Brooks’ Universal Issues and the Appeal to a Broad Audience Essay

Brooks’ poetry, so rich in personal detail and authenticity, often does not have to justify the moral side of issues like other poems usually do. Her work, for me, seems less confessional and more like realistic humanity, a difficult feat to accomplish when so much of the material speaks of inner turmoil, lost loves, and wistful sadness. Honest in tone and filled with common and often disturbing themes, the poems were ones I was able to connect with. â€Å"The Mother† and â€Å"The Sundays of Satin Legs Smith† are two poems that speak to me in terms of universal longing and pain. I have never had an abortion, but I know several people who have. In fact, last year I had an 11th-grade student who was pregnant, and I told her that I would gladly adopt the baby. She said she would consider it, but she ended up having the abortion. For a couple weeks after she got back, I kept wondering what that child would have been like; but then, I had to force myself to put it out of my mind. â€Å"The Mother† brought back all the joys of having a child and all the disappointments of not having a second one. â€Å"The Sundays of Satin Legs Smith† reminds me of that sinking feeling when you realize that the man you are with is not who you thought he was. You still love him, which makes the pain of a failed relationship that much harder to accept. I think of a couple specific men I dated before I got married (thank God I did not marry them), and I wonder at the decisions of women – the willingness to overlook the bad things because they are desperate to have somebody – anybody to fill the void. In â€Å"The Mother,† the speaker’s obvious pain and regret comes close to excusing her from the act of killing a child (for some readers it might exonerate her completely). In line one, the speaker confesses to a horrific action while simultaneously, with the pronoun you, imploring the reader to mentally relate to her experience. When the speaker remarks that, â€Å"Abortions will not let you forget,† she makes her abortion the readers’ abortion. Because of the personal pronoun â€Å"you,† readers must imagine themselves in the midst of one of the most painful decisions a woman can make. This simple choice of diction allows Brooks to comment on the universally-felt consequences of abortion: people never forget. The sentence structure in the irst line also serves to take the blame off the speaker and transfer it to the action. By writing that â€Å"abortions will not let you forget† and making the actual abortion the subject of the first sentence, Brooks makes the action of abortion that which will not let mothers forget, not the actual decision to get an abortion (made by the mother) the primary cause of the pain. By distancing herself from the act, Brooks allows the speaker to reflect on the consequences of the abortion without addressing the moral issues of the decision. With the usage of the 2nd person voice throughout the first stanza, Brooks continues to pull her readers into her (or the speaker’s) story, thus eliminating blame and creating a bond between reader and speaker. Using rich details to show readers what they will not experience because of an abortion, Brooks recounts several instances that typify the first year of a baby’s life: â€Å"You remember the children you got that you did not get, /The damp small pulps with a little or with no hair, / The singers and workers that never handled the air† (2-4). By stating that a mother who aborted a child did not â€Å"get† that child, Brooks creates a tone of one longing for a prize lost, as if the mother did not choose the abortion but rather was forced by someone else to make that decision. The speaker tells readers that they remember the child they did not get; as a result, the reader can picture facing the awful decision that the speaker and so many other woman have faced. The blame, then, dissipates into the possibility that all people must face difficult decisions in their lives. In the last three lines of the 1st stanza, Brooks’ choice in diction reveals the genuine love the speaker feels for the lost children. Although it seems paradoxical to love someone and then kill him, Brooks makes it easy for readers to believe that this is what the speaker actually did. She writes of those special moments that only a mother