Monday, September 30, 2019

“Bring Back Flogging” Response Paper Essay

In Jeff Jacoby’s essay, â€Å"Bring Back Flogging,† he strongly reveals his opinions and beliefs on corporal punishment. Jacoby illustrates the use of verbal irony and sarcasm. He applies verbal irony and sarcasm in such a way that by reading what is written is easily understood to interpret what he really means. Jacoby describes what flogging is, how it was helpful, and argues that flogging needs to be brought back to our society. After reading Jacoby’s argument for bringing back the harsh beating and whipping, called flogging, I see that flogging would be helpful if it is brought back. Flogging is exercising the practice of brutal beatings and whippings. Flogging has been practiced by the Puritans in 1632, all the way to 1972 when it was repealed. The Puritans acted in flogging when offenders were sentenced for committing a crime, such as adultery or blaspheme. When convicted of the crime an individual committed, they were tied to a post in public, with no shirt, and severely flogged. By practicing flogging, and displaying the beating to the citizens of the town, the citizens could see what would be done for their punishment if they commit the same or different crime. If flogging were to be brought back and routinely practiced on offenders of certain crimes, and the beating was displayed to the public, it could greatly reduce crimes committed. Being whipped is not any more or less degrading that being locked in a cage, like an animal. Bringing back flogging would inspire possible criminals not to commit a crime that they could be planning. By being whipped in public, the offender will be highly embarrassed and have severe pain. Hopefully this felling of embarrassment and the pain experienced will stay with them, if they think of committing another crime. Also, after beaten the wounds will turn to scars, these would serve as a permanent reminders of the consequences obtained from their actions. Prisons are packed tightly with hundreds of criminals. Some prisoners are violent offenders and others are not. Providing meals, building new jails,  keeping a prison running, and providing prisoners with necessities, is very expensive. If flogging was the consequence of committing crimes, the money spent in and for prisons, could be used for other and more important items, such as books for school systems. In addition, less dangerous offenders will not be abused or raped in prison. The practice of flogging would also increase prison space for more dangerous offenders. Bringing back the punishment of flogging would greatly reduce crimes committed. Also, the public display, pain, and the permanent reminder from scars, will reduce the possibility of participating in the crime again. It would also serve as a physical image to others of what will happen if they commit a crime. Puritan forefathers had an excellent idea of punishment for committing crimes. Flogging was also a very effective punishment. The knowledge of what will happen if a crime is committed, and knowing how painful it is, will allow individuals to think thoroughly if they ever decide they want to commit a crime. I vote to bring back flogging!

