Tuesday, December 31, 2019

What Is the Recency Effect in Psychology

The recency effect refers to the finding that people tend to have a better memory for information they were told more recently. Below, we’ll review how researchers study the recency effect, the conditions under which it occurs, and how it can impact the judgments we make. Key Takeaways: Recency Effect The recency effect refers to the fact that we are more likely to remember information that has been given to us more recently.Psychologists have found evidence both for a recency effect and a primacy effect (better memory for information presented earlier).In addition to being studied by memory researchers, social psychologists have investigated how the recency effect can impact our evaluations of others. Recency Effect Definition One demonstration of the recency effect can be found in a 1962 paper by psychologist Bennet Murdock. Murdock investigated how the ordering of words in a list affects our ability to remember them (what is known as the serial position effect). In the study, participants had lists of words read out loud to them (depending on the version of the study, participants heard as few as 10 words or as many as 40). After hearing the words, participants were given a minute and a half to write down as many words as they could remember from the list. Murdock found that the likelihood of a word being remembered depended on where in the list it had appeared. He found that the first few words in the list were remembered fairly well, which is known as the primacy effect. After this, the likelihood of remembering a word dropped significantly, but it began to increase again for the last eight items on the list—and the likelihood of remembering a word was highest for the last few items on the list (i.e. the recency effect). Graph demonstrating the serial position effect. Obli / Wikimedia Commons /  Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Murdock charted out these results in a graph. On the x axis, he put the word’s order in the list (e.g. whether it was presented first, second, and so on). On the y axis, he put the chance that a participant was able to remember the word. The resulting data showed what is called the serial position curve: memory for a word starts out moderate to high at the beginning of the list, quickly drops (and, if the list is longer, stays low for a while), and then increases for words at the end of the list. When Does the Recency Effect Occur? Psychologists have found that the recency effect occurs when participants complete the memory test immediately after being presented with a list of items. However, in other research studies, psychologists have presented participants with items to remember, given participants a brief distraction (such as asking them to count backwards by threes), and then asked them to try to remember the words from the list. The results of these studies show that, when people are briefly distracted before completing the memory test, the recency effect is not found. Interestingly, in studies such as this one, the primacy effect (having a better memory for earlier items in a list) still occurs. This finding caused some psychologists to suggest that the primacy effect and recency effect could be due to different processes, and that the recency effect might involve short-term memory. However, other research has suggested that the recency effect may be more complicated than this, and that it may be due to more than just short-term memory processes. The Recency Effect in Social Psychology While the recency effect has long been studied by psychologists who study memory, social psychologists have also explored whether it can affect how we perceive others. As an example, imagine that your friend is describing someone they want to introduce you to, and they describe this person as kind, smart, generous, and boring. Because of the recency effect, the last item on the list—boring—might have a disproportionate effect on your judgment of the person, and you might have a less positive impression of them (compared to if boring had been in the middle of the list of words). As Simon Laham and Joseph Forgas explain, we can experience a recency effect or a primacy effect (where the adjectives presented first have a stronger impact), depending on the circumstances. For example, we’re more likely to experience a recency effect if we’re given a long list of information about the person, or if we’re asked to form an impression of the person right after we’re given information about them. On the other hand, we’d be more strongly impacted by the first items in a list if we know in advance that we’re going to be asked to form an impression of the person. Conclusion The recency effect, a finding from researchers studying the psychology of recall, suggests that we tend to remember more recent things better. The primacy effect suggests that we also tend to have better memory for things that came first—in other words, the items in the middle are the ones that we’re most likely to forget. Research shows that things tend to be most memorable if they occur at the beginning or end of something. Sources and Additional Reading: Baddeley, Alan. Essentials of Human Memory (Classic Edition). Psychology Press (Taylor Francis Group), 2014. https://books.google.com/books?id2YY3AAAAQBAJCuncic, Arlin. â€Å"Understanding the Primacy Effect.† Verywell Mind (2019, May 30). https://www.verywellmind.com/understanding-the-primacy-effect-4685243Gilovich, Thomas, Dacher Keltner, and Richard E. Nisbett.  Social Psychology.  1st edition, W.W. Norton Company, 2006.  https://books.google.com/books?idGxXEtwEACAAJLaham, Simon and Joseph P. Forgas. â€Å"Recency Effect.† Encyclopedia of Social Psychology. Edited by Roy F. Baumeister and Kathleen D. Vohs, SAGE Publications, 2007, 728-729. https://sk.sagepub.com/Reference//socialpsychology/n436.xmlMurdock Jr., Bennet B. (1962). â€Å"The Serial Position Effect of Free Recall.† Journal of Experimental Psychology, vol. 64, no. 5, 482-488. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1963-06156-001Richardson, John T.E. â€Å"Measures of Short-Term Memory: A Historical Review.†Ã‚  Cortex  vol. 43 no. 5 (2007): 635-650. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010945208704933

Monday, December 23, 2019

The Age Of Aids By Rock Hudson - 2282 Words

a) One of the most powerful scenes in the documentary â€Å"The Age of Aids† is the scene where society learned about the death of the well-known actor Rock Hudson. When Rock Hudson died from AIDS, panic emerges all over the United States. It was then evident that AIDS was not a â€Å"gay man s disease†, but rather a disease that anyone could contract. Now women, straight men, and the rest of the population were at risk of contracting AIDS. This scene is very powerful because it demonstrates that society is ignorant and does not care about others unless something affects them, loved ones, or someone famous. Furthermore, when gay people were believed to be the only individuals that could be affected by AIDS, society did not care because the†¦show more content†¦In that scene, the memorial quilts were laid out in front of Congress by family members in memory of loved ones who passed away from AIDS. When the first AIDS quilts were being placed in front of Congres s, forty thousand Americans had already died of AIDS. This scene is very powerful because it really emphasizes the impact that AIDS had on Americans. Seeing the crowds of people standing around the AIDS quilts really puts into perspective how serious AIDS was and that many people showed support and hoped that a cure could be found or the spreading of AIDS could be stopped. The United States government and many Americans were now able to realize the impact that AIDS was having on American citizens. They decided that changes had to be made to help stop the spread of AIDS and possibly help cure the individuals infected by it as it was now becoming a worldwide epidemic. I found it very painful to watch people come up to the AIDS quilts and remember loved ones that passed away from this tragic disease. Watching people share memories with others and cry was difficult as well because it angered me as what came to my mind was the United States government not doing anything to put a stop to the spread of AIDS. All the government had to do was provide some money to the United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) and they would try to find a cure for AIDS or find a way to stop it from spreading

Sunday, December 15, 2019

The Great Gatsby †Reactions to Myrtle Wilson’s Death Free Essays

Reactions to Myrtle Wilson’s Death in The Great Gatsby In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Jay Gatsby is a passenger in the car which strikes Myrtle Wilson, which is driven by Daisy Buchanan. After the car hits Myrtle, Daisy continues to drive, but collapses on Gatsby, forcing him to drive. We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Gatsby – Reactions to Myrtle Wilson’s Death or any similar topic only for you Order Now At the Buchanan’s house, Nick Carraway talks to Gatsby, who â€Å"[speaks] as if Daisy’s reaction [is] the only thing that [matters]† (136). Due to his incessant love for daisy, he only focuses towards Daisy’s emotions and even takes the blame for her. Regardless Myrtle’s death, Gatsby’s dream of having Daisy to himself makes him center his attention to her feelings after the accident. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Nick Carraway arrives at George Wilson’s garage with Jordan Baker and Tom Buchanan after Myrtle Wilson dies. After leaving the crime scene, Nick arrives at the Buchanan house and is approached by Jordan. She tries to comfort Nick, however, he declines her invitation to the house and starts to feel â€Å"a little sick and [wants] to be alone†¦ He [has] had enough of all of them for one day† (135/136). He becomes tired of being tied into all the drama and secrets of New York and tries to isolate himself from the others in order to find a peace of mind. As a result of all the sudden occurrences in East Egg and West Egg, he concludes that leaving the situation will lead to his own contentment. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Daisy Buchanan is the driver of the vehicle which strikes Myrtle Wilson. Daisy continues to drive after hitting her, however she collapses on Jay Gatsby as he pulls on the emergency brake, forcing him to take over the vehicle. After they arrive at the Buchanan house, Daisy â€Å"[locks] herself into her room,† (137) while in a state of shock. She cannot believe that she hit another person on the road and isolates herself for a moment, in order to sort out her emotions. As a result of losing her nerve on the road, she hides from the others and places herself in disbelief. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Tom Buchanan arrives at George Wilson’s garage with Jordan Baker and Nick Carraway after Myrtle Wilson dies. After Tom comforts George, he comes to a conclusion Gatsby hit Myrtle and denounces him as a coward on his way back to his house. As Tom is speaking, Nick realizes â€Å"a change [has] come over [Tom], [as] he [speaks] gravely, and with decision† (135). Gatsby’s intrusion in his personal life creates a spark within Tom, in which he begins to care more for his wife. With the belief of Gatsby killing his mistress, Tom changes his attitude, in order to prove his love for his wife and to make sure that Gatsby cannot achieve his goal of taking Daisy away from him. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Jordan Baker arrives at George Wilson’s garage with Tom Buchanan and Nick Carraway after Myrtle Wilson dies. She leaves with the rest of her group, and tries to comfort Nick at the Buchanan house. After being rejected by him, â€Å"she [turns] abruptly away and [runs] up the porch steps into the house† (136). As a result of being dishonest, cynical, and self-centered, she is unwilling to change her attitude in order to persist on consoling Nick. She stays true to her deceitful nature as she is reluctant to suit his needs. In the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald George Wilson is the husband of Myrtle Wilson, who dies after being hit by a car. Before the accident, he suspects his wife is having an affair with another man. After her death, he becomes speechless and â€Å"[stands] on the raised threshold of his office, swaying back and forth and holding to the doorposts with both hands† (132). The sudden death of his wife places him in a state of shock, where he is having trouble sorting out his emotions and thoughts. Despite Tom’s efforts at comforting him, George remains distraught at the fact that he could not stop his wife from running out and instantly dying on the road. How to cite The Great Gatsby – Reactions to Myrtle Wilson’s Death, Papers

