My child’s IQ is bigger than yours Essay

In May 2002 an article titled ‘My child’s IQ is bigger than yours’, written by Carol Sarler, was published in the newspaper ‘The Observer’. The article expresses a harsh critique of the IQ measurement in general, especially the problems concerning measuring children’s IQ, and the newly snobbery behind this tendency. ‘The Observer’ is a major British newspaper, published on Sundays. As its sister newspaper ‘The Guardian’ it is known for its left-of-centre political stance. The newspaper’s readership is generally on the mainstream left of British political opinion, which is represented by the Labour Party and the Liberal Democrats. The article is a reaction to the BBC television programme called ‘Test the Nation’, which appeared on television the night before the article was published. The author of the article, Carol Sarler’s, opinion on the idea of testing our IQ is unequivocally presented in the subtitle of the article: â€Å"The parents who see their bright offspring as status symbols really do need their heads examined.† She thinks that it is absolutely wrong to measure intelligence – especially children’s intelligence. Because of the article’s subjective point of view, it is a feature article. In this article Carol Sarler shares her opinion on the topic by using a sarcastic, and slightly sophisticated, language. The purpose is to make the reader laugh and at the same time get disgusted by the image she gives of parents being pathetic. Throughout the article Carol Sarler balances between the laughable and the serious aspect of the topic, she addresses in the article. While the title and subtitle of the article is rather humoristic, the article’s opening story about a highly intelligent young man, who committed suicide, is deeply tragic. In this connexion it is important to note that this article is written in extension of the author’s earlier article about this specifically intelligent young man, who committed suicide only two days after she published her interview with him. Carol Sarler obviously felt sorry for the young man and somewhat guilty about the suicide and therefore wishes to make her opinion on IQ-measuring clear. This story makes the reader interested in reading the full article, to find out how an IQ rating scale can cause so much damage. By using this kind of story, Carol Sarler uses the mode of  persuasion called pathos, as she appeals to the reader’s emotions. The article is, as mentioned, a response to the nationally broadcasted BCC programme ‘Test the Nation’. Carol Sarler compares the purpose of the national published programme with grotesque experiments in the 1950s and 1960s. Though the actual purpose between the two is not same, she nevertheless compares them, because she basically think it is wrong to measure intelligence in any way. The article shortly implicates one of the specialists involved in ‘Test the Nation’, Dr Colin Cooper, in the discussion. But Carol Sarler’s sarcastic language tears his defence of the ‘Test the Nation’ to pieces. At the same occasion she claims that IQ is becoming the new snobbery, a tendency she has lately observed in the United States. She hereby directs the reader’s attention towards her main focus in the debate about testing intelligence – parents testing their children’s intelligence. Her argument is that middle-class parents are en couraged to measure the intelligence of their children because it is becoming a social status symbol similar to a classy zip code. The article’s title clearly makes fun of the type of parents, she describes. The illustration, which is also a part of the article, really gives the reader a picture of what Carol Sarler thinks of the parents, who exposes their clever children as if they were something material. Her concern is that this new tendency harms the children, who are tested and labelled abnormally bright at a very young age. The children with high IQ’s are pressured with high expectations and pushed into private schools, which according to Carol Sarler is harmful for their social and personal abilities. As backing for her argumentation, Carol Sarler refers to the story about another young boy aged 14 with an incredibly high IQ, who according to her has very little success with his personal relationships because he is, frankly, odd. She ties this story together with the story about the young man, who committed suicide by using the same phrases, and suggesting that he too could end up with a lou sy job in a bingo hall. By using these two stories Carol Sarler also uses the mode of persuasion called ethos. She establishes an image of herself as being experienced and reliable by using experiences from her own personal and professional life   an author. Furthermore she implicates historic events and names, such as old experiments and Archimedes, to demonstrate her general knowledge and her knowledge in proportion to the topic. Her language is also sophisticated, and the vocabulary is slightly difficult, which also gains ethos as an author, since it makes her appear more intelligent and reliable. This is especially evident in the passage where she comments on the methods used in the BBC television programme ‘Test the Nation’: â€Å"The objections were two-fold, the lesser of them being a disbelief that intelligence actually can be measured: in spite of the programme makers’ hefty reference in advance publicity to the scientific validation of their methodology, their claim that the questions were nothing to do with general knowledge was simply untrue.† The language in the article contains many British idioms, e.g. â€Å"premier cheese† and â€Å"wheeled out†. The main function of this rhetorical feature is to gain both pathos and ethos as an author, and give this a humoristic twist by mixing it with typical British sarcastic humour. Carol Sarler uses the humoristic content in the article as a part of her rhetorical appeal. The purpose is to entertain the reader, make the article more readable, and demean her opponent’s opinions, as she does when she implicates Dr Colin Cooper in the debate. To sum up Carol Sarler uses a number of rhetorical features in order to support her argumentation, and thereby convince the reader that measuring and testing children’s IQ is not right, and that parents’ motive for measuring children’s IQ is pathetic and damaging to the children’s personal life and social abilities. In order to do this, Carol Sarler’s article is both effective and successful. In spite of this, the readers must be likely to ask the question: isn’t there anything positive about IQ-measuring? What about children, whose highly intelligent brain is not stimulated in school? Is it wrong to prescribe extra lessons for these children, who are bored in school? It is wrong to use your child’s IQ as a social status symbol, but it must be possible to make certain reservations when you raise a child with an exceptional high IQ, without harming the child’s personal life and social abilities.

Buddhism- a Religion or a Philosophy?

Albert Einstein believed that, â€Å"the religion of the future will be a cosmic religion that should transcend a personal god and avoid dogmas and theology. Covering both natural and spiritual, it should be based on a religious sense arising from the experience of all things, natural and spiritual and a meaningful unity† (Jammer, 1999). Buddhism qualifies as a religion depending on one’s point of view. If religion is defined as a system of worship or devotion to a higher deity then Buddhism does not fall under the religious category (Buddha Dharma Education Association, 2012).However, if religion is defined as a system of beliefs and rituals and morals then Buddhism classifies as a religious practice (Harshorne, 1996). The aspects of religion that include rituals and devotions are the very key aspects of the human experience. Although occupying the same socio-psychological space as other religions, they do not all necessarily share similar characteristics (Molloy, p5, 2010). Western scholars and religious thinkers often refer to Buddhism as an atheist or nontheistic religious practice (Florida, 1990).Despite apparent contradictions between Buddhism and theistic religions there are many elements of commonality. This paper supports Albert Einstein’s claim on religion through exploring Buddhism as a contemporary religion relevant to reality in relation to science, while considering the similarities shared by Buddhism and traditional religions such as Christianity. Why does it matter if we consider something a religion or not? There are Buddhists who speak confidently on â€Å"Panel discussions† stating that if using the word religion becomes a problem then they will not use it (Los Angeles Interreligious Group, 1991).Buddhism shows no concern over whether or not it qualifies as a religion, as it is a matter of belief from within and not what people think of it. Smith, a religion historian states in his works that â€Å"beliefs are not primary to religion; faith is† (Florida, 1990) which reflects Buddhism’s emphasis on the importance of karma and leading a morally-based life. Smith also strongly believes that theistic religions invented the idea of god based on humanities â€Å"ignorance, weakness, fear, and desire†(Florida, 1990).Michael Stone is a psychotherapist and a Buddhist teacher who shares Albert Einstein’s view on religion. Michael attempts to incorporate traditional Buddhist teachings with today’s psychological and philosophical understanding (Stone, 2012). Science has created an abundance of contradictory views in traditional religious teachings that Buddhism stands out as a religion which accommodates scientific evidence (The Dalai Lama centre, 2012). Religion’s importance today has come into question when analyzed through the eyes of society’s logical mind.The Dalai Lama claims that â€Å"if modern science presents good evidence that a Buddhist idea i s wrong, I will accept the modern science, (he gives the example of the Earth moving around the sun, which runs counter to Buddhist scripture)† (The Dalai Lama Centre, 2012). Science has therefore made many questionable beliefs come to reality through trial and error research that many base their beliefs on evidence (Molloy, p179, 2010). Buddhism: The Buddhist religion entails a sense of sacredness with one’s self in relation to the environment and the universe. All religions are concerned with the deepest level of reality and for most religions the core or origin of everything is sacred and mysterious† (Molloy, p7, 2010). The â€Å"Three Marks of Reality† encompasses the embedded truth in Buddhist theology which reinforces the belief in having no god but rather finding the god within (Molloy, p132, 2010). Sacredness in religion refers to a dedicated practice to a religious purpose not the belief in a mystical figure who controls life as we know it.Sacredne ss is an interesting place of experience, and since there is a common misconception about Buddhism, the Dharma equips one to make a conciliatory meeting with whomever. The Dharma is part of the Three Jewels of Buddhism since it covers Buddhist teachings in â€Å"how to view the world and how to live properly† (Molloy, p131, 2010). The Dharma accommodates a variety of other views and appreciates those views for what they are. The emergence of Buddhism was based on the spread of Siddhartha’s teachings who was the oblivious son of a powerful king.The main components of Buddhist belief are: â€Å"karma, compassion and reincarnation†, which were conceptualized as a result of Siddhartha’s sudden exposure to reality’s misfortunes (Molloy, p128, 2010). These features influenced followers to adopt a peaceful and moral journey through life if they seek a blissful reincarnated-self (Molloy, 2010). Having experienced the â€Å"four passing sights† which involves living with nothing but oneself, Siddhartha began his journey towards becoming a world teacher (Molloy, p128, 2010).He practiced â€Å"The Four Noble Truths† which are the â€Å"truths about life, that suffering exists, it has a cause, it has an end and there is a way to attain release from suffering† (Molloy, p143, 2010). In Buddhist literature it is believed that worshipping a higher deity disregards the notion of â€Å"karmic results of action† which they strongly believe in (Thera, 2012). Similarities of traditional religions (Christianity): Religion â€Å"suggests the joining of our natural, human world to the sacred world† (Molloy, p5, 2010).Buddhism revolves around the life and lessons of Buddha, and Christianity revolves around the life and lessons of Jesus Christ, who are the two prophets present in both fields of practice (Los Angeles Interreligious Group, 1991). Both prophets followed the same strategy to uncover the worldly truths as they â€Å"stayed in the wilderness for 40 days and 40 nights’ facing evil, â€Å"Jesus by Satan and Buddha by the demon Mara and his daughters† (Los Angeles Interreligious Group, 1991). As the holiness’ representatives, both religions have a centralized authority figure such as the Pope and the Dalai Lama to carry on the teachings of God and Buddha on a global scale (Molloy, p391, 2010). Similarities in both Christians and Buddhists theological practice reflect the fact that despite the difference in beliefs in a deity the foundations share some common ethics. Buddhism’s conception of reality refers to the basics of â€Å"The Four Noble Truths and The Noble Eightfold Path† that can be applied to the Ten Christian Commandments (Molloy, p136, 2010).The Ten Commandments represent God’s rules of behavior Christians are expected to follow (Betty, 2008). The early stage of Buddhism was initially rejected as a religion by westerners. However lat er on, western scholars considered â€Å"Buddhist concepts of nirvana and dharma as parallels to the Western notion of divinity or God† and they refuted it (Florida, 1990). The manifestation of Buddhist characteristics attributed to God’s existence in theistic religions is partly based on Buddhism’s perspective on reality and needing no god to control their way of life (Betty, 2008).Yet religious symbolism has been an important feature of all religions, including Buddhism and Christianity. The Christians pray to Jesus in churches while Buddhists pray to Buddha in monasteries. According to Molloy, â€Å"religious symbols, myths, and terminology at times suggest a universal language that all religions speak† (Molloy, p9, 2010). The differences: While both are classified as a religion, a prominent difference and focus of many arguments surrounds the notion of Buddhism’s lack of deity to worship.Any forms of God-like elements in Buddhism are seen as ma nifestations of a specific physical form (Betty, 2008). Gods in Buddhism are essentially considered manifestations of distinct physical elements and mediums from which Buddhists can contribute their physical energies toward enlightenment, which is a state of spiritual understanding (Hartshorne, 1996). Buddhism does not place great importance on having a higher divinity because they don’t think it will have an impact or even make a difference when practicing their values (Hartshorne, 1996).According to Stafford, â€Å"Buddhism and Christianity have much to teach each other about Ultimate Reality—God or Buddha Nature† (Stafford, 2008). Buddhism is considered a â€Å"psychological religion† as it provides the tools within a person to attain full-fledged happiness internally rather than externally (Thera, 2012). Whereas Christianity is a religion of doctrines where the institution of the church controls Christian practices on life (Molloy, p391, 2010). Theref ore the ideas of ultimate reality differ greatly as both religions expect different outcomes from their practices.One focuses on what God expects while the other does not place any expectations other than attempting to reach personal happiness. The difference in guidance received by both Buddhist and Christian followers provides an understanding as to why Buddhism may not be considered a religion by some theist believers. Christianity stresses on the importance of human action based on God’s cosmic plan to impose good morals into society to fight between the good and evils life bestows (Molloy, p15, 2010). Buddhism on the other hand focuses on personal karma to justify the good reasons behind following a morally-based lifestyle.Pope John Paul II upset Buddhists when he stated that â€Å"Buddhism is an ‘‘atheistic’’ system and that ‘‘the doctrines of salvation in Buddhism and Christianity are opposed’’ (Stafford, 2008). The Pope’s words made it clear that he believes the rejection of a dogma in Buddhism raises a lot of questions in the sphere of religion when it comes to the nature of Buddha. Agreeably, â€Å"Christians have faith in God while Buddhists have faith in something other than God- emptiness, perhaps† (Florida, 1990).Since Buddhism and Christianity address â€Å"the relationship of ultimate- God or emptiness† as major opposing elements (Florida, 1990), Florida poses an interesting question regarding Christianity that â€Å"if ultimate reality is Emptiness, is the Christian forced to choose between identifying God with Emptiness and denying God altogether? ’ (Florida, 1990). This statement supports Christianity’s set requirements for fulfilling one's â€Å"obligations† with no room for personal opinion to God whereas Buddhism allows a progressive growth from within, with the world around in tune with one’s personal opinion (Silva, 2011).The pr ogressiveness of Buddhism suggests that there are no implications on what one should and can believe in, in pursuit of sacredness. Sacredness can either be defined as the emptiness attained in Buddhism when enlightened or â€Å"speak of the sacred as what people hold to be sacred† in Christianity (Florida, 1990) (Molloy, p 14, 2010). The holy books are another way to identify the difference in what is considered as guidelines or expected practices for both religions as they are not used for the same reasons.In Buddhism, there are many kinds of holy books known as the Sutras. Buddhists Sanskrit, serve as a guideline to a deep reality beyond â€Å"the reach of ordinary cognition and senses† (Thera, 2012). Buddhism believes in personal reason while Christians follow religious authority (Molloy, p19, 2010). Therefore, the Bible reveals the words of God that â€Å"cannot be questioned and are a compilation of claims about the physical or spiritual worlds to be accepted on faith† (Birnbaum, 2009). Can a religion both be atheistic and a religion?While attempting to understand what the topic of religion consists of, one must consider the fact that the term ‘religion’ was developed in the western culture thus representing their traditional idea of what is meant by religion. The western perception of religion â€Å"may not be entirely appropriate when applied across cultures or spiritual paths† (Molloy, p5, 2010). In â€Å"Going Beyond God,† Armstrong argues that many Westerners define â€Å"religion† much too narrowly because they use the Abrahamic religions — Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — and belief in the God of monotheism as the â€Å"standard† of what defines religion (Vincent, 2012).In a book called â€Å"One of Faith and Belief† Smith notes that â€Å"the world's religious systems . . . are not all variations on a theme; they do not give differing answers to the same question s, they do not operate in a common mode† (Smith, 1979). Therefore it is needless to say that contemporary ideologies about religion are no longer strictly based on teachings that cannot be challenged. â€Å"Whether we should go on or not to call it faith in God, depends directly on what we think of the universe not on what be thought of it† (Florida, 1990).New scientific interrelations with religions such as Buddhism, will formulate a new branch that is â€Å"both spiritual and scientific† which would be suited for contemporary society logicality (O’Brien, 2009). Religion â€Å"suggests the joining of our natural, human world to the sacred world† whatever that may be for anyone (Molloy, p5, 2010). Therefore, why should believing in a divinity improve the humanity-focused problems experienced in religion? Conclusion: If Dharma was assimilated into our culture as a daily practice and was not represented by the word â€Å"Buddhism† the world wou ld be a happier place.If children had to focus on their attention in early childhood education to learn to look at their mind, to regulate their emotions, to be trained in that way then having the name â€Å"Buddhism† to represent the practice would not matter (Los Angeles Interreligious Group, 1991). If you try to categorize Dharma or Buddhist teachings it is really challenging, because it is a combination of a science, a religion, a philosophy or psychology. Buddhism can be seen as a religion which focuses on a way of life that allows the adoption of teachings in any other religion appropriate to one’s life journey (Molloy, 2010).Having drawn attention to the distinct similarities and differences both Christianity and Buddhism share this helps us develop an understanding of the dynamics present in both religions. Based on these comparisons it is clear to say that despite the differences, â€Å"Buddhist thinkers are less intent on systematizing† Buddhist though t into theories of ethical action, and â€Å"are more interested in examining particular Buddhist views on what it means to be a moral subject† (Heim, 2011). Based on my personal observations, if you go to any Asian country where Buddhism is practiced it is clear to say that the followers have very religious behaviors.All in all, Buddhists practice with one goal in mind, to end suffering. Therefore the idea of a higher deity seems senseless if it does not have a direct impact as to aid moralistically. â€Å"Answering a question such as, do you believe in a god, a Buddhist may answer â€Å"is answering that question either way, going to make me less or more sad†Ã¢â‚¬  (Los Angeles Interreligious Group, 1991). Bibliography: Betty, L. (2008). What Buddhists and Christians are teaching each other about God. Cross Currents. 58(1), 108-116. Buddha Dharma Education Association (2012). Morality. Fundamentals Of Buddhism. A BuddhaNet Production.Retrieved from http://www. budd hanet. net/fundbud6. htm Birnbaum, R. (2009). In search of an authentic engaged Buddhism: voices from ancient texts, calls from the modern world. Religion East & West, (9), 25-39. Florida, R. E. (1990). Theism and Atheism in the Work of W. C. Smith: A Buddhist Case Study. Buddhist-Christian Studies. University of Hawai’i. Vol. 10, pp. 255-262 retrieved from http://www. jstor. org/stable/1390212 . Hartshorne, C. (1996). Buddhism and the theistic question. In Buddhism and the emerging world civilization (pp. 62-72). Carbondale, Ill: Southern Illinois Univ Pr.Heim, M. (2011). Buddhist ethics: a review essay. Journal Of Religious Ethics. 39(3), 571-584. Jammer, M. (1999). Einstein and Religion. Publish by Princeton University Press. Retrieved from http://press. princeton. edu/chapters/s6681. pdf Los Angeles Interreligious Group (1991). An Early Journey. Buddhist-Catholic Dialogue. Retrieved from http://monasticdialog. com/a. php? id=334 Molloy, M. (2010). Experiencing the Worldâ €™s Religions. Tradition, Challenge, and Change. McGraw Hill. Fifth ed. O’Brien, B. (2009). Why Buddhism Is a Religion, and Why It Matters. Religion and Spirituality.Retrieved from About. com Tablan, F. E. (2011). Towards a Buddhist-Catholic interreligious encounter: a Southeast Asian perspective. Studies In Interreligious Dialogue. 21(2), p188-210. The Dalai Lama Centre (2012). â€Å"Happy Night in Canada: The Dalai Lama and Leading Scientists Search for Happiness†. For Peace and Education. Retrieved from http://dalailamacenter. org/learn/â€Å"happy-night-canada-dalai-lama-and-leading-scientists-search-happiness† Thera, N. (2012). Buddhism and the God-idea. BuddhaNet edition. Retrieved from http://www. accesstoinsight. org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/godidea. htmlStone, S. M. (2012). About. Centre of Gravity. Retrieved from http://www. centreofgravity. org/m_stone/ Silva. D. L. (2011). Radical Therapy. Buddhist Precepts in the Modern World. Retrieved from http ://www. accesstoinsight. org/lib/authors/desilva/bl123. html Smith,W. C. (1979). Faith and Belief: The Difference Between Them. Princeton N, J. Princeton University Press. Retrieved from http://www. amazon. ca/Faith-Belief-Difference-Between-Them/dp/1851681655 Vincent, H. (2012). Christian Buddhism?. Buddhist Geeks. Retrieved from http://www. buddhistgeeks. com/2010/08/christian-buddhism/

Forge by Laurie Anderson Literary Analysis

Forge is Laurie Halse Anderson’s second installment to the Chains series following up her previous novel, Chains. The escapades of the young African American slaves, Isabel and Curzon, continue in this sequel to Chains. Young Curzon and Isabel are forced to endure the hardships of maturing during the demanding time of the American Revolution. Curzon and Isabel are runaway slaves who have a high risk of getting captured with their past catching up to them every step of the way. Forge is told from the perspective of Curzon in a journal-like fashion, each entry has a date. Laurie Halse Anderson had a team of researchers gather an immense amount of information on the American Revolution and the time period to make her Historical Fiction novel as realistic as possible. By making Forge’s novel structure journal entries from Curzon’s angle, Anderson was adept in making the reader connect, investigate, and comprehend his character and the American Revolution further. Curzon is faced with many changes in the Forge including maturing into a young adult. Many readers will be able to make a strong connection to the feelings and the new challenges evoked by young Curzon’s first hand view into becoming a man. Anderson’s target audience is young adults for a reason. Forge is a great â€Å"coming of age novel† like The Adventures of Huckleberry Fin. Since the book is in a journal entry format, many readers who are going through the similar changes can get a day by day account of growing up which creates a very strong relationship between the reader and Curzon. Curzon experiences mixed emotions for Isabel, even ones that he has never felt before. Curzon seemed to have a big brother type of relationship at the beginning of Forge but toward the end he develops somewhat of tenderness for Isabel. All the amends to his life are very evident in his action which is an experience that everyone will more. Each journal entry is headed with an important date that has relevance to events that happen in the American Revolution. Curzon was a soldier in the Patriot army which subjected him to many battles. After reading a Chapter in Forge, you can search the date of the entry. You can find out a great deal more about what Curzon was experiencing. Anderson didn’t just find dates to match events, she had to make Curzon’s point of view as realistic as possible. This required in depth knowledge and study of other eye witness accounts of the American Revolution. Practically everything in Anderson’s novel is has historical significance, even some of the characters. While reading Forge, you are absorbing the culture and events of the Revolutionary War. Slavery is one of our nation’s biggest regrets. Winning our independence is the United States proudest moment. The two are much intertwined with each other and especially with Curzon. Each entry in Forge is filled with the hardships of being a slave and fighting for freedom as well as fighting for your country. Curzon is the narrator of Forge; each of his thoughts and feelings are described carefully in each entry. The callous and inhumane ways that Curzon was treated were completely preposterous. If Forge wasn’t formatted into diary-like entries, the reader would have a much harder time understanding the impulses of Curzon. The first person point of you makes you value his lust for freedom and his covet for the lovely Isabel much more than if it were written any other way.

Autism Late Diagnoses Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Autism Late Diagnoses - Research Proposal Example As a spectrum, it means that the earlier ASD is diagnosed, the better the chances of ensuring that the risk or rate of growth of severity does not increase to certain undesirable levels. However, there continues to be records and reports of late diagnoses of ASD in most children. In relation to the Waldorf approach to developmental stages in children, one would say that if ASD was diagnosed as early as the first stage, it would give medical experts so much hope and room for improving the lives of affected children, especially in terms of their academics. Purpose of the study Based on the background to the study presented above, the researcher seeks to set out a research work that has a purpose of identifying the developmental stages from the perspective of Waldorf approach and link this to Autism Spectrum Disorder late diagnoses. ... This purpose is made with the rationale that as much as autism may be a serious health and psychological problem for children, it should not be the basis for which children should suffer or be left behind in any sense in terms of their normal development as people. This is particularly so when it comes to the academic life of the children. Unfortunately though, the chances of achieving this goal reduces significantly if diagnosis is not made as early enough as possible. While looking at the issue of late diagnosis, the impact of different cultural perspectives will be linked to any possible causes. Aim and objectives To achieve the purpose of the study, an aim has been set for the study, which has further been broken down into specific objectives to signify the specific activities and tasks the researcher should be involved in to achieve the aim. The aim is given as finding the relationship between the developmental stages and autism spectrum disorder late diagnosis. The specific obj ectives to bring about this aim are given as follows. 1. To determine how the developmental stages as given by Waldorf are perceived by different cultures in terms of religious cultures, moderate cultures and liberal cultures 2. To underscore how the perception of developmental stages according to cultural differences help in avoiding or promoting late diagnoses of ASD. 3. To ascertain how children diagnosed with late with ASD can be helped to live healthy integrated lifestyles. Significance of the study Should the aims and objectives set above be achieved, there are a number of benefits that will be derived. In the first place, an understanding on the effect of cultural differences on ASD would help in finding a common perspective grounds for the issue

An Evaluation of Fossil Fuel,Hybrid Energies Alternative Fuel Essay

An Evaluation of Fossil Fuel,Hybrid Energies Alternative Fuel - Essay Example It concludes by recommending an amalgamation of the two energy forms, and increased development of the hybrid energy sources, so that an endless supply of cheap and clean energy can be provided. Harris Kamran Environmental Studies Research Paper 11 August 2011 An evaluation of fossil fuels and hybrid energies as alternate fuel Background: The availability of abundant, cheap, and clean energy is a prerequisite for the advancement and progress of any country, both in terms of technology and society (Eltawil, Zhengming, & Yuan, 2009). This means that energy supplies make the bedrock of development. The most commonly used forms of energy come from the traditional sources, which are termed fossil fuels due to the process of their development; these fuels include coal, oil, and natural gas (Glaser, 1968), and originate from the fossilized remains of plants and animals. Hence, they are organic in nature, and widely available around the world (Glaser, 1968), since their availability does not depend upon artificially generated raw materials or rare minerals. These fuels have been widely used all over the world for energy production, not only because of their rampant availability, but also because of their cheap production costs and low cost of the yield (Glaser, 1968). However, the produce is often not well-refined, or even if it is refined, it is not entirely clean, so that these forms of energy are associated with phenomena such as greenhouse gases and global warming (Glaser, 1968). Owing to their organic composition, these fuels give off copious amounts of carbon, sulfur, and other chemicals when burned, leasing not only to the destruction of the ozone layer (Glaser, 1968), but also to human medical conditions and the destruction of ecosystems (Keatinge & Donaldson, 2004). These threats to the well-being of the geo-sphere at large have resulted in a concern about their continued and increased used by the growing population (Glaser, 1968), and experts have expressed d oubt about the safety and practicality of these fuels in the present day society (Glaser, 1968). Another issue is the limited, albeit abundant, supply of these fuels, which is threatened to run out anytime in the future (Glaser, 1968). Due to these reasons, there is an increased research into hybrid forms of energy as alternate energy sources. These energy sources include, but are not limited to, solar power, hydropower, hydrogen fuel cells, techniques such as MED, MSF, and Reverse Osmosis, wind energy, tidal energy, biofuel, and other techniques that offer a relatively clean and unlimited supply of energy (Eltawil, Zhengming, & Yuan, 2009). This paper purports to discuss some of these alternate energy sources, especially as they compare to the traditional fossil fuels, to determine the worth and value of these hybrid energy sources in the mainstream market and their application both industrially and domestically. It begins with by presenting the advantages and disadvantages of both energy forms, discussing the infrastructure and policies of the government with regard to the development of these energy forms, a comparison of the impact on the environment of these energies, both the traditional and hybrid forms, comparison and discussion

Police Operations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Police Operations - Research Paper Example Introduction ‘Acculturation’, as a term, is commonly utilized in the discussions which surround refugees and immigrants, focusing on the cultural changes needed to be made in the behavioral traits of the immigrant groups to get imbibed in their host nation’s culture. To be noted, the present acculturation technique is used in the various organizational departments such as fire and police departments. In the year 2004, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) defined acculturation as â€Å"the progressive adoption of elements of a foreign culture (ideas, words, values, norms, behavior, institutions) by persons, groups or classes of a given culture† (Sam & Berry, n.d, p.11). In recent times, acculturation has often been regarded as an important and well organized area of study. Acculturation is a kind of dual process of psychological and cultural changes that take place as an outcome of contact among two or more diverse cultural groups and their res pective individual members. The conventional definition of acculturation was offered by Redfield, Linton and Herskovits as â€Å"acculturation comprehends those phenomena which result when groups of individuals having different cultures come into continuous first-hand contact with subsequent changes in the original culture patterns of either or both groups† (Berry, 1997, p.5). ... With the process of acculturation, police officers will be benefitted by the adaptation of the behavioral patterns of the surroundings (Berry, 1997; Berry, 2005). The new police officers also develop the manner of acculturation which allows them to work in the new environments. Police officers mainly deal with the dimension of criminology, which needs intense pressure handling ability along with logical thinking which can be quite difficult for the new entrants or new officers. Correspondingly, this process of acculturation has been introduced so that new police officers can get habituated to work in the new environment. This research study deals with the way of applying acculturate to the new police officers. In this study comments on present research, subculture of policing along with the consistent cultures that most law enforcement agencies possess, based on critical explanations (Berry, 1997). In the earlier period, acculturation was viewed as a process of change, leading to cer tain specific outcomes. Originally, acculturation was conceptualized mostly as a linear and uni-dimensional procedure with the practice occurring on a continuum. Modified perspectives have enlarged the view of what the potential outcomes might entail. Instead of a single linear continuum, a multidimensional or multi-linear model focuses on an individual position on the both new as well as original cultures norms (Trinh, 2009). Acculturation Process A General Framework of Understanding Acculturation (Berry, 2005) New officers can never be acculturated with the lack of an appropriate process. According to the above framework, there are cultural acculturations in the group level and psychological acculturations in the individual level, which need to be satisfied by the police

Cultural Event Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 27

Cultural Event Report - Essay Example Being the first Saturday of the month no admission fee was being charged (Corsane 29). The architecture and art involved in the design of the Denver art museum was magnificent. The entrance was enough to judge what was to expect. One by one we found ourselves into the museum with lots to expect from the visit. The art work at Denver art museum included traditional arts, sculptures, photographs, paintings, glass art. The arts include Asian collection. I will describe some of the arts found in the Denver art museum. Information gathered showed that the museum was founded in the year 1918, after Denver art association a section of Denver artists club was renamed to the now Denver art museum. My first visit was in the African gallery and it had a lot to offer they included a mask from Gabon referred to as ‘Fang Ngil’ was curved from wood and fiber. Used during the pre-colonial period during initiation ceremonies (Corsane 56). The second stop was the African art in music in that number of instruments used during the pre civilization error. The most eye catching African collection was that from the Yoruba, first the ijebe a two curved sculpture one with a female figure and the other with a male figure they are believed to prevent thunder. I then moved to the American Indian collection on the level two of the museum building, first the pueblo collection, the foot of the pueblo tribe, painting by Irving Couse which portrayed an indigenous American Indian with full native attire. The next was the mud rolls on, a well created. a curving of a woman with one white another black, one red and a yellow one they represented the generational change and different culture and variety of races I then visited the modern photo exhibitions and paintings from all over United States of America and the entire world, they included Charles Sandison collection. Being a video projection its display was magnificent .Also Herbert Bayer painting was on exhibition. The painting

Oncogenes and Breast Cancer Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Oncogenes and Breast Cancer - Term Paper Example Thus, classification of tumors in diverse types and subtypes along with the identification of individuals who are at the potential risk of cancer is gaining prevalence. A combination of data procured from gene-expression and genomic information aids in the detection of possible new targets for designing high-throughput screening strategies for designing drugs that will lead to advances in cancer cell-targeted therapy. The present article deals with the importance of understanding for oncogenes to comprehend breast cancer. Introduction Cancer is known as malignant neoplasm, the hallmark characteristic involves uncontrolled proliferation of cells. Under normal conditions cells grow, divide and die, but in a genetic defect called mutation occur in cancer cells leading to the formation of an abnormal DNA. As genes are the basic control machine of the cells, alteration of any kind may bring devastating consequences, or malignancy. When compared with the normal cells, where damage of any k ind is taken care by the repair system, tumor cells do not have any repair mechanism for the damaged DNA and there is a constant proliferation of cells without displaying senescence hence, generating a series of abnormal cells, with altered cellular pathways for uncontrolled proliferation, figuring malignant tumors (Alberts 2007; Katzang et al. 2009). (Normal cell cycle) (Genetic mutation- causes alteration in genes) (Alberts 2007) Cancer cells manifest, to varying degrees, four characteristics that distinguish them from normal cells, comprising- uncontrolled proliferation, de-differentiation and loss of function, invasiveness and metastasis (Rang et al. 2007). The Genesis of a Cancer Cell A normal cell turns into a cancer cell because of one or more mutations in its DNA, which can be inherited or acquired. In case of the breast cancer, woman who inherits a single defective copy of either of these tumor suppressor genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 displays an augmented risk of developing breast cancer. However, carcinogenesis is a complex, multistage process, usually involving more than one genetic change. Other epigenetic factors responsible for carcinogenesis involve epigenetic factors, such as level of hormones in the body, exposure to carcinogens and tumor promoting agents. These epigenetic factors do not produce cancer by themselves but enhances the likelihood of genetic mutation(s) resulting in cancer. These genetic changes are categorized as - A. The activation of proto-oncogenes to oncogenes: Proto-oncogenes are the normal genes present in the cells and are responsible for controlling cell division, cell differentiation and apoptosis. A triggering factor such as a virus or exposure to any carcinogen brings malignant changes in the cell. B. The inactivation of tumor suppressor genes: A cell has the mechanism to protect itself from uncontrolled proliferation and tumor formation due to expression of genes called tumor suppressor genes. These genes possess the ability to suppress malignant changes and are also referred as antioncogenes. Mutation in proto-oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes results in the proliferation of tumor. Thus, a loss of function of tumor supp

Should the US build more nuclear power plants for an energy source Essay

Should the US build more nuclear power plants for an energy source - Essay Example Furthermore, safe ways for the disposal of nuclear waste should be devised so that no harm can be brought to people who come into contact with it and to the environment. Since the construction of more nuclear power plants depends on the goodwill of all the political groups involved, then it is advisable for all these parties to come to a consensus on how to best deal with the issue (Sains, 2001). The nuclear plants should be constructed and while this is being done, all the safety concerns of those who are skeptical about it should be addressed to ensure that all the parties are working together to create a safe and efficient source of energy. There are many advantages for the use of nuclear energy in the United States and these may be political, economic, and environmental among others. There are many economic benefits for the construction of nuclear power plants in the United States as a source of energy. One of these benefits is that very small amounts of raw materials are require d for the production of a large amount of nuclear energy (Cavallaro, 2010). Moreover, since these raw materials are required in such small quantities, they can be easily transported from one place to another even globally. The operation of nuclear power stations at their full capacity will ensure that cheap electricity is available in the market and that more people will be able to afford it. Nuclear power is a reliable source of energy because the average lifespan of a nuclear reactor is forty years and this lifespan can be extended by another twenty years (Weeks, 2006). Although the initial cost of constructing a nuclear plant is high, the cost of running it afterwards is relatively low and this makes it a very good investment. Nuclear power is very environmentally friendly because no harmful emissions are released into the environment during the process of producing energy, as compared to other sources of energy such as fossil fuels. Nuclear plants require very little space to co nstruct and because of this it has very little impact on the environment. It can be used to produce large amounts of energy at very little environmental cost compared to other sources of energy because nothing needs to be burned in order to produce energy (Clemmitt, 2010). Throughout the nuclear fuel cycle, all the byproducts produced are accounted for and it is carefully stored to ensure that there are no adverse impacts on the environment. It has been said of nuclear energy that since the beginning of the industrial revolution, it is the only industry which has managed to account for all of its waste that has a potential to harm the environment. The use of nuclear energy may also have a political impact on the United States especially at the international level. In the recent decades, the United States has, on numerous occasions, had to go to war in other countries to secure its energy interests. A very good example of this has been the First and the Second Gulf Wars whose main pu rpose was to secure the supply of oil. The use of nuclear energy would greatly reduce the dependence of the United States on foreign sources of energy because it would have more than enough for its domestic needs and it would even be able to export some of the surplus electricity to neighboring countries. Furthermore,

Deviant Behavior Homework Chapter 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Deviant Behavior Homework Chapter 1 - Essay Example Indeed, irresponsible owners of guns have caused much misery to loved ones of those who died from shootings like the Virginia Tech case. Firearms are sold and trade at local gun shows, flea markets, internet and even classified ads. These transactions do not require a background check; thus, a convicted felon or a mentally ill person can usually obtain firearms in this undesirable manner. This practice must be stopped. We must let our elected officials know the Brady law needs to govern all firearm sales for both licensed and unlicensed dealers. The waiting period should be ten business days which would allow local agencies to do the necessary detailed background check and to communicate with all other states before a purchase is made. Florida has some of the weakest gun laws in the nation. There is no state limit on the number of firearms that can be purchased at one time. As a consequence, a gun trafficker can buy large quantities of guns from a gun store and resell them to criminals from other states with tougher gun laws. An individual should not be allowed to purchase more than one gun in a six-month period unless such person is a state licensed dealer. Unfortunately Florida has no existing state licensing or oversight system which makes it very difficult for law enforcement to monitor illegal firearms. Each state must have a gun dealer regulation which would hold a gun seller accountable for their actions and help prevent criminals and other dangerous people from obtaining guns. For those whose lives have changed because of the reckless use of a firearm, no law is ever enough. The second website presents the justification for possessing firearms. Indeed, the Second Amendment protects the rights of all Americans to bear arms for self defense. So, why should this amendment change? The National Rifle Association has spent millions of dollars on

Will and Grace Moveable Feast Essay Example for Free

Will and Grace Moveable Feast Essay 1. Give an example someone employing empathic listening. Explain When Karen is talking about Stan wanting her to sleep with other men, Grace Jack and Will, listen empathetically. They listen to be sensitive to her. They understand that even though she acts tough, she loves her husband and is upset by this. They let her know that they understand how she is feeling and that they are there for her. 2. Which step to critical listening is most vulnerable in this episode? Explain your answer. The most vulnerable step I think is†¦ â€Å"To focus all energy-Attending† Each of the characters are so focused and worried about leaving each place and getting back to their private celebration they are having at Will’s and Grace’s apartment, that they don’t fully attend each gathering. They do not give their full attention to the people that they are visiting at each of the parties and they easily misunderstand some of the conversations and intentions because they are not fully listening to the conversations that are going on around them. 3. Give an example of one of the listening barriers seen in this episode. Be specific. The listening barrier I saw was â€Å"preoccupation† Everyone is so preoccupied with their individual issues, they aren’t focusing on the day. Also they are preoccupied with leaving each of the places that they are visiting so they can leave and go back to Will and Grace’s apartment for their own dinner. 4. Give an example of selective listening in this episode. Be specific Selective listening happens when Will is talking about what not to do at his house. Jack doesn’t fully listen to him as proven when he misuses the term â€Å"business trip† 5. Give an example of ambush or defensive listening in this episode. Be specific Jack and his step dad. Jack is expecting his step dad to be critical and when he welcomes them all, Jack is showing an example of Ambush listening when he says things about him his step dad being distant and says things about his step dad making digs at him. Also†¦ when Jack goes back to talk to him about why his step dad was nice to Elliot. He ambushed him.

Diverse Racial Experience Essay Example for Free

Diverse Racial Experience Essay The chapter by Ruth Frankenberg entitled, Introduction: Points of Origin, Points of Departure, argues that the way one is perceived in society drastically changes their experience and advantage over others. Therefore, white women are often distinguished by their whiteness which gives them a more diverse racial experience (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 1). With being white comes various additional components that set it apart from the other raced women of the world. Moreover, being a white woman automatically links them to a more favourable position of superiority in the way that they are often identified. This means that they get certain benefits by being white, as colonialism positioned them to have a large portion of control and authority over others. This provides them with the advantage to define the public and its individual beings the way they believe or want it to be. Moreover, they see their whiteness as a normative position in society that is invisible. Frankenberg`s goal is to make whiteness visible so that a white person can identify that they have an advantage over a person of colour by virtue of their skin. She also takes into consideration the intersectionality of class, culture, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality in a white racialized body (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 1). Colonization is an important factor to Frankenberg because of how it uncovers the concept of whiteness and how it subsequently became associated to a position of authority and power. In the article `The Murder of Pamela George`, the author observes that history of colonial violence permitted white men to annex land that did not belong to them and treat it as though they were entitled to it (Razack, 2004 ,pp.127). This perception has perpetuated the control and authority of white people throughout history. A critique in the second wave of feminism made white feminists reconsider what and for whom they were advocating. The movement of feminism was envisioned to include all women but it only targeted one specific group of white middle class women. This occurred because the women could only see there suffering from their particular standpoint. This is seen in the article The Problem That Has No Name by Betty Friedan since she assumes that all women are homogeneous and all have the same lived experiences. She does not consider race, class, and sexuality as a factor in feminism (1997). White women mostly consider their whiteness as undetectable and thus not subject to racism (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 3). These white feminists in the second wave were unintentionally being racist towards other women; this made them unsure about how to precede and resolve this issue (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 4). Frankenberg educated herself about racism by positioning herself to learn from the standpoint of women of colour. Enakshi Dua stated in her article that, in order to understand how race and gender are interconnected one has to listen to the lived experiences of women of colour (2005, pp. 64). Frankenberg followed this method formulating questions that she wanted to investigate to find out how racism affects a white women`s life and how society propagates racism through societal means. After answering these questions Frankenberg proceeded to figure out how white women can fight against racism. Most white women believe that their race is invisible and do not realize that it gives them a distinct experience in the world. This is because the dominant class structures society and thus normalizes whiteness. White women and women of colour have distinct experiences that are subject to how they experience racism. Whiteness is socially constructed and it does affect a white women`s life. However, white women usually tended to regard racism as something that has no effect on them and that women of colour only have to live through (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 6). This belief does not put the onus on the white people and it does not identify the perpetrator of the subjection. Racism does not just happen, it is constructed (Tim Wise 2005). Therefore, it impacts the lives of white women which makes race and gender intersectional for all women not just women of colour. There is a denial in the observations that there is one specific dominating male gender. There is also an abundance of only white women`s experiences by this masculine hegemon. After women realized that the world view did not only have to be seen on a male standpoint the world started to shift views (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 8). Women of colour now want to focus on a standpoint from a radicalized point of view in order to stop racism. Moreover, since white people are the oppressors they cannot see how their situation is reinforcing racism. People of colour are the oppressed and know exactly how they are underprivileged. Subsequently, women of colour were the first to see how gender, race and class forms a persons experience in life (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 8). White women did not see their race as something that was constructed. They did not see themselves as racialized because they were coming from a position of privilege. This position for a white person was normalized throughout American history. Therefore, in order to deconstruct race white women have to admit it is something that affects them (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 11). Race is in a fluid motion and changes constantly with society because it is an economic and political construct. Historically, the white dominance was vindicated because of false biological account that white people were superior (Frankenberg, 1993, pp. 13). This biology justified colonization as well as the enslavement of people of colour that soon followed. The justification shifted to culture as the reason that made people inferior and if they integrated with American culture they would achieve success on merit like white people. However, this belief kept blaming people of colour for their position in society.People of colour were first seen as different from white people, then there was an embrace of colour blindness, and finally people realized that they needed to be able to see the differences in society so they can explain them. This last movement’s purpose was to make people aware of race; this was led by the people of colour themselves. They did not want to be invisible because there situation was not improving because people were ignoring the underlying problem. The racialization of people of colour and white people was constructed with colonization. The European culture was embedded into the way the United States constructed its country. This constructed whiteness as belonging and being a person of colour as an outsider (Dua 2005, pp. 60). The dominant western culture –which was white- positioned itself to dominant over the other races. This created the standard citizen that belonged and made people of colour not included in the so called superior western culture. Frankenberg`s argument illuminates how the dominant class rationalized whiteness as not being racialized. Colonization formed the dominant race and reproduced it through society. By normalizing whiteness the white people did not need to consider how it benefited them and subsequently how it negatively affected people of colour. By naming whiteness, Frankenberg will be able to pinpoint how that perception can change so that people can be equal even with there differences. In conclusion, by admitting that white people are racialized will assist anti-racist feminists in their mission to stop the racialization of all people. This would stop white people from believing that they are the only ones that belong in North America and eventually create a system based on meritocracy rather then privilege by virtue of a persons skin.

Organizational Profile And Tesco Market Strategy

Organizational Profile And Tesco Market Strategy Tesco plc is a British international grocery and general merchandising retail chain. It is the largest British retailer by both global sales and domestic market share, with profits exceeding  £3 billion, and the third largest global retailer based on revenue, after Wal-Mart and Carrefour and second largest in profit behind Wal-Mart. In this assessment I would be trying to analyze Tesco business strategies in accordance to their market entry, PESTEL analysis, value chain, financial analysis and benchmark Tesco with their competitors Wal-Mart and Carrefour. Tesco PLC is a British international merchandising retail chain. It is the largest British retailer in global sales and domestic market share. Their profits exceeded  £3 billion in 2009 and employ around 440,000 employees. It is the third largest global retailer based on revenue and second largest in profit Tesco operates 923 in national and international circuit, it gives them access to a population over 260 million across nine markets in different continents. Over the past five years, Tesco have expanded from a traditional UK supermarket into providing a variety products and services, including food, non-food business, personal finance and internet shopping. The increasing scale and globalization of their operations has provided significantly contributed to their efficiency and profitability. Even though it has been a very for consumer the companys confidence has fallen as people worry about unemployment and are struggling to manage their household budgets. At Tesco there has been a shift in priorities of the customers Tesco constantly monitored their prices on their food items and changed their value chain strategy to cut cost , cater to the needs of the customers and eventually to make profits. TESCO MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY The plank of Tescos entry strategy has been the use of their own-brand product. These are divided into three categories PRODUCT RANGE Finest: High quality food with highest price rages Mid-range Tesco brand : Medium quality and average price range Low-price Value brand: Low quality products with lower price value These product ranges of items are available to the consumer market in their retail format stores Tesco Extra: These are significantly large out of town hypermarkets which stock all of Tescos product ranges; the minimum shop floor is of 119,000 sq feet.[ Tesco Superstores: They are standard supermarkets stocking primarily groceries and other smaller non food goods. Tesco Metro: They are stores which functions between superstores and express stores, they are mainly located in city centers and high-street, they cater ready to eat food, refrigerated food and deli food to working class consumers. Tesco Express: Tesco Express stores are neighborhood convenience shops, they stocking mainly food with particularly on higher-margin products. Tesco Direct: Tesco Direct is an online store, where consumers can purchase items online and can collect it from a store or choose to deliver at home. OBJECTIVES OF MARKET ENTRY STRATEGY To cater to variety of food products at different price level satisfying different income levels To operate at an economy of scale there by able to have a control over the price To be accessible in all levels of the geography To gain significant market share To be able to compete in the highly significant technological and infrastructural environment. BARRIERS OF ENTRY Market Structure The market in which Tesco operates are in daily grocery market. Although, this is a highly competitive segment Tesco holds a huge proportion of market share, This type of market structure is highly volatile, continuous development and innovation is required by Tesco to keep the market share. Threats of substitutes The fear of substitutes in the food retail industry is minimal, but with higher number of super markets and convenient stores people have variable option to choose their product from. Buyer power The buyer power is high in the industry because the consumer can easily choose between ASDA, Tesco Sainsbury etc. The importance is often which retailer is closest to the consumer. Since the buyer power is high the cost of switching is very low. Supplier power Supplier power is relatively weak because there are a large number of supermarkets and a small numbers of dominant buyers. But we must have in mind that large suppliers such as Proctor and Gamble or Unilever have countervailing power. Rivalry The rivalry is high in the industry because of a very competitive market industry. As seen in table, Tesco is the market leader in UK; however, the five largest players have a market share of 65.6 % which indicate that it is an oligopolistic market. It is a high capital industry and a new market challenger must have financial resources on a very high level. Because the food retail market in UK is a mature market, growth is achieved by taking market share from competitors. RETAILER MARCH 2008 MARCH 2009 Tesco 30.6% 31.2% Sainsbury 16% 16.4% Asda 16.3% 16.9% Morrisons 11.3% 11.1% Somerfield 4,0% 3.7% Waitrose 3.7% 2.9% Iceland 1.6% 1.6% Grocery market shares, 2008-2009 www.nfuonline.com ANALYSIS The strategy used by Tesco in UK and Europe has been largely successful because of home territory advantage and supply chain control, the organization can control price of variable and change the price of food accordingly and this gives them a successful edge of other competitors like Asda and Sainsburry. With the plan of expansion significantly towards the east, Tesco has been struggling to gain momentum in these markets. The following are the recommendations for Tesco entering foreign markets Identify the market opportunities: Tesco has to understand the retail structure of the country and understand other elements such as suppliers, transport, home grown facilities. Market to enter: Which region to focus their market depending on their variables such as, competitors, standard of living Nature of food product: The variety of food product available within the company and international food supply. Understanding buying behavior: Understanding buying behavior is an psychological task, behavior has to be monitored and market research has to be setup to provide products that are best suited to consumer of that country. PESTEL ANALYSIS The analysis provides a framework for macro-environmental factors that used in the environmental scanning. It is a part for monitoring macro variable factors while understanding a strategic analysis. It is a useful strategic tool for understanding market growth or decline, business position, potential and direction for operations. PESTEL analysis for TESCO Political (www.food.gov.uk) UK has a variety of important legislation and food laws. The FSA (The Food Safety Act) provides support for all food legislation in Great Britain. Some of these acts are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Falsely describing or presenting food à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Rendering food injurious to health à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Selling food to a purchaser which is not of the substance or quality as demanded à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Unsafe unfit for human consumption The companies within the food industry must operate under the governments regulations, such as, the employment laws. Tescos Impact Tesco employs over 250.000 people in UK which can be difficult to control. Also environmental regulations and trade restrictions and tariffs are something to be aware of. Political changes may affect the food industry if curtain restrictions appear in the future, for that reason companies need to be flexible and ready to change quickly. Tesco certainly is a company which has the power and knowledge to change when difficulties occur. Economical Even though inflation rose to a high level at 3 % and interest rates rising to 5.75 %, the UK economy is rising the fallen (www.bankofengland.co.uk, 2008) The economic growth is currently at 3,8 % (www.statistics.gov.uk, 2009), unemployment has been falling and the UK housing market continues to be buoyant with rising house prices being a strong factor in maintaining consumer spending and confidence but retail companies in the UK are making record negligible profitability. It is important to have in mind that, with the American economy entering a harder economical phase because of housing bubble and large loans UK economy is feeling is feeling the heat too. Companies in the food retail industry are suffering the consequences. Therefore, profit are increasing because consumers are tending to be thrifty. Tescos Impact Even though with the financial turmoil Tescos has been able to hold an upper hand, the company uses its value product more efficiently to cater to their customers need and budgeting procurements. Higher interest rates and rising labor costs have adversely impact Tescos margins negatively Socio-cultural factors The annual income in UK has been increased since 2001 and is expected to increase even more in the future (www.euromonitor.com, 2007) which is connected with an healthier economy predicted in UK. Another important factor is lifestyle changes, it has big impact on consumer habits and expenditure, some of these factors are weight loss and dieting, which increases focus on health products in the food retail industry. It is not so much a question of developing new products but increasing dietary information and educating consumers on a healthy lifestyle in a way that is more actionable for them The early adopters of this approach include British retailers like Sainsbury and Tesco, both of which have diet ranges that do not include this word on packaging. Instead their ranges are branded as healthy, often emphasizing heart health, a major issue associated with obesity. (www.nutraingredients.com) Also consumerism is central, it is linked to consumer expenditure, as you see below the forecast is showing increasing spending in the UK from 2006-2013, which is essential to the food retail industry Year 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Million Pounds 68954,57 69207,54 69697,93 69518,95 69252,81 70118,77 CONSUMNER EXPENDITURE TREND FOR FOOD WWW.EUROMONITOR.COM Tescos Impact Tesco has been analyzing variety of consumers through their market research campaign; the stores have catered not only to consumers income levels but their diversities. Tescos has special aisles dedicated to Chinese and Indian consumers. Technological UK government spent approximately 22bn on technology in 2005 (www.zdnet.co.uk) which is double as much as ex. Germany. It indicates that UK is willing to spend a large amount on the future within the technology area. The speed of the technology transfer in the UK rises while internet users increase every year, see forecast below Tescos Impact The technological development in Tesco and other retail industry is emerging. New technologies such as self-service technology are becoming popular. The dependence on human services in Tesco retail is fast reduced by machines, this help the company reduce the prices of goods and cut operational cost. The technology gives the consumer the possibility to check-out by them self and it gives the retailers cost advantage because of less till employees it is a win-win situation. Environmental The green issue is becoming more and more relevant in society. Especially businesses needs to take part in the future of recycling and waste programs set up by the government. The framework of this is: (www.defra.gov.uk, 2007) Tescos Impact à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Phase out the use of free disposable bags in store and bag free delivery from the online shop. (www.tescocoporate.com) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Reduce food packaging use in-store devices to deliver product information instead. (Retail Week, 2007) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste program -Tesco advises and help other businesses on how to reduce and recycle their waste, with  £4 saved by business for each  £1 of government money. Legal Retail companies like Tesco needs to be aware of commercial and consumer laws like Sale of Goods Act 1979 which regulates contracts in which goods are sold and bought , food safety laws mentioned before and consumer protection laws, which protect the consumer against unfair and deceptive practices. Also fair trading which makes markets work well for consumers ex. The Office of Fair Trading (www.oft.gov.uk). These laws and acts can have a negative effect if not researched or taken into consideration. Tescos Impact Over the years Tesco has aided legal laws regarding consumer behavior including government legislations the company follows their own set of standard rules and regulations which enhance customer satisfaction. VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS AT TESCO (using Potters principals) Inbound Logistics The inbound logistics is of critical importance in the Tesco value chain, because of the strong bond between Tesco and its suppliers. Tesco needs to make sure that the stores get the right products at the right price, the right quality, the right quantity and of course at the right time. Balance between these elements is central, so at the end, the consumers get what they want. The inbound logistics is one of Tescos competitive advantages and deals with reception of products, staff scheduling, facilities planning, stock control and storing. Operations The operation within the Tesco organization is in fact all the different products arriving to the store and placed in-store. Tesco buy large amounts of groceries, clothes, electronics etc. so they get the advantage of economies of scale, then they increase the price and sell it direct to the consumer with a positive margin. That is very simplified how Tescos operation works, of course there are things to be done before they sell it, like packaging, machining, testing of products, assembling, till operations and store operations. Outbound Logistics The outbound logistics is a smaller area in the organisation because Tesco do not have to send things out of their stores; customers come into the store and pick up their groceries, pay at the till and go out again. However, queuing management is important, so the customer gets a quick and efficient check-out. The location of the store and the car park outside the store is also central and linked closely to the consumer when they leave the store. Customer management is essential for the reason that Tesco is customer driving and the company needs all the information they can get about their customers to develop customer relations. Marketing and Sales Because of Tescos size, the company uses many marketing tools like Public Relations, advertising, promotion and in-store layout which hit the consumer on all senses when they shop. Tesco also have many in-store sales techniques, from different price schemes like expensive, less expensive and cheap areas in the store, in addition to price comparison with ASDA and J. Sainsbury etc. They do everything there is to capture the customer while they shop at Tescos and try their best to make sure people will come back. Another marketing scheme is their vouchers, you can actually use an ASDA voucher in the Tesco store and that is a perfect example of the sales techniques and Tescos willingness to capture customers. Service Tesco has many employees working all around the store, if you cannot find a special article at the store and asks an employee, they will either show you where it is or find somebody who knows about the article. Another service is when people check out and pay the employee at the till always asks the costumer if they need any help with packaging. Service outside the store is provided by the effective www.tesco.com where people can buy groceries, clothes and electronics online. Furthermore Tesco has a service and repair group who concentrates on everything that evolves service and repairs of product. Support activities Firm Infrastructure When a company grows as big as Tesco, the management structure will be divided into several areas as they do not only operate in their domestic market but are a global company. That is why Tesco now has a manager in all the major areas. The organizational structure is centralized at Tesco because it gives greater control, better goal congruence and greater expertise. In addition, Tesco has a multidivisional organization structure which is clear because they have so many different directors working in different divisions around the organization. Tesco also has a large legal department where they focus on the treatment of new suppliers. Human Resource management Tesco employs over 250.000 in the UK only, so dealing with recruiting the right people and developing the right teams in the stores has a huge impact on the firm. Tesco educate the employees by sending them to employment-training programs and some of the managers to management and leadership courses, to prepare them for the problems that often occur in the company and in the stores. Technology Development Tesco make use of many technological tools like information systems and use IT for stock control. They have IT systems about customer satisfaction and databases with information about the club card holders. To develop check-out satisfaction they use self check-out tills. The internet is becoming more and more important and www.tesco.com is a good example of another technology initiative which has become a success since they launched their online shopping service in 1997. Procurement Tesco deals with a lot of procurement like the buildings they operate their stores in, the IT equipment and buying tills for the stores. Things people do not think about when shopping at Tescos like the lightning in the store, air-conditioning, ovens for the bakery and the take-away food, cleaning machines etc. A huge corporation like Tesco operates so many machines and spends millions on procurement which needs to be controlled by the management. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Good financial management and being the leader in market positions has served Tesco well during the year to face the challenges of consumer environment. The objective of the organization is to continue the pursue long-term strategy which would help the management to be in a much stronger position once the markets emerge from the economic meltdown. BALANCE SHEET ANALYSIS From the balance sheet we can understand the development of Tesco over the years; the company has increased their fixed asset by increasing their level of plant and property. This is largely due to the new hypermarkets and supermarket which Tesco guaranteed to provide by the end of 2008. Investment and joint ventures decreased of the company, last year the company recognized a joint venture in India with Tata group to support a retail store under the brand name STAR-BAZAR, this was one of Tescos entry strategy to method to flag ship the Indian market. Loans and advances to customers increase, this was result to pay back later strategy issued by Tesco in their retail format. INCOME STATEMENT ANALYSIS Revenue for Tesco has increased over the past years, even with impact of recession but the profit was marginal. Along with the revenue, the cost of sales has increased too. Tesco over the year used certain promotional activities to increase revenue, one of their tactical methods was issuing promotional coupons but a part of the revenue mentioned includes unredeemed coupons. CASHFLOW STATEMENT Tesco derives most of their cash from their operating activities; their core business involves a lot of inflow and outflow of cash. Most of the cash flow out flow is for purchase of building, equipment and purchase of land, Tesco has significantly increased their joint ventures as a technique to capitalize international market. FINANCIAL ANALYSIS The operating profit of the firm has reduced marginally from 5.9% in 2008 to 5.4 percent in 2009. It shows that the firm has been controlling their cost in generating profit from sales especially at the times of recession; this also resulted in the fall of net profit margin. The first quarter improvement in 2010 has proved the company has got out of recession and growing into greater strengths and better economic times await the firm. BENCHMARKING Tesco is second largest retail in Europe in terms of revenue, with the company growing rapidly it is a growing threat for other large retailers. Wal-Mart and CarreFour have strategically emerged into global leaders, the variable factors which these company focused to grow big are Location: Wal-Mart and CarreFour has a total of 7,262 and 5643 stores respectively worldwide. Each and every store that Wal-Mart and CarreFour have opened in the past have been strategically assessed through the stages of macro location. The choice of a supermarket location is considered to be the single most important decision a retail organization has to make and is critical factor of success include Mobility and Time constraints Access to infrastructure Convenience for customers, suppliers and employees Tesco should understand location will impact on sales and distribution costs and competitive intensity may vary if there are strong local competitors in some regions. By implementing their location in apt geographic location the management can take advantage of lower distribution, assembly, raw materials or energy costs, and institutional factors such as government regulations. Cost may outweigh the benefits of owning a store in certain locations. Store Layout: Store design is a vital role to any successful retailing company around the world. There are three factors that come into play when you analyze store design through the customers point of view. The essential idea of store design is to make all customers feel comfortable and enjoy the area they shop in. The three important factors of store design are: Ambient dimension Social dimension Design dimension The above factors can be used to analyse in which way Wal-mart, Carrefour and Tesco operate with their own store design, focusing on their pacific target audience. Another way to analyse both Wal-mart and Tesco is by using the Mehrabian-Russell Model (1974). Mehrabian-Russell Model (1974) introduces the concepts of approach (positive) and avoidance (negative) behaviour, as well as pleasure and arousal. (retail marketing by Malcolm Sullivan and Dennis Adcock) Marketing Performance: According to Nielson Media Research, Tesco Spent  £62.9m on marketing which includes marketing for their own brand products as well. Wal-Mart spent  £34.8m on advertising; their marketing performance is commonly reflected by their ability to promote their own-brand as best as possible to increase the customer retention and not disappointing the shopper. They usually aim to get the customers in the stores by advertising well-known brand names and then focus the customers attention on own-brand goods. They attempt to attract the customers interest the moment they and to point-of-sale (PoS) as its a very cost effective way to promote own-brand products at a minimal cost. Overall the advantage of Wal-Mart and Tesco operating own-brand products allows the retailers to have larger profit margins compared to selling brand products as well as allows the retailers to enforce the relationship between them and the shopper. Own brands offer a point of difference to the competition, which can increase store reputation and customer loyalty. However the problem with own brand product is that many shoppers and influenced by brand goods and unwilling to buy own-brand goods as they can be seen as an inferior product. Nevertheless during an unstable economic climate such as the current recession, own brand goods are less vulnerable to the fluctuations of economical factors such as currency rates and inflation Customers: Tescos USP is it knowledge about their customers. Tesco has signed up 12 million of their customers for their Club card program, providing members discounts in exchange for their names, address and other personal information. The data collected lets Tesco give tailor made promotions for consumer and decide quickly new innovations initiatives employed are working. The Club-card has helped Tesco boost market share in groceries up to 31% double the 16% to Wal-Mart in the Uk. On the other hand Wal-Mart influences their customers by their strategy of low prices preferred over being personally influenced CONCLUSION Talking about Tescos strategic fit in the UK it is clear that they fit excellent. The indicators of this fit are as mentioned before; they are market leaders with a strong brand and because of their size they have competitive advantage over suppliers with economies of scale. As the UK is their domestic market they got the experience, know-how and knowledge of the environmental issues in the country and the food retail industry in general. The largest threats in the industry is the rivalry of the nearest competitors, however Tesco seems to have it under control because their market shares keeps rising and the competitors is still left behind. The second largest threat is the power of the consumer, however Tesco probably has the best consumer knowledge and customer management in the business, which allows them to implement new innovative food product and other investments which the consumer eventually obeys to. Tescos got the strategy to become even more powerful in UK and to increase the market share. In order to do so, I believe Tesco should focus even more on private label product because the margins are much higher than branded product (30 %). One of Tescos success factors is the private label area and Tesco generates high levels of loyalty which gives them the advantage to increase private label sales. In addition, Tescos ability to match products to customer needs from sophisticated scanning and loyalty schemes has become a strong opportunity and strength in their marketing strategy. Although Tesco has plenty of strengths and opportunities in UK, they are now focusing even more on areas outside the food retail industry. Because of the partly mature food market in UK they focus on international expenditure, online sale and non-food industry. Since the future is pointing in other directions for profit, it is therefore important that Tesco keeps a fine balance between the UK market and their new areas. The UK market still earns Tesco the highest profit which is used to expand in all the new areas. As Tesco is so heavily dependent of the UK market it is a threat if the UK economy decreases if the interest rates goes up, inflation raises, housing bubble bursts and of course if consumers expenditure decreases. All these assumptions can be negative towards Tescos future profit. As leading grocery experts observe, supermarkets in general and Tesco in particular will have to demonstrate continuously that they truly have consumer interests at heart, and that they are not abusing their enormous power just to enrich themselves (Seth Randall, 1999) I end my report on Tesco by using this statement from Seth Randall, 1999. From 1999 until today, Tesco has showed that they have consumer interests at heart and a long with the pursuit of larger economies of scale is probably the main reason why they are and will still be so successful compared to their competitors.

Free Huckleberry Finn Essays - Inappropriate for Children :: Adventures Huckleberry Huck Finn Essays

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Inappropriate for Children The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is, not and should not, be considered a child's story. A story like this may corrupt a young child's mind. It deals with adult themes and concepts that are generally not suitable for young children. Als o, if used as a child's story it may confuse them or give them the wrong idea about slavery and the terminology of the time. First of all, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is extremely inappropriate for children because it may put bad ideas into a young impressionable mind. At the young age of about twelve, Huck is roaming around the woods all by himself and later on is flo ating aimlessly down the Mississippi River with a bunch of criminals. Huck is living what may appear to the children to be a very exciting and glamorous life. Most parents would never steer their children the wrong way in life, don't want to tell childr en about a kid around their age or little older than they are that is homeless and basically cheating and stealing to survive. This novel explains in depth about various scams such as the Wilks brothers scam, and the teaching schools like the dancing sch ool or "yellow cution". In addition to the royal nonesuch plays which teach children that all you need to do is take the money and run like the King and the Duke did. After reading this novel the majority of children won't go out and try to scam their n eighbors. However, it may seem like an appealing lifestyle for them. It may also give them the impression that being a con man for a living, or being homeless and wandering is a wonderful and glorious carefree lifestyle, and because your Mommy or Daddy tells it to you, it must not be the wrong thing to do. In addition to giving the wrong idea about life, it is a brutal and vulgar book that children should not be exposed to. There are a couple of deaths like when Colonel Sherburn kills a harmless town drunk named Boggs. Earlier on Huck is staying with a the Grangerford family that is in the middle of a feud with the Shepherdson family.

Differential Association Essay -- essays research papers fc

Sutherland’s Differential Association Born August 13, 1883 in Gibbon, Nebraska, Edwin H. Sutherland grew up and studied in Ottawa, Kansas, and Grand Island, Nebraska. After receiving his B.A degree from Grand Island College in 1904, he taught Latin, Greek, History, and shorthand for two years at Sioux Falls College in South Dakota. In 1906 he left Sioux Falls College and entered graduate school at the University of Chicago from which he received his doctorate. (Gaylord, 1988:7-12) While attending the University of Chicago he changed his major from history to sociology. Much of his study was influenced by the Chicago approach to the study of crime that emphasized human behavior as determined by social and physical environmental factors, rather than genetic or personal characteristics. (Gaylord, 1988:7-12) With his studies completed he began work at the University of Minnesota from 1926 to 1929 where his reputation as a leading criminologist was enhanced. At this time, his focus became sociology as a scientific enterprise whose goal was the understanding and control of social problems, including crime. (Gaylord, 1988:13) After his time at Minnesota he moved to Indiana University and founded the Bloomington School of Criminology at Indiana University. While at Indiana, he published 3 books, including Twenty Thousand Homeless Men (1936), The Professional Thief (1937), and the third edition of Principles of Criminology (1939). Finally in 1939 he was elected president of the American Sociological Society, and in 1940 was elected president of the Sociological Research Association. Similar in importance to strain theory and social control theory, Differential Association theory was Sutherland's major sociological contribution to criminology; . These theories all explain deviance in terms of the individual's social relationships. By attributing the cause of crime to the social context of individuals, Differential Association departs from the pathological perspective and biological perspective. "He rejected biological determinism and the extreme individualism of psychiatry, as well as economic explanations of crime. His search for an alternative understanding of crime led to the development of Differential Association theory. In contrast to both classical and biological theories, Differential Associat... ...s Sutherland a pioneer for all criminologists. Works Cited: Akers, Ronald L.. (1996). Is differential association/social learning cultural deviance theory? Criminology. Gaylord, Mark S and John F. Galliher. (1988). The criminology of Edwin Sutherland. Transaction, Inc Jacoby, Joseph E.. (1994). Classics of criminology. Waveland press, Inc. Matseuda, Ross L.. (1988). The current state of differential association theory. Crime and Delinquency (July 1988). Sage Publication Pfohl, Stephen. (1994). Images of deviance and social control. McGraw-Hill, Inc. Skinner, William F. and Anne M. Fream(1997). A social learning theory analysis of computer crime among college student. Journal of research in crime and delinquency. Sage Publication Sutherland, Edwin H.. (1974). Criminology. J.B. Lippincott Company Sutherland, Edwin H.. (1961). White-collar crime. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc Sutherland, Edwin H.. (1937). The professional thief. The university of Chicago. Tittle, Charles R. and Mary Jean Burke(1986). Modeling Sutherland’s theory of differential association: Toward an empirical clarification. Social Forces. Warr, Mark (1993). Parents, Peers, and Delinquency. Social forces.

Computers in the Classroom :: Technology Technological Essays Education

Computers in the Classroom Computers are being used in classrooms all over the country. Children have access to a computer while at home or at school. However, is the technology being channeled through computers being depended upon too much? Are they going to take over the role of the teacher as an educator? Many educators are asking these questions regarding the education of their students. Computers affect the students and teachers in both positive and negative ways. In this paper I am going to discuss the benefits and downfalls of computers in the classroom. In just five years, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of computers being used. Computers are virtually in every home, school and library. People can access facts and ideas that they were never able to before and can also do many things that were out of reach and unimaginable. In 1995, according to the Census Bureau of the United States, fifty percent of schools had access to the internet but by 2000, the numbers rose to ninety-eight percent. In 1995, only eight percent of classrooms had access to the internet and by 2000, seventy seven percent of classrooms had access to the internet. Teachers have taken advantage of the accessibility and have begun to include the computers and the internet into their lessons everyday. In 1999, of all public elementary schools, fifty six percent of teachers were using the internet to have their students to get more practice in certain areas and producing reports and projects. However, is using the computer beneficial to the teacher and the students? With the internet being so available, students are given the opportunity to be linked with the outside world that they may never have otherwise experienced. Interactive games and simulations can now be found that give students a valuable visual representation of a place, how something works, or an experiment. Also, students can now take what the teachers have taught them in class and practice their skills and stuffy their facts on the computer. With this convenience, students are now performing better on standardized tests than ever before because they are able to practice the subjects in a fun way. [1] Student’s research will also change because instead of using books for references, students will use the internet that does not always contain as many reliable sources. A student with access to the internet is often times more eager to learn and does further research on a topic that interests them because it is within reach in seconds.

Conflict Assessment of an Ongoing Sibling Rivalry Using the Wilmot-Hocker Conflict Essay

It’s very common for siblings to fight and it’s not uncommon for sibling to throw a punch or two, but what happens when the fighting becomes hate and aggression towards each other. This form of tension between brothers and sisters is called sibling rivalry. Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among brothers and sisters, blood-related or not. This type of competition or animosity can cause a rift in the sibling’s relationship with one another, which can result in a multitude of fight (sometimes physical) and many verbal altercations as well. Sibling rivalry can also cause various problems within a household, including favoritism, divorce, and a house that is emotionally divided. Stress within the parent’s lives and children’s lives can create more conflict and increase sibling rivalry. Eighty two percent of people in Western countries have at least one sibling, and siblings generally spend more time together during childhood than they do with parents. The sibling bond is often complicated and is influenced by factors such as parental treatment, birth order, personality, and people experiences outside the family. Sibling rivalry is not unique to Western culture and can involve aggression towards one another. Often, sibling rivalry starts before the second child is born and continues as the children mature and compete for everything from toys to attention. Each child in a family competes to define who they are as an individual and wants to show the world that they are separate from their siblings. Children may often feel they are getting unequal amounts of their parents’ attention, discipline, and responsiveness. Children tend to fight more in families where there is no understanding or boundary set that shows that fighting is not an acceptable way to resolve conflicts, and no alternative ways of handling such conflicting situations. In this conflict assessment we will assess the sibling rivalry of a brother and sister who have had an ongoing issue of animosity towards each other for over fifteen years. Using Wilmot-Hocker’s conflict assessment guide, we will be able to understand  each aspect of the conflict and possibly come to a common ground in which they (the siblings) will be able to get along in a more long-term manner. Through this conflict assessment the siblings will be able to explore the possible solutions to assist in resolving this issue in a sensible manner. The two subjects that will be assessed today are DeMarcus (33 years old) and Danett (25 years old). They are blood related siblings and share the same parents. They’ve been living in consistent animosity of each other for over fifteen years and they continue to fight (physically) and argue. Their parents are tired of this frequent quarrel between them, and the parents feel like the conflict is driving a wedge into their household. The two siblings, now that they are adults, can see the toll their quarrel has caused, within their relationships with others (personal and intimate) outside of their family and also within the frame of their intermediate family. Nature of the Conflict From prior questions asked to the subjects, there are a various number of triggering events that have cause this particular conflict. Numerous acts of belittlement, hatred, physical violence, neglect, bullying, abuse, and threats over the years have escalated this conflict out of control. DeMarcus states that the conflict began when Danett was born and he expressed his dyer need, want and concern for a younger brother. DeMarcus states that Danett has always been an over achiever that has always captured the attention, no matter if the attention was good or bad, of their parents. Danett’s personal concerns and issues became more alarming when she expressed her feelings on why her issue or animosity towards her brother was so strong: â€Å"When I was younger, I lived in the shadow of my older brother. Any activity that my brother was in, I wanted to participate in as well. I was basically the tag-a-long little sister, until I turned the age of ten, then things began to change a bit. One day DeMarcus and his best friend where playing a game and I was in another room. When my brother finished the game with his friend he left to go use the bathroom, leaving his friend unattended. His friend, at that time, got up and came into the room that I was in and began to fondle me. My brother came back to the room to see his friend was gone and decided to search around the house for him. When  DeMarcus came into the room I was screaming, â€Å"Stop! Stop it!† But instead of DeMarcus trying to get his so-called best friend off of me, he sat and watched as I fought to get away from his teenage friend.† â€Å"Later that night when our mother picked us up, I whispered to her that I needed to talk to her about something important and my mother told her that we would discuss it when they got home in private. As soon as we arrived home, I began to tell her mother what happened and immediately she called DeMarcus into the room to question him about the events that took place. DeMarcus stood in my mother’s face and called me a liar and said that it never happened. I was crushed and didn’t know if my mother believed me and I felt abandoned in a sense.† Danett continued to express her concerns of hurt, worthlessness, embarrassment and betrayal, and that her relationship with her brother became a downward spiral of abuse and deceit. When asking DeMarcus about the events that took place, he claimed that he had no recollection of this ever happening, but quickly interject with the comment, â€Å"If she was a boy then that wouldn’t have happened to her!† Danett explains that this is always DeMarcus’ negative attitude towards her, and that these comments always are the heated beginning of a fist fight between them. Argument is â€Å"reason giving† (Benoit 1992; Rowland and Barge 1991) one makes claims and backs them up (Keough 1992). DeMarcus, in order to maintain innocence from accusation, begins to belittle Danett in order to get his innocence across to whoever is listening. The arguer tries to get others to â€Å"recognize the rightness† of his or her beliefs or actions (Benoit 1983, 550). Interpersonal argumentation, then, has a place in our everyday conflicts and negotiations (Trapp 1981, 1989). Orientation to the Conflict The attitudes expressed in the conflict are ones of deceit, regret, close mindedness, unhappiness and a loss of self-esteem. In many ethnic household certain issues are swept under the rug and never discussed causing suppressed feelings and hidden issues. Danett explains: â€Å"I would try to discuss the issues I had with my mother. I felt that since she was once a young girl, like me, she would understand where I was coming from with my  concerns. My mother was very good at trying to make my problems go away through the acts of prayer and faith. My mother tried to make me a firm believer in the motto: Let go and let God. Which in translation means: Let your burdens go and let the Lord handle them; no need to stress. My family was very good about trying not to stress over things and trying to sweep problems under the rug or resolve an issue in a timely and quiet manner. Even though the issue was never discussed again, the emotional and mental scars were there and I felt like I could never trust my brother again and I could never come to anyone in my family with any of my problems. My biggest fear was that the acts of faith I was taking through my cultural and religious beliefs were going to make the situation worse and my fear came true.† A person is supposed to say what he or she means to resolve disagreements through the use of power (as in competition) or by working things out together (collaboration) (Wilson 1992). The problem is that when we are angry, we may exaggerate an offense, seek revenge, and then lead ourselves and others into unproductive and wasteful conflict (Planalp 1999). DeMarcus expressed: â€Å"Danett has always been an over achiever (in sports and academics) and has always captivated the attention of the family. I admit, I always wanted a brother and I say that every day because I don’t understand what others see in her that draws them to her. She makes me feel worthless to others in the family and I treat her how I feel. Thus is why I belittle her and allow things to happen to her because I feel she deserves the treatment I give her.† DeMarcus, aside for the feelings he bestowed above, made it clear that he wanted to make this situation better with his sister. â€Å"I love my sister, don’t get me wrong! At the time, I could understand why I wasn’t treated more like her. I felt unwanted and when I failed in certain areas, she would succeed. This is one of the main problems I have with her. Her ongoing success was acquired during birth and when I was unable to succeed, I started to resent her. When my plans of â€Å"trying to bring her down† didn’t work, I think that when I became more physical and wanted her to be in physical pain as well as emotional.† The noted interest to resolve this  issue between the siblings is very evident. They (the siblings) keep maintaining the fact that they not only want to resolve this issue, but they want to better their relationship with one another. Interest and Goals The role of each person has in the interaction with others is a form of identity goals, and how one wants to resolve the conflict is process goals. I believe that when you open the lines of communication with your colleagues or relatives, everyone is able to approach the problem respectively, than the parties involved will receive a positive outcome that will allow the parties to further their relationship. The main interest and goals of these two siblings, is to come to an understanding of one another’s feelings in order to function as a family and to decrease the rift between them. Both of the parties want to accomplish the same goal, in order to alleviate the consistent arguing. Danett and DeMarcus, though they are both adult and live in separate locations of the United States, believe that the alleviation of this conflict between them will bring them closer together and allow their parents a form of relief from the added stress this conflict has caused. Power According to (Kritek 1994;90) People using dominance (power or control) for their own needs do so out of fear or insecurity. The ability to control one’s environment, including the behavior of others is power. The siblings are exhibiting a balance of power between each other. Danett’s power over DeMarcus comes from her achievements and her existence on this earth, while DeMarcus’ power comes from his insults, his nonchalant attitude towards his family, and his inability to act like an older brother and allow others to take advantage of his sister mentally and sexually, when she was younger. Styles Hearing both sides of the situation and understanding the tactics used in each altercation of conflict, the styles exhibited in this conflict are varied. There are threats, which is a commonly used competitive tactic. We rush to use threats because we believe they are effective (Johnson and Ford  1996; Rubin, Pruitt, and Kim 1994). DeMarcus would threaten Danett and in return a fight would escalate, inflicting both a negative cast of physical and mental pain within one another. This act is also a form of verbal aggressiveness; which is a broader category of communication than threats. Rather than just telling someone what might happen to them, when you use verbal aggression you â€Å"attack the self concepts† of other people (Infante and Wigley 1986). These aggressive tactics overlap and become known as bullying. Bullying is â€Å"ongoing, persistent badgering, harassment and psychological terrorizing†¦ that demoralizes, dehumanizes and isolates those targeted† (Tracy, Lutgen-Sandvik, and Alberts 2004, 3; Lutgen-Sandvik, Tracy, and Alberts 2005). After the massive verbal assaults between the siblings, violence would soon occur between them. Violence is when conflict interactions move beyond threats and verbal aggressiveness, often involving a multitude of physical pain and or danger. These styles are very collective and evolve into one another. Assessment Given all the facts of the conflict, I feel that a third-party intervention should be available for mediation. Meditation is an act of resolving conflict positively between parties using a mediator or third party help. Mediation is defined as a process in which a third-party helps (mediator) to assist in resolving a dispute between two or more parties. A mediator’s role is to facilitate and assist with the communication efforts of the parties involved and to further their focus on tackling real issues and to help generate a positive or neutral outcome. Mediation in this situation will hopefully bring about a positive change with the attitudes of the siblings. Being able to voice opinions, emotions/ feelings to one another will bridge the gap of the sibling’s ongoing rift. Coming to a solution is the main focus of a mediator. The mediator is to create a positive yet productive discussion that will allow the parties to express their concerns amongst each other without criticizing either party’s opinion. Sometimes mediation is used to improve relationship amongst parties that have to consistently work with each other or be around each other. There are many ways to stop the growth of sibling rivalry. Many times it starts at birth with the parents. As a parent, being able to express equal amounts of affection to your children is needed to eliminate this future dilemma. Also being able to listen to a child’s issues and assist them in any form of conflict, weather in school or at home, will make their conflict resolution skills better. DeMarcus and Danett understand that this issue will not disappear after a few sessions with a mediator and are fully dedicated to resolve this problem. The conflict, which has been occurring for several years, has not only called for assistance from a mediator, but also a psychiatrist will be needed to assess the permanent mental damage it has caused throughout their lives. The parents should also be involved in these assessments to decrease the stress and tension amongst the entire family. The parents might be able to give further insight into why this bickering has been an ongoing process amongst the two siblings. Personal Intervention Being able to see and address an ongoing issue is a major step within the lives of these siblings. The fact that they understand that this issue has gone too far and has taken a major toll on their lives as individuals, is a break though that should be applauded. Forgiveness and reconciliation are just the first steps needed to carry the torch in this intervention. Forgiveness allows us to restore ourselves and through forgiveness DeMarcus and Danett can begin to bridge the gap that has been a gaping hole in their lives. Reconciliation will follow as they continue to progress in the resolution of their conflict. Reconciliation will restore them to one another as a result of time; the human desire to transcend injury; the courage to place violation, betrayal, deception, or some other wound in the larger context of additional experience; and perhaps the mysterious effect of what some may call â€Å"grace† will assist in the accomplishing of their goal to become civil towards one another. Attempted Solutions The parities have generated a wide variety of possible solutions. Further research methods and deep considerable thought into this form of conflict may be needed to further understand the deep rooted nature of this relationship between these two siblings. It is very important to develop and  explore as many options as possible when coming to a reasonable solution to a conflict of this magnitude. An approach to apology and reconciliation has been attempted many times but still the two siblings are back to square one in their conflict. Being able to make authentic apologizes through forgiveness is important in this particular conflict. Through apology, reconciliation can be accomplished in order for each party within this conflict to further a relationship with one another. Through mediation and other acts of mental therapy, these issues can be resolved, but it will take time, full cooperation, and commitment of the parties involved. References Benoit, P.J. 1983. Characteristics of arguing from a naive social actor’s perspective. In Argument in transition: Proceedings of the third summer conference on argumentation, edited by D. Zarefsky, M. O. Sillars, and J.Rhodes, 544-559. Annandale, VA: Speech Communication Association. Benoit, P.J. 1992. Introduction, special issue: Interpersonal argumentation. Argumentation and Advocacy 29: 39-40. Infante, D.A., and C. J. Wigley III. 1986. Verbal aggressiveness: An interpersonal model and measure. Communication Monographs 53: 61-69. Johnson, C., and Ford. 1996. Dependence power, legitimacy, and tactical choice. Social Psychology Quarterly 59, no. 2: 126-141. Keough, C.M. 1992. Bargaining arguments and argumentative bargainers. In Communication and negotiation, edited by L.L. Putnam and M.E. Roloff, 109-127. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications. Kritek, P. B. 1994. Negotiating at an uneven table: A practical approach to working with difference and diversity. San Francisco: Jossey- Bass.  Lutgen-Sandvik, P., S. Tracy, and J. Alberts. 2005. Burned by bullying in the American workplace: A first time study of U.S. prevalence and delineation of bullying â€Å"degree.† Presented at the Western States Communication Convention, February, San Francisco, California. Planalp, S. 1999. Communicating emotion: Social, moral and cultural process. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Rowland, R.C., and J.K. Barge. 1991. On interactional argument. Argumentation and Advocacy 28: 24-34. Rubin, J.Z.,  D.G. Pruitt, and S.H. Kim. 1994. 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