can understand: â€Å"scuttle off ghosts†¦control [the mother’s] luscious sigh†¦return for a snack of them with gobbling mother-eye† (8-10). A mother will brave ghosts and monsters (real or imagined) for her child, and sometimes it takes amazing self-control to simply stop staring in disbelief at the beauty of the child you have created. When my son was a baby, I used to sit behind him and just breathe in his lavender baby-smell. I felt like I could â€Å"gobble him up,† and I still do – but he, of course, won’t let me now. At 8-years-old he is a â€Å"big boy. † Brooks has somehow made the reader remember and re-live the good and beautiful aspects of having a baby; and yet, the poem is about abortion. By creating such a nostalgic mood in the reader, Brooks again takes the focus off of the terrible act of murder and waits until the second stanza to address the speaker’s regrets. With the nostalgic mood carrying over from stanza-one, the shift in stanza two works because the reader has already forgiven the persona for her sins. And yet, in answer to the readers who still have a difficult time accepting the harsh reality of the poem, Brooks makes a convincing argument in this second stanza, claiming that she still thinks about her babies, she regrets what she has done, and that she mourns the lives her dead children will never live. The first line of the stanza serves as the primary claim: â€Å"I have heard in the voices of the wind the voices of my dim killed children† (11). The speaker still thinks of her dead children; and like the wind that comes and goes, so too does the sorrow. There are times when people can forget about a loss, but then, like a strong gust of wind or even a gentle breeze, the memory will come back. This universal reaction to loss again puts the reader and the speaker in a similar position. Although the reader may not have gone through an abortion, there are bound to be issues that the reader wishes to forget and simply cannot. In lines 15-22, Brooks’ use of the word â€Å"if† escalates the tension in the poem by creating uncertainty about the speaker’s intentions. Most people would feel comfortable blaming the speaker for murdering an innocent life; however, with that first subordinating conjunction, the reader must accept the possibility that the speaker is not to blame for the murder: I have said, Sweets, if I sinned, if I seized/ Your luck/ And your lives from your unfinished reach, If I stole your births and your names, Your straight baby tears and your games If I poisoned the beginnings of your breaths When the speaker asks â€Å"if [she] has sinned,† she subtly implies that perhaps she did not do anything wrong. While not actually justifying her actions, her simple questioning of guilt reveals more in what it doesn’t say than in what it says, like the directing of a conversation or an order from a restaurant. When the bartender wants the patron to order top-shelf liquor, he will give the patron two choices, both of which are top-shelf. The patron has no other option (or so she thinks) but to order one of the two liquors the bartender has suggested. Brooks, then, gives the reader two choices where before, there was only one. The first choice is to believe that the speaker is fully to blame; the second is to question whether or not the speaker has done anything wrong. The next â€Å"if† sends a blatant and almost defiant message. â€Å"If I seized your luck† would imply that the speaker did exactly that; and yet, with the â€Å"if† in front of the action, the speaker recognizes the wrongdoing but justifies the action: she took the ability to have luck, and thus to experience life, from her unborn children. The â€Å"if† adds an element of inevitability. The speaker may recognize her mistakes, but she also suggests to the reader that something higher (or more powerful) than herself ultimately caused that action. With the juxtaposition of the words seized and if, Brooks creates a universal paradox: one of freedom of choice and yet helplessness. With assertive verbs like stole and poisoned, the speaker abandons this helplessness and continues her tones of defiance. Whereas the previous instances of the usage of â€Å"if† encourage the questioning of guilt and the possibility of speaker justification, the verbs stole and poisoned admit to a wrongdoing – albeit still with a sense of regret.