Saturday, December 7, 2019

Environmental and Global Health Issues for Vector-Borne Diseases

Question: Discuss about theEnvironmental and Global Health Issues for Vector-Borne Diseases. Answer: Introduction Vector-borne diseases can be described as the infection that is spread or transmitted by an infected certain species that carry the virus within their body. The vector can be a bat, fly, tick and mosquito. Weather plays a major role in influencing the population of the vectors, abundance, distribution, habitat suitability. Temporal pattern and the intensity of the vector activity all over the year. Not just the climatic factors but also the land use pattern, density of host and habitat destruction plays a major role in the spread of diseases. In this study, Ebola disease is used as vector-borne disease and Africa is selected as the geographical location where the impact of the Ebola is noticed (Altizer et al., 2013). The study also deals with the usage of the DPSEEA framework for the analysis of the disease; how Ebola is managed by the health and the other agencies and the suggestions that address the gaps in the current policy and the management of the environmental health issue. DPSEEA framework The World Health Organization developed a framework called the DPSEEA framework, and this framework is the basis of the development of the environmental health indicators. Initially, the DPSIR was recognized and then it was done by recognising environmental state through the exposures to major health effects. The DPSSEA framework stands for the driving forces, pressure, state, exposure, health effects and the actions. The framework takes into account the various environmental and the health issues and problems that are associated with the driving forces like the technological change, economic development, population growth and the policies underlying the above mentioned (Gentry-Shields Bartram, 2014). Ebola analysis based on the DPSEEA framework Driving force- a study was conducted jointly by the National academy of sciences and the London school of hygiene and tropical medicine found that the 61 percent of the cases were caused by the 3 percent of the people that are infected. The study also concluded that the although the infected people are buried in a proper way, however, the unsafe funeral procedures followed are one of the major reason for the spread of the transmission of Ebola. The study even highlights that there are biological and the social factors that have led to the spread of the disease. The research also pointed that the children aged 15 years and the adults aged 45 years are more like to spread the disease in comparison to the other people. There is a possibility that there is a combination of the factors that led to the spread of the disease. Also, there is another way by which the disease spread unknowingly. The people that were taking care of the infected people who were already suffering from the disease led to the spread of the disease (Baize et al., 2014). Pressure- the countries that became affected are one of the poorest countries in the world. Guinea is the only place in the world that the Bats travel to. Guinea ranks 178 out of the 187 in human development index which is framed by United Nations. Half of the Guinea population live under the poverty line and the country is slowly trying to get out of the civil war. When the disease out broke, there was a widespread lack of the proper coordination system and were poorly equipped. The country was unable to monitor the movement of the people across the different regions. Guinea even lacked a robust healthcare system and they were unable to respond with the basic health resources. Due to poverty, the people further went to the forest to meet their day to day needs. The Ebola virus which was already circulating in Guinea but in a suppressed way, however, the disease received a further chance to spread when the animals carrying the Ebola virus came in contact with people (Alexander et al. , 2015). State changes- Due to the increased poverty among the people of Guinea, forced them to move to the forest to full fill the daily needs of food. Within the forest ecosystem, the animals were already carrying the Ebola virus, and the movement of the humans further into the forest led to the establishment of contact with the humans. The pressure on the environment increased due to the excessive human interference into the forest ecosystem due to the extraction of minerals from mines and to bring firewood to make charcoal. The extreme dry season also triggered the outbreak of Ebola (Feldmann, 2014). Exposure- The increased activity into the forest is the prime reason for the increased exposure of the people to the animals that are already exposed to the Ebola virus. The humans that went to the forest for sustaining the livelihood primarily came in contact with the animals that were affected by the virus and this further increased the spread of the virus within the humans (Muyembe-Tamfum et al., 2012). Effects- Initially the people of Guinea were infected with the Ebola virus mildly. The increased activity of the humans into the forest has led to the virulent strains of Ebola to come in contact with the human subjects. Assessment- the people that are affected by the Ebola experience pain in muscles, joints, chest and abdomen. A person may also experience vomiting blood, nausea and diarrhoea. Gaps in the DPSEEA framework The DPSEEA framework failed to take in to account the economic, political and the social influences because the framework is unable to highlight the social conditions of the people of Guinea and the political scenario of the country that were it was experiencing during this moment of Ebola outbreak. The country was just out from a civil war and this aspect was included within the framework. The framework only also fails to explicitly deal with the social issues that were prevalent during the Ebola outbreak and the spread of the Ebola dynamics was only restricted to the environmental aspects. The vector-borne disease is only looked through the lens of how the humans and the environment contributed to the spread of the disease. The biological elements are only considered in the framework (World Health Organization, UNICEF, 2012). Ebola management Presently, there is no medication available that are approved by the food and the drug administration for the cure of the patients that have already been exposed to the virus but is yet to become ill. Thus, the patients are treated maintaining the standard operating procedure, through the replenishment of the nutrition, pain control, ventilation support, electrolytes and fluid are provided to the patients in order to manage them and prevent the complications and the symptoms of the Ebola disease. The survivors of the disease are able to produce the infectious virions for an extended period and the patient needs to be isolated throughout the occurrence of illness (Chertow et al., 2014). The healthcare professionals that are attending the infected persons must wear the personal protective equipment (PPE) which includes wearing the gloves and the surgical masks. Also at this time the infected mother's breast is also not allowed to be fed to her child. The symptomatic management of the d isease is also vital for relieving the patients of the pain, fever, diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting. Morphine is used as the opioid analgesics and paracetamol is used as the first line agent for the treatment of the pain and fever. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are not recommended during the pain treatment due to the increased risk of bleeding. The pharmacological drug therapy is used for the safe treatment of the Ebola virus disease. a potent drug called the favipiravir (T-705) is found to be effective against the RNA virus (Sivanandy et al., 2016). Role of the existing health agencies and the others Since the outbreak of Ebola, Centres for the Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) undertook one of the major parts in response to the Ebola diseases. In the human history, more than three thousand staffs have been actively involved in the system. More than twelve hundred staffs were deployed in West Africa to work for 50,000 work days. The efforts that were involved in the management of the of the disease are communication, healthcare infection control, contact investigation, epidemiology, strengthening the laboratory, mobilizing the partners, and the border screening in the United States, Senegal, Mali, Nigeria, West Africa. The efforts were undertaken at the national and the international level along with the different partner organizations. CDC was able to international, national, public health for the prevention of the worst events. The epidemic Ebola virus disease also led to the strengthening of the international and the national events for the purpose of the system detection a nd the respond to the prevention of the spread of the disease in the future (Frieden Damon, 2015). The community health worker played a major role in the spread of the Ebola disease and its outbreaks by educating and engaging the communities. There were reports that the rapid containment of the Ebola disease was possible only in those regions where there were a strong bond and understanding between the community worker and the community people. The community health worker when provided with the proper health training, support, supervision can lead to better health outcomes. The community health workers also made a significant contribution for the rapid containment of the spread of the Ebola virus disease is through the engagement, outreach and education. The knowledge of acting quickly is one of the major reason that can lead to the reducing the risk of the disease. The community health workers also contributed to the building and strengthening of the health systems that are affected by the virus and other countries (Perry et al., 2016). Critical infrastructure- firstly, the response to Ebola led to the coordination of the multiple partners into a single system. The ministry of health in Liberia established a national IMS in the year 2014, this was also supported by the CDC, WHO and other major partners. The daily activities were managed by the emergency operations centres which improved the coordination system at the national and the local level. The outbreak response in Sierra Leone was done through the district and the national Ebola response centres that are supported by the military and the civilians. New infrastructures were created which led to the build-up of the emergency response teams and the increased coordination capacities. In Guinea, the national Coordination cell was formed along with the support provided by the public health agency of Canada, CDC and WHO (Marston et al., 2017). Changes in the legislature at the state and federal level due to the Ebola outbreak-During the complex events that were occurring in Africa. The African president revealed the ground reality. Not a single African country devoted and dedicated its office to technology and science. The advisors at the presidents house lack the administrative, financial and the legislative capacities (Juma, 2018). Suggestions to address the gaps in the management of the health issue The suggestion for the management of the health issues related to the Ebola virus are as follows: Science presidential advisory can be established that will make the African engineers and the scientists contribute effectively to the development and improvement of the humans. This can be done through the development of channels like the Network of African Science Academies. Proper legislatures were evenly lacking throughout the African nations. Thus, the government must emphasize on the framing of the legislation that will be in accordance with the prevailing situation in African countries. The external nations have done their part by sending the doctors and the health workers that can also help and train the regional health workers regarding the proper handling of the dead carcass. Bats and the other primates are the prime vectors of the disease and thus, this knowledge can be effectively provided to the common people so they can stay aware of the present condition. Conclusion From the above study, it can be concluded that the vector-borne disease like Ebola generally depends on the human activity and the activity of the animal species. Humans that are coming in contact with the animal species is the prime reason for the spread of the disease in the first instance. The increase in the human interference into the forest ecology and the lack of the knowledge of the disease has led to the increase in the spread of the Ebola disease. Reference Alexander, K. A., Sanderson, C. E., Marathe, M., Lewis, B. L., Rivers, C. M., Shaman, J., ... Eubank, S. (2015). What factors might have led to the emergence of Ebola in West Africa?. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 9(6), e0003652. Altizer, S., Ostfeld, R. S., Johnson, P. T., Kutz, S., Harvell, C. D. (2013). Climate change and infectious diseases: from evidence to a predictive framework. science, 341(6145), 514-519. Baize, S., Pannetier, D., Oestereich, L., Rieger, T., Koivogui, L., Magassouba, N. F., ... Tiffany, A. (2014). Emergence of Zaire Ebola virus disease in Guinea. New England Journal of Medicine, 371(15), 1418-1425. Chertow, D. S., Kleine, C., Edwards, J. K., Scaini, R., Giuliani, R., Sprecher, A. (2014). Ebola virus disease in West Africaclinical manifestations and management. New England Journal of Medicine, 371(22), 2054-2057. Feldmann, H. (2014). Ebolaa growing threat?. New England Journal of Medicine, 371(15), 1375-1378. Frieden, T. R., Damon, I. K. (2015). Ebola in West AfricaCDCs role in epidemic detection, control, and prevention. Emerging infectious diseases, 21(11), 1897. Gentry-Shields, J., Bartram, J. (2014). Human health and the water environment: Using the DPSEEA framework to identify the driving forces of disease. Science of the Total Environment, 468, 306-314. Juma, C. (2018).Africa Ebola outbreak: How do we prevent it?.Aljazeera.com. Retrieved 11 April 2018, from https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2014/08/africa-ebola-outbreak-how-do-pre-20148138355590807.html Marston, B. J., Dokubo, E., van Steelandt, A., Martel, L., Williams, D., Hersey, S....Redd, J. T. (2017). Ebola Response Impact on Public Health Programs, West Africa, 20142017. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 23(13). https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/eid2313.170727. Muyembe-Tamfum, J. J., Mulangu, S., Masumu, J., Kayembe, J. M., Kemp, A., Paweska, J. T. (2012). Ebola virus outbreaks in Africa: past and present. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research, 79(2), 06-13. Perry, H. B., Dhillon, R. S., Liu, A., Chitnis, K., Panjabi, R., Palazuelos, D., ... Nyenswah, T. (2016). Community health worker programmes after the 20132016 Ebola outbreak. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 94(7), 551. Sivanandy, P., Sin, S. H., Ching, O. Y., Rajasekar, D., Woon, G. S., Chiew, H. H., ... Leng, Y. W. (2016). Current trends in the management of Ebola virus disease-an updated systematic review. Asian Pacific journal of tropical disease, 6(8), 589-595. World Health Organization, UNICEF. (2012). Assessment of research needs for public health adaptation to social, environmental and climate change impacts on vector-borne diseases in Africa: an informal expert consultation convened by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 27-29, 2012.