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Leadership qualities Essay

This paper talks about testing in specifically psychometric testing that is used by employers in screening employees in the selection process at organizations. After a brief introduction to what psychometric is all about, it analyzes critically this method of choosing employees with respect also the disadvantages and advantages of this type of testing. The paper then concludes itself with discussion of the growth of psychometric testing in relation to its success factors leading on to the final concluding paragraph. INTRODUCTION Psychometric testing is being used for decades now, changing its forms while absorbing technological improvements. It is used as an essential element in the screening of employees at the workplace to thereby increase work effectiveness in terms of selection of the right candidate for the right job. Not only in the selection process, but this type of testing is also used in other areas namely, promotion, training, advisory services in terms of Human Resource management, planning and development. Psychometric testing is used as a tool for deciding upon the winning qualities of employees to get a better understanding of which employee to further develop upon and how, and which to spend different training resources on etc. This type of testing basically uses questionnaires that are made by professional test makers who also undertake analysis of the results with the help of an organizational psychologist. The verdict/s reached thereby is then considered final and accurate to a great extent. Psychometric tests have been categorized into: Ability tests, Motivation tests, Attitude and perception, Projective techniques (TAT), Personality inventories, Organizational climate surveys, Employee satisfaction surveys etc. (TVRLS, 2006) Psychometrics is the field of study belonging to the zone of psychometric testing, and is used as an indicator of measurement of abilities, attitude, perception, skills, personality traits including team playing, leadership qualities etc. The two major components of this type of study are: Construction of the method or procedure in testing and improving upon the qualities of the test in terms of analysis and judgment (Golombok, n. d. ). There are many other fields of study that are pertinent directly or indirectly to this type of testing. Firstly, there is the classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT). There is also the Rasch model that aims at the requirements when measuring educational and work indicators in terms of physical sciences. Secondly, in relation to correlation and finding out variation in the results there are many techniques including factor analysis, multidimensional scaling, data clustering, structural equation modelling, and path analysis. These few methods aim at finding out what data easily fits into the population that is being tested through a sample and how. (Hogan, 2006) Screening techniques in firms and organizations could range from traditional manual shifting of applications to sophisticated usage of psychometrics. Recruiters immensely make use of online resources or help search for criteria important in measuring the candidates’ qualification (Suff, 2005). Psychometric tests undertake the study of assessment in terms of psychological assessment of individual with respect to five criteria that each test possesses. These are: – Validity: measures what the test is supposed or has been designed to measure – Reliability: the results in the end are in line with the research that was taken and will not change if the test is undertaken again keeping certain factors constant – Standardisation: the instruments used in the test, timing, instructions, test items, scoring techniques are all same for each candidate – Objectivity: there is no deterring of results due to biases caused by subjective decisions or favouritism etc. There should hence be no variation in scores according to these criteria. – Differentiation: tests that have been undertaken have been designed to account for differences and the results should show no effect of the candidate’s personal traits and facts like ethnicity, religion, gender etc. (unless the test aims to measure these as a factor). (Dent & Curd, 2004) CRITICAL ANALYSIS The question that arises now is about the significance of these tests in our lives revolving around the workplace and in specific the corporate world. Psychometric testing is useful, yes but how can it be used, as a measure of success in employee selection, is the most important pointer here. Psychometric tests are used in assisting with the selection process to help predict future employee performance and hence to help in planning out the desired outcomes against these predictions. These tests are economical and efficient, and facilitate the test givers in the attainment of information quickly while cutting down on the money cost also. They are not prone to subjectivity biases when they are objective and hence aid in increasing fairness in decision-making. Apart from finding out the right person for the right job, these tests help recognize development needs, increase motivation and correct stress factors for employees which have a negative impact on their productivity levels if not removed or minimized. (Dent & Curd, 2004) Psychometric tests have evolved from the need to examine ability and resulting output in work situations. The two types of psychometric tests when broadly put, these being: As a measure of ability, verbal or numerical reasoning and as a measure of personality traits and work situations, and what leads to the correct or the best fit. Analysing the usage of tests carries utmost importance when it comes specifically to the choice in terms of what test is to be used in a given situation. This requires deep analysis of the kind of job at hand and then testing candidates to determine the kind of traits needed for that job. On measuring job performance the formula that needs to be remembered is skills + attitude + process + knowledge = Success! However useful this argument holds for psychometric tests, their validity and usage, as a tool in selection of employees is considered controversial also. The difficulty here lies in the fact that people who are being testes sometimes do not give their true answers and get prone to achievement of success with the formula given above, except that the attitudes, skills etc might just be their ideal states in their minds and not something that exists within them in real. This â€Å"lying† on the tests and hiding true meaning of their traits makes accurate judgments difficult and hinders the attainment of absolute fairness in decision-making. And this is also when frequently, psychometric tests are said to be not useful and prone to inaccurate collection of data and information. Hence in many organizations, the usefulness of these tests remains limited and is only to the extent of informing about the decision and not actually making it. Therefore, no matter how glittery the success formula looks, the inefficiency prone to this testing can rid an organization of valuable employees (those who had most probably not lied on the test). (Farrington, 2007) The ethical use of psychometric tests is also another factor that requires discussion in terms of a critical analysis of this topic under dissertation. It is highly essential that the information used by these tests is relevant to the purpose do study, is accurate and does not probe too much into the personal lives of the candidates so as to stay away from intrusion of their privacy. The test should undertake the tester’s competence, procedures and techniques used, and the client welfare to make sure that these guidelines corresponding to each is followed. The test users must be adequately qualified and trained. Results should not be leaked out or sold to any third parties or even other candidates and should only be available to the test takers who will need it to analyse and conclude the tests. Feedback needs to be offered to the people who have taken the test or the candidates to counter any negative effects of the test that was left on them. These tests should not discriminate against gender, race or ethnicity and even disability and age. All test materials need to be secured completely to ward off any unauthorized access to the information provided by these tests. A few of the common tests that are present, measure ability, aptitude, personality, interpersonal skills and relationship awareness etc. (Dent & Curd, 2004) With respect to the five criteria mentioned earlier, a study showed that where selection, assessment and training are concerned, cognitive ability tests and work samples were found out to be most valid. Also, the results of this study showed that interviews were most practical. Results from tests involving knowledge assessment, personality tests involving motivation, satisfaction etc showed that these were most popular with prospective employers. (Mok et al, 2008) CASES FOR PSYCHOMETRIC TESTS Psychometric testing provides organizations and any test givers a very commanding way of guaranteeing the selection and employment of the best candidates through their thorough analysis in terms of ability and preferred behavioural styles. Psychometric testing allows the pre-hiring screening becomes more popular because validity is a criterion that is usually always met and hence this form of testing becomes more preferred. Usually, it also includes IQ testing also along with personality test to enable the organization to gain valuable insight into the issue at hand. Time is saved, as prospective employees are able to learn constructive things that without psychometrics would have been very hard or time consuming to learn. The HR Department hence becomes a powerful unit as it realized true matching of the employee’s personality traits with the characteristics of the company. Financial benefits to the company have also been seen where psychometrics are involved in the process of hiring. Through the availability of technological advances like LAN and the Internet, companies are able to easily administer these tests also. Cost benefits are achieved as eventually companies in the best-case scenario able to learn which employees will stay with the company longer than the others. (Vaid, 2007) Some of the benefits provided by psychometric testing are: 1. Efficiency: psychometric testing improves efficiency in selection and decision-making when it comes to human resource recruitment. Most suitable candidates are hence chosen thereby making maximum use of time, cost and efficiency. 2. More informed recruitment decisions: objective information is provided by these tests to ensure the occurrence of an informed decision-making. 3. Aid to interviews: interviews do not provide all information necessary to conclude upon which candidates are best for that particular job. Hence these tests are highly useful to especially those recruiters who are not much proficient in testing or analyzing a candidate. 4. Tried and tested: these tests now have been offered by many agencies that are used for outsourcing these tests by companies. Also, companies themselves now use many different psychometric tests in the selection process today. 5. Business needs: these tests are in direct relation with the needs of human resource of organizations, and hence fit perfectly to the purpose of these organizations 6. Potential of an individual: an individual’s skills and attitudes along with perceptions are thoroughly weighed through these tests that are not provided by interviews as such. 7. For all levels of staff: these tests are even more helpful since they are appropriate enough to be used at all levels in the organization. 8. Easy to understand: these tests are easy to understand, as their language is unproblematic and simple. They also hence are not prone to discrimination against ethnicity, language or region when they follow the five effective criteria of testing as mentioned earlier in this paper. (Psychometric Testing, n. d. ) 9. Job profiling: this can be done even before the interview takes place, so that key skills and abilities for a particular position in the organization can be further made clear before interviewing the person about it. 10. Useful information: these tests help in providing useful and complete information as to how functional an employee will be in terms of performance in a particular position. (Oriel Training, n. d. ) 11. Professional: psychometric tests make the entire selection process look more formal and professional 12. Objectivity: it adds objectivity to the whole process. 13. Time saving: maximum amount of information is collected in minimum time. 14. Flexibility: due to the use of technology, tests are administered with more flexibility. 15. Self-awareness: when it comes to development of the employees, these tests can help point out the negative factors that should be erased and positive ones that need highlighting and promotion. 16. Cost-effectiveness: when used appropriately, they also provide cost advantages to the firm. (Vaid, 2007) CASE AGAINST PSYCHOMETRIC TESTING It is essential to make sure that the correct procedure in testing is followed including the process of selection, administration, feedback and analysis. Failure on the part of the test giver to do can result in ill communication and analysis often results leading to cynicism, anger, and dissatisfaction. Some of the disadvantages of psychometric testing are: Initial training can prove to be more expensive and costly, Provision of feedback is mostly deemed essential but can waste a lot of time, Uneasiness and resistance shown by the participants can hinder collection of true results. These tests need to be paired with some other form of assessment because complete reliance on them can prove to be not useful at all to the company. Lying or hiding of true information about oneself can result in portrayal of a false picture to the prospective employer, leading to making of false or inaccurate decisions on his/her part (Dent & Curd, 2004). It is very difficult for an untrained eye to find out which is the correct psychometric test to use and employ, due to the high availability of various types of tests in the market. This involved correct decision in terms of choosing the right test for that organization because if this is not done then the results will not be relevant to the organization and the issue at hand. There are many cases where people administering these tests are not qualified or have not been trained enough to correctly administer these tests, hence it is imperative that in order to get the maximum out of these tests, organizational psychology courses need to be offered for training of these test administrators. It should also be understood that these tests provide results that are not hundred percent valid and reliable, so as to not take the effect of many external factors can result in large negative consequences to the organization which is often the case. (Team Focus, 2004) SUCCESS FACTORS Many managers do not make good interviewer and this is where again psychometric testing comes in handy. Studies have shown that many managers and interviewers focus on their ‘gut feeling’ when it comes to hiring employees. Also, another important factor that they use is the candidate’s ability through his skills attained at School/ College etc. This is information; one can easily read off and understand through the Curriculum Vitae of that candidate. The success factor of psychometric testing comes in our discussion when we say that the question about whether a candidate is behaviourally fit in an organization is something whose answer lies in the analysis undertaken through psychometric testing. In other words, how well an employee according to psychometrics will be able to match his personality traits with characteristics of the organization; and how this will impact his performance inside the organization henceforth. (Lievens & Peeters, 2008) One type of psychometric test here exactly important to this kind of testing is the McQuaig System test which helps in outlining a behavioural profile of an employee with respect to the open position that candidate is applying for. Another success factor very essential to organizational development, is the basic fact that this outline can then be used to erase out the subjectivity biases attached to ‘gut feeling’ and help make out a prediction that is dependent on the technical ability of the candidate’s behavioural personality. There are various reasons for growth in the usage of psychometrics in the selection process. A few of these are: 1. Especially when they are hiring employees legal obligations and regulations are met through the use of psychometric tests as they are now being awarded a status that is obligatory to follow and be used by organizations. 2. Test results are now found to be more useful than before because they have been in use for years now. The varied political and cultural state of affairs that pertain to an organization has changed. Also, there has been a shift in the climate of these organizations, which have become more varied in terms of diversity in religions, cultures, ethnicity and so on. Tests hence when effectively designed and made help take these factors into account also. Equal employment opportunity is hence offered immensely well in most cases. 3. The costs of testing have decreased significantly because of the improved and increased use of Internet among many other technological advances. Computer based testing allows for flexibility, ease and quickness in adding up scores and summing up data probing organizations to indulge when more in such testing procedures 4. Human Resource policies are more formally and appropriately designed now to take into account a once much ignored resource- human resource. 5. Tests provide up-to-date information and when employing older employees, this becomes essential because then school qualification would prove to be outdated mostly. 6. Large organizations can use these tests to screen large number of applicants, who without the use of these tests and other computer based tests, would be almost humanly impossible to accomplish. (Psychometric success, n. d. ) CONCLUSION The use of tests, in particular those involving psychological analysis are here to stay as can be seen from their wide usage and growing popularity. It remains however the duty of the employers to ensure that they remain professional, ethical, valid and reliable. Training is an essential component o the success of the usage of these tests in an organization to better analyze and understand the results depicted by these tests. Employers while undertaking the administration of these tests need to take a few things in perspective. They should be clear about what they are measuring, what is the audience like, make sure that it is not indiscriminate towards any class etc., ensure proper training, provide adequate feedback, and also guarantee confidentiality of information, so that effectives can be reached along with success in usage of these tests. Effectiveness, all in all depends directly on giving importance to these factors just discussed so that any form of psychometric analysis is made productive. (Dent, & Curd, 2004) Bibliography Golombok, S. (n. d. ) Modern Psychometrics: The Science of Psychological Assessment. International Library of Psychology Hogan, T. (2006) Psychometric Testing: A practical introduction. Wiley. Dent, F. and Curd, J.(2004) Psychometric tests: an overview of an increasingly complex world [Internet] Available from: http://www. ashridge. org. uk/Website/IC. nsf/wFARATT/Psychometric%20Tests:%20An%20Overview%20of%20an%20Increasingly%20Complex%20World/$File/PsychometricTest. pdf [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Farrington, J. (2007) Psychometric Tests and Professional Salespeople- unhappy bedfellows [Internet] Available from: http://www. greatmanagement. org/articles/57/1/-Psychometric-Tests-And-Professional-Salespeople—Unhappy-Bedfellows/Page1. html [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Lievens, F.and Peeters, H. (2008) Impact of elaboration on responding to situational judgment test items [Online Library] Available from International Journal of Selection and Assessment. Dec2008, Vol. 16 Issue 4, p345-355 Mok, C. ; Wong, A. ; Lam, W. ; Baum, L. ; Ho, K. ; and Wong, L. (2008) A case-controlled study of cognitive progression in Chinese lacunar stroke patients [Online Library] Available from Clinical Neurology & Neurosurgery. Jul2008, Vol. 110 Issue 7, p649-656 Oriel Training (n. d. ) Key benefits of psychometric testing [Internet] Available from: http://www. orieltrain. com/KeyBenefitsofPsychometricTesting. htm [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Psychometric success (n. d. ) The growth of psychometric testing [Internet] available from: http://www. psychometric-success. com/psychometric-tests/psychometric-tests-advantages. htm [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Psychometric Testing (n. d. ) Exciting features [Internet] Available from: http://www. excitingfutures. com/psychometrictesting. htm [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Suff, R. (2005) First-line Filter [Online Library] Available from IRS Employment Review from: IRS Employment Review; 12/16/2005 Issue 837, p44-48 Team Focus (2004) Disadvantages of psychometric testing [Internet] Available from: http://www. teamfocus. co. uk/disadvantages_of_psychometric_testing. htm [Accessed 19 December, 2008] TVRLS (2006) Psychometric testing and climate surveys [Internet] Available from: http://www. tvrls. com/psychometric_testing_and_climate_surveys. html [Accessed 19 December, 2008] Vaid, R. (2007) Advantages of Psychometric testing [Internet] Available from HRD Test Products from: http://smarthiring. com/articles/articles/6/1/Advantages-of-Psychometric-Testing/Page1. html [Accessed 19 December, 2008]

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Asda Marketing Plan

To combat this, the report suggests that ASDA looks to change its strategy to focus more on a sustainable supply-chain, potentially one which is focused on UK food and products. While this may lead to higher prices from the retailer, it could improve its image when it comes to sustainable food retailing, and so warrant higher prices to consumers, especially if the introduction of local products develops an emotional attachment for customers. Introduction The following assignment will consider ASDA, considering the external environment in which the business operates as well as its ethical consideration, determining whether the current strategy should be maintained or whether a change is needed, with the assignment then making recommendations. Company Overview ASDA is a UK-based grocery retailers owned by U.S. listed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ASDA has been part of the UK’s ‘Big 4’ retailers in the UK grocery sector, also compromising of Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s, however it recently moved from 3rd from 2nd place on the list, being overtaken by Sainsbury’s after disappointing sales. The latest report from Kantar Worldpanel (2016) put’s ASDA’s market share at 15.3%, behind that of Sainsbury’s after suffering a 4.7% fall in sales, compared with a 0.7% fall in Sainsbury’s, and a 1.6% rise in sales at Tesco. To many UK consumers, ASDA has developed on the back of price competition, with the retailer being heavily focused on being the UK’s best value supermarket. Due of its focus on price, ASDA in the past could have been seen to ignore ethical consideration, with some of the top places seen with premium retailers such as Marks Spencer, who use their premium pricing to better consider the quality/ ethics behind their supply chain. Market Environment However, it is this strategy which has been a downfall for the retailer, especially when put against competition from the expanding ‘discounter’s’, namely Lidl and Aldi (Ruddick, 2014). These retailers have aggressively expanded into the UK market on the back of offering low prices to consumers, with their focus on ‘prime-match’, similar of marketing conducted by ASDA against the other ‘Big 4’[1]. Given this, Aldi managed to record sales growth of 10% over the same period, beating all competition and increasing its market share to 6.2%. At the same time, Aldi also announced that it looks to take its store tally from 450 to 1,000 by 2022; Lidl also announced plans to open 40-50 new stores in the UK each year, noted by Gale (2016). This move in the market has been supported from a new business model and changing consumer habits. Discounters have benefitted from economies of scale, reducing the scale of choice to offer just one option; in tu rn allowing them to increase sales of that product and reduce the production costs. At the same time, these discounters have also expanded on a no-frills approach to stores, moving away from the ‘Superstore’ concept which became popular with Tesco and ASDA. This comes at a time when consumers have also looked to move away from superstores, preferring little-and-often shops to better budget. There also seems to a reduction in customer loyalty as consumers look for the best value. Marketing Situational Analysis Building on the above, a SWOT analysis is shown below; Strengths  ·UK wide presence with 525 stores.  ·Still the UK’s 3rd largest grocery retailer – potential to increase share.Weaknesses  ·Recent marketing seems to have placed it in the ‘discount’ category when it comes to grocery stores – potentially restricting sales of some of its higher-value items. Opportunities  ·Recent improvement in UK economic fundamentals – coupled with rising wages may increase consumer disposable income.  ·Fall in ?GBP has put some spotlight on UK food/ products to escape price rises.Threats  ·Competition remains the biggest threat to ASDA, especially with discounters such as Lidl/ Aldi quickly expanding their store network, as well as expanding their marketing activities, with a focus on value. Ultimately, the analysis is suggesting that the main weakness in marketing lies within this continued focus solely on the price. This has come under pressure given new entrants into the market, with the discounters of Lidl/ Aldi coming into the market with business models which mean they can potentially undercut ASDA on prices. This is the main threat to the business, with ASDA still seeing a fall in sales, even with the recent buoyancy in UK retail sales. However, there are potential opportunities for ASDA to diversify, expanding its marketing to cover issues within sustainability and UK produce; improving the ethics when it comes to food sourcing, and issues such as food security and locality[2]. Objectives In the past, ASDA’S objectives have been focused on customer value, however given an expanding ‘discount’ sector, the retailer is now under more pricing pressure to maintain customers. With this, there is the expectation that the retailer may need to diversify, essentially look to attract more customers back to its stores. The objective for ASDA is to tempt customer’s back into its store; or tempt new customers back. Given continued expansion of Lidl/ Aldi, it could be expected that the new strategy will need to focus more on attracting new customers, be it from retailers such as Sainsbury’s. Strategy Segmentation To support its strategy, ASDA will look to segment the market into different consumers, based on demographics, location, income etc. Given marketing campaigns undertaken by the business, it would appear that ASDA has segmented the market; looking to appeal to those families of lower incomes. Its focus on being the cheapest is indicative of its primary target market. Because of this, the business has become somewhat specialised on this business model, a focus on low-cost, which in turn could impede quality. It has positioned itself in the low-cost end of the market, however given new entrants and intensified competition, is now finding it hard to compete and develop with new competition (Peter, 2011)[3]. The business model helped ASDA over the years of recession given constrained consumer income, however as economic conditions have improved, consumers have essentially traded-up. This has provided support to other retailers such as Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose which position themse lves at the higher end of the market. With this, ASDA may feel that its business is currently positioned to narrow, targeting a consumer base which is shrinking which competition is increasing. There are two ways in which the retailer can broaden its consumer base, either through changes to marketing which will target a new market, or by differentiating the product to appeal to a broader base of consumers, noted in Armstrong et al (2012)[4]. Tactics Action Given the above, the main tactic for ASDA s to re-position itself in the market, remove this constant focus on price and look to focus more on ethical issues such as sustainability, which in turn may suggest quality. To do this, the retailer has a number of actions: ASDA will move to focus on local; putting its focus on supplying more UK produce in-stores, having dedicated aisles in superstores to local producers. The benefit here will not only be from higher sales of these goods, put also of the positive PR which could arise through supporting local farmers, and local communities. This is essentially classed as differentiation; the retailer will be introducing new products to do so. ASDA will also look to introduce convenience aisles into superstores. This will be seen as segmentation,[5] looking to attract a new set of customers to its stores who may have previously left as they prefer to do ‘little-and-often’ shops. This can be marketed by ASDA to target these specific customers. Budget This section will now discuss the budget for such a change in strategy. The main costs to the business will be seen as the marketing. For instance, when it comes to the ‘convenience aisle’, it could be noted that the infrastructure is already there; the stores will simply have to shuffle around stock to create the new aisle. When it comes to introducing the new products, the costs may be more down to developing the local links, with the suppliers themselves bearing the costs associated with producing the goods. Rather than a major financial cost, the introduction of more local products may be more time consuming for ASDA, given that they will need to ensure that the new products are in-keeping with the goals of the business, both in terms of pricing and quality (Ferrell, 2012)[6]. Marketing will be done through all ’traditional’ channels given the mass-market appeal of ASDA and the fierce competition within the UK grocery sector. While this would involve a higher cost than say digital marketing opportunities, it would be hoped that print advertisements and TV commercial will draw more attention, and so inform more customers. However, digital marketing could also be used, especially when it comes to advertisements through social media, and targeted banner ads which can be used online. Control Control remains an important consideration, both in terms of ensuring a level of consistency in the marketing message as well as also monitoring the return on investment (hereafter ROI). When it comes to consistency, while marketing could change to reflect changes in the marketplace, the business must look to maintain its ‘core’ message. For instance, while the focus on new marketing campaigns may be on local produce, the core message remains with the slogan ‘Save Money, Live Better’. Too much of change may lead to current customers becoming detached with the business and its values. Control will also come with ROI. Essentially, all businesses need to ensure that their marketing spend is generating business. New, digital marketing allows businesses to track this, with businesses able to use tools such as Google Analytics to view web traffic etc. (Chaffey, 2012)[7]. Traditional marketing may be harder to manage in terms of ROI, given that it is harder to distinguish how a certain poster/ TV commercial may have driven demand. However, if ASDA move forward with a unified campaign, so changing all marketing to reflect a single message, then the business can understand the potential ROI of the campaign. Recommendation/ Conclusion To conclude, ASDA has in the past focused its marketing plan on price, looking to drive consumption through low prices. This is itself would not be considered ‘ethical consumerism’, given that some of the lower prices products could be viewed as a damage to the environment. However, this strategy has now placed ASDA into a market segment which is seeing more competition, at a time when the size of the market may be slowing, given improving economics in the UK[8]. To combat this, ASDA has an opportunity to diversify its product range into a more ‘premium’ space; be it the expansion of their ‘Extra Special’ range, or through the introduction of more local products and brands (Perreault, 2010)[9]. The focus on UK produce could provide ASDA with a ‘Unique Selling Point’; which could allow the business to justify higher pricing, noted in Fifield (2012)[10]. This may also improve the organisations ethical position as it suggests that ASDA is considering sustainability in its wider supply-chain; given that more food is local, opposed to international, reducing the ‘distance’ of the supply chain, potentially being seen as more environmentally friendly. However, at the same time, the retailer must be wary that any change to its pricing may impact on its core customers. In the end, this may further impact on market share, however this is seen as a potential risk of an opportunity. The recommendation for ASDA is that is moves forward with a change in marketing, highlighting developments in both local sourcing as well as convenience. However, ASDA must look to control this movement, and potentially monitor the opportunity. This could be done through monitoring sales of, as well as monitoring footfall into stores. References Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., Brennan, R. (2012). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London. Chaffey, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Digital marketing, London, Pearson Higher Ed. Ferrell, O. C., Hartline, M. (2012). Marketing strategy, text and cases, London, Nelson Education. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases, London, Nelson Education. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing strategy, London, Routledge. Gale. (2016) [Online]. How long will Aldi and Lidl’s onslaught last?, Available at http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/long-will-aldi-lidls-onslaught-last/future-business/article/1386497, Accessed 17.12.2016. Kantar Worldpanel. (2016) [Online]. UK Grocery Market Share, Available at http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/grocery-market-share/great-britain, Accessed 17.12.2016. Perreault, W. D. (2010). Essentials of marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach, London, Pearson. Perreault Jr, W., Cannon, J., McCarthy, E. J. (2013). Basic marketing, London, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Peter, J. P., Donnelly, J. H. (2011). Marketing management: knowledge and skills: text, analysis, cases, plans, London, Pearson. Ruddick, G. (2014) [Online]. It may already be too late for Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the rise of Aldi and Lidl looks unstoppable, Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10974773/It-may-already-be-too-late-for-Tesco-and-Sainsburys-the-rise-of-Aldi-and-Lidl-looks-unstoppable.html, Accessed 19.12.2016. Wood, S., McCarthy, D. (2014). The UK food retail ‘race for space’and market saturation: A contemporary review. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 24(2), 121-144. Asda Marketing Plan To combat this, the report suggests that ASDA looks to change its strategy to focus more on a sustainable supply-chain, potentially one which is focused on UK food and products. While this may lead to higher prices from the retailer, it could improve its image when it comes to sustainable food retailing, and so warrant higher prices to consumers, especially if the introduction of local products develops an emotional attachment for customers. Introduction The following assignment will consider ASDA, considering the external environment in which the business operates as well as its ethical consideration, determining whether the current strategy should be maintained or whether a change is needed, with the assignment then making recommendations. Company Overview ASDA is a UK-based grocery retailers owned by U.S. listed Wal-Mart Stores Inc. ASDA has been part of the UK’s ‘Big 4’ retailers in the UK grocery sector, also compromising of Tesco, Morrison’s and Sainsbury’s, however it recently moved from 3rd from 2nd place on the list, being overtaken by Sainsbury’s after disappointing sales. The latest report from Kantar Worldpanel (2016) put’s ASDA’s market share at 15.3%, behind that of Sainsbury’s after suffering a 4.7% fall in sales, compared with a 0.7% fall in Sainsbury’s, and a 1.6% rise in sales at Tesco. To many UK consumers, ASDA has developed on the back of price competition, with the retailer being heavily focused on being the UK’s best value supermarket. Due of its focus on price, ASDA in the past could have been seen to ignore ethical consideration, with some of the top places seen with premium retailers such as Marks Spencer, who use their premium pricing to better consider the quality/ ethics behind their supply chain. Market Environment However, it is this strategy which has been a downfall for the retailer, especially when put against competition from the expanding ‘discounter’s’, namely Lidl and Aldi (Ruddick, 2014). These retailers have aggressively expanded into the UK market on the back of offering low prices to consumers, with their focus on ‘prime-match’, similar of marketing conducted by ASDA against the other ‘Big 4’[1]. Given this, Aldi managed to record sales growth of 10% over the same period, beating all competition and increasing its market share to 6.2%. At the same time, Aldi also announced that it looks to take its store tally from 450 to 1,000 by 2022; Lidl also announced plans to open 40-50 new stores in the UK each year, noted by Gale (2016). This move in the market has been supported from a new business model and changing consumer habits. Discounters have benefitted from economies of scale, reducing the scale of choice to offer just one option; in tu rn allowing them to increase sales of that product and reduce the production costs. At the same time, these discounters have also expanded on a no-frills approach to stores, moving away from the ‘Superstore’ concept which became popular with Tesco and ASDA. This comes at a time when consumers have also looked to move away from superstores, preferring little-and-often shops to better budget. There also seems to a reduction in customer loyalty as consumers look for the best value. Marketing Situational Analysis Building on the above, a SWOT analysis is shown below; Strengths  ·UK wide presence with 525 stores.  ·Still the UK’s 3rd largest grocery retailer – potential to increase share.Weaknesses  ·Recent marketing seems to have placed it in the ‘discount’ category when it comes to grocery stores – potentially restricting sales of some of its higher-value items. Opportunities  ·Recent improvement in UK economic fundamentals – coupled with rising wages may increase consumer disposable income.  ·Fall in ?GBP has put some spotlight on UK food/ products to escape price rises.Threats  ·Competition remains the biggest threat to ASDA, especially with discounters such as Lidl/ Aldi quickly expanding their store network, as well as expanding their marketing activities, with a focus on value. Ultimately, the analysis is suggesting that the main weakness in marketing lies within this continued focus solely on the price. This has come under pressure given new entrants into the market, with the discounters of Lidl/ Aldi coming into the market with business models which mean they can potentially undercut ASDA on prices. This is the main threat to the business, with ASDA still seeing a fall in sales, even with the recent buoyancy in UK retail sales. However, there are potential opportunities for ASDA to diversify, expanding its marketing to cover issues within sustainability and UK produce; improving the ethics when it comes to food sourcing, and issues such as food security and locality[2]. Objectives In the past, ASDA’S objectives have been focused on customer value, however given an expanding ‘discount’ sector, the retailer is now under more pricing pressure to maintain customers. With this, there is the expectation that the retailer may need to diversify, essentially look to attract more customers back to its stores. The objective for ASDA is to tempt customer’s back into its store; or tempt new customers back. Given continued expansion of Lidl/ Aldi, it could be expected that the new strategy will need to focus more on attracting new customers, be it from retailers such as Sainsbury’s. Strategy Segmentation To support its strategy, ASDA will look to segment the market into different consumers, based on demographics, location, income etc. Given marketing campaigns undertaken by the business, it would appear that ASDA has segmented the market; looking to appeal to those families of lower incomes. Its focus on being the cheapest is indicative of its primary target market. Because of this, the business has become somewhat specialised on this business model, a focus on low-cost, which in turn could impede quality. It has positioned itself in the low-cost end of the market, however given new entrants and intensified competition, is now finding it hard to compete and develop with new competition (Peter, 2011)[3]. The business model helped ASDA over the years of recession given constrained consumer income, however as economic conditions have improved, consumers have essentially traded-up. This has provided support to other retailers such as Sainsbury’s, and Waitrose which position themse lves at the higher end of the market. With this, ASDA may feel that its business is currently positioned to narrow, targeting a consumer base which is shrinking which competition is increasing. There are two ways in which the retailer can broaden its consumer base, either through changes to marketing which will target a new market, or by differentiating the product to appeal to a broader base of consumers, noted in Armstrong et al (2012)[4]. Tactics Action Given the above, the main tactic for ASDA s to re-position itself in the market, remove this constant focus on price and look to focus more on ethical issues such as sustainability, which in turn may suggest quality. To do this, the retailer has a number of actions: ASDA will move to focus on local; putting its focus on supplying more UK produce in-stores, having dedicated aisles in superstores to local producers. The benefit here will not only be from higher sales of these goods, put also of the positive PR which could arise through supporting local farmers, and local communities. This is essentially classed as differentiation; the retailer will be introducing new products to do so. ASDA will also look to introduce convenience aisles into superstores. This will be seen as segmentation,[5] looking to attract a new set of customers to its stores who may have previously left as they prefer to do ‘little-and-often’ shops. This can be marketed by ASDA to target these specific customers. Budget This section will now discuss the budget for such a change in strategy. The main costs to the business will be seen as the marketing. For instance, when it comes to the ‘convenience aisle’, it could be noted that the infrastructure is already there; the stores will simply have to shuffle around stock to create the new aisle. When it comes to introducing the new products, the costs may be more down to developing the local links, with the suppliers themselves bearing the costs associated with producing the goods. Rather than a major financial cost, the introduction of more local products may be more time consuming for ASDA, given that they will need to ensure that the new products are in-keeping with the goals of the business, both in terms of pricing and quality (Ferrell, 2012)[6]. Marketing will be done through all ’traditional’ channels given the mass-market appeal of ASDA and the fierce competition within the UK grocery sector. While this would involve a higher cost than say digital marketing opportunities, it would be hoped that print advertisements and TV commercial will draw more attention, and so inform more customers. However, digital marketing could also be used, especially when it comes to advertisements through social media, and targeted banner ads which can be used online. Control Control remains an important consideration, both in terms of ensuring a level of consistency in the marketing message as well as also monitoring the return on investment (hereafter ROI). When it comes to consistency, while marketing could change to reflect changes in the marketplace, the business must look to maintain its ‘core’ message. For instance, while the focus on new marketing campaigns may be on local produce, the core message remains with the slogan ‘Save Money, Live Better’. Too much of change may lead to current customers becoming detached with the business and its values. Control will also come with ROI. Essentially, all businesses need to ensure that their marketing spend is generating business. New, digital marketing allows businesses to track this, with businesses able to use tools such as Google Analytics to view web traffic etc. (Chaffey, 2012)[7]. Traditional marketing may be harder to manage in terms of ROI, given that it is harder to distinguish how a certain poster/ TV commercial may have driven demand. However, if ASDA move forward with a unified campaign, so changing all marketing to reflect a single message, then the business can understand the potential ROI of the campaign. Recommendation/ Conclusion To conclude, ASDA has in the past focused its marketing plan on price, looking to drive consumption through low prices. This is itself would not be considered ‘ethical consumerism’, given that some of the lower prices products could be viewed as a damage to the environment. However, this strategy has now placed ASDA into a market segment which is seeing more competition, at a time when the size of the market may be slowing, given improving economics in the UK[8]. To combat this, ASDA has an opportunity to diversify its product range into a more ‘premium’ space; be it the expansion of their ‘Extra Special’ range, or through the introduction of more local products and brands (Perreault, 2010)[9]. The focus on UK produce could provide ASDA with a ‘Unique Selling Point’; which could allow the business to justify higher pricing, noted in Fifield (2012)[10]. This may also improve the organisations ethical position as it suggests that ASDA is considering sustainability in its wider supply-chain; given that more food is local, opposed to international, reducing the ‘distance’ of the supply chain, potentially being seen as more environmentally friendly. However, at the same time, the retailer must be wary that any change to its pricing may impact on its core customers. In the end, this may further impact on market share, however this is seen as a potential risk of an opportunity. The recommendation for ASDA is that is moves forward with a change in marketing, highlighting developments in both local sourcing as well as convenience. However, ASDA must look to control this movement, and potentially monitor the opportunity. This could be done through monitoring sales of, as well as monitoring footfall into stores. References Armstrong, G., Kotler, P., Harker, M., Brennan, R. (2012). Marketing: an introduction. Pearson Prentice-Hall, London. Chaffey, D., Ellis-Chadwick, F. (2012). Digital marketing, London, Pearson Higher Ed. Ferrell, O. C., Hartline, M. (2012). Marketing strategy, text and cases, London, Nelson Education. Ferrell, O. C., Fraedrich, J. (2015). Business ethics: Ethical decision making cases, London, Nelson Education. Fifield, P. (2012). Marketing strategy, London, Routledge. Gale. (2016) [Online]. How long will Aldi and Lidl’s onslaught last?, Available at http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/long-will-aldi-lidls-onslaught-last/future-business/article/1386497, Accessed 17.12.2016. Kantar Worldpanel. (2016) [Online]. UK Grocery Market Share, Available at http://www.kantarworldpanel.com/global/grocery-market-share/great-britain, Accessed 17.12.2016. Perreault, W. D. (2010). Essentials of marketing: A marketing strategy planning approach, London, Pearson. Perreault Jr, W., Cannon, J., McCarthy, E. J. (2013). Basic marketing, London, McGraw-Hill Higher Education. Peter, J. P., Donnelly, J. H. (2011). Marketing management: knowledge and skills: text, analysis, cases, plans, London, Pearson. Ruddick, G. (2014) [Online]. It may already be too late for Tesco and Sainsbury’s, the rise of Aldi and Lidl looks unstoppable, Available at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/retailandconsumer/10974773/It-may-already-be-too-late-for-Tesco-and-Sainsburys-the-rise-of-Aldi-and-Lidl-looks-unstoppable.html, Accessed 19.12.2016. Wood, S., McCarthy, D. (2014). The UK food retail ‘race for space’and market saturation: A contemporary review. The International Review of Retail, Distribution and Consumer Research, 24(2), 121-144.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Financial Management of the American Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ Essay

Financial Management of the American Stock Exchange and the NASDAQ - Essay Example Their similarities and differences will also be outlined. In order to evaluate how events in business entities affect the valuation of their stocks, it will also deem worthwhile to look at how the Former WorldCom Inc. Chief Executive Bernard Ebber's case affected WorldCom Inc., and the whole telecommunication industry. The origin of the American Stock Exchange can be traced back during the colonial times when "stockbrokers created outdoor markets to trade government securities." During 1921, the trading began to be conducted indoors with the hand signals developed remaining popular during transactions. Nowadays, the AMEX has evolved to become a trading platform not only for securities but options. The AMEX also specializes in trading Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) like Standard and Poor's Depository Receipt (SPDR) and Powershares, and hybrid or structured securities (AMEX.com 2006). On the other hand, NASDAQ, whose name is originally taken from the acronym National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations, is the largest screen based equity securities market in the United States. It prides of having 3,200 listed companies which are recognized leaders in their industries. Its technical capability as well as reliability enables it to list more companies as well as gain the recognition of having the most number of shares traded per day (NASDAQ.com 2006). Both AMEX and NASDAQ are financial intermediaries aimed to transfer surplus funds from investors to companies by the trading of securities. In their profiles, it can be seen that they both facilitate the trading of stocks from companies. However, AMEX has long changed its core business of stock to option trading. Furthermore, AMEX also facilitates the exchange of other financials instruments like EFT and hybrid/structured securities. It should also be noted that stocks traded in NASDAQ are often more volatile and geared for growth like electronics and internet companies. On the other hand, AMEX is recognized to have more liberal policies on company listing attracting smaller, less established firms. Aside from the financial instruments traded, AMEX and NASDAQ also differ in other operational aspects. It should be noted that as opposed to AMEX which operates on a physical location, the transaction in NASDAQ occurs not on a physical trading floor but on a telecommunication network. IN AMEX, people are on the trading floor matching exchange buy and sell orders in behalf of investors. In NASDAQ, trading occurs directly between investors and their buyers and sellers, who are referred to as market makers. This is made possible by the technology installed by NASDAQ which elaborately and electronically connects companies. The AMEX is an example of an auction market where the highest bidding price is often matched with the lowest asking price while NASDAQ is a market maker or dealer that buyers and sellers go through to facilitate their transactions. The WorldCom, Inc. Fiasco WorldCom, Inc. once became the second largest long distance company in the United States after AT&T. However, the company suffered financially and finally filled bankruptcy in July 21, 2002. This event became so detrimental to not only to WorldCom but the whole telecommunication industry (MCI 2006). The fiasco was traced to the corruption of the company's former CEO Bernard Ebbers who accumulated wealth

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Discrimination at workplace Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Discrimination at workplace - Essay Example Similarly, statutes that protect employers against unfair dismissal claims by sacked employees are also available. Luckily for employees who feel unfairly dismissed on medical grounds, employment law solicitors for advice and representation abound (Tamara, 2007). Cases in which employees have been fired because of their sexuality are also plentiful. Although it is easier for an employee who has worked for an employer for less than one year to be dismissed, there are still certain laid down rules and procedures that must be followed, the reasons for dismissal notwithstanding. Nonetheless, some reasons such as union activity and pregnancy offer good grounds on which an employee may claim unfair dismissal before an Employment Tribunal. In case an employer does not follow the right procedures and laws when dismissing an employee for reasons considered fair under certain employment statutes, it is advisable that the affected employee seeks legal advice. Having worked for an employer for a year and more, an employee is protected against unfair dismissal and can only be sacked on incompetence grounds or disciplinary reasons (Smith & Baker, 2010). ... Unfair Dismissal on Medical Grounds The reason Rachael should have hope is that according to many countries and their relevant employment statutes, sacking an employee on grounds of recurring illnesses or being medically unfit is considered unfair. A common case study on unfair dismissal on medical grounds occurred in the Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in June 2009. ANSTO terminated the services of an employee on the grounds of being medically unfit to return to work. Just like Rachael, this employee had a history of depression and needed lengthy sick off and leave. In fact, during a certain period, she was hospitalized for two consecutive months during which she underwent electroconvulsive therapy. Fortunately, she resumed a graduated return to work in December 2007 and only managed to resume full-time hours two months later. However, her illnesses continued to impact on her, forcing her to continue with drug therapy and ECT. Although the depressions be came less severe, ANSTO still dismissed the employee. Therefore, similar to the other case of The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC versus Morris UKEAT/0436/10/MAA, Rachael may appeal against her dismissal if she feels she has suffered health and disability discrimination unlike her colleagues in similar situations. Although several statutes protect ill employees from unfair dismissals, those ill for prolonged periods could be fairly dismissed if they are unlikely to get well and return to work in a reasonable time. The reasonability of Rachael’s dismissal would thus depend on the nature of her job and the specific difficulties encountered by her manager or organisation while

Prevailing Legal Theory within the United States Today Research Paper

Prevailing Legal Theory within the United States Today - Research Paper Example These are examples of many different legal theories, but represent the prevailing views of United States Law. Introduction There is no single prevalent legal theory for the United States, however, this study considers that three common legal theories, Legal Realism, Natural Law and Feminist Theory together provide a strong description of the prevailing legal theory that is present in the United States today. Legal theory involves the use of contributions from a wide number of sources including the law itself, but also literature and discussions from a wide range of academic disciplines, including sociology, economics, philosophy and political science . Laws are established and enforced by ruling authority in the area. Within the United States, the Constitution is the document from which any new laws, amendments or statutes must be made and these must stand in agreement with the constitution. Alterations can be made to the constitution by the process of proposing amendments, which are then voted on by congress, and must meet with at least two-thirds approval from both houses of Congress in order to become part of the law. An amendment must then be ratified by three quarters of legislates of the states in order to become part of the constitution . ... Modern jurisprudence mainly focuses on the principles of the laws that are in practice, while legal theorists examine the problems that are present in legal systems and social institutions , including theories of Legal Realism, Natural Law and Feminist Theory which will be discussed in detail within the following sections. Legal Realism Legal Realism is a theory that takes into account that the law is a construct that was developed by humans, who in their very nature are imperfect, and thus as a consequence, the law is subject to misinterpretation, is often not clear, and contains imperfections and frailties. A part of this theory is the indeterminacy of law. This theory suggests that when legal cases and disputes are solved the law is not the only factor which is relevant. Instead, factors such as personal opinions of the judge or jury, the moods of those present and other factors that do not directly pertain to the law have a direct effect on the outcome . For example, a judge my g ive one individual a lenient sentence because they are in a good mood and sympathize with the individual, while giving a harsher sentence for the same crime to another individual at a different time, despite both being equal under the law. The theory of Legal Realism is interdisciplinary in nature, with many who are interested in this theory also having interest in anthropological and sociological approaches to the law. The theory also presents beliefs concerning legal instrumentation, which suggests the use of the law a tool in order to bring about equitability in society and for social uses. It is important that the study of law is linked to the outcomes of particular cases that go through the courts,

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

A trip to Sequoia National Park Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A trip to Sequoia National Park - Essay Example In addition to this natural resource, Sequoia National Park comprises of many other natural features, which include the giant sequoia trees, among them being the greatest tree on earth, known as the General Sherman tree (White, 24). Additionally, the park consists of the giant forest, which occupies approximately 202, 430 of old-growth forests in conjunction with the neighboring Kings Canyon National Park. This park comprises of one of the most natural and unaltered environments, ranking it among the major national parks that have preserved the natural ecosystem without much alterations. Additionally, the geology of this national park is yet another key feature that makes it unique among the National Parks in the US with an exclusive landscape (Scott and Kay, 52). The region surrounding this area was initially occupied by the Monachee Native Americans, who did not exploit the natural resources in the major sequoia giant forest but coexisted in an eco-friendly manner. However, the arr ival of the white settlers threatened to cause destruction to the forests, but only for a little while, before they discovered that the Sequoia trees were not suitable for timber (White, 22). This made them cease to cut down the trees, and the park was declared a national park in 1890, by the USA government. The logistics required to visit the park Most parts of this park are not accessible by the means of road or rail, making trekking the most viable option for accessing the park from different directions. However, the logistics involved in visiting the park entails parking the required personal effects, which will be used during the stay or the visitation period in the park. Then, the second step will be taking a flight to Visalia Airport, which is a destination that requires one to take an average 1 hour’s drive to the park (Scott and Kay, 46). On reaching Visalia Airport, there is no need to hire transport or to have own car, because there are already various means of tra nsport from the airport into the park, which are convenient for the visitors. There are many Sequoia Shuttles, which transports visitors from the Visalia city to the National Park, passing through the Three Rivers, and then going up to the Giant Forest Museum (White, 21). The cost of this transport is affordable, since an individual requires paying only $15 as the ticket price for the shuttle ride. Before boarding the shuttle, it is important to ensure that one signs the time to and from the park, to ensure that the last shuttle will not leave an individual in the park. However, the greatest advantage, which makes this visit simpler logistically, is the fact that it is possible for one to walk back from the park, in case he/she is left by the last shuttle (Scott and Kay, 47). Once an individual arrives at the park, it is vital to go through the Lodgepole Visitor Center or the Giant Forest Museum, where more information regarding the visitation sites and ideas are given to the visito rs, as well as the accommodation and hospitality options available in the parks and its immediate environs (Scott and Kay, 50). After the individual has obtained sufficient information regarding the visitation areas and ideas, they can select the location to start visiting and plan the rest of the schedule. In case the individual does not want to go back the same day, there are various accommodation facilities available within the park and even in the immediate surroundings. The accommodation facilities within the park include the Wuksachi Lodge and the he John Muir Lodge, while those outside but in the immediate

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Its about the three books ( A lone together ), ( Steve Jobs ), and ( Assignment

Its about the three books ( A lone together ), ( Steve Jobs ), and ( Facebook Effect ) - Assignment Example The economic policies are not the only limitations but the health and education policies together with other vital factors have been considered to put the country into a wrong track. There has been a promise on job creation by the government, which is yet to be accomplished. Income inequality is another of the factors of major interest among the Americans. How can the government be trusted while there is inequality of wealth; wealth is concentrated among the few persons while a majority still languish in joblessness and lack of basic income that can sustain their daily needs. Turkle believes in interdependence among people through technology (Turkle, 2011). As for the article in Arthur, there is clear interdependence of the students, staff and the other people involved in the university. The article defines its limits of interdependency to physical. Turkle, on the other hand, believes that through technology many have been interdependent in all aspects; which ranges from socializing to information or business sharing. It is informed that both parties define the existence of interdependence among people of different aspects. According to Steve Jobs, comprehensive design was to include simplicity without minimalism; the design was to integrate all the objectives of creation, with ease of use, but not at the cost of functionality. In his designs he articulated for artistic design from the cover, to the inner part of the system. In creating the designs, his main considerations were the usability of the system, as well as the beauty of the design to impress its users (Isaacson, 2011). These parts of architect formed the basis of the company in creating systems. Steve Jobs Company was mainly driven by innovation. The description of his approach can be defined as value disruption design. Whose main objective is to create a

Monday, September 23, 2019

Fashion changes in the American popular culture of the 1960s Research Paper

Fashion changes in the American popular culture of the 1960s - Research Paper Example The essay "Fashion changes in the American popular culture of the 1960s" discusses what changes happened in fashion in the America of 60th. The 1960s decade dawned the smiley face that appeared on almost everything including T-shirts. Characteristically, the smiley face gained more fame in the latter 1960s. The T-shirts and other items also had paintings of phrases of iconic events that epitomized the decade. The phrases included, â€Å"Martin Luther King†, â€Å"Civil Rights and Riots†, â€Å"The Space Race†, â€Å"Cuban Missile and Crisis†, â€Å"The Space Race† and â€Å"Vietnam. The term â€Å"hippie† derived from the word hipster. The hippies mainly represented an outgrowth from the Beat movement of the 1950s. The hippies often claimed to be aiming at freedom and re-embracing nature. They, therefore, represented an alternative interest in lifestyle as well being rebellious of the society that appeared to be repressive and conformist. Th e hippies made their clothing from natural fibers such as cotton and hemp. They also liked their clothing to be loose. Both men and women kept long hair with fussy styling, and they avoided hair products. They black trousers and turtlenecks worn by the female and male Beatniks metamorphosed into jeans and peasant blouses. Any hand-woven, hand sewn or hand knit macramà © soared in its prices. Gradually, the hippie fashion culture evolved into individuals dyeing their clothing. This colorful tie and dye fashion gain popularity almost immediately. In the fashion of the 60’s dressing appearance revolved.

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Deficiency Disease Essay Example for Free

Deficiency Disease Essay Diseases that are caused by lack of some particular nutrient in a persons diet are called Deficiency Diseases. Following are some of those diseases, their cause and their treatment: 1. Night-blindness: A child having this disease is unable to see properly in the dark. His eyes become dull and listless and the skin becomes dry. If not treated in time, the child may become blind. Cause: This disease is caused due to the deficiency of vitamin A in the diet. Treatment: A child suffering from night-blindness should take a diet rich in vitamin A. Carrots, fish, fruits, milk, butter, etc., are all good sources of vitamin A. 2. Beri-beri: This is basically a disorder of the nerves. It affects the health of eyes % and skin, growth of the body, formation of muscles and blood. There may also to be stomach and intestinal disturbances. Cause: This disease is caused due to the deficiency of vitamin-B. Treatment: The affected child must eat the foods rich in vitamin B like milk, fish, meat, cereals, egg, etc., and also seek medical advice from a doctor. 3. Scurvy: People suffering from scurvy have swollen and bleeding gums. They lose weight and become weak. Their teeth start shaking and become loose. Cause: This disease is caused due to the deficiency of vitamin-C. Treatment: Oranges, citrus fruits, cabbage, amla, etc., should be included in the diet of the patient. 4. Rickets: In this disease, the bones of the legs become thin, deformed and curved (bow-legged). The bones of the child become weak and soft. Cause: This disease is caused due to the deficiency of vitamin D. Treatment: The affected child must eat the foods rich in vitamin D like milk, fish, meat, butter, egg, etc., and take the advice of a doctor. 5. Anaemia: In this disease, the level of the haemoglobin becomes low gets tired very easily and feels weak. The skin becomes pale. The lips and nails become dull and colourless. Cause: This disease is caused due to the deficiency of iron. Treatment: The person should have plenty of green, leafy vegetables like spinach and cabbage. Meat, apples, beans, dry fruits, etc., should be included in the diet. A doctor must also be consulted immediately. 6. Goitre: In this disease, there is swelling around the neck region of a person. Cause: This disease is caused due to the deficiency of iodine. Treatment: The affected person needs to add iodised salt to his or her food. Prevention: A high standard of nutrition must, however, be aimed at and carefully maintained to ensure complete freedom from these preventable causes of ill-health.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Spiritual Journeys: Dante And St Augustine

Spiritual Journeys: Dante And St Augustine The individual spiritual journeys of Dante in the Divine Comedy and St. Augustine in the Confessions are quite similar, as each man searches for divine love and grace, and true eternal closeness to God. Both Dante and St. Augustine admired and were heavily influenced by Virgil, the classical Roman poet of the Aeneid, in their writing and works; however, because of their strong Christian faith, Dante and Augustine also make it clear in their autobiographical accounts that Virgils pagan beliefs cannot receive salvation, or allow the soul to enter heaven after death. Dantes journey begins with the poet being portrayed as spiritually lost in sin, in the darkness of woods, when a guide is sent to him in the form of the ancient Roman poet Virgil, who represents human reason and wisdom. Virgil tells Dante that the only way out of the darkness is for Virgil to lead him through Hell and Purgatory, in order for Dante to recognize the nature of sin and the consequences of his actions. Once Virgil has guided Dante to the top of Mount Purgatory, where the renunciation and rejection of sin occurs, Virgil tells the Pilgrim that he can no longer accompany him on his final journey to Heaven, because human reason cannot reach the ultimate height of Paradise. Dante is lead instead to Heaven by his beloved Beatrice, who is now living as one of the blessed in the afterlife, and who also symbolizes divine love. Much like Dante, St. Augustines journey also begins with his confessions as being spiritually lost, especially in his earlier years as a sinful youth, turning away from God, and preoccupied with only worldly desires and needs of the flesh. St. Augustine implores in Book VI of his Confessions, Thou hadst made me wiser, yet did I walk in darkness, and in slippery places, and sought Thee abroad out of myself, found not the God of my heart; and had come into the depths of the sea, and distrusted and despaired of ever finding truth (Augustine 94). Here St. Augustine talks about the darkness he walked in during his early life, very similar to Dantes struggle and despair in his own dark woods of sin, where Virgil finds him in the beginning of the Inferno. St. Augustine describes his spiritual void and emptiness further, stating, And I perceived myself to be far off from Thee [God], in the region of unlikeness (134). In this declaration, St. Augustine is associating his many sins with a regi on of unlikeness, which causes him to wander aimlessly without direction or purpose, becoming hopelessly lost. Whereas Dantes descent into Hell in the Inferno is both dramatically real and an allegorical representation of his souls journey towards God, St. Augustines Confessions represents a metaphorical rather than physical journey of the soul, as Augustine searches for divine truth and grace. However, both men view this spiritual descent as necessary in order for the human soul to attain ultimate closeness to God. An example of this is expressed by St. Augustine in Book IV of his Confessions, when he states, Even now, after the descent of Life to you, will ye not ascend and live? But whither ascend ye, when ye are on high, and set your mouth against the heavens? Descend, that ye may ascend, and ascend to God. For ye have fallen, by ascending against Him (64). Furthermore, according to John Freccero, author of Dante: The Poetics of Conversion, In the spiritual life, one must descend in humility before one can begin the ascent to truth, and in the physical world, according to both Dante and A ristotle, one must travel downward with respect to our hemisphere in order to rise (74). This spiritual belief of descending in humility before one can rise again is clearly echoed by both Dante and St. Augustine in their poetic works regarding Christian faith. Virgil, the pagan Roman poet of the Aeneid, also plays an important role in the autobiographical accounts of Dante and St. Augustine as well. Dante uses Virgil as his guide to illustrate Virgils supreme human reason and intellect during his journey, as well as emphasizing Dantes heartfelt admiration for the classical Roman poet. However, to demonstrate and make clear his devout and strict Christian beliefs, Dante places Virgil in Limbo, the first circle of Hell, along with other virtuous pagan Roman poets of the past. Dantes placement of Virgil and the other non-Christians is essential, since they can never be allowed to enter Paradise because of their pagan beliefs. Virgil himself understands this divine judgment delivered by God, when he states to the poet Sordello in Canto VII, I am deprived of Heaven for no fault other than my lack of faith (Alighieri et al. 56). Dante shows that despite Virgils moral perfection, he was without faith, and human reason alone can never reach Heaven . St. Augustine also admired the Roman poet Virgil during his early life, and being a successful teacher of rhetoric, Augustine understood very well a life led by reason. However, he, like Dante, discovers that reason alone is not enough to gain salvation from God, and as a result, was spiritually lost, tormented by temptation and sin. Thus, St. Augustine too realizes it is only when one has true faith in God that eternal salvation can be achieved. As Olson reminds us, Augustine testifies to how reason puts man on the road toward God, and how it is [only] faith that informs and elevates reason, taking it beyond its natural limitations while never being tyrannical or confining in any way. [St. Augustine] summarized this seemingly paradoxical fact in the famous dictum, I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe (Augustines Confessions). History of Portraiture: Changes in Styles and Techniques History of Portraiture: Changes in Styles and Techniques The immemorial fascination of mans own image and of those of his fellow human beings arose a desire in men to attempt and embellish his likeliness into a physical medium. However at the time portrait was exclusive to those who wished to celebrate mans relationship with God and the divine rulers of the times, which makes the Renaissance a revolutionary era for portraiture and the development or artist techniques. The common subjects of royalty and wealth were joined together with the trivial and oppressed, giving artists around the world more latitude to delve into painting intricate and thought-provoking portraits to be cherished for centuries. Deciding to undertake the task of compiling the substantial triumphs for portraiture styles and methods over time, I plan to introduce it in the span of six notable art movements and cover the most significant artist of the time. The theme portraiture hold a special place in my heart, its enigmatic and flexible principles give the artist the u pmost freedom to depict people in a way that suits them. Its a theme that lasted through the test of time, becoming more and more popular as the centuries turn. Jan Van Eyck was a powerful visionary in 15th century with his command of linear perspective and capticating interiors that bathed in golden lights, his art sank into oblivion until the 1930s. Expressing a new awareness of reality through the use of oil paint, he crafted remarkable paintings and portraits that had remarkable attention to detail, observation of nature and light, and constructing spaces steeped in elegant interior which inhabited realistic characters. His careful positioning, golden lights and expert command of the technique of oil painting made him one of the most significant representative of the Renaissance art movement. His style and technique was a step up from the less realistic depiction of human forms by the then pre-Renaissance artists Giotto di Bondone and Cimabue. As the 17th century approached, the subject for painters was changing as the patrons no longer served an essential role in the choice of subjects and composition. Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio painted people who were then counted as trivial: peasants appeared alongside sovereigns and saints, crafting a new approach to portraiture for his time. At the beginning of his artistic career he broke through with his loose interpretations of traditional subjects, painting the first still life in the history of art as a subject in itself and knowingly portrayed saints as everyday people. The conventions of his time didnt worry him, nor did the already established art guidelines. He did not make primary sketches but place the paint straight to the canvas, using the foundation coats as an artistic element.   The early works of the artist revealed his love of poetic naturalism that was inspired by his everyday life. Caravaggios approach to chiaroscuro (the artistic play of light and shadow) was a clear departure from the art conventions of Mannerism. These conventions found their way into the most significant Baroque and Rococo artists. In the 18th century, a new freedom became apparent with the French painters as they began portraying a carefree and libertine behavior of society consistently in their artwork. The most noteworthy artist of the time was the Rococo painter Franà §ois Boucher. He was highly adept in many forms of media as he switched traditional bright oil paints to forms of decorative art. Adopting a high tone palette that favoured blues and pinks, he set a definite foundation for most paintings of dream-like quality. His paintings of beautiful women in rich silk clothing endorsed scenes of erotic and passionate love. Oil and gouache sketches were common in preparation for his bigger commissions as his careful attention to finer background detail made the scene more poignant and alive, filling it with character and passion. The dream like qualities of his prominent artwork carried on into the triumph or Romanticism. The spirituality and the influences from the previous eras stimulated the imagination of artists around the world. The art historian and theoretician of colour, Eugà ¨ne Delacroix was and still is the acknowledged master of Romanticism and one of the last great decorative painters. His passion for colours and the depiction of lively composition is reflected in his canvas won the admiration of the public. Everything is the subject; the subject is yourself: our impressions, your emotions when faced with nature. he professed. His skill in the thick impasto unified well with his choice of colours, giving his paintings the form of a sketch. The innovative take on colour, the earthy shades and the use of rich varnishes changed the way most artists composed their portraits and subject matters, crafting their styles to match Delacroixs. The analytical approach to colour is recognised in almost all realism, impressionism and art nouveu paintings that dominated the early 20th century. The creations of Vincent Van Gogh, albeit spanning over a short period of ten years, contained distinguishing marks of his life and the tourment he endoured as well as the places he lived in. The canvases beared his trademark frantic colours and figures in the form of various self-portraits, landscapes and scenes from ordinary day to day life. His impact on art gave colour a new meaning in the works of artists and put forth a new style in which the painter can place his brush on the canvas. A new approach to light and colour enabled him to go beyond both Impressionism and Neo-Impressionism, enabling his style in his self-portraits to experience a change that brough critisim upon him at the time. The intense expressiveness, accompanied by a turmoil of brush strokes produced a new wave of artists stimulated to create more illusive and stylised paintings to continue the tradition of expressive portraiture.

Espionage :: essays research papers

Espionage: to spy, the gathering of information Espionage is the secret gathering of information on rival countries for military purposes. Espionage can be used in business, military, economic or political decisions however; it is commonly employed government for defensive tactics. Espionage or spying is illegal in many nations however, it gains profits from agencies to protect the secrecy of information that is desired. Espionage is an old ancient craft; it has been used through out history. The Bible’s book of Joshua (The Old Testament) states that the leaders secretly sent out spies to reconnoiter a country. Also the Chinese Military theorist Sun Tzu’s, who wrote a book The Art Of War written in 500 B.C, provides instruction for organizing an espionage system with agents and defectors also known as rebels. Homer a Greek philosopher who wrote â€Å"Illiad† mentions the Egyptians had a well-developed secret service and spying agents. During the middle ages Joan of Arc , the world renown female spy was betrayed by Bishop Pierre Cauchon of Beavais, As a result Sir Francis Walsingham developed an efficient political spy system for Elizabeth I. During the American Revolution, Nathan Hale and Benedict Arnold achieved their fame as spies during the U.S. Civil War. In the United States the CIA or the Central Intelligence Agency is the main agency for gathering secret information and responsible for operations outside the United States. The FBI or Federal Bureau of Investigation has the primary responsibility for counterespionage activities within the United States. Counterespionage is when a country or an organization captures a hostile spy and turns them into a so-called â€Å"double agent† who sends false information to their own organization. It prevents other nations from gaining such information. Under international law, these activities are not illegal, but individual nations have laws against spying. However, spies are not considered with common or uncommon criminals. They are neither sinners nor international lawbreakers. If spies are caught they are either send back to their country, sent to jail or used as counterespionage (double agents). Espionage involves the recruiting of agents in local and foreign nations. Agents are encourage to have the ability of possessing information, using audio surveillance as well as the use of modern photography, sensing and other techniques and technology to gather secret information. Surveillance with high technology equipment on the ground or from high-altitude planes and satellites has become an important espionage technique. The Qualities of a Spy

Thursday, September 19, 2019

screw the world religions :: essays research papers

Find Your Happy Place   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I am an agnostic, but contemplating atheism. Agnostics like the idea of God; however they feel that it cannot be proven, while an atheist just flat out doesn’t believe. I was raised Jewish, but I have never been very religious, although my parents sent me to Hebrew school, and forced me to go to temple. Over the years that I have spent being taught Hebrew, and reading the stories from The Old Testament, I have come to realize that that is all they really are, stories. I mean come on, Noah’s Ark, Adam and Eve; you have got to be kidding me. The Old Testament is the Jewish holy book, written by the Hebrews in order to explain everything they couldn’t understand. For instance, look at the story of Noah’s ark. There was an ice age in the very early days of man and most places were completely frozen over. The Hebrews could not understand how any of the animals survived the ice, so they made up a story about Noah and his ark. Supposedly Noah was to bring two of each species of animals on his boat. However, there are over 50 million different species of animal, and boat with that capacity would have been the size of Texas. In addition to the fairytales of The Old Testament, let’s take a look at some of the very corrupt teachings in the Bible. There is a specific passage in the book of Leviticus, in which there is a man of Egyptian and Israeli descent passing through an Israeli camp. He happens to make a remark about God, and they sentenced him to death by stoning. â€Å"Now an Israelite woman’s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel; and the Israelite woman’s son and a man of Israel quarreled in the camp, and the Israelite woman’s son blasphemed the Name, and cursed. And they brought him to Moses. His mother’s name was Shelo’mith, the daughter of Dibri, and the tribe of Dan. And they put him in custody, till the will of the LORD should be declared to them. And the LORD said to Moses, â€Å"Bring out of the camp him who cursed; and let all who heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. And s ay to the people of Israel, Whoever curses his God shall bear his sin.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Religion Fades :: essays research papers fc

I. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Overview events of the time period   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Shogun period  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Meiji period  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Actions of Commodore Perry  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. Sino and Russo Japanese war   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5. Thesis Over time, and this is true in every country, faith fades and gives way to science and religion gives way to practicality. II. The Edo (Shogun) rule 1608-1868   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. The takeover   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. how they came into rule   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. the battle of Sekigahara   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. the expulsion of Christianity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. feudalism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. The beginning of the end   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Political pressure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. Commodore Perry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. crushing debt   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. civilian suspicions  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  d. the coup coup de gras   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Commodore Perry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. unfair treaty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. how he landed  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Perry fooled into seing a mere lord   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. final blow D. Religious effects   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Buddhism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Shintoism IV. The Meiji restoration 1868   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. The new style   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. more open to western influence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Wanted to go to the West and see what it was like   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. problems starting up   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. Satsuma rebellions  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. mopping up the last little samurai outbreaks B. The government   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. freedom of religion/Christianity un-banned   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. religious figures and traditional samurai lose power   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Modern state end of feudalism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. constitution   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. wanted new technology desperately   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. railroads built   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. army formed  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. navy formed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5. Sino and Russo Japanese wars because of Japans new expansion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Compare and contrast   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Enclosed self supporting traditional-Modern expansionist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Feudal vs. V. Sino (1894) and Russo (1904) Japanese wars   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Sino Japanese war   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Control of Korea   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. Japan wanted its resources as their own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. guess what, so did China   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. Like siblings fighting over a cute dog, they left it up to Korea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  d. Korea did not decide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  e. representatives on both sides were killed, WAR   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  f. of course no one listens to religious council and try to use words  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Russo Japanese war   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Control of Manchuria  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. Both countries want control over Manchuria’s resources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. Russian government was weak but had a strong army.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Russian revolution  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. Russia was dangerously close to a revolution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. The leaders thought that they could suppress it by winning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. they lost VI. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. restate thesis Over time, and this is true in every country, faith fades and gives way to science and religion gives way to practicality. B. review of reasons and causes of the fade of religion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Arrival of Christianity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Western influence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Fall out of power for religious class   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Conclusions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Religion did fall victim to the new influences   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. New gov. =less privileges for religion and less decision making   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Religion Fades Near the middle of the 1800’s Japan’s government of over 200 years was crumbling. The shoguns were rapidly falling out of power and a rebellion was brewing that would bring about Japan’s new Meiji government. Religion Fades :: essays research papers fc I. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Overview events of the time period   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Shogun period  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Meiji period  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Actions of Commodore Perry  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. Sino and Russo Japanese war   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5. Thesis Over time, and this is true in every country, faith fades and gives way to science and religion gives way to practicality. II. The Edo (Shogun) rule 1608-1868   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. The takeover   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. how they came into rule   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. the battle of Sekigahara   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. the expulsion of Christianity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. feudalism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. The beginning of the end   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Political pressure   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. Commodore Perry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. crushing debt   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. civilian suspicions  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  d. the coup coup de gras   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Commodore Perry   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. unfair treaty   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. how he landed  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Perry fooled into seing a mere lord   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. final blow D. Religious effects   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Buddhism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Shintoism IV. The Meiji restoration 1868   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. The new style   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. more open to western influence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Wanted to go to the West and see what it was like   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. problems starting up   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. Satsuma rebellions  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. mopping up the last little samurai outbreaks B. The government   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. freedom of religion/Christianity un-banned   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. religious figures and traditional samurai lose power   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Modern state end of feudalism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. constitution   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4. wanted new technology desperately   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. railroads built   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. army formed  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. navy formed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  5. Sino and Russo Japanese wars because of Japans new expansion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Compare and contrast   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Enclosed self supporting traditional-Modern expansionist   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Feudal vs. V. Sino (1894) and Russo (1904) Japanese wars   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. Sino Japanese war   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Control of Korea   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. Japan wanted its resources as their own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. guess what, so did China   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. Like siblings fighting over a cute dog, they left it up to Korea.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  d. Korea did not decide   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  e. representatives on both sides were killed, WAR   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  f. of course no one listens to religious council and try to use words  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. Russo Japanese war   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Control of Manchuria  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. Both countries want control over Manchuria’s resources.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. Russian government was weak but had a strong army.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Russian revolution  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a. Russia was dangerously close to a revolution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  b. The leaders thought that they could suppress it by winning.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  c. they lost VI. Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. restate thesis Over time, and this is true in every country, faith fades and gives way to science and religion gives way to practicality. B. review of reasons and causes of the fade of religion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Arrival of Christianity   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. Western influence   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3. Fall out of power for religious class   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  C. Conclusions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1. Religion did fall victim to the new influences   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  2. New gov. =less privileges for religion and less decision making   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Religion Fades Near the middle of the 1800’s Japan’s government of over 200 years was crumbling. The shoguns were rapidly falling out of power and a rebellion was brewing that would bring about Japan’s new Meiji government.