The Better Self in Ourselves

The influx of self-help books in today’s ultra-modern world is by no means an accident. They are by-products of a world that has become more complicated and complex as the ways in which it has to be lived in. This complexity coincides with the development of more complex thought processes that seek to find meanings in life and how everyone fits into that life. That search for meaning and the process of meaning-making involve attempts to make sense of the existence of one’s self as a tiny spot relative to the vastness of the cosmic universe.This has led many social scientists to develop theories that attempt to explain ways through which the self can be understood in its multi-faceted contexts. John Locke underscored the importance of the â€Å"continuity of consciousness† through an enabled memory and imagination (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2007). He believed that a person can understand his/her self by examining the past and imagining the future. Jean- Jacques Rousseau, on the other hand, stressed the significance of the society as a necessary and yet corruptible element in understanding one’s self (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2008).The former emphasizes the objective self-examination while the latter stresses the subjective self-expression. Sigmund Freud believed that human beings have irrational, primitive and animalistic instincts that should be repressed for the betterment of one’s self and the society at large (Curtis, 2002); while Wilhelm Reich claimed that it is the repression of the society of the â€Å"original† forces and emotions within human beings that makes human beings irrational (The Wilhelm Reich Museum).And quite contemporarily, Ian Hacking advances the practice of disciplinary psychology as a means to define selfhood in its socio-cultural contexts (Hacking, 2002). It has offered individuals the tools through which they can take a deeper look at their inner selves in relation to the society and the world they live in. Towards a Better Understanding of the Self in Ourselves All the psychological theories and practices cited thus far have only one aim: to make us understand ourselves more than how we understand ourselves now.They provide us tools so we can acquire skills to help us learn more about ourselves and to nurture that self within ourselves for a better us. Their primary objective is to illuminate the existence of one’s self and give us enlightenment to enable us to view that self in new and better perspectives and vantage points with the hope that we can be better for ourselves, the people around us and the society we live in. Disciplinary psychology posits that if we could understand our psychological self better, we can understand the kind of person that we are.Doing so, we can be that person we aspire to be. We can be astronauts, airline pilots, NBA superstars, forensic scientists, geologists, etc. There are infinite possibilities of being who we want to be if we just indeed are able to understand ourselves better. Truly, while there are infinite possibilities of being ourselves, there are also infinite questions that needed to be answered about ourselves. As time changes and as the world becomes more modernized, the concepts of personhood and selfhood become even more complicated.Questions about humanity become more apparent. When we question why we are driven by this desire to succeed and gain more material wealth, we turn to become pseudo-psychoanalysts in trying to understand this desire and how it can manipulate us if not tempered with reason. And as our consciousness is feed with the commercialism we see around us, engendered by the consumerism in the media, we are guided by the fact that advertisements use psychoanalysis to manipulate human minds to become infatuated with manufactured desires.We are reminded of the â€Å"police within our heads that needs to be destroyed† (Curtis, 2002). When we question ou r temperaments and attitudes towards love, life and work, we may turn to looking back at how we were brought up, the environment we grew up with and the kind of upbringing that we had. Disciplinary psychology guides us to look back and look forward and struggle to find meanings in those acts. Indeed, while disciplinary psychology offers us tools to gain better understanding of ourselves, the synthesis depends on our own willingness to analyze.While it can provide us maps to where we could finally go, the choices of directions we take remain our own pre-occupation. And while it gives us patterns through which we could build our own conceptions about ourselves, our self-concept remains our own decision. In the final analysis, disciplinary psychology can provide us proper guidance, but the path towards better understanding of one’s self depends on our own will to tread that path forcefully and purposefully. And as always, that willingness can be questioned psychologically.

Causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis

Causes of the Cuban Missile Crisis Cuban Missile Crises Introduction Considered to be one of the most serious conflicts between the U.S and the Soviet Union during the Cold War, the Cuban missile crises brought the World a clash of democracy V.S communism with a deadly nuclear outcome. Known to the World as the Cuban Missile crises, to the Russians as the Caribbean Crises and to the Cubans and the October Crises it lasted sixteen days in October. The main characters involved were U.S President John F. Kennedy, Russian Premier Nikita Khrushchev and Cuban President Fidel Castro. The sixteen days in October 1962 was the closest time that a full out nuclear war was about to take place Background America USSR Free election No elections or fixed elections Democratic Autocratic / Dictatorship Capitalist Communist ‘Survival of the fittest’ Everybody helps everybody Richest world power Poor economic base Person al freedom Society controlled by the NKVD (secret police) Freedom of the media Total censorship The Cuban missile crises’ origins began at the end of the World War 2. After the war about to end the United States and the USSR started to disagree on the main ideas of how a post war Europe should look like. The American’s main aim of the war was to spread democracy and to spread their company’s economic opportunities into Europe. This was very different to what the USSR wanted, the USSR suffered a lot during the war, and they lost a lot of people and suffered a lot of economic and social problem directly resulting from the war, because of this the USSR main post war thoughts were to protect themselves from other wars that may happen and to spread communism across the globe.   These differences between the two countries were obviously great and were bound to cause tension and problems. Origins of Russian-American Tension Ideological: The United States and the Soviet Union represented two completely different forms of government. In the United States, the government is chosen by free elections. The people have the right to form political parties so that they can voice their political opinions. They also have the right of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. In the Soviet Union, the government is chosen by the Communist Party. The people do not have the right to form their own political parties; they do not enjoy the right freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. Since these two systems of government are completely different to one another, this is bound to cause friction between the United States and the Soviet Union. Economic: The United States wanted to encourage free trade throughout the world. The Soviet Union wanted to close off her itself from international trade. Russia was afraid that trade with the West would open up Russia to western influences which would have ruined the strength of the o ne-party communist regime. These differences led to much bad feeling between the United States and the Soviet Union. Power rivalry: After the Second World War, with the decline of Europe, power was shared between the Soviet Union and the United States. As one superpower wanted to dominate the other, conflicts were to be expected.

Individual as a member of a community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual as a member of a community - Essay Example However, in analyzing the subject critically, the theories of cultural relativism versus the subjectivism create a remarkably engaging perspective and understanding into the issue in the discussion (Chaffee, 2011). Thus, in discussing the subject of same-sex marriages, the ethical theory relating to the subject for the greater understanding and evaluation of the issue is cultural relativism. Additionally, from a metaphysical perspective, the theory to consider is naturalism versus the theory of idealism. Politically, the subject remains form the point of Kant’s philosophical analysis in defining the concepts of society from the knowledge of the external world. The society consist of individuals with personalized opinions whose amalgamation results in the collective expected course of beliefs as well as what they consider the social norm and accepted code of conduct. The society stands from the grounds of the individual opinions as they approach from the perspective of objectivism and subjectivism, viewing the issue and analyzing it from the point that it relates to the situation at hand. This factor leads to the collective and agreed concept and point of perception of the issue in consideration. Traditionally, the society holds that man and woman as entities created for each other; thus, the proceedings leading to the emergence of the subject of same sex relations remains a taboo in view of various societies. This collective agreement passes down the lineage of history from generation to the next forming the social basis of the norms regarding the issue in the discussion. Additionally, the societies we live in consist of highly religious composition. The world exists from the perception that God, the all Supreme Being created the universe and all that is in it owes allegiance to the statutes that God prescribes fit for the common good of the entire population. Religious perspectives, whether

Moral Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Moral Problem - Essay Example This occurs when an organization has control over a large part of the market when compared to its main competitors (34). In most cases, the companies are normally given leeway to operate at the same level and in the same environment with other smaller companies. This is normally controversial because the smaller companies are expected to compete for the same customers as the bigger companies, even if they (the smaller companies) may sometimes have fewer resources. The matter is not helped by the fact that most governments do not have any legal frameworks to act as guides to what extent big multinationals can compete with smaller local companies (Koggel 47). Wal-Mart is inarguably the world’s largest retail store with operational branches in more than half of the world’s main cities. Due to its size and resources, the mega-store chain can afford to offer consumer products at relatively cheap prices as compared to other similar stores. This is normally a great problem to the smaller home grown retail stores which have to make profit and remain competitive at the same time. If they were to offer their products at the prices offered at Wal-Mart, many of them would incur great loses and would have to close business if they continued doing so.

Evaluation of Zara, UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evaluation of Zara, UK - Essay Example According to the report Zara is able to access large quantities of stock based on its leveraging and access to finances. It is a boosting factor for its production targets, by which it stands to gain through the economy scale. Majority of its competitors do not have stable cash flow, hence they do not hold as much stock as Zara. An Example of such competitors is Mango. The second strength for Zara is the establishment of market and research through which it produces relevant and fast moving products and services. Zara keeps a good track of the market products and identifies the relevant needs and specifications of customers. Zara does a proper market study through its marketing promotions and gathers the consumer opinions to enable the production sector to adopt the emerging customer requirement. Fast fashion business has thus favored Zara since it began its implementation of flexibility in production brands.This essay stresses that  Zara, like other fast fashion chain stores in th e UK has its weaknesses, which poses a risk of losses and a decline in its overall performance. Zara runs a number of chain store subsidiaries in various parts of the UK, which are managed from a central administrative point. This leads to interference with the decision making processes. It means the decision making teams have to assess the situations of the chain stores distributed in many parts of the region before making proper decisions.

The destruction of all Nuculear Weapons Research Paper

The destruction of all Nuculear Weapons - Research Paper Example Analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..4 7. Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10 References Abstract The paper is a discussion paper based on the adverse effect of the nuclear weapons. It discusses about the several hazards the development and the usage the nuclear weapons have. The paper supports the argument in favor of the destruction or renouncement of the nuclear weapon, which is a means of mass destruction. Reaction Statement Should human beings attempt to urge the power game forward by deploying nuclear weapons or should he take steps towards renouncing nuclear weapons for the sustainability of mankind? Explanation of the reaction stat ement The reason of choosing this statement is not only concerned about the mass destruction that the nuclear weapon creates but also about the obsessive desire of few countries to gain military superiority and supremacy. 66 years ago, at the dawn of August 6, 1945 the entire city of Hiroshima was shaken with a destructive nuclear bomb attack from US. It was soon followed by another nuclear bomb attack on August 9, 1945 at the city of Nagasaki in Japan. The whole world witnessed how in a span of time the cities with its population of 100,000 to 200,000 individuals went into the clutch of death, devastation and destruction. (Dahat, 2009, p. 1) The most important question that arises now is that whether the entire human species can simply stand and witness the destruction of his fellow being or will he act to destroy the human killing weapons and let humanity flourish. (Makhoul, n. d, p. 82) Defining the issues addressed Nuclear weapons are the most dangerous weapons of mass destructi on, which threatens the life of all the living beings living on the planet. The paper discusses the several grounds on which it deem essential for the elimination of the nuclear weapons. After the wreck the nuclear attack had created in 1945, the nations of the world should understand that the destruction created by nuclear attack of any kind havocs demolition. The paper discussed the several adverse effects of the deploying of nuclear weapons. It has harmful effects on environment and the living beings. It is also against the self and other imposed limitations and ethics of war. Position on the reaction question In the discussion paper the stand taken is in the favor of the destruction of the nuclear weapon and thus states that human being should take a firm step against the usage of nuclear weapons in any form. It criticizes the development and usage of the nuclear weapon under any circumstances. Doing something wrong is regarded as sin, likewise just standing and watching someone doing wrong is a sin as well. The paper focuses on the fact that despite of the presence of Non Proliferation Treaty (NTP), the world is under the threat of destruction of the humanity. The NTP rather than minimizing the threats aggravates it and to some extent favors the Nuclear Weapon States (NWS) state against the non Nuclear Weapons States (NNWS). Analysis It has been known that today the nuclear warheads of the World, Russia and US have ten times more arsenals than what it had during bombing the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It is known that nuclear weapons have not been used after the 1945 attack on Japan but there have been several instances

See pictures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

See pictures - Essay Example The blast of the operation extended outwards one thousand feet violently heaving the ground upwards fifteen feet. It created a very steep chimney that later collapsed upwards towards the surface. It melted and vaporized rocks. Pressure generated rammed the bedrock laterally creating two roughly parallel faults almost 0.9 miles apart southwest and northeast of the explosion. As the rupture took place, the earth slid downward in between settling 10 feet below the rest of the landscape of the desert. The collapsing chimney also left behind a minor subsidence crater. Besides the geographic distortions of the earth’s surface, the experiment also causes an earthquake that affected houses 87 miles away leaving the windows of White Pine High School Shuttered. The initial nuclear test conducted on Amchitka Island was a long shot. It was an atomic Bomb detonated 2300 feet underground in 1965. A second one was a hydrogen bomb exploded at a depth of 3992 feet below the surface. Its yield was approximately one megaton, 67 times the Hiroshima bomb. The blast triggered a series of small earthquakes and several massive landslides. It knocked water from rivers, ponds and lakes that were more than 50 feet in the air. The Cannikin bomb exploded with the earthquake force registering 7.0 on the richer scale. Even though the U.S government keeps insisting on guaranteeing environmental protection and safety during nuclear operations, these tests still affect the geographical orientation of the nearby areas and cause

Challenges in the Global Business Enviornment Research Paper

Challenges in the Global Business Enviornment - Research Paper Example The research will focus on the AT&T code of ethics. The details will be retrieved from the companys website. This code of ethic will be compared to other competing firms. The research will use Verizon and Sprint as the two competitors. The information will be retrieved from the two companies website. The competitiveness of each code of ethic will be used in establishing the merits and demerits of AT&T own code of ethical conduct. Information from the three firms will be examined, and recordings made based on the structures and natures of the code of ethical conduct. The information on AT&T code of ethical conduct will be examined with respect to their efforts to adapt to changing technologies and innovation nature of the environment. The challenges associated with the code of ethics will be examined and proposal made based on the efforts by the two competing firms. Global citizenship efforts by AT & T will be examined, and information recorded. AT & T has its code of ethical conduct drafted and focused on honest, which entails observing rules set by different organizations under which the firm operates ( AT&T Inc, 2014). These entails maintaining a given standards that will enhance the companys advantage while competing in a global environment. The code of ethical conduct at the firm entails defining personal interests and separating it from the companys interest. The aim is to avoid conflict of interest associated that could rise from the employees interaction with the external environment. Other issues at the firms ethical conduct include compliance and disclosure, which are aimed at maintaining a specific standard and working based on international requirements. Sprints code of ethical conduct entails a friendly working environment that promotes innovation and technology use among its internal and external environments (Sprint, 2013). The ethics code also defines requirements by each member of the internal environment while

Attitude of Young People of India Towards Luxury Brands Essay Example for Free

Attitude of Young People of India Towards Luxury Brands Essay Introduction: A couple of generations ago, a typical purchase decision for the average Indian would be choosing between, say, clothes and electronic goods whenever they had a little cash to spare. Today, the customers’ dilemma involves making up their mind between Prada and Gucci, Merc and Lamborghini. Marie Antoinette would say, â€Å"If they can’t have bread, give them brands instead! † In a relatively short time span of 20 years, India has moved from pavement markets to swanky malls, from frugal minded consumer to who want it all and from a population largely obessed with celebrity gossip to one which yearns to gain knowledge. India is taking wing. It is not simple because India is set to become the fastest growing major economy in the world. The combination of a large young working population, rising income levels, overwhelming consumer optimism and increasingly urbanized lifestyle is driving consumption growth in India. The market potential of world’s second largest population has not gone unnoticed. International Luxury brands have India on the radar. As developed market continue to battle economic turmoil. India offers luxury brand owners unrivalled growth opportunities. The Indian luxury market is projected to reach USD 14. 72 billion in 2015(CII and A. T. Kearny, 2011). It may represents only 1-2 percent of the global luxury market, but its market growth rate of more than 20 percent per annum, promise positive returns for luxury players. A flow of international brands from Giorgio Armani to Ferrari to Sofitel Hotel have entered the Indian market to claim a share of the luxury rupee. Many others are waiting, watching and preparing. This is not just about today’s market but a key strategic market of the future. Problem Definition: * Young consumer attitudes are essential for the marketers to plan their strategy in reaching the target consumers. So in our study we have focused to segment young consumers according to attitude variables. Objectives: * The aim of the study is to segment young consumers based on their three important beliefs parameters (confidence, trust, optimism) as we know beliefs is an important attitudes of consumer Literature review: 1. THE ROLE OF CONFIDENCE IN UNDERSTANDