gideon. "Kelo v. New London: Bad Law, Bad Policy and Bad Judgment". The Urban Lawyer 38 (2006).

International Actors in the Middle East Since 2000 Assignment

International Actors in the Middle East Since 2000 - Assignment Example The United States invasion of Iraq is one example serves as an example of the attention that the United States has lavished on the Middle East, despite the fact that the reasons they originally gave for doing so no longer appear to be true. As Stephen Zunes explains, â€Å"WITH THE MAJOR JUSTIFICATIONS FOR THE U.S.-LED INVASION OF IRAQ †¦ NOW DISCREDITED, AND CLAIMS OF WANTING TO CREATE A DEMOCRATIC IRAQ HIGHLY DUBIOUS, THIS RAISES THE QUESTION AS TO WHAT ACTUALLY MOTIVATED THE UNTED STATES† . Some theories suggest that economic factors played a role in this invasion, but another strong driving factor was to impose American interests on the country The American occupation is not without its costs. â€Å"OVERALL, THE INSURGENCY VIOLENCE BEGAN AS, AND REMAINS, A REACTION TO THE OCCUPATION† . Such violence can be compared to that during the American Civil War or the Vietnam War, simply speaking; the inhabitants of the country are trying to get the invaders to leave. Some analysts predict that if the United States were to withdraw their troops, the violence within the Middle East would significantly decrease, as motivation against the United States military decreases. Indeed, when the United States pulled out of a similar situation in Vietnam, much of the hatred and violence dissipated . Violence continues in Iraq among the various political factions, most prominent of which are the Sunni and the Shiite. The United States has primarily provided support for the Shiites, however this poses a potential problem as â€Å"THE SOUTHERN SHIITE REGION IS A POTENTIAL POWERFUL ALLY OF IRAN, WITH AT LEAST ONE MILITIA (MAHDI) FUNDED DIRECTLY BY IRAN† . Suggestions for the future outcome for Iraq include a proposal to divide Iraq into three distinct regions, which would function autonomously. However, it appears unlikely that any such decisions will be made soon . As can be seen from the above examination, the allocation of power within the

Sexual Harassment in the Work Environment Today Essay Example for Free

Sexual Harassment in the Work Environment Today Essay Sexual harassment is perhaps best defined as unwelcome verbal, visual or physical conduct that is of a sexual nature. (â€Å"Sexual harassment in,†). According to the EECO website both the claims and monetary rewards associated with sexual have dropped drastically over the past decade.  What will you do to learn something new about this? I will begin by researching reliable web-site for further information on the subject. I will also use both the Kaplan library and my own local library for additional resources.   What will you do to provide the reader and yourself with new information?  I will convey to the reader all relevant information to the in both a logical and entertaining fashion. My paper will be interesting as well as factual, and will provide the reader with information which should enhance their knowledge of sexual harassment in the work place. How will you go about accomplishing this research paper? I will begin by doing extensive research on the topic of sexual harassment. I will cluster my ideas and begin to write my paper.  What is your plan to get this done?  Week one will consist of research gathering and clustering. By week to I will begin to write my paper which should be completed no later than week three. I will have at least two proof readers read my paper before it is submitted . References Sexual harassment in the workplace know your rights . (n.d.). Retrieved from https://careers.tcu.edu/sg../Sexual_Harassment_in_the_Workplace.pd

Behavior Towards Fast Food Mcdonalds In Malaysia

Behavior Towards Fast Food Mcdonalds In Malaysia Chapter 1: Introduction Introduction 1.1.1 The Nature of Fast Food From French fries to Big Mac burger, fast food can consider as one of the food types that growing in a fast mode (Goyal et al, 2007). According to Bender and Bender (1995), fast food meant food that has limited choices in the menu which being created under production line technique. Besides, fast food also defined as food likes hamburgers, sandwiches, or pizza which are food that supplier be likely to specialize (Davies et al, 2004). In simple words, fast food also being defined as food purchased by self-service in counter and then take the food to own dining table without any services by waiter (Association NR, 2003). The rise of fast food can be traced back to the early 1900s when Automat opened the first ever fast food restaurant which sell foods and drinks by using machines. Then white castle introduced hamburgers to fast food outlets and this brings the culture until today. After some years, the concept of fast food is so attractive and successful and this attracted many companies such as McDonalds, KFC, Wendys and Burger King joined the fast food industry (Chavadi et al, 2008). Since the early stage of 1970s in US, fast food has become part and partial of Americans and the frequency of eating fast food has rapidly increased (French et al, 2000). Fast food outlets imbued almost every corner in the world, different fast food restaurants is in your eyesight (Jayna et al, 2009). National Restaurant Association claimed that there are three out of ten customers said that eating fast food is their own way of life and it is important for their daily life (National Restaurant Association, 2008). Moreover, fast food successfully dominates away-from-home food expenses during the last few decades (Sharkey et al, 2011). To add more on this, the trend of eating away from home is more and more common and the frequency of visits to fast food outlets even increase rapidly. In 1970, there is about 25% of total spending for away-from-home foods and the spending rocketed up to 53% for the total spending for away-from-home foods (Clauson A, 2000). This showed that more consumers prefer to eat fast food rather than home cook foods. In addition, there are decelerating for the path of the industry when the economy crisis hits the world with a low point of 3.1% two years ago. Nevertheless, there are sign of recovery for the industry when there is expected accelerating of growth rates showed in the forecast period. The fast food market had $201.1billion of total revenue in 2009 which correspond to 4.8% of compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the year 2005 to 2009. In Europe, the markets raised about 4.7% of (CAGR) while Asias market grew about 6.1% of (CAGR) in 2009. The fast food market of Europe and Asia respectively values about $34.2 billion and $71.6 billion. Furthermore, the market consumption volume is expected to increase to $248.7 billion at the end of 2014. The most profitable in the industry is QSR segment where it earned about $142.6 billion or 70.9% of the markets overall value (Data Monitor, 2010). 1.1.2 History of McDonalds The history of McDonalds began in 1940 when Dick and Mac McDonald started their business by opening McDonalds Bar-B-Que restaurant in California which offered large menu to customers. After that, they closed down the restaurant and reopen another restaurant which is a self service dive in restaurant. This time, they only provide limited choices of foods for customers such as burger, coffee, soft drinks, potato chips and milk. In 1949, the world well-known French fries were introduced and replaced potato chips on the menu. After a year, a salesperson called Ray Kroc met up with McDonald brothers and purchased the franchising right from them and planed to operate the restaurant. Few months later, Kroc opened his first ever McDonalds restaurant in Illinois and the world famous Golden Arches also started to use as the symbol of McDonalds. History was made and new records to be created from time to time since McDonalds started its operation. Today, McDonalds is the world largest organizat ion in the world with more than 32000 fast food outlets in 117 countries which serves more than 60 million customers everyday (About McDonalds.com, 2011; McDonalds Malaysia.com, 2011). McDonalds also the largest buyer of materials such as potatoes and beef (Steyn NP, 2010). The brands mission is to be McDonalds customers favourite place and way to eat. Besides, the company promises to supply Simple Easy Enjoyment to every customer when they visit to the restaurant and let customers enjoy the feel of having meal there as well as like having meal in own sweet home. The company hold tied to the value of serving quality food, giving superior service and cleanliness of environment to delight every customer and hope customers were treated like VIP (McDonalds.com.my, 2011). Furthermore, the annual report of McDonalds for the year of 2010 reported that the company earned about $24,075 million in 2010 which higher 6% of the sales compared to the previous year which earned about $22,745 million. The revenues of the company in US for year 2009 and 2010 are positively increased because of the high achievement in new products, iconic core products and good focus on everyday value of the company. Additionally, the continually increasing of currency exchange in Europe, sales increased in UK, Russia and French, as well as the good expansion achieved in Russia had driven the revenues raised (Annual report, 2010). 1.1.3 McDonalds in Malaysia In December 1980, McDonalds Corporation, USA approved and gave license to Golden Arches Restaurants Sdn Bhd to run McDonalds restaurants in Malaysia. The first ever McDonalds Malaysia restaurants was opened at Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur which is in the heart of the big city on 29 April 1982. Now, there are 204 restaurants situated nationwide and currently there are about 20 to 25 restaurants will be opened annually as it is expanding steadily. Moreover, McDonalds employed almost 10,000 local citizens in different states to success the restaurants and 120 support staffs at its head office to handle day-to-day operation of the McDonalds business (McDonalds, 2011). So, it is obvious that McDonalds is very successful company and leader in the fast food industry in Malaysia which attracts million of customers visits to the restaurants everyday. Thus, this research is basically about the consumer behavior towards fast food especially McDonalds. Objective of the research: To discover the factors that influence consumer behavior to choose fast food as their meal. Research Question: What are the factors that influence consumers to choose fast food as their meal? Hypothesis 1: There is a relation between service qualities towards consumer behavior. Hypothesis 2: Place factor has relationship towards consumer behavior. Hypothesis 3: Price factor has relationship towards consumer behavior. Chapter 2: Literature Review According the report of Technomic about the status and future of fast food, the perceptions of consumers towards fast food have been changed. Now, consumers think that fast food is no longer limited to quick service, fast food restaurants, or drive-thru restaurants. Instead, there are risen of dual concept which formed the traditional fast food concept and the new concept of food fast which food can be served quickly with a superior quality, flavor, taste and ambiance. The report also claimed that consumers are seeking for faster, convenient, better and quality foods and services from all type of food service organization (Restaurant News Resource, 2010). Moreover, the report findings showed that about 49% among 2000 consumers have visit to fast food restaurant at least once in a week (Technomic, 2010). The new concept of perceptions totally will affect the consumer behavior towards fast food including McDonalds. In addition, Kara and Kucukemiroglu have studied about the consumer perceptions and favorites for fast food restaurants in USA and Canada. The research showed that the young consumers between the age of 12 to 24 hunt for different type of foods, better delivery service, lower price and good location in USA while Canadian teenagers look for novelties and price. Then, for the middle age group of consumers who are 25 to 45 years old, Americans looked for better service and better speed of serving food while Canadian considered quality, service and speed. More to the point, consumers above 46 years old to 55 years old, American preferred taste, cleanliness, quality and nutritional value whereas Canadian adults wanted better services, food quality and speed. Furthermore, young consumers have to be concerned and to be taught of the nutritional awareness and fast food preferences during the teenager years (Brown et al, 2000). In London, Davies and Smith have listed down the importance for t he nutritional value for fast food and fast food companies also printed the information of the value in its restaurants. 2.1 Consumer Behavior Analysis According to Solomon, consumer behavior can be defined as a study of selected consumers either in individuals or groups in buying, using or disposing of products, ideas, services or experience to satisfy own desires and needs. The satisfaction of desires and needs are closely related to hunger, personal status and thirst to love as well as spiritual fulfillment (Solomon, 2007). Consumer behavior has been defined as the the dynamic interaction of affect and cognition, environment, and the behavior from human beings conduct the exchange aspects of their lives (Peter et al, 2008). More on this point, during the consumption processes, the action performed, feeling and thought of own experience by consumers will affect the consumer behavior. Everything that surrounds the consumers and environmental factors such as advertising, product appearance, comments from friends, price information and packaging totally will influence the consumer behavior (Peter et al, 2008). There is for sure that consumer will buy something after they have a good expectation and satisfy towards the product. Nevertheless, researcher has to go deeper and questioning consumer in which circumstances and what reason for buying a product (Blackwell et al, 2001). According to Peter, the consumer behavior consider as dynamic because the changes of perception, feelings and activities of individual purchaser or a group of consumers. There are various type of marketing strategies is the answer to the question of consumers response. This doubt is always being answer by using the stimulus-respond model (Refer to Appendix 1). Furthermore, researchers have to find out from the buyers black box which is the essential point that other actors and companies in the market wants to know (Kotler, 2007). Determinants of Consumer Behavior Analysis Consumers have to analyzed by focusing to three objects which is behavior, environment, affect and cognition and then about their relations between each other. Every single aspect can affect other aspects and all of the aspects must be considered when planning for the marketing strategy (Peter et al, 2008). Consumer affect and cognition represent different type of the mental responses from consumers demonstrate toward particular stimulus and event around them. Affect refers to the feeling of consumers whether they like or hate a product. For example, affect includes strong personal emotion of anger or love, moods of happy or sad and feelings of frustration or satisfaction. As a result, marketers should build up suitable strategies to create positive affect among consumers about their brands and products to become consumer first choice to purchase. On the other hand, cognition is about the thinking of consumers or their belief towards a product. It involved consumers perception, understanding and interpreting the events and stimuli. Consumers gain their knowledge, beliefs and experience from their daily life and this will help them to be more sensitive and alert when buying a product so that it will be a good buying decision (Peter et al, 2008). 2.1.2 Consumer Motivation Solomon claimed that motivation is the processes that bring people to behave themselves when there is a need generated that they hope to satisfy. Consumers will find their way to attempt to decrease or to remove the needs. Once consumers successfully end the desire, then consumers goal is achieved. Consumer behavior is started up by motivation and directs to achieve goals. Normally, a motivated person will be involved more to an activity compared to unmotivated person (Solomon, 2007). 2.1.2.1 Maslow Hierarchy of Needs Moreover, during the last few decades, psychologists have studied about the motivation and its essential towards consumer behavior in different ways. The most famous and familiar ideas is propounded by Abraham Maslow in year 1943 (Kotler, 2007). Maslow initially created this approach is to know about people personal growth and the accomplishment of some difficult tasks. After some time, marketers adapted this theory to understand the consumer motivation. Then, Maslow developed a hierarchy which is the combination of psychogenic and biogenic needs which specifies on different level of needs by people (Solomon, 2007). In the pyramid of needs, there are at least five sets of basic needs which are physiological, safety, social, esteem and self-actualization needs. The order of needs in the pyramid structure is fixed and certain level must be obtained before go for the next. Maslow believed that people is aspire to become self-actualization (Stephens, 2000). The hierarchy is started from physiological drives which are the basic needs of human such as water, food, air or sleep. For instance, a person who is hungry definitely will craving for food much stronger than anything else (Stephens, 2000). After the physiological was fulfilled, the safety needs will be demanded by people. People needs a place that is safe and security for them to have meal, rest or enjoy. When both of the physiological and safety needs are perfectly gratified, the third needs which are social needs to be considered. Social needs are included love, friendship, parents or acceptance by public. Human have to build up their own relationship with others so that their life will be better and successful (Stephens, 2000). Furthermore, everyone hope to have respect and high evaluation from others toward self-esteem. People may seek for self satisfaction when they are promoted higher position in their company, attaining the educational distinction, or being honored by govern ment. This level of needs basically is about people feeling of self-confidence and satisfactoriness. The last needs is self-actualization which is about to know ones potential and this level of need will never be satisfied because there are new challenge and opportunities to come across when people growing up (Stephens, 2000). In addition, physiologist Sigmund Freund claimed that people will not aware of their buying behavior which is formed by own physiology. Everyone have different dream and wishes which are hope to be fulfilled, however, some of the wishes are cause of incited which brought to negative effect. For example, a person said that he enjoy the wind when driving is the main reason that he buys a sport car. On the other hand, in psychological level, he might just want to show off or want to let others respect him (Kotler, 2007). 2.2 Factors that affecting Consumer Behavior 2.2.1 Service Quality In 1984, Gronroos defined service quality as the judgement from consumers evaluation of the service they received. He also proposed that service quality can be divided into technical quality or what is done and functional quality or how it is done. Then, the service quality also being further explained as two dependent variables which are perceived service and expected service. Expect service is referred to the consumers previous experience with a service which might influence the consumer behavior while the perceptions of consumer towards the service itself is called perceived service. In fast food industry, good service quality is very essential for every fast food company because it is one of the fundamental determinants of consumer satisfaction which directly influence the success of the company in the industry (Huam et al, 2011). At the present time, every fast food company has pay more focus on their service quality by different ways in order to boost up the satisfaction level of consumers and then raise the intention of purchasing as well as loyalty towards the fast food restaurant (Qin et al, 2008; Gillbert et al, 2004). Organizations that provide superior services to consumers also achieve the greater level of consumer satisfaction and favorable word-of-mouth (Gillbert et al, 2004). Once the restaurants successfully attain or go beyond the anticipation and expectation of consumers, definitely consumers will be satisfy with the services that provided (Huam et al, 2011). For instance, Fast food giant likes McDonalds, Burger King and KFC are attempting to pres ent exclusive, unique and special services to attract and to keep their consumers. As for many well operating companies, great service quality is a cornerstone to gain competitive advantage in the industry to increase sales. From times to times, the fast food industry had been forced to change from product-centric approach to customer-centric approach due to the high expectation from consumers and competition from other companies (Huam et al, 2011). For example, the fast food companies in Malaysia also experiencing the transformations and challenging from competition (Yap et al. 2007). 2.2.1.1 Measurement of Service Quality (SERVPERF Model) Since the service quality is very crucial for the fast food business, then the service quality measurement has to be done frequently and in a timely manner to obtain an accurate current level of service quality provided by the fast food industry in order to increase the customer satisfaction as well as to encourage the customer purchase intentions towards the restaurants (Gilbert et al, 2004). Besides, Zeithaml and Bitner recommended that consumers judge the service quality based on their own perceptions towards the provided technical outcome, the process of delivering the outcome and the quality of environment by delivering the service. Before this, there are researchers believe that quality is naturally hard to be determined and measure, so there will be better if there is a yardstick for consumer to measure their own service quality for certain things. Then, a standardized and better model called SERVPERF model was developed. Nonetheless, this model is a very wide-ranging concept and its modification is recommended to capture the framework in certain study (Olorunniwo et al, 2006; Andaleeb et al, 2006). Audrey stated that this model is created to give a substitute method to measure the perceived service quality and the important relationship between the service quality, purchase intentions and consumer satisfactions. This instrument contained five dimensions which are: Tangibility The condition of physical parts of the fast food restaurants, the equipments and utensils that serve the consumers as well as the physical environment of the restaurants (Yuksel, 2001). Moreover, it also expressed the arrangement and decoration of the restaurants layout which included the cleanliness of environment, nice design of the facilities, and the convenience offered to consumers (Subhash et al, 2000). Responsiveness According to Fetus et al, responsiveness is meant that willingness and readiness showed by employees to help consumers when there are problems occurred and offer prompt service directly to consumers (Festus et al, 2000). . Reliability The capability and attitude of performing the promises service truthfully and sincerely which can motivate consumer and gain confidence to the fast food restaurant. Furthermore, this also referred to the trustworthiness in business process, trustable, and the efficiency as well as the ability to fix or improve anything that goes the opposite way (Yuksel, 2001). Empathy This dimension is about consumers being cared and individualized attention by employees. This dimension consists of few components which are: (a) Access approachability or friendliness and ease of contact. (b) Communication communicate with customers with languages that they can understand and comfortable with and patiently listen to what consumers express. (c) Understanding Customers: put effort to know, understand and sensitive towards what consumers needs and expectations (Huam et al, 2011). (V) Assurance Defined as the knowledge and courtesy of employees and their skill to convey trust and gain confidence from consumers. Assurance consists of three main components which are: (a) Courtesy kindness, consideration, respect, and friendliness of every employee towards every customer. (b) Credibility Employees show that they are honest, trustable and believable towards every customer. (c) Security Customers feel safe when having meal without any risk of danger or doubt (Festus et al, 2000). Consumer Behavior Satisfaction Service Quality 2.2.2 Product Quality Product quality is a means of advancing peoples life expectancy and cut down the jejunity and mortality rate of society (Iwarere, 2011). As high competition and environmental influences rise internationally, obviously there are a lot of hard work of fast food companies on quality improvement and cost saving in order to satisfy consumers and protecting consumer behavior as well as increasing the organization profit and value (Iwarere, 2010). According to Iwarere, quality management is being judged as competitive weapon which can show the competitive advantages to consumers to attract more business. Product quality totally will influence the company profit since the quality of product mirrored out the reputation of the company (Dominici, 2009). The relationship between product quality and profit of company is that product quality that being enhanced will increase the reliability and production of certain product. Besides, the increasing in product reliability causes the price of the pr oduct being boosted up (Iwarere, 2011). Product quality is very important to a company and this can be showed from a study on brand preference of soft drinks in rural place to determine the factor influencing the rural consumers towards the soft drink. From the study, they found out that the product quality was ranked at the first place and then followed by price (Nandagopal, 2003). There is a group of quality assurance team in the restaurants and at suppliers for every stage of production which in charge in observing and examines the quality of McDonalds products. There is a specific process set by McDonalds to check and make sure every ingredient that they use is high quality and safe. The team will have a tight observation towards supplier manufactures and will take some samples of stock from distribution centers to undergo the quality checking. Every McDonalds outlets will only receive the delivery of materials and ingredients after quality and safety checking by the outlets employees. Every employee will be given complete training in hygiene, quality assurance, food safety, and procedures of food preparation (Vignali, 2001). In McDonalds, they intends to create the standardized the food items which still the same taste in most of the country likes Malaysia, Singapore, South Africa, and most of the Europe country. Although they know that there are considerable cost saving by undergoing the standardization, being able to adapt to the environment and market will ensures success of the company in the country. Obviously, McDonalds has successfully adopted the concept of think globally and act locally into its marketing strategies to (Vignali, 2001). Moreover, there are a lot of reasons for necessity of adaptation such as the taste or preference of local people, local culture and laws as well as local traditions. There are many cases happened in different country where McDonalds change their menu to adopt for the local preferences and laws (Vignali, 2001). For instance, the famous Big Mac was served without cheese in few of their restaurants in Israel and in some of the kosher restaurants, the meat products and dairy products is separately placed. Plus, recently, McDonalds Israel launched a new hamburger which to improve the nutrition and taste of its famous product. The Big Mac in Israel is 30% fewer calories compare to Big Mac in US (Ron Friedman, 2010). In addition, in India, McDonalds serve vegetable McNuggets and a mutton-based Big Mac which called Maharaja Mac. Additionally, in Malaysia and Singapore, McDonalds also put effort on their product which is free of pork products and the outlets must apply for the halal certifica te to run the restaurants, which means is totally out of pork products and acceptable for Muslims consumers. In addition, good product quality also includes the taste of the foods. Every consumers want to eat tasty foods is consider as a general motive to satisfy their needs towards food and increase their appetite. Furthermore, the taste of foods also has to localize to suit the local taste and fulfill the needs of consumers (Gordan Chu, 2009). For instance, the taste and flavor of McDonalds French fries is magnificent and marvelous for a lot of consumers (Schlosser, 2001). There are various other examples of the successful of McDonalds adopted in different countries which has unique and special perspective and culture as well as local taste in order to satisfy the needs and preferences of consumers. For example, beer was sold in Germany as McCroissants, espresso coffee and pasta is on the menu in Italy and there are chilled yogurt drinks in McDonalds Turkey as well as in tropical countries, guava juice was the favorite items in the menu. There are vegetarian hamburgers sold in Netherlands while teriyaki burgers were the famous hamburger in Japan. In Thailand, the most well-known burger in McDonalds was called Samurai Pork Burger which serves with sweet sauce. Moreover, in Norway, grilled salmon sandwich which called McLaks are sold while hamburger with poached egg are top of the menu in Uruguay (Vignali, 2001). So, there are different products being introduced by McDonalds to adopt in the international food market. Some of the products already became the symbolic food of McDonalds for the local people. 2.2.3 Promotion Promotions normally are created by marketers to tell information about their products or service in order to attract consumers to buy them. The promotion strategies normally experienced by consumers which might influence consumer behavior due to the social and physical aspects from the environment factor. Every products and brands become famous and successful because of promotion strategies that developed to generate competitive advantage against competitors while show out the unique of the products and brands. There are four types of promotions which are advertising, publicity, personal selling and sales promotions (Peter et al, 2008; Ivy, 2008). McDonalds always put more effort to promote them as a global image and they concern about the people from the market they are entering. McDonalds has different types of advertising campaigns in different countries and globally to suit the culture and society of people from different background. For example, UK McDonalds appointed England legendary footballer Alan Shearer to promote their products while in French they used French world cup winner goalkeeper Fabien Barthez (Vignali, 2001). Besides, McDonalds also concern about the public relationship with customers which can know and understand more about consumers. For instance, Beijing McDonalds relies greatly on individual interaction with consumers in restaurants. There are at least one public relations employee works in every outlet to help and answer customers questions. Moreover, there are five to ten female staffs being assigned to every outlet to take care of consumers children and to communicate with parents (Vignali, 2001). This can help to improve the service level and to advance the management of customer portfolio (Fjerstad et al, 2003; O Learly et al, 2004). Another example is in 1997, McDonalds had broadcasted that they will corporate with Walt Disney which allowed them to share special marketing rights from food to films for the following ten years. This is the beginning of the producing toys which include in their happy meals for films likes Toy Story, Madagascar, Alvin and the Chipmunks and the lates t is the young justice series of superhero from Marvels. Furthermore, McDonalds, UNESCO and Walt Disney corporate together to launch a program called Millennium Dreamers Global Childrens recognition program which allowed young people from the whole world have the chance to express their dreams, ideas, and plans as well as hopes in the future (Vignali, 2001). 2.2.4 Place According to Kotler, place defined as the location where products and services being distributed for purchase by consumers. It can contain every physical stores and virtual stores on the internet. The choice of place has always an important factor to be considered when operating a store. For instance, fast food restaurants mostly being set up in place where there is a significant in number of moving people (Hossain, 2003). Normally, company location decision depends on few factors such as total cost, supplier, proximity of customers, and infrastructure (Chase, 2004). Currently, there are more than 32000 McDonalds restaurants in 117 countries all over the world. The company effectively manages its capital expends by strategic expansion in every country. Every year, McDonalds operate hundreds of new restaurants globally to undergo strategies that create a gap between its competitors in term of accessibility and convenience to consumers (Jekanowski et al, 2001). In the annual report of the company in year 1994, McDonalds had launched a strategy called in-your-face strategy. In the report stated that McDonalds wants to have a site wherever people live, work, play, or gather. Our Convenience Strategy is to monitor the changing lifestyles of consumers and intercept them at every turn. As we expand customer convenience, we gain market share. (McDonalds USA annual report, 1994). This is because McDonalds understand that consumers prefer to go nearby to buy food for saving time and cost. So, McDonalds wants that there are their outlets everywhere in the w orld which can bring convenience to consumers to buy foods. Moreover, most of the McDonalds outlets operate 24 hours everyday to serve their consumers and people may taste the foods of McDonalds whenever they want to (Jager, 2007). In addition, McDonalds also provide delivery service to consumers home which bring convenience to consumers who do not like to queue up in the crowed restaurants but prefer to eat in home while doing their works (Church et al, 2000). Drive-thru system also being introduced by McDonalds in most of the outlet to serve consumers who plans to take away the food (Fitzgerald, 2004).

Carolingian Renaissance Handwriting

Carolingian Renaissance Handwriting The Carolingian Renaissance is known for the cultural transitions and great achievements that were obtained in the 8th century under the direction of Charlemagne. Charlemagne, who was also known as Carolus Magnus and Charles the Great, was one of the greatest leaders during the Middle Ages. He was a military man, king of the Franks, and was appointed as Roman emperor in 800 AD. Throughout Europe, he was seen as a great example of an emperor and Christian king. Not only did he revive the political system but also the cultural life of Europe. His activities were seen as a strong foundation of the European civilization which developed during the Middle Ages around 400 A.D. This was his effort in improving the educational standards of the people of the church and his men who held roles in the government. His choice for doing such thing was to have control with his people and others. This educational reform had many great accomplished during that period. Along with this advancement, monas tic scriptoria all over the kingdom used the same type of handwriting. Thus it made the hard work of copying the manuscripts easier and it was seen favorable by many. Also most manuscripts from the medieval times, whether with illuminations or not, were written on parchment. The usage of â€Å"vellum† signified that the manuscript was of great importance. This period allowed many more books to be made and with that more types of books were being used in society. In relation, illuminated manuscripts were items that were the most common during the Middle Ages. They were great examples of medieval painting and being well-preserved made them great surviving specimens of that time period. New innovations for manuscript layouts and embellishments were incorporated into the fabrication of manuscripts. In consequence, the many advances of the Carolingian Renaissance can be seen through the new layout and fabrication of a manuscript, the use of illuminations and different types of ill uminations being produced and the introduction of the Carolingian minuscule or Caroline writing. A typical illuminated manuscript has the components of having texts along with embellishments in the means of using decorations. These decorations range from decorated borders, initials and miniature drawings. If one were to elaborate on the exact definition of the term â€Å"illuminated manuscript†, it would be related to manuscripts highlighted with silver or gold. Earliest surviving illuminated manuscripts date back from around 400 AD to AD 600 and are thought to have been from Italy, Constantinople and Ireland. However, the majority of the surviving manuscripts come from the Middle Ages along with the many manuscripts from the 15th Century Renaissance period and the few from the Late Antiquity stage. Most of these manuscripts were made for religious purposes but evidence shows that there too was an abundance of secular texts that were illuminated. Also these illuminated manuscripts started off in the form of codices, and at times antique scrolls. There is also a continued existence of loose single sheets and some illuminated manuscript fragments which remain on papyrus form. During the Early Middle Ages, books were fabricated in monasteries for business, display or personal use. This led to the beginning of commercial scriptoria that were located in major European cities such as the ones belonging to Italy, Paris and also the Netherlands. Most medieval manuscripts illuminated or not, were scripted on parchment. Such parchment was composed of stretched and treated animal skins of sheep, calf or goat. The term vellum was used to describe manuscripts of great value and high quality. These manuscripts were important because they were used for illuminations. Vellum was made up of un-spilt calf-skin and the other high qualities of animal skins were simply considered as parchment. â€Å"A large manuscript required the use of a whole cow skin and also the whole skin of a sheep to fabricate a folded sheet of two to four pages.† Hides of a whole herd wo uld be required for thick books which made the creation of a Medieval book extremely precious and expensive. About 258 leafs would need approximately 130 animals and it would make piles of four gatherings of leafs. At the start of the Middle Ages, paper use was used to formulate manuscripts and early books that were printed had space left over for miniatures and rubrics to be incorporated later on. Illuminated initials and decorations along the margins were also commonly used. However when printing started to become more popular, there was an increase of books produced and at the same time illuminations decreased. In the early 16th century, illuminated manuscripts were still being produced but not in great quantities. These manuscripts were mainly produced for the rich individuals in society. Books were not owned by many and are seen as a great possession and treasure to have along with the great sense of importance in society. The Carolingians got a sense of Mediterranean art and culture when Charlemagne went to Rome, where he held the title as Holy Roman Emperor in AD 800. He was the symbolic representative of Rome and he since he wanted to revive the Roman culture and learning of the West, it made him the promoter of the arts. He had the goal of joining the artistic accomplishments of the Early Christian and Byzantine culture with that of his own. While Charlemagne was in power, the Byzantine Empire was divided because of Iconoclasm, which was the destruction of religious monuments and sacred images. He made the smart choice of not favouring either side. There were consequences that arose when he decided not to adopt the iconoclastic traditions and at the same time he incorporated a few human figures in society. The Carolingian art promoted the development of Western Romanesque and Gothic art. If Charlemagne partnered with the Iconoclast, Western art that one views it today would be non-existent. Evidenc e of such art can be seen from the surviving manuscripts, sculptures, works of metal and other artifacts from that age. During the Carolingian Renaissance, the illuminated manuscripts were the most number of works that survived from that era. Charlemagne had great ideas while he was in power. While in command new Gospels and liturgical works were prepared, as were educational materials used to depict historical, scientific and literary works originating from ancient authors. The Carolingian art had different monastic centers throughout the Carolingian Empire which were known as ateliers. These ateliers were special because each one had its own unique style and it was influenced by the artists and current styles of that place and time. These images were drawn after the texts were complete. Illustrators designed and planned the abstract and complex images on wax tablets which were the common drawing apparatus of that period. These wooden tablets were hollow for the incorporation of wa x and the writing apparatus used for it would be a bone or a stylus. On the other tip of the writing utensil would be a spatula to scrape away errors or to erase the whole image and is re-used again. After that process of â€Å"preliminary drawing† is finished, the drawing is then traced or illustrated meticulously on the vellum. Pinpricks and other markings are used to accomplish a great manuscript. Such work ethics can be seen with the fabrication of the Lindisfarne Gospels. Another new incorporation that can be seen in the sacred gospels is the introduction of â€Å"red dots†, as part of the page decoration which, was tedious work and needed to be done with patience and care. The sacred scriptures would also be composed of the Evangelists portrait, an image of a carpet made out of spirals and enamel work and finished off with a grand display. Other work methods can be seen through incomplete manuscripts that survived from that time. Most manuscripts usually were not composed of illustrations because they were mainly used for educational purposes and its only illuminations would be decorations on the initials. If there were manuscripts with full illuminations, it would be used for display purposes and be seen as an illustration book. That was the state of manuscripts during the Middle Ages, but great changes occurred towards the fabrication of manuscripts during Romanesque period. These changes included the incorporation of more illumination and decorations in the books and the study books contained some images, but they were not illustrated with colour. This tendency grew into the Gothic period where there were bigger image sizes but at least one if not many decorations around the page. Foliate patterns on elaborate boarders were the common fixings integrated in the manuscript. â€Å"A Gothic page might contain several areas and types of decoration; a miniature in a frame, a historiated initial beginning of a passage of text, and a border wit h drolleries.† A different artist was utilized to work on different part of the decoration. An artist had their own unique skill that they used when working on a certain piece of an image. A standardized form of Latin, which originated from Classical Latin, was used in the texts along with new formed words. Medieval Latin was most used in that time and was a common language used by the people of Europe. In fact, this language was commonly used by businessmen and scholars for communication, learning and administration purposes. The texts were usually incorporated first when it came to constructing an illuminated manuscript. Script depended on the style that were currently being used in society and the one that were most popular. Scripts such as Uncial and half-Uncial were introduced because of the ongoing development and usage of unique texts such as insular miniscule and insular majuscule. Before these texts were established, the Roman letters were used during the Middle Ages. Around the 13th century, black thick and solid letters were shown and it was made more in style around the Middle Ages. Around the 9th century, rooms made solely for writing became extremely popular and were apart of most monasteries. This room was called a scriptoria and it was there were most books were copied. This was a brutal job and it was shown through the hard work done by the monks. The process included the need to check for mistakes and to correct errors that have been made through the years. The copiers would need to study the text and script very carefully because one mistake would be a sin and they would be severely penalized. Other discrepancies such as poorly lit rooms, bad weather conditions and physical fatigue made this job even more difficult for the monks. There was also â€Å"no standard scholarly language†. Charlemagne decided to change the then current writing style and tried to make a standard method for writing. The writing style that society was used to at that time consisted to all uppercase letters and texts without interruptions and punctuations. There was no eviden t division between the words. This old writing style was the old un-spaced Roman capital script called â€Å"uncial†. Charlemagnes brilliant idea worked as it made copying and reading easier for everyone. This style of writing is called the â€Å"Carolingian Miniscule† and is still currently being used today. Unlike the older style, this new one had a separation between words and there was evident use of punctuations in the text. Charlemagne also made standards for Medieval Latin because there were evident changes in the Latin language during the last couple of decades. Different expressions, new phrases and words were developed and integrated into the language. Composing a manuscript included the copying of an old piece of literature, having a decorated picture and possessing fancy capital letters. This act was seen as a great accomplishment at that period. The sacred scripture and writings of the bible were transformed and transfigured into many different forms. Most ministers were illiterate and people who were not from the ordained clergy did not have access to these sacred texts. Charlemagne disliked oblivious priests who could not read nor comprehend their own scriptures. Charlemagne created laws and decrees that stated that clerics would loose their position and job in the office if they were illiterate. Bishops had to respect such demand and needed to be literate but there are some cases where bishops were not able to read and write. Charlemagne enforced a â€Å"standardized Vulgate Bible†, which was a common Benedictine Rule and a basic liturgy. However, in order to obtain such concept, he needed to have a â€Å"standardized written language†. Charlemagne found an orthodox churchman from England named Alcuin to help him gain a step closer to his schemes. Alcuin and his fellow monks examined many ancient classical scripts in order to find incentives for the new script. In consequence, the Carolingian miniscule was establishe d which was the unification of the small and capitalized letter. The Carolingian miniscule comprised of letters that possessed â€Å"the most decorative flourishes and the system of ligatures was eliminated.† As this style of writing dispersed into England during the 10th century and in Spain in the following century, Carolingian miniscule reformed to being the â€Å"written language of oppression and religious orthodoxy†. It established itself as the official script and literary hand and style of the Frankish region. Later on, scripts such as the ones of â€Å"Gothic†, â€Å"Roman† and â€Å"Humanists† preceded in time and thus making this script most commonly used today. Thus, Charlemagne took all these differences and transformations and added them to the new scholarly language which is known as Medieval Latin. Thus, the many advances of the Carolingian Renaissance is depicted through the new layout and fabrication of a manuscript, the use of illuminations and different types of illuminations being produced and the introduction of the Carolingian minuscule or Caroline writing. Charlemagne is seen as a great leader who has done many successful things for his people and kingdom. Though was not literate he tried and had a lot of perseverance. Depictions of Charlemagne wanting to be able to read and write are recorded throughout history. He would try and attempt to write everyday with wax tablets and even asked the help of men who were able to write. The Holy Roman Emperor would also leave notebooks and writing tablets underneath his people hoping that one day he will be able to become literate. However, it was simply too late for him to become literate because he needed to have practiced such skill since his youth. Though he was not literate he still had the ability to be a great leader. Charl emagne ruled individuals from different ancestry lines who were descendants of many races and who spoke languages that were unique from one another. Some of these individuals included the Romans, Goths, Lombards, Burgundians, Saxons, Franks and many others groups. Western Europe was filled with monasteries where several â€Å"national styles† of the cursive formations of Latin surfaced such as Merovingian, Visigothic, Germanic, and Anglo- Irish. Each party had a â€Å"monastery dialect† which was used by individuals to facilitate copying in an exclusive way and abides with each cloisters preference. His way of reconciling the many people and facilitating the hard work of the laborers made his excellent influence of the many changes he incorporated seen today. The ancient and valuable artifacts that are seen today are because of his ability to unite society and individual characteristics as one.

Free Othello Essays: Women as Victims in Othello :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Othello

Women as Victims in Othello Othello is a play that only contains three female characters. Their roles vary and it would be an exaggeration to categorize them all as victims. However, there are similarities between the three women. [1] The least involved woman in Othello is Bianca[2]. Her relationship with Cassio does not appear to be full of commitment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "What keep a week away? Seven days and nights?"   It could be argued that Cassio used Bianca somewhat.[3] The manner in which he asks for a favor creates an impression that he is experienced at sweet-talking her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Sweet Bianca, take me this work out" The way that Cassio initially addresses Bianca is rather sycophantic, especially as the task is so menial. Therefore, the role of Bianca and her relationship with Cassio is poor. It appears that he uses her and shows little affection, only when he wants something.[4] Emilia's role is more complex in Othello. Iago likes to dominate Emilia and in many respects uses her quite badly. However, she also proves that she can be strong and show control.[5] Halfway through Act 3 Scene 3 Emilia and Iago have their first moment alone together. Iago doesn't use any romantic setting for his wife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "now now what do you here alone?" This lack of affection, straight to the point attitude continues throughout their conversation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "A good wench, give it to me." Throughout their conversation Iago's attitude towards Emilia has no respect. He doesn't talk to her like a husband but more like an employer. Emilia may be typecast as a victim early in the play but she shows real strength at the closing stages of the play. Despite the dominance that Iago has over her she manages to undermine his position and bring about his eventual downfall. Her strength can be clearly seen in her lines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "She give it Cassio! No alas, I found it and I did give't my husband." Her strength and determination to punish Iago leads to her death though in this respect she may be seen as a victim. In her only moment of strength she was struck down. Iago's language towards Emilia gives an impression that she may be a victim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Villainous whore!" and "good wench" He rarely complements her. Desdemona enjoys a much more loving relationship with her husband. Othello even says he is dependant on her. Free Othello Essays: Women as Victims in Othello :: GCSE Coursework Shakespeare Othello Women as Victims in Othello Othello is a play that only contains three female characters. Their roles vary and it would be an exaggeration to categorize them all as victims. However, there are similarities between the three women. [1] The least involved woman in Othello is Bianca[2]. Her relationship with Cassio does not appear to be full of commitment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "What keep a week away? Seven days and nights?"   It could be argued that Cassio used Bianca somewhat.[3] The manner in which he asks for a favor creates an impression that he is experienced at sweet-talking her.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Sweet Bianca, take me this work out" The way that Cassio initially addresses Bianca is rather sycophantic, especially as the task is so menial. Therefore, the role of Bianca and her relationship with Cassio is poor. It appears that he uses her and shows little affection, only when he wants something.[4] Emilia's role is more complex in Othello. Iago likes to dominate Emilia and in many respects uses her quite badly. However, she also proves that she can be strong and show control.[5] Halfway through Act 3 Scene 3 Emilia and Iago have their first moment alone together. Iago doesn't use any romantic setting for his wife.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "now now what do you here alone?" This lack of affection, straight to the point attitude continues throughout their conversation.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "A good wench, give it to me." Throughout their conversation Iago's attitude towards Emilia has no respect. He doesn't talk to her like a husband but more like an employer. Emilia may be typecast as a victim early in the play but she shows real strength at the closing stages of the play. Despite the dominance that Iago has over her she manages to undermine his position and bring about his eventual downfall. Her strength can be clearly seen in her lines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "She give it Cassio! No alas, I found it and I did give't my husband." Her strength and determination to punish Iago leads to her death though in this respect she may be seen as a victim. In her only moment of strength she was struck down. Iago's language towards Emilia gives an impression that she may be a victim.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Villainous whore!" and "good wench" He rarely complements her. Desdemona enjoys a much more loving relationship with her husband. Othello even says he is dependant on her.

The Slave Trade :: essays research papers fc

Intro: Slavery, the owning of slaves as a practice or institution. The condition of being a slave, bondage, servitude. Slave, a human who is owned as property by, and is absolutely subject to the will of another: bondservant divested of all freedom and personal rights. Hard to believe but on of the most horrifying occurances in World History, is the Slave Trade. It was a time in which people were sold as merchandise, where human beings were being treated as if they were not human. Beaten, being taken on a ship to an unknown land, drowned because of rations, and space, inhumane........ yes, unrealistic........ no. What was it? The capture and forced labor of Africans by Europeans began in the early 16th century. Africans were rounded up by other Africans as objects of trade with the Europeans. Eventually, slave ships became a regular sight in what came to be known as "the Middle Passage." These ships provided a constant flow of African slaves to Brazil and the Caribbean Isla nds, where the human cargo was auctioned off and brought to Europe or the New World.. Many of the ships wee not cleaned. The "cargo" was not feed or cleansed properly. Many captives died from the inhuman conditions on these voyages. Who had control? England gained control of the slave trade under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and managed the shipment of slaves to Spanish colonies. As the colonies gained independence from Spain, they outlawed slavery, and soon slaves were most in demand in North America, particularly on plantations. Few were fortunate enough to be house servants; most performed menial labor in the fields. How did it end? As far back as the mid-1500s, Jean Bodin, a French political philosopher, condemned the institution of slavery as immoral and unnatural.

U.S. Russia Relations :: essays research papers

Russia, a vast country with a wealth of natural resources, a well, educated population, and diverse industrial base, continues to experience, formidable difficulties in moving from its old centrally planned economy to a modern market economy. President Yeltsin's government has made substantial strides in converting to a market economy since launching its economic reform program in January 1992 by freeing nearly all prices, slashing defense spending, eliminating the old centralized distribution system, completing an ambitious voucher privatization program, establishing private financial institutions, and decentralizing trade. Russia, however, has made little progress in a number of key areas that are needed to provide a solid foundation for the transition to a market economy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Russia, spanning 11 time zones and serving as home to about 150 million people, possesses tremendous natural and human resources. Demand today for imported consumer goods, capital equipment, and services remains remarkably strong, with imports representing an unusually large percentage of the national market. Despite outstanding long-term market potential, Russia continues to be an extremely difficult country in which to do business.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Russian Federation continues to pursue a program of dramatic economic, political and social transformation. Despite President Yeltsin's successful re-election campaign, continued economic reform remains subject to the influence of the communist controlled State Duma (the Russian parliament). Even the most optimistic scenarios envision a protracted process as Russia continues the task of fashioning a legal foundation for commerce, rationalizing the regulatory and taxation regimes with which businesses must comply, and completing the task of creating from scratch a highly effective and consistent customs administration. The duration and final outcome of this process are still uncertain. Consequently, Russia offers U.S. business both high risk, and potentially high rewards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Russian firms and customers admire U.S. technology and know-how, and generally are interested in doing business with U.S. companies. At the same time, there is a tendency in some quarters to suppose that the U.S. is responsible for the changes which have occurred in Russia, especially those which have caused most hardship to individuals and to industry. This sentiment has attracted the support of some political leaders, and in given credence by a significant proportion of the populace. At the same time, a strong U.S. commercial presence is viewed in the Russian Far East as a counterbalance to other regional economic powers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most Western products and services are in demand in Russia. Of particular interest are:  · consumer goods, including poultry and meats, paper industrial chemicals,

Different Perspectives in Looking at Literacy

I. IntroductionThe objective of this paper is to provide a general discussion on how literacy can be understood from different perspectives. Just the like the proverbial 5 Blind Men of Hindustan who described the elephant albeit incompletely and relative to their experience, literacy can also be understood from different perspectives. We may say that though all these perspectives are correct, they are also at the same time all inadequate to describe the whole phenomena of literacy.Yet by bringing all of these perspectives together, we can come with a fuller picture and definition of what literacy really is. It is the aim of this paper to come up with a more complete understanding of literacy. In the end, we will bring together the different perspectives and come up with a wider view. Eventually it is hoped that through this, a better understanding of literacy can be achieved. Yet in the end, the definition would still be incomplete for literacy is a process and learning never really ends.The point however is to live it at its utmost definition and contribute to its enhancement. There are four perspectives that will be dealt with in this paper with which literacy is tackled. These are: 1. Literacy as a skill; where cognitive skills in speaking, reading, writing, and functional literacy are discussed 2. Literacy as socially situated; where literacy is defined by the specific social context from which it springs. 3. Literacy as a process of learning; where literacy is seen as a lifelong and unending process4. Literacy as text where critical analysis of the social constructions are processed.II. BodyLiteracy as a skill The Cognitive science perspective on literacy looks at literacy mostly as reading and writing skills where reading must become like second nature and automatic while at the same time having a very accurate interpretation. The brain must be able to process reading as fast as it can and in the most precise comprehension as possible. This skill must be practice in order to have mastery over it (Abadzi, 2004).Writing on the other hand is another skill which is intricately connected to a particular syntax of a specific linguistic script which are meaning-based and sound-based (Barton, 1994). An example of meaning based writing is the Chinese character which is not an alphabet but a representation of what is being referred. An example of sound-based writing is our current alphabet based on the Greek system of writing assigning vowels and consonant sounds to actual letters that would signify meaning. This is considered to have technological superiority over other forms of script (Olson, 1994).There is a belief that writing is more superior to speech because it is the actual transcription of the spoken word. Thus the cognitive argument emphasizes on the significance of literacy in society’s advanced capacities and progress. However this view has been criticized. To quote from Olson: ‘The focus on literacy skills seriously underestimates the significance of both the implicit understandings that children bring to school and the importance of oral discourse in bringing those understandings into consciousness in turning them into objects of knowledge.’ (Olson, 1997 cited in Street 2004)Thus one needs to factor in oral competencies together with reading and writing skills in looking at literacy as skill (Robinson, 2003). Numeracy skills also have to be added as an important component of literacy. Literacy skills must also include those that enable access to knowledge and information such as skills in surfing the internet, technological skills, computer literacy, among others (Lankshear, 2003). This new view paved the way for the concept of functional literacy which can complement the limitations of the skills based perspective.Functional literacy is defined by the World Congress of Ministers of Education on the Eradication of Illiteracy, Tehran September 1965: â€Å"Rather than an end in itself, l iteracy should be regarded as a way of preparing man [sic] for a social, civic and economic role that goes beyond the limits of rudimentary literacy training consisting merely in [sic] the teaching of reading and writing. † (Yousif, 2003) Functional literacy is most often linked to development which not only means teaching reading, writing, ‘rithmetic and speaking, but also knowing how to go about in society such as finding a job.Literacy as Socially Situated The ethnographic perspective to literacy looks into the practices of literacy in different cultural and social contexts. This perspective has been coined NLS or New Literacy Studies (Gee, 1999). This perspective looks at ‘the everyday meanings and uses of literacy in specific cultural contexts and links directly to how we understand the work of literacy programmes, which themselves then become subject to ethnographic enquiry’ (Street, 2004). This perspective looks at literacy not only as a skill but as a social practice which is socially constructed and imbedded in the culture of society.It argues that reading and writing are not neutral skills but based on concept of ideology, identity, being and knowledge. Thus this perspective emphasizes on the social situatedness of literacy. This is a more culturally sensitive approach where there is no single and universal definition of literacy but only in the social context wherein meaning is derived from (Doronilla, 1996). Most often than not the classification of illiterates are done on traditional societies on the hunting and gathering mode of economic production.However we cannot impose this definition on their lives because the applicability of being â€Å"literate† on their culture is not going to be very significant. Thus there is a call to review the literate-illiterate dichotomy. In a study by Sylvia Scribner together with Michael Cole in (The Psychology of Literacy, 1981) on the functions of literacy in Vai of north-west L iberia, they argue that literacy will only be fully understood within the context of the people’s social practices (Barton, 1994). The argument is such that being literate means that one can navigate well in his or her social world.In traditional societies, learning to read and to write is not as compelling as learning to hunt and survive in the forest. The criticism levelled at this approach is that it emphasizes too much on local context without factoring in external forces such as colonization, religious evangelization, economic globalization and others (Brandt, 2002). Others also question this overemphasis on cultural difference when literacy should be encouraging peoples of the world to integrate and create meaningful social, economic, and political linkages (Maddox, 2001).Anthropological and ethnographic researches looking into the communicative process reveals that it is the local contexts that define literacy and that the texts can only be produced within specific cul tural and social perspectives. Thus literacy should not be imposed from the outside as a dominant discourse but should naturally development from one’s culture. Literacy as a process of learning The constructivist perspective looks at literacy as a continuing process rather than an end product. Knowledge is seen as continually evolving and being socially constructed in the process of doing.This looks into the perspective of the learner and how he or she makes meaning and sense from his own experiences. In this perspective, critical reflection is the key to individual and social transformation. This was developed by Kolb in adult education where the design is experiential and learning begins by personal reflection (Kolb, 1984). Paulo Freire is one of the main theorists propounding on this perspective. I quote from Paulo Freire, â€Å"Every reading of the word is preceded by a reading of the world.Starting from the reading of the world that the reader brings to literacy progra ms (a social- and class determined reading), the reading of the word sends the reader back to the previous reading of the world, which is, in fact, a re-reading. (Freire, 1995)† For Paulo Freire, literacy is not a matter of learning to speak, then to read then to write. These are all part of the learning process. Literacy is such that it gives meaning to our life and to our world as we continue to be part of the never ending process of social transformation.The whole process of interpretation and meaning giving should not be without conscientization and resolve to higher action. Part of Freire’s pedagogy is praxis which is a combination of theory and practice where literacy can dialogically transform the world (Freire, 1995). For Freire literacy originates first and foremost, from the social practices of man and his actual encounter with the world. Literacy as text Linguists, educationalists, and literary theorists look at literacy from the perspective of it being the à ¢â‚¬Ëœsubject matter’ (Bhola, 1994)) where the nature of the given texts are created and used by individuals.These texts may vary in terms of genre and subject, the levels of difficulty in the language being used, and in ideological content which can be explicit or hidden. This perspective looks at literacy where texts are bound together in intertextuality where people’s practices and texts intertwine. Thus the texts have the power to reproduce social practices such as social inequalities, gender relations, and racism among others. This is referred to as discourse.Others improved this perspective by also including non verbal communication, gestures, body language are part of the communication process where different cultures and contexts can change the interpretation of meaning (Kress, 2001). Thus people choose ‘representational resources’ on a case to case basis depending on what situation and what context. To illustrate, even the theories of literacy are themselves embedded in the assumptions and values of institutions and individuals. This perspective requires a critical reading of the text as social constructed and at the same time socially recreating society.Meanings are constructed according to social binaries and collusion of different values and forms of life. The criticism levelled at this perspective is determining its applicability in multi cultural settings and in a rapidly globalizing information society where the internet serves as a main medium bridging different cultures. Moreover, this perspective tends toward nihilism if we begin to look at all text being socially constructed, one may conclude that there neither defining value nor stable foothold to culture. Literacy as a Dominating IdeologyNeo Marxists levels its attack on the idea of literacy itself as a western and dominating ideology that creates social inequalities. This is being done by derogatory classification of â€Å"illiterates† without even lookin g at their specific culture and life forms from their own point of view. Literacy as an ideology is said to impose a standard created by the First World which brings with its own economic system of capitalism as already accepted. Thus the space of indigenous peoples for discourse is reduced only to a certain level of â€Å"literacy† from which they can discourse.Those who cannot speak the educated language are silenced. Technical discourse is preferred over experiential discourse. Bringing it all together If we look at the various perspectives in which we have analyzed literacy, we can see some common denominators in which all these perspectives can agree upon. These are: 1. That literacy should involve the whole range of human communication skills such as reading, writing, speaking, counting and even non verbal communication and the study of proxemics and body language as forms of representation. 2.That literacy is contingent on the needs of the learners and the needs of soc iety. 3. That literacy must be able to empower and engage the people and must thrive within a positive learning environment. Yousif gives general definition of literacy based on these 4 perspectives: â€Å"Literacy is a technical capacity and a social act whose principal focus is reading, writing and numeracy as a step in a lifelong learning process that can lead to creative expression and conceptual problem-solving skills.Its principal objective is to enable the individual to achieve his goals and to  contribute to the welfare of his community (Yousif, 10-12 June, 2003). † If we examine the definition above we will observe that at the core of literacy are cognitive skills but it does not end there. The definition of Literacy further reaches out to creative expression, the ability to navigate the social world and survive, and conceptual problem solving. This definition further affirms the social roots and origins of literacy as human beings are social beings. As individuals they have to make meaning and interpret communication. As social beings, we need to be part and contribute to the welfare of society.As literacy is integral to culture and society, it is also a lifelong process of learning for human society is never static. The Significance of this definition This definition can prove to be very significant in the conduct of literacy efforts all over the world. While literacy efforts may stress on cognitive skills at the beginning, they should also emphasize on self actualization and social transformation as a direction. Literacy is also seen not as an end in itself but a lifelong process directed at creative self expression, psychological empowerment and self actualization, critical engagement, and social transformation.Literacy efforts should also look at the applicability and practicability of literacy programs on the actual life situation and culture of the people. There is no generic formula for literacy and the point of literacy programs is t o make human communities a better place to live in. While however accepting such diversity, we also have to take note that the mass media through the information high way is literally changing the communication landscape of the world.Thus we need to be open to learning how to navigate through fast developments while being critical of dominating discourses that flood the media.III. Conclusion:Education for Freedom During the last 300 years when the industrial revolution began, dramatic advances had made it a requirement for people in the modern world to have formal education in the schools. Before that, the transmission of learning and skills happened via oral tradition and the socialization of the young. Today, educational institutions are a must and acquiring formal education is already a necessity among the young.With the study of the different perspectives on literacy, we now know that literacy does not only mean skill but also competency. However, competency is not enough if one is to reach his highest potential. One needs critical self reflection to examine the deepest roots of our society and social life in order to change it. Thus literacy means gaining knowledge to understand the world and analyze society. Yet again the process never stops. For in the end, knowledge is useless if it has no goal and direction. The only worthwhile direction of human knowledge is none other than Freedom.This is what it really means when we say that reason has finally triumphed; where the world lives on free discourses and what matter is what’s right and not who’s right. This is where literacy brings not only development but also freedom and a better world guided by wisdom and reason. As information society increases global communication and makes the world smaller, so must the free exchange of culture and knowledge proceed without discrimination but with respect so there would be a diversity which is a unity in itself guided by the highest kind of literacy w e can ever imagine.