Friday, November 29, 2019

Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison Essays - The Bluest Eye, Pecola, Beauty

Bluest Eye By Toni Morrison Beauty is something that a lot of people in life strive for, because everyone has fitted in their mind what exactly beauty is. People know that it can help you out in life. But what most people don't know is that, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Meaning that beauty should not be characterized by what people are told it is, beauty is different for everyone, what is beautiful for you may be ugly to someone else. The characters in Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye are confronted with the ideal of beauty and strive for it whether they know it or not. The two characters that I think were followed the ideal of beauty in Toni Morison's story are Pauline and Pecola. In Toni Morrison's story and in real life, beauty is described by people as having blond hair, blue eyes , perfect figure, etc. It's been said that if you have good looks, you can make it in life with just looks alone. People only strive for becoming beautiful because they want attention. As is the case in Toni Morrison's story. The characters in her story think that they are ugly, by others opinions of them, and want to become beautiful so they will be recognized and be the center of attention. But the harder both characters try, the worse things get. Pauline strived for beauty because she wanted to attention and wanted to be beautiful. Pauline seemed to have just worse case of bad luck, when she was a child she stepped on a nail and she was left with a limp forever. "The wound left her with a crooked, archless foot that flopped when she walked..." (110). She tried to put that behind her but she lost three middle teeth, not all the same time but slowly. It wasn't because her teeth were rotten the tooth just fell out. "I was sitting back in my seat, and I taken a big bite of that candy, and it pulled a tooth right out of my mouth. I could of cried. I had good teeth, not a rotten one in my head. I don't believe I ever did get over that" (123). After trying so hard to become beautiful and things going bad the harder she tried, she just gave up. Pecola strived for beauty throughout the whole book, she knew that people though she was an ugly child. So she thought if she had blue eyes, things would be different and she would be recognized and become beautiful. Pecola, being a child, did not know that her wish was just not possible. But she was a kid and didn't know any better. She figured that if she had blue eyes like Maurine Pie, she would be popular and beautiful. Pecola asked Soaphead Church for blue eyes, and he told he would. Although Pecola never really got blue eyes, she thought she did and it was enough to fulfill her needs. In Conclusion, the characters did not achieve the beauty they desired. Pauline gave up on her quest to become beautiful, the harder she tired the worse things got. Pecola did not really get her blue eyes, although she thought she got them and that was fulfilling for her. If the characters had not worried about becoming beautiful, I think they would have been better of in the end.

Monday, November 25, 2019

To be Alone (Of Mice And Men) essays

To be Alone (Of Mice And Men) essays John Steinbecks Of Mice and Men paints a grim picture of human tendencies. The greatest downfall of human nature is the way in which people seek to harm others to make themselves feel stronger. This novel touches on various social minorities and the manner in which each is dealt with by the superior classes. The portrayal of women of the 1930s in Steinbecks novel is less than flattering. They are the root of all evil, intentionally leading to the downfall of man. In a time where women just received the vote not a decade before, it is obvious that a females role was not a prominent one in any setting. The only significant female of the story, Curleys wife, is initially portrayed as the temptress, prowling around the ranch looking for trouble in the form of a susceptible man. But as the story goes on, she becomes increasingly complex, and some motives to her madness are revealed. She got the eye. This is the first reference to Curley s wife, given by the old man, Candy. His bias as an older gentleman, who grew up in the mid 19th century could have something to do with his opinion. Women during his era, projected chastity and innocence. Curleys wife seems anything but chaste and innocent. Upon meeting George and Lennie for the first time, she flirts shamelessly and her bold disposition is evident. She put her hands behind her back and leaned against the door frame so that her body was thrown forward. Everything implies that she is unfaithful and unashamed. Her exchange with Lennie reveals why. In her first and last personal conversation shared with the readers, she discloses that she married Curley out of convenience and doesn t even like him. It was an opportunity to escape the authority of her mother, but instead led to another confining relationship. Her relations with other people are just one of her many downfalls. Another co...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Fantasy or Reality the Illusion of the On-line Realm Essay

Fantasy or Reality the Illusion of the On-line Realm - Essay Example Whether it is the 75 year old grandmother, who plays online bridge, or the 7 year old child, that plays Scooby Doo, the internet is here and here to stay. I will be explaining why online should have more security and the risk of an online gaming obsession. In the article â€Å"Does Virtual Reality Need a Sheriff† by Alan Sipress.† He starts by explaining how a character in the game Second Life â€Å"allegedly raped another character†. Although this is a game meant for entertainment this incident could have possible long-term effects on the actual person in charge of controlling the character. Actions performed online such as â€Å"rape† can prove to be devastating, particularly to someone as emotionally vulnerable as a child. Unfortunately, there have been lots of sexual assault cases. One of the first known cases that had acutely been reported was back in 1993 by Julian Dibbell whom is a â€Å"prominent commentator on digital culture†(445). The natu re of Second Life as a highly complex virtual environment presents a great number of opportunities, yet it similarly poses a number of problems for Internet gamers. In addition to reported instances of sexual assault, there are also areas of the game where â€Å"avatars act out drug use, child abuse, rape and various forms of sadomasochism† (446). While individuals were outraged at such occurrences, other users indicated that simple role playing is not a serious violation, pointing out that no children were harmed during the game. While Internet gaming has generally not been considered a serious threat it is definitely a growing concern when one considers the ever increasing among of online gamers. For instance, the popular role playing game World of Warcraft has an estimated eight million participants. Within the structure of this game it’s been noted that there are regions of the game that have become highly problematic in that â€Å"Gang of animated characters have repeatedly preyed upon lone travelers, killing them and making off with their virtual belongings† (445). In these regards, gamers face the increasing threat of virtual assault. Japanese authorities even arrested an individual or such acts of virtual mugging. Indeed, the very nature of what constitutes a crime is a debated subject, with virtual depictions of child abuse not being illegal in the United States, yet being prohibited in Europe. With such a variety of legal understandings the problems for law enforcement in halting such violations is made increasingly difficult. Still, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has made strides in attempting to combat such abuses on Second Life. The F.B.I. has also launched investigations against gambling that has occurred within the online gaming environment. While the online gaming world largely remains a sort of contemporary Wild West, progress by such investigators as well as individuals desiring to institute a legal code on Sec ond Life, have started to make significant strides in combating such aspects of virtual crime. While crimes through online gaming poses significant risks to users, the nature of Internet gaming addictions poses just as large a challenge. Numerous reports have demonstrated that the effects of online gaming addiction have had similar deleterious effects on individuals as drug use. Indeed, psychological research has conducted tests wherein similar brain functions were shared by both drugs users and individuals addicted to online gaming (‘Virtual Addiction’). One such startling examined occurred in South Korea where online gaming has become so prominent that is has assumed the position similar to a national sport. Recently it was reported that in South

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Problem Identification Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problem Identification Paper - Essay Example The information is stored in the database in a systematic way so that it can be easily retrieved whenever required through queries by the reporting module. Data capturing is done through user-friendly screens depending upon the type of data. The entire system is being protected by a user level password to enable different assigned activities so that no intruder can access the data. The user for this application is a person who wants to generate a new web enabled dynamic content application and not the end user working at the client side. Feasibility study is an important phase in the software development process. It enables the developer to have an assessment of the product being developed. It refers to the feasibility study of the product in terms of outcomes of the product, operational use and technical support required for implementing it. It refers to the benefits or outcomes. We are deriving from the product as compared to the total cost we are spending for developing the product. If the benefits are more or less the same as the older system, then it is not feasible to develop the product. In the present system, the development of the new product greatly enhance the accuracy of the system and cuts short the delay in the processing of Birth and Death application. The errors can be greatly reduced and at the same time providing great level of security. Hence, we do not need any additional equipment except memory of required capacity. No need of spending money on client for maintenance because the database used is web enabled database. It refers to the feasibility of the product to be operational. Some products may work very well at design and implementation but may fall in the real time environment. It includes the study of additional human resources required and their technical expertise. The present system is used for different

Monday, November 18, 2019

Domestic finance and microfinance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Domestic finance and microfinance - Assignment Example Their role in the market makes a big difference between the two lending institutions. It’s also vital noting that the amount they finance differs in terms of their amount and their requirement. The motive of MFIs was to help the low-income people access banking as opposed to the commercial banks that have different target group (Ledgerwood &White, 2006). Lastly, MFIs can provide loans to low-income earners on the basis formation groups. As compared to the commercial banks, MFIs are effective in working with the low-income earners. Governments also support their operations in order to boost their economy. The MFIs play crucial roles in the developing of a countrys economy. They help the members of such countries in setting up their business by financing them. They also help them people in understanding the need to do savings through their training forums. Through their operations, they help in increasing supply and circulation of money. Moreover, in terms of management they help them to know what they are required to do in managing what they have and use those assets to generate income (Ledgerwood &White, 2006). However, as the MFIs operates, they are not allowed to spread misleading information as a way of persuading their target customers. In this case, ethical standards regulating banking sector remains a must to them too and never bleach

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Historical Films: Perceptions Of The Past

Historical Films: Perceptions Of The Past The first films were made in the first half of the twentieth century and along with this the first historical films were made. These include The Passion of Joan of Arc in 1924, The King of Kings in 1927 and The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse in 1921. Even since the first historical films were made, this genre has become one of the most popular out of all types of film. Due to this, millions of people watch these films every year and therefore get their perception of History mostly from film. This poses a problem for the historian. Robert Rosenstone clearly states this, Lets be blunt and admit it: historical films trouble and disturb professional historians and have troubled and disturbed professional historians for a long time (Rosenstone R, 1995, p.45). Furthermore, William Guynn provides evidence of this, In cinema, history empties out its significance and leaves us with the cold artifice of representation (Guynn W, 2006, p.6). On the other hand, Guynn admits, For some Historians, the cinema is not entirely lost; indeed, it can be salvaged if we acknowledge that historical film is the most fictional of genres and abandon the idea of film as a vehicle of historical representation (Guynn W, 2006, p.6). What this means is that although film cannot be an instrument for representing the past, it can bear witness to the historical period in which it is produced. Most people do not study history or have only briefly studied it at a younger age; therefore film has become the primary source of knowledge for them about the past. Therefore historians are forced to accept these historical films despite their historical inaccuracy. Even if a film cannot offer the critical elements and analysis insisted on in scholarly text and even if it bends history to match the characters or the plot line and completely misses out the finer details of historical accuracy, film can stimulate the imagination and create curiosity and interest into the lives of past generations. Important ly, it can cause an interest into history which can later lead to the choice of studying it or a topic of research and enjoyment. Therefore there are a number of negatives and positives to historians from film. However one thing is clear, it is not possible for a film to be historically accurate. There are a number of reasons for this. The obvious one is that how can a film be historically accurate if no one, not even historians, have an accurate picture of a historical period. Furthermore, most historical film makes dont care whether the film is accurate of not, they prioritise making a popular film with a good story line. It is not important if a film is inaccurate, it is only important for a historian who is frustrated with the wrong facts being given out to millions of people. The reasons are many and these will be explored in detail. It is clear that a film cannot be historically accurate however a historical film has so many benefits that it doesnt need to be. History is not a pure science, it is not just open to historians alone to study therefore historians do not have a monopoly on reading, studying and conveying history. Most films are not made for historical accuracy therefore is not open to criticism from historians. Guynn believes, Historians resist approaching film because history and film are based in different sign systems that refer to the world in a radically different way (Guynn W, 2006, p.8). However historical truth on a whole is elusive and subjective just like a film set in a historical period. What is important is that no work or historical piece of writing is capable of achieving the appreciation of, for example, medieval warfare. Historical films like Braveheart however can accomplish this in minutes. This by no means claims that Braveheart is historically accurate, in fact it is incredibly inaccurate; how could William Wallace have an affair with Isabella of France when she didnt even arrive in England until three year s after his execution? Despite this however, it is clear that film can powerfully convey the foundations of historical information to millions of people. Furthermore, can a document, sculpture and eyewitness account present the excitement and chaos of chariot racing which was accomplished in Ben Hur? Similarly, in no other way can the power and magnitude of the Roman coliseum be portrayed than in the film Gladiator. In these ways, film is an incredibly valuable tool in creating history as a vision which is engaging, vibrant and real, in the sense that we can hear and see it. Guynn supports this, From this perspective, films are like any other artefacts dropped on the road of history. They bare unconscious witness to their own period, as do private letters, diaries, and accounts that were never intended to be read from the historians perspective. They provide a body of data to be analyzed and interpreted in terms of the mentality of a period, or they can, unwittingly, speak about una cknowledged realities (Guynn W, 2006, p.12). Furthermore, one can argue that there are times when film can achieve greater levels of appreciation than those possible in the written world. Rosenstone provides evidence of this, Film shows history as a process. The world on the screen brings together things that, for analytical or structural purposes, written history often has to split apart (Rosenstone R, 1995, p.57). Therefore this provides evidence that despite the fact that a film may not be historically accurate, it is incredibly effective at displaying the foundations of History in a way no other works of history can. Bringing history alive in a way which people can hear and see is arguably more effective than a historians writing. The historical story line may not be accurate however the general foundations of the period probably are and this is very important in providing people with the awareness of history in an enjoyable way. R.J Raack provides evidence to support this view, Traditional written history is too linear and too narrow in focus to render the fullness of the complex, multi-dimensional world in which humans live. Only film, with its ability to juxtapose images and sounds, with its quick cuts to new sequences, dissolves, fades, speed-ups and slow motion, can ever hope to approximate real life, the daily experience of ideas, words, images, preoccupations, distractions, sensory deceptions, conscious and unconscious motives and emotions. Only film can provide an adequate empathetic reconstruction to convey how historical people witnessed, understood, and lived their lives. Only film can recover all the pasts liveliness (Raack R, 1983, p.417). As stated previously, there is no doubt that written history and film history possess different strengths and weaknesses. What is important however is that written history and history in film are experienced in different ways. Rosenstone states, The most serious problems the historian has with the past on the screen arise out of the nature and demands of the visual medium itself (Rosenstone R, 1988, p.1173). Furthermore Rosenstone believes, The historical film must be seen not in terms of how it compares to written history but as a way of recounting the past with its own rules of representation (Rosenstone R, 1995, p.3). Critics point to the lack of essential historical information in films and the finer details of history. What historians are basically referring to is the lack of footnotes. However these historian critics are attempting to judge these historical films by inappropriate standards. It is not realistic analysis of how viewers watch films. They dont care about finer deta ils missing, they probably dont notice. Furthermore, the director does not put first these finer historical details but instead a good story line which an audience will want to watch. Historians may not like the view audiences create for themselves of a historical period however they should think positively and believe that the viewer is being informed of the foundations of a historical period and becoming aware of it. If anything, the fact that the film misses out the finer details creates lose ends which the viewer can then explore further. This can create an interest in history and cause a future study or interest in it. Critics of film history also repeatedly state that the films over personalise however this is from the experience of a historian. The filmmaker over personalises to create a story however this makes the film historically inaccurate. It is almost impossible to make a good film with a good story line historically accurate as films are focused on particular people p ersonally and their feelings of love, hate, anger etc. However history focuses on people personally only to the extent to which their personalities or actions are portrayed by another person and this is not a reliable viewpoint to get an accurate picture of an individual as opinions of a figure can differ from person to person. Therefore as films are deeply personal, this overwhelms the senses and the viewer becomes personally attached. This in itself is a strength and a weakness depending on who is watching it. Clearly a historian, who is aware of all the facts of the person or time period, wouldnt believe it as the historian has their own perspective on the person taken from a document and writings. However the viewer of the film will have a different view. There is no way of knowing in detail what, for example, Elizabeth I was like personally however Shekhar Kapur portrays his view in the film Elizabeth. Therefore this is evidence to prove that no one knows personally what histor ical figures are like therefore films are beneficial to providing viewers with a visual representation and this is the directors view on the figure. Rosenstone provides a balanced view on why historians distrust a historical film, The overt answer: Films are inaccurate. They distort the past. They fictionalize, trivialize, and romanticize people, events, and movements; they falsify history (Rosenstone R, 1995, p.46). However Rosenstone goes on to state, The covert answers: Film is out of the control of historians. Film shows that we do not own the past. Film creates a historical world with which books cannot compete, at least for popularity. Film is a disturbing symbol of a post literate world in which people can read but wont (Rosenstone R, 1995, p.46). This is further evidence to prove that despite inaccuracy of historical films, they are very beneficial to raising awareness for a historical period. Similarly to Rosenstone, Marc Ferro provides a balanced viewpoint on historians vi ew of historical film. Marc Ferro is the most influential French historian in the neglected field of history and film and Guynn states, Ferros approach is well articulated and worth following in some detail (Guynn W, 2006, p.8). Ferros argument begins with a negative thesis, It is easy to think that film is not suited to represent past reality and at best its testimony is valuable only for the present; or that, aside from documents and newsreels, the reality it offers is no more real than the novels (Ferro M, 1988, p.47). However Ferros principal thesis on the viewpoint is very positive. He argues that film can become a rich resource of information on the period in which it was made. Ferro believes that historians have neglected film almost entirely, film does not enter the historians mental universe (Ferro M, 1988, p.47). Therefore this is evidence to prove that not all historians believe that historical film is completely useless and that it can be very useful to the study of hist ory as it brings it to life. Despite the fact that historical films are never completely historically accurate, they can be incredibly useful in teaching. This includes primary school, secondary school and even university teaching of history. A class discussion of the accuracies and inaccuracies in a film can be quite valuable. For example, for all the criticism which Braveheart faced from historians, it does include some realistic parts on medieval warfare and tactics. Furthermore, the vast battle scenes and accurate medieval executions bring this historical period to life. Therefore for a class which is learning about thirteenth century England or Scotland, the watching of Braveheart can be useful, especially in a discussion on the accuracies and inaccuracies. Furthermore, despite the fact that Gladiator is centred on a romanticized plot that is not real, it displays rich glimpses of the Roman period. Several of the characters are portrayed realistically, and while not all historians would agree with the archi tectural specifics of the reconstruction of the great city of Rome, the resulting grandeur is certainly effective at illustrating how superior the city was compared to the rest of the world in the period. Another fine example is the film The 13th warrior, this film has a number of historically accurate scenes which are taken from historical manuscripts. The face washing of the Vikings and the ship burials are taken directly from the tenth century works of Ibn Fadlan. Furthermore, The 13th warrior includes references to Beowulf. Therefore a discussion on the films relationship with Beowulf and the way in which modern people perceive the Vikings is useful and could possibly lead students towards the interest of medieval literature and history. Elements of historical accuracy can be found in many historical films and the appreciation of these accuracies in class discussion can be very rewarding. Can a film be entirely historically accurate? The answer to this question is no. However there is no doubt that a film can contain elements of historical accuracy therefore be extremely beneficial to the study of history. It is also clear though that a student of history can never rely on films alone. It is certainly obvious that the library is not about to be cleared out of the way by video or cinema. Evidence of this is that film history only started in the twentieth century however the study of history has been going on for hundreds of years prior to this. Therefore only in the twentieth and twenty first centuries have films become a possible primary source for the past therefore this is evidence to prove that it is not necessarily necessary. The real question to ask is what can historians potentially learn from film, as a secondary source, that written works cannot tell them? Film brings alive a historical period, it is easy to learn something when you can see it or imagine it cl early. Film can be classified as a historical resource and historians should be making the most out of every resource. There is no doubt also that the combination of historical films and written history could be a highly stimulating way of learning and teaching history. It can teach important skills which are essential to history for example, becoming more critical in the analysis of sources of historical information. Therefore is it clear to sometimes set aside the written world and allow the drama of film to stimulate students of history and to view it as a dynamic medium which can be appreciated for it complexity and its application to the present. Historical film, as a production which portrays the past during the present can be an enjoyable and informative way of participating in history despite the fact that films are not entirely accurate. Ron Briley makes an important case on appreciating historical film, Whether educators approve or not, young people are going to attain a g reat deal of historical information through film. Accordingly, it behoves teachers to provide their students with the intellectual tools and media literacy to deconstruct and interpret film (Briley R, 2006, p.5). Therefore it is clear that historical films should not be ignored or dismissed in the teaching of history as they can beneficial. Historical film adds a spice to history; it is good to sometimes change from reading through books, documents and manuscripts but instead to visualise and hear history. Therefore despite the fact that a film cant be entirely historically accurate in the view of historians, it can be accurate in the sense that it can be extremely beneficial to the study of history as well as creating a new enjoyment and interest in it.

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

paganbeo Pagan Aspect of Beowulf Essay -- Epic Beowulf essays

The Pagan Aspect of Beowulf      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Beowulf the pagan aspect is revealed through many passages and many heathen rites or customs in which the form of expression or the thought suggests pagan usage or beliefs.    â€Å"The poet’s heroic age is full of men both ‘emphatically pagan and exceptionally good,’ men who believe in a God whom they thank at every imaginable opportunity. Yet they perform all the pagan rites known to Tacitua, and are not Christian† (Frank 52). Certainly the pagan element seems to be too deeply interwoven in the text for us to suppose that it is due to additions made by scribes at a time when the poem had come to be written down. The pagan element had to be included by the original poet. Another scholar considers the paganism of the poem:    Both the poet and his audience knew well that sixth-century Scandinavians were heathens. And lest it be thought that Anglo-Saxons tended to forget the heathenism of the Scandinavians as time wore on, we should recall that, in the Chronicle, charters, poems, and saints’ lives, Old English haethen (as well as Latin paganus) was virtually a synonym for Dene (i.e. â€Å"Scandinavian†). Indeed, the association between heathenism and Scandinavians became ever so stronger in Anglo-Saxon England as the centuries passed. The vaguely pious heroes of Beowulf, then, would not have been mistaken for christians by an Anglo-Saxon audience (Robinson 82).    The extent to which the pagan element is present varies in different parts of the poem, but is present throughout from beginning to end. The pagan element is unequally distributed between the speeches and the narrative, favoring the narrative.    Catholic missionaries to Britain in the early ce... ...by Lewis E. Nicholson. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1963.    Bloom, Harold. â€Å"Introduction.† In Modern Critical Interpretations: Beowulf, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.    Chadwick, H. Munro. â€Å"The Heroic Age.† In An Anthology of Beowulf Criticism, edited by Lewis E. Nicholson. Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 1963.    Chickering, Howell D.. Beowulf A dual-Language Edition. New York: Anchor Books, 1977.    Frank, Roberta. â€Å"The Beowulf Poet’s Sense of History.† In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.    Robinson, Fred C. â€Å"Apposed Word Meanings and Religious Perspectives.† In Beowulf – Modern Critical Interpretations, edited by Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Instructional Objectives Essay

Instructional objectives may also be called performance objectives, behavioural objectives, or simply objectives. All of these terms are used interchangeably. Objectives are specific, outcome based, measurable, and describe the learner’s behaviour after instruction. Instructional objectives serve as goals that teachers have set in the achievement of a greater goal. They also tell students what is expected of them. Instructional objectives make definite the direction in which teaching leads and become the focus of instruction, not only for the teachers, but also for the students. Without instructional objectives teaching is comparable to a fallen leaf whose destination is dependent on the will of the wind. Without instructional objectives, teachers will have nothing to follow in order to achieve what it should achieve. A well-written objective should meet the following criteria; describe a learning outcome, be student oriented, be observable or describe an observable product. A well-written objective should describe a learning outcome. It should not describe a learning activity. Learning activities are important in planning and guiding instruction but they are not to be confused with instructional objectives. A student-oriented objective focuses on the learner, not on the teacher. It describes what the learner will be expected to be able to do. It should not describe a teacher activity. It may be helpful to both the teacher and the student to know what the teacher is going to do but teacher activities are also not to be confused with instructional objectives. If an instructional objective is not observable, it leads to unclear expectations and it will be difficult to determine whether or not it had been reached. The key to writing observable objectives is to use verbs that are observable and lead to a well defined product of the action implied by that verb. Verbs such as â€Å"to know,† â€Å"to understand,† â€Å"to enjoy,† â€Å"to appreciate,† â€Å"to realize,† and â€Å"to value† are vague and not observable. Verbs such as â€Å"to identify,† â€Å"to list,† â€Å"to select,† â€Å"to compute,† â€Å"to predict,† and â€Å"to analyze† are explicit and describe observable actions or actions that lead to observable products. For an instruction to be useful, an objective must not only be well written but it also must meet the following criteria: be sequentially appropriate, be attainable within a reasonable amount of time, be developmentally appropriate. For an objective to be sequentially appropriate it must occur in an appropriate place in the instructional sequence. All prerequisite objectives must already have been attained. Nothing thwarts the learning process more than having learners trying to accomplish an objective before they have learned the necessary prerequisites. This is why continuous assessment of student progress is so important. A useful objective is attainable within a reasonable time. If an instructional objective takes students an inordinately long time to accomplish, it is either sequentially inappropriate or it is too broad, relying on the accomplishment of several outcomes or skills rather than a single outcome or skill. An objective should set expectations for a single learning outcome and not a cluster of them. Instructional objectives are often classified according to the kind or level of learning that is required in order to reach them. There are numerous taxonomies of instructional objectives; the most common taxonomy was developed by Benjamin Bloom and his colleagues. The first level of the taxonomy divides objectives into three categories: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. Simply put, cognitive objectives focus on the mind; affective objectives focus on emotions or affect; and psychomotor objectives focus on the body. Cognitive objectives call for outcomes of mental activity such as memorizing, reading, problem solving, analyzing, synthesizing, and drawing conclusions. Bloom and others further categorize cognitive objectives into various levels from the simplest cognitive tasks to the most complex cognitive task. These categories can be helpful when trying to order objectives so they are sequentially appropriate. This helps to insure that prerequisite outcomes are accomplished first. Affective objectives focus on emotions. Whenever a person seeks to learn to react in an appropriate way emotionally, there is some thinking going on. What distinguishes affective objectives from cognitive objectives is the fact that the goal of affective objectives is some kind of affective behavior or the product of an affect (e. g. , an attitude). The goal of cognitive objectives, on the other hand, is some kind of cognitive response or the product of a cognitive response (e. g. , a problem solved). Psychomotor objectives focus on the body and the goal of these objectives is the control or manipulation of the muscular skeletal system or some part of it (e. g. , dancing, writing, tumbling, passing a ball, and drawing). All skills requiring fine or gross motor coordination fall into the psychomotor category. To learn a motor skill requires some cognition. However, the ultimate goal is not the cognitive aspects of the skill such as memorizing the steps to take. The ultimate goal is the control of muscles or muscle groups. The following are the importance of instructional objectives in teaching I. C. T Firstly, Instructional objectives are of immense significance in today’s education process. They provide organizers of the process with the opportunity to delve into learners mind and know where they are heading. Instructional objectives provide teachers the opportunity to design proper assessment procedure through tests and evaluation. Students know what they are supposed to do, use before or after a particular class. Instructional objectives also help trace the amount of change that has been brought about in a student. It gives a definite direction to the whole teaching-learning and evaluation process of a particular class in classroom situations. It also helps both the teacher as well as students in determining particular educational goals and enables them to focus their attention on specific learning activities to achieve those goals. Through instructional objectives – the organizers of educational process can determine the resources, course materials, curricular and co-curricular activities, relevant contents and references etc. which are so vital to make the process functional. Instructional objectives also lead the teacher into discovering the best learning situations, strength and weaknesses of the prevalent learning process, level of growth and development of learners through a pre-determined evaluation process. In short, instructional objectives help in monitoring and evaluating the whole educational process in minute details.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Capital Punishment Essays (538 words) - Human Rights, Penology

Capital Punishment Essays (538 words) - Human Rights, Penology Capital Punishment I once saw a bumper sticker that read, Why do we kill people, who kill people, to show that killing is wrong? Suddenly I thought about what I had read. I am against the death penalty as a solution to crime. Capital punishment is a sign of a deep sickness in our civilization. Execution is an act of violence, but you cannot use violence to end violence. The death penalty is not an effective way to punish a criminal. It is used by the powerful to pretend that violent crime is under control, and being disposed of, but in reality the death penalty disposes of the poor, the uneducated, and the minorities in the world. Even states that use the death penalty seem to have a higher number of homicides than states that do not use it. Capital punishment has never been shown to eliminate crime more effectively than other punishments. If the death penalty isnt lowering the murder rate then why waste the taxpayers money? It cost more to put a prisoner to death with any method than it does to keep them incarcerated. Our justice system shouldnt just execute the criminal, they should also make his life miserable. Prisons should supply the bare necessities and nothing else. One solution is to eliminate televisions, libraries, gyms and basketball courts. Even though our prisons need to toughen up, I do give them credit for taking away a criminals freedom. Many family members want to see the offenders dead. The families emotions are understandable, but death is not a solution. The victims family has to suffer for a lifetime, so why shouldnt the murderer suffer too? Another problem is the chance or executing an innocent person. The executed prisoner cannot be given another chance. In the last hundred years there have been more that seventy-five documented cases of wrongful convictions in criminal homicide cases. One example is Walter McMillian who was released from Alabamas death row after having spent six years there because of perjured testimony and withheld evidence that indicated his innocence. He was convicted of the shooting death of a storekeeper. On the day of the murder he was at a fish fry with his friends and relatives, many of whom testified to this at his trial. No physical evidence linked him to the crime, but three people who testified at his trial connected him to the murder. Only sheer luck saved Walter McMillian. After listening to a tape recording of a key witnesses testimony against McMillian, a volunteer lawyer flipped the tape to see if there was anything on the other side. Only then did he hear the same witness complaining that he was being pressured to frame McMillian. With that fourutious break, the whole case against McMillian began to fall apart. All three prosecution witnesses recanted their testimony. On March 3, 1993, the County District Attorney joined the defense in a motion to dismiss the charges. Walter McMillian was finally freed. There are many other cases of mistaken conviction and execution that occur and remain undocumented. An innocent person can be freed, but neither release or compensation is possible for a corpse. If a man is truly a murder, the thought of execution will not stop him from committing murder. So if capital punishment is not lowering the murder rate, is more expensive, and being alive is more of a punishment than being dead, then why not abolish the death penalty?

Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Invented Deadlines

Invented Deadlines February was an insane month for me. I presented and sold books at the  Wisconsin State Reading Association Convention.  I launched a  new book  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ a process that included a party, a  public reading event, a plethora of  social media posts, a month of book launch  dedicated blog entries, an interview with the  local newspaper  and lots of thought, heart, and energy. Both my son and husband had birthdays and the  college baseball season  started up again, which impacts my household in a big way. I lead a Gifted and Talented Network Young Author Day. Oh yeah, and I worked two part-time jobs and helped keep two human children dressed appropriately, fed, bathed, and otherwise alive. Don’t get me wrong†¦ it was a fun busy. A bored writer is a broke writer, but needless to say, I was silently looking forward to March, a decidedly slower month for me†¦ at least according to my calendar. Now that I am here, solidly in March, my head is still swiveling. Instead of bouncing from task to task, my gaze is casting about for the next thing to work on. What needs and deserves my attention? This is one thing I don’t think entrepreneurs talk about enough. When you are your own boss, how do you decide what to work on? My usual mode of operation dictates that whatever project has the next deadline gets the number one spot on my radar of attention. In February that radar was full. But now? Not so much. To prevent myself from falling into patterns of inefficiency and nonproductivity, I invent deadlines. Deciding on a must-be-done deadline motivates me to push forward. As a writer I am very used to deadlines and use my experience with that mindset to propel me to success. Here’s an example. I’ve been meaning to re-do my  teaching materials  for the  Orphan Train Ridersseries since I republished the collection in a single volume. During a slow week in January, I decided having these materials ready to go for WSRA (the aforementioned state reading conference) would be a good idea. It was only a ten-hour project†¦ but for some reason, it remained unfinished. Had I not invented the self-imposed deadline it probably still wouldn’t be done, and I’d have one less  product  floating out there in my passive income stream. This month I have decided to submit a piece for the next issue of the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild’s Literary Journal,  Barstow and Grand. Rewriting and polishing a piece, including taking it to my critique group, doing additional drafts and finally turning it in was the perfect bite-sized project to keep me busy until more work came around. If you are wondering what you could add to your open radar, here are a few invented deadlines you could create for yourself.   Ã‚     Find a writing contest, or better yet, subscribe to a weekly newsletter like  Reedsy  or  FundsforWriters, so these opportunities are delivered like clockwork to your inbox each week.   Ã‚     Compose a query letter for a work in progress. Even if the manuscript isn’t close to being done, it is a necessary evil that must be completed at some time. Having a â€Å"shitty first draft† to come back to down the road will be super helpful.   Ã‚     Revise a piece from the past. And then, maybe r(e)submit it!   Ã‚     Write a blog post   Ã‚     Join a class or writing program. I know I’m biased because I created it, but  Story Seedlings  is an awesome way to jump-start a story project.

Monday, November 4, 2019

THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

THE LEGAL ENVIRONMENT OF BUSINESS - Essay Example More to the point, Arthur Andersen partnership was also dissolved at the time. Arthur Andersen was one of the five biggest audit and accountancy firms globally during the scandal (Li 37). Enron executives, particularly Jeff skilling as well as Andy Fastow, were key to Enron plunging into bankruptcy as well as ultimately dissolution. The acts include: market to market accounting as well as special purpose entities (SPE’s). None of these acts was illegal; however they were employed in illegal business plans (Mackey and Kristine 349). Enron Corporation was an American company based in Houston, Texas. What's more, Enron being one of the most prominent companies in the globe, it was also one of the companies that collapsed very quickly. Over and above, being the biggest liquidation reform at one time, Enron scandal was undeniably the largest audit letdown in American history (Li 37). This paper examines why the Enron scandal occurred? Whether the investigations into the scandal wer e fair? How the scandal was discovered? What went wrong? And what internal controls failed? Enron Corporation was established in 1985. Enron was as one of the globe's leading company dealing with natural gas, electricity, pulp and communications ahead of being declared bankrupt in October 2001. Enron was nearly universally regarded as one of the country's most innovative companies in the late 1990’s; a new-economy nonconformist that abandoned stuffy, aged industries with their bulky hard assets for the lax world of e-commerce. Enron persistently operated gas lines as well as built power plants, however it gained prominence for its distinctive trading businesses. In addition buying and selling gas plus electricity futures, it established whole new markets for such nonconformist merchandise as weather futures, Internet bandwidth as well as broadcast time for advertisers (Li 37).Very few people were acquainted with precisely what Enron's business was. Bethany McLean, a reporter for Fortune, inquired, â€Å"How exactly Enron made its money?† The question is hard to answer; the "particulars are difficult to get hold of as Enron keeps many of its details secret for what it terms 'competitive reasons.'" a different analyst remarked, "Enron is a big black box." Hence, even Wall Street had very little information about Enron's actual business practices. However, Enron is not unique in this regard. Enron akin to the majority corporations, operated relatively independently by opposing transparency and stakeholder participation (Brenan 35). Jeffrey Skilling proposed market to market accounting is a scheme to increase stock prices, hide Enron’s losses as well as attract new investment. The market to market scheme entailed that once a long-term contract was signed, the amount of which the asset supposedly would trade on the future market is reported as profit in the present financial statement. So as to soothe the investors to maintain a steady profitin g condition at Enron, traders at Enron were forced to predict low discount rate on the long-term contract with Enron as well as high future cash flows. The variation amid the computed net current value and the initially paid value was viewed as the profit of Enron. However it is unfeasible to gain in a long-term operation manner, and so it is evidently illegal furthermore immoral. Additionally, it was reported that the US Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) at the time permitted Enron to employ mark to market account

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The Fall Prevention Among High Risk Patients Research Paper

The Fall Prevention Among High Risk Patients - Research Paper Example to population at high risk, and one step closer to this goal is through this study by raising awareness about this problem and propose solutions in minimizing falls, more specifically for patients at high risk. Literature Review A fall is an incident when a patient â€Å"unexpectedly comes to rest on the ground, floor or another level† (Haines et al, 2007). Falls are a major safety concern for hospitals, which accounts to 32.3% of incidents related to safety, and 35.3% of those incidences resulted to harm and even death (Healey et al, 2007). Medicaid has a greater utilization costs resulting from falls (Shumway-Cook et al, 2009). Fortunately, there are already a vast number of studies which were addressed for falls and fall prevention is already a part of the nursing curriculum a long time ago. Researches in risk identification for falls are abundant especially the studies among the elderly population. The study of Rubenstein (2006) tabulated the risk factors for falls from th e most frequent to the less common; the most prominent risk factor is weakness, followed by balance deficit, gait deficit, visual deficit, limited mobility, cognitive impairment, impaired functioning and postural hypotension. Other risk factors identified by Faulkner et al (2009) are height, fear of falling, â€Å"fast-paced walking speed†. Lee & Stokic (2008) investigated the risk factors for falls in patient undergoing rehabilitation identified the diagnoses of stroke, amputation and large co-morbidities as additional risk factors for falls. Among the postmenopausal women, the risks factors for falls were related to age, education, hearing status, history of fracture and hypothyroidism (Barrett-Connor et al, 2008). In terms of visual deficit, visual field loss appears to be the specific risk... This study aims to reduce the incidence of falls among the populations who are at high risk for falls in the hospital setting. This study will take place at a community hospital in Maryland. This study is a non-experimental, retrospective, descriptive case study. This design is selected since the paper will identify the risk factors that are present in the study setting without any manipulation of the variables. This study will try to investigate the fall incidences and the risk factors present retrospectively rather than prospectively. It is a case study since it will attempt to investigate in-depth the institution selected by the researcher to understand the issues underlying the risk factors and fall incidents in order to come up with fall prevention strategies in response to the risks identified. This study has a major strength in data collection, which does not require experimental treatment and is convenience for the researcher to gather data using available records. However, weaknesses of this study is the sampling bias (though the convenience sample of the hospital selected), small sampling size and poor generalizability of the findings. The study will use descri ptive statistical measures through the use of SPSS. This study will only identify the risk factors and use simple statistical tables in determination of the most frequently observed risk factors and to be place on a graph. Relationship of the variables will be assessed using the product-moment correlation coefficient.

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Analysis of wheter or not domestic terrorism is still a threat in the Essay

Analysis of wheter or not domestic terrorism is still a threat in the United States - Essay Example The attacks of 9/11 have shown the world that no power is immune to attack and loop holes exist in any security structure. In this essay we will determine if domestic terrorism is still a threat to United States of America or not. A brief history of domestic terrorism will be presented and main threats will be highlighted. The definition of domestic terrorism has been transformed many times in United States of America. The latest definition of domestic terrorism has come in the USA Patriotic Act which defines domestic terrorism as those which "(A) involve acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or of any State; (B) appear to be intended— (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping; and (C) occur primarily within the territorial jurisdiction of the United States† (Section 802 of USA Patriotic Act). There is a long history of domestic terrorism in United States of America. From 1970’s there have been gangs that were involved in criminal activities. The definition of domestic terrorism given above is too broad therefore in this section we will discuss terrorism acts and gangs that are located within the geographical limits of United States of America. Many gangs have committed acts of domestic terrorism o A or have the potential to do so in near future. Some of them are given below. Alpha 66 is a gang that was formed in 1960s by Cuban exiles in the country. This group was responsible for many bombings and assassinations in Miami in 1970s. Alpha 66 is an anit-communist group that is against Fidel Castro and his Cuban administration. The group is mainly known for targeting the Pro-Castro speakers. The amount of ammunition this group

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The Falling Standard of English in Malaysia Essay Example for Free

The Falling Standard of English in Malaysia Essay I have recently conducted survey about the falling standard of English in Malaysia. The results of the survey are seriously disappointed. Especially the younger generation nowadays, I found they are hardly speak and can’t even pronounce the terms properly and correctly. However there’s only a small number of Malaysians communicate well in the language and many of them are from the older generation where they were schooled in the English medium.. They have an idea that we are living in Malaysia and why should we learn English instead of Malay. Actually all sciences subjects in Malaysia suppose to be in English. However now the students in form 4 have to learn all the sciences subjects in Malay. These leading them unable to catch up in their studies because previously they were learning all those subjects in English. The switching in languages not only causing the students poor in their academic performances but also making them suppose the Malay is much more important than the English. Soon, English is no longer using in their daily lives. The cause of falling standard of English between the Malaysian is there are too many ethnic in Malaysia with different lauguage to communicate with each other. They more prefer to speak their own lauguage at home such as bahasa Malaysia,  chinese ,Tamil and others. It is the main reason why Malaysian always can’t hold a good English to communicate with other. I also realise that the younger generation in the rural area do not realise the importance of english until they started to working. They even feel regret when they are going to interview as they can’t speak a complete sentence to their boss. Eventually they fail to get their jobs. Some of the younger generations do not have a good attitube to study the english. They always adopt the way ‘l don’t care’ on their study. As a result , they have a broken english and can’t do a good communicate with each others . Due to the falling standard english in Malaysia , it brings lot of effects to the development of the country in the future. Someone who do  not master their English well, he will find it difficult and less confident to talk to others. Thus, they can’t communicate well with each others and then the standard of English between the malaysian are going downhill. For those students do not study English well, they will find it difficult on their study especially the subjects that was in English . They can’t do their homework because they don’t understand what the questions enquiry. They will out of step of the study even affect their education on the future. Nowaday, English occupy a lot of importance in the country. The 2nd generation without mastery  the English well, they will fall in social backend. Due to more and more things to English, the 2nd generation without master english will be end up with a tragedy.   I have found out some possible solutions to solve the problems. First of all, we need to keep reading.Reading can be a good habit but also a good way to increase the vocabulary. There are more and more reading materials spawn in the Malaysia , such as news, magazine, novel and others. The younger generation can study through the reading material to improve their poor English step by step. Besides, the government should encourage the citizens to study English well even though it was tough from the beginning. The government can make the English as a compulsory subject to pass, then the students may work harder on it and then the students can master their English well. The students’ parents should have open-minded to give a chance for their children to study english even though they do not master English well before. Parents can study together with their children without feeling shame because learning regardless of age. Through this way, the English standard will absolutely improve. Be best friend with a good English dictionary, it may help to improve English with obvious improve. Buy a dictionary and keep it next when  reading .When stumble upon a word don’t know , just looking in the word up the dictionary beside . It has a lot of challenge when to make a changes of the falling standard of English in Malaysia. It is difficult for the government  to make a whole new change in the syallabus as there are a lot of procedures to have be done. For example, they have to get approval from the schools , citizens and so on. The sudden change in syallbus also cause a lot of problems to the students. Most of them might fail their examinations. Eventually they might feel upset and give up the subjects. A good study environments should without stress and enjoyable.The governments should focus on the kindergarden and the primary schools. Build up a strong basic for the kids. Soon when they get to secondary school and college, there should’t be a problem for them. In a nutshell, English is considered as one of the most important languages in the world. English had been playing a major role in many sector in Malaysia.If we know English we never feel tongue tide in front of others. So, learning English from now onward the government and citizens should cooperate in order to achieve the coming 2020 which is stated by former Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mahathir bin Mohamad.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Nishat Linen Business Analysis

Nishat Linen Business Analysis Executive Summary The market for clothing, home textile and accessories has always been vast and full to the brim with potential. More and more people are jumping on to the bandwagon and coming up with their own brands of fabric apparel with tall claims of high quality and uniqueness. In the midst of so much competition, Nishat Linen came to the surface with exclusivity as its claim to fame. This report discusses in the following sections, the current market position of Nishat Linen relative to its competitors, its business portfolio, its strengths and opportunities, channels of distribution, marketing strategies and finally, the overall budget and action programs. Nishat Linen An Introduction High in diversity, Nishat Group has been one of the leading and dynamic industries in South Asia where it has paved its path in the fields of textile, cement and financial services. Nishat Linen is a part of the company which has given a whole new dimension and outlook to the textile industry. Nishat Linen is known for its quality and recognized for its designs and affordable prices and has been serving the industry for the last 14 years and is now recognized as a brand of its own. The positive image it has created in the minds of its customers in unbeatable which cannot be tarnished by big competitors in the textile industry. Current Marketing Situation In Pakistani textile market the concept of a one-stop shop is not new as there are many stores like Ideas, ChenOne and Habitt which are striving hard to provide their customers with the ease and comfort of one-stop it. These stores are strong with their brand names and recognition where they provide their customers with high quality and design variations so as to make the element of uniqueness distinct in the consumers mind. As a result strong competition has surfaced among these textile giants which are fighting hard and fast to retain and grown their customer share in the market Nishat Linen emerged, in the midst of such consistent and tough competition, as a prodigy of Nishat Group; one of the leading and most diversified business groups in South Asia. Throughout the years, Nishat has made its place as one of the market leaders in fulfilling the home and personal needs of consumers. Currently Nishat is enjoying a palace within the minds of its target market that support it maintain a distinctive palace among its competitors. Nishat is the market leader in its category due to its superior quality, a well-developed brand name, marketing efforts that hit its target segment rightly and continuously changing the product designs and features to meet the needs and requirements of its valuable dynamic customers. This all has helped Nishat to gain a differentiated image in the market that has it a prestige symbol. Market Description Todays consumer has evolved with a certain set of needs and demands which are clearly defined in their minds and are more than capable in making purchasing decisions where they evaluate each product feature to their mental scale and purchase only if it rates higher in their perception. Nishat is now just not a store anymore, rather the outlets are something to which the customer can relate to and would feel comfortable in revisiting it if need be. Their brands reflect a certain image and class to the consumers who buy the products to enhance their already groomed personality. Striving hard on these lines Nishat Linen has made its mark in the market where it especially targets those discerning customers who seek uniqueness, quality, design, fashion and style in the products they buy without having to compromise on pricing. Without any doubt the target market of Nishat Linen comprises of customers who have a distinct set of demands where they focus on product uniqueness, quality and design which would set them apart from other females. From housewives seeking to impress others through impressive kitchen and bed linen to socialites and professionals with a sophisticated and exclusive sense of dressing, Nishat is very successful as it caters to a privileged market segment that can pay for high quality and style. Product Review Nishats product line is highly diversified where it sells bed linen to kitchen coordinates, upholstery to apparel providing it significant positioning and penetration in the market to cater to the customers who want a one-stop shop experience Nishats complete product line is as follows: Nisha Clothing Line for women Naqsh Clothing Line for men Bed Kitchen Linen and Accessories Bed sheets Quilts Bed spreads (regular/ bridal sets) Kitchen (table linen, mats, table runners, bread boxes, aprons) Cushions ((Zari, 6 piece sets, matched with bed sheets) Fillings Jai Namaz Fashion Accessories Laces Bangles Shawls Stoles Handbags Clutches SEGMENT NEEDS AND CORRESPONDING BENEFITS OF NISHATS PRODUCT LINE TARGET SEGMENT CUSTOMER NEED CORRESPONDING BENEFIT Multifaceted, style conscious women (consumer market) To be at the zenith of high fashion. To be exclusive and reflect the status of success and power. Corresponding benefit is in the form of Nisha the clothing line for women that was launched in 2004. Based on a wide variety of fabrics including lawn, chiffon, voile, karandi, linen, khaddar, satin etc; it caters to every fashion whim of women. Distinguished men (consumer market) Clothes that reflect sheer masculinity and elegance yet can be worn with ease and comfort any time of the day. Corresponding benefit is in the form of Naqsh the clothing line for men. Loose fabric as well as ready to wear shalwar kurtaz for all occasions that are casual yet unique. Housewives, kids, brides-to-be (consumer market) To be able to express style and individuality while decorating houses. To stylize kitchen, bedrooms, living rooms etc; to be able spruce up any room. Corresponding benefit is in the form of a wide variety of Bed and Kitchen linen and accessories with a new collection every season. Caters not only housewives seeking comfortable bedding and kitchen accessories, Nishat has a linen range exclusively for kids and brides-to-be, hence providing a complete home care solution for every life cycle stage. Trendy teenage girls (consumer market) To be recognized as a fashion goddess, a diva. Corresponding benefit is in the form of fashion accessories ranging from bags, clutches, bangles etc for teens on the go. Competitive Review Fashion industry of Pakistan is evolving on daily basis as it faces a series of continuous changes in the market trends. Following the path of the fashion industry, females also have been grooming alongside where the long ago held concept of a female belonging in kitchen has been changed to a fashionable and modern individual who takes care of her grooming, her dressing and her appearances. The customers are now focused on designs and how each would represent and set off their image in the minds of their friends and relatives. These are the main areas of concerns the customer face while choosing something to wear for themselves or even for their families. With the endorsing of celebrities the competition in the market have increased manifolds as the customers are bombarded with commercials in which the major celebrities have been endorsing their products causing confusions in the analysis of the product by the customers. Nishat Linen Competitors: *Al-Karam Textile Mills One of the largest producers of Fashion and Basic Beddings, Al-Karam has been successful in its ability in grasping the biggest market share. They offer a diversified set of products which are high in quality and designs which includes Apron, Egyptian cotton, bed linen, Hand Towel e.t.c. They are also engaged with in house design solutions as well. Al-karam is proud to have a proven record of providing service quality on time. *Chenone Pakistan It is one of Pakistans leading textile group and one of the largest exporters of home textile products from Pakistan. Chenabs processing unit is considered one of the best in the country with a complete processing range. Its main products that it offers include Home Textile, Garments, Foot Wear and Furniture. Its textile products not only fulfill local demand but are also exported to several other countries. *Ideas Ideas is one of the other big competitor of Nishat in the market where it offers a similar range of product offering including bedding, kitchen, bath furniture e.t.c. They are also offering specific range of cotton and lawn with fresh and vibrant colors. Their specialty is their unique design clothes with a vibrant palette of colors and embroidery. *Habitt Habitt provides with a wide variety which includes wide range of curtains, bed sheets, sofa sets, quilts, book shelves; dining tables and usually very common house hold items are available here. Habitt is attracting market by providing attractive offers and relatively low price. *VLawn VLawn is again in competition with Nishat Linen in clothing industry. VLawn is a brand of Vaneeza Ahmed which is a popular figure in fashion industry. Initially she started with different Lawn designs and now she is offering shiffon, rawsilk and khadi wear. Brand Product Category Price Range Intensity Habbit Furniture Moderate High-High Red Interwood Furniture Moderate High-High Black Cross Roads Casual Clothing Moderate High-High Red Outfitters Casual Clothing Moderate High-High Red Fifth Avenue Casual Clothing Moderate High-High Blue Shirt Tie Formal Clothing Moderate High-High Red Dinners Formal Clothing Moderate High-High Blue Mens Store Formal Clothing High Red Stone Age Casual Clothing Moderate High-High Red Cotton Cotton Formal Clothing Moderate High-High Red Cambridge Formal Clothing Moderate High-High Blue Bonanza Formal Clothing Moderate High-High Blue Oxford Formal Clothing Moderate High-High Blue Ideas Clothing Moderate High-High Red Bareeze Fabric Moderate High-High Red V9 Fabric Moderate High-High Red Funk Asia Women Clothing Moderate High-High Blue Stylo Foot Wear Low-Moderate High Black Soul Foot Wear Moderate High-High Red Borjan Foot Wear Low-Moderate High Blue Red: Head to Head Competition Black: Moderate Competition Blue: Partial Competition Channels and Logistics Review The channels and Logistics are integrated such that product availability is insured across Pakistan at its various outlets which are located at all the major cities. However the major focus of outlets is in Punjab because of easy and cheap logistics since their production facility is near Lahore. There is one outlet in Islamabad and Karachi has three outlets out of which couple of them is located in Clifton and one in PECHS. This goes to show that Nishat hasnt identified other potential or growing markets within Karachi that is going to result in one of the threats from their competitors in gaining market share. SWOT Analysis SWOT Analysis is a useful tool for analyzing and understanding business situations as well as carrying out the decision making process within an organization. SWOT is an abbreviation for strength, weakness, opportunity and threats. Organizations use SWOT analysis for: Business planning Strategic planning Competitor evaluation Marketing Business development Product development SWOT analysis for Nishat: STRENGTHS One of the first few brands to launch bed linen in Pakistan. Strong product diversification. Outlets in nearly every city of Punjab and three outlets in Karachi which is also the business capital. Catering all market segments except children. Strong product development and most significantly according to all the seasons. Affiliation with a professional designer Mahin Khan. Organized records of customer database. Valuable services to all its loyal and first time customers by offering discount cards and membership cards. Limited designs for both fabrics and linen are sold in the market for every season that creates differentiation of their product. WEAKNESSES Nishat linen is not catering the middle and the lower income group that can be seen by looking at the price range of their products: Unstitched fabric: Rs. 2138 to 3150 Stitched fabric: Rs. 1400 to 5000 Bed Sheets: Rs. 1150 to 2950 Quilt Covers: Rs. 1800 to 5500 Nishat linen does not carry out exhibitions therefore customers have little knowledge about their products with respect to their competitors. Nishat linen has not been able to expand its market in Karachi due to high logistics cost since their mill is in Faisalabad Punjab. All the promotional strategies are focused on fabrics as it is their star product.bed linen gets little promotional campaign. OPPORTUNITIES Nishat linen can look to get affiliated with more diversified designers who are into accessories as well. Publish their own catalogues for bed linen and fabric and put them at different book stores so that customers have easy access to their designs. Nishat can get into western clothing line which will give them an edge over their competitors. Their Lahore unit is manufacturing denim fabric for Levis which is of superior quality. This gives an opportunity to Nishat to launch their own denim brand in the market. They should look to open an outlet in an area like North Nazimabad where the market has a lot of potential and people have the purchasing power as well. THREATS Strong promotional campaigns of competitors producing fabrics through exhibitions. Fabric designs of their competitors are available at other retail stores as well where as their fabrics are available at their outlets only. Most of their bed linens is exported therefore the local market tend to suffer where as their competitors like ideas and ChenOne are more focused on the local market gaining competitive advantage. BCG Matrix for Nishat Star: Nishats Star unit, undoubtedly, is Nisha, their clothing line for women. It is a unit that sells throughout the year and as quoted by the Manager of their Clifton outlet, Nisha sells at the same rate even during times of recession. According to him, Nishat has experienced more profit during recession because of continued high sales of their clothing line for women. Launched in 2004, Nisha grew by leaps and bounds and now stands alongside brands like Gul Ahmed, Lakhani and Al-Karam. It has been categorized as a Star product line of Nishat as the market for women fabric and apparel is huge, ever growing and presents quite a lot of potential. It has a high market share due to its exclusivity and quality that distinguishes it from its competition. As a consequence, it requires heavy investment to support its image as a brand with an attitude. Cash Cows: Nishats bed kitchen linen and accessories can be categorized as the cash cows with which it earns a healthy and steady cash flow throughout the year. The market demand for bed and kitchen linen, though not dynamic, has always been there with a sustained and limited potential for growth. Nishat, with its unique and discerning image, has managed to capture a significant share of this slow-growing market, relative to its competitors like Ideas by Gul Ahmed, Identity by Al-Karam and ofcourse, ChenOne. Its bed linen is not only in high demand locally but is also one of its major imports. Question Mark: Naqsh, the clothing line of Nishat for men, can be categorized as its Problem Child or Question Mark. Its a unit that hasnt shown much potential and as a result hasnt managed to gain as much market share or generate as much cash as was expected and required of it. The market for eastern wear for men has seen a rapid growth since the past few years and presents so much of unexplored potential. With every designer coming up with an exclusive clothing line for men, Naqsh faces serious competition from not only Gul Ahmed and Al-Karam but other market leaders such as Amir Adnan, Junaid Jamshed and Rizwan Beyg etc. To survive in such a fiercely competitive and fast-growing market, Naqsh requires heavy investments to hold its ground but hasnt managed to succeed in gaining enough market shares as yet. Dog: Finally, fashion accessories of Nishat can be termed as Dog; unit with a low market share in a moderately growing industry of accessories. The demand for fashion accessories like hand bags, clutches etc, though has always been there, but it does not have that much of a growth potential. With much of the investment being done in the other three units, Nishat hasnt paid heed to this particular market offering. Known by the masses as a brand for clothing and bed linen, only a niche segment of the market is aware of Nishats accessories even when ingenuity and style is maintained here as well. Hence, this unit generates just enough cash to maintain its market share. Objective Issues First year Objective We have planned to increase the sales volume up to 150 percent of current sales by expanding the market share along with superior customer value. Second year Objective We aim to launch the western wears of finest quality and exclusive class and achieve a distinguishable position in western wear as well. Issues Due to the saturation of market with huge competitors like Al-Karam, Gul-Ahmed and ideas it is quite difficult to capture a large share of market by providing superior value comparable with our competitors. Their distribution networks and large number of outlets could be a hurdle in making our product their first priority. Political issues are also matter of concern as there might be a political influence in establishing our brand in Karachi. Religious issues are also one of the hurdles in advertising via billboards. Financial situation of customers may also be a matter of concern as our all products are exclusive and have high prices. Marketing Strategy Nishats market strategy is based on market expansion and product development. Currently their target segment is exclusive and formal wear for formal now they target professional females including stylish and convenient outfits having a variety of designs but superior quality. Bed linen also needs to be emphasized more regarding variations in styles and designs. Nishat also plans to target entrepreneurs and business owners who wish to design their offices with their products in an exclusive manner by not only providing them their elite products but also special services would also be provided by their representative who would suggest them regarding interior decoration. Gents wear would also be focused involving a wide range of formal and informal shalwar suits under the supervision of a top class designer Hassan Shaharyar. Positioning Nishat aims to position its product as an exclusive and classical brand for both upper and middle class customers. Additionally they provide customer support services specifically to women to help them design their clothing by Nishats experienced designers. That is their differentiating point from their competitors. Product Strategy Nishat will launch exclusive designs of wear created by a variety of new designers. This innovation would be affective as upcoming designers work with more energy and creativity that would boost their sales. Free samples are delivered to customers to show how best our products are. Free sample is a useful technique in winning the loyalty of customers. This strategy is widely used to improve the market. Pricing Strategy Before setting prices of products, various elements are kept into mind. Customer is of utmost importance. If customer is old, his track record is good and enjoys a favorable repute so profit margin may be reduced. Prices area determined on cost basis by adding certain percentage of profit. This is highly sensitive area. Current pricing for their products are: Unstitched fabric is 2100-3100 it would be revised with more variety having range 1500-3500 Stitched fabric is 1500-5000 it would be revised with economic and unique aspect having range 1200-10000 Bed linen is 1200-3000 it would be revised from regular and exclusive range of bed linen from 1000-5000 Bridal wear will be launched having introductory prices 20000-40000 Distribution Strategy Nishat has their own outlets in Punjab and Sindh, and the product will be delivered only to registered outlets. As the manager of one outlet has enlightened the point why dont sell their product other then Nishat outlet as their competitor is doing that he replied we never want to enter in a market because as soon as we entered in it then our fake product will take birth as it happened with other competitors. Our exclusive designs and products would still be sold at our authorized outlets .Furthermore to facilitate the customers, online shopping facility and door step delivery of order will also be started by the introduction of BUY ONLINE option on our website for that purpose we have acquired services of T.C.S for order delivery. Marketing Research Strategy Following are some research and development techniques: Through Internet Nishat has recognized the importance of information technology in business field and very quick to capitalize this opportunity. It has launched its website which tells buyers about Nishat products and also takes their valuable feedback and suggestions. APTAMA buyers dictionary All Pakistan textile mills association publishes a directory, which includes prospective buyers. This dictionary is published regularly. Marketing department carefully analyses it and find buyers for its quality products. Action Programs We have selected action plans as per different seasons and occasions: February (on winter collection) In this month the number of walk-in customer is high for winter clothing demand. Some visit for the bed linen, cushions, baby cots .Whereas main emphasis would be on winter collection. July Most of the buyers are people going back from vacations; they prefer to buy local stuff rather than spending more for the same stuff offered by international brands. Reason: A complete bed sheet set including pillow covers at Nishat is priced at Rs. 3000 whereas any international brand would charge $140 for the same bed sheet and that too excluding pillow covers. August (on summer collection) In this collection mostly in Karachi customer influx increases with day in and day out and these days mainly women actively do shopping emphasizing on formal outfits for weddings and girls with their summer collections. Eid (on kitchen accessories) We also produce the products on the special occasions especially on Eid season involving an increased requirement for kitchen accessories. In such occasions demand for Traditional outfit having eastern look is also increased in both male and female Budgets We have allocated budget for our products as per their market value and demand. Following is the distribution of expenditure for our product mix considering the market standing and market growth in order to improve our current situation. Nisha à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦50 percent Bed linen à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦15 percent Naqshà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..27 percent Fashion accessoriesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. 8 percent Controls There are at least three basic requirements for Nishat to maintain its status as a successful brand: It must provide a product (good or service) that suits best to its capabilities and for which there is a sufficient market. It must provide the product with consistent quality at a level that appeals to intended customers and satisfy their needs. It must provide a product at a cost that always a satisfactory profit and a rational sale price. Profit will be controlled by following necessary measures: Quality control Design control Customer Data Control Product Identification and Traceability Corrective and Preventing Measures Internal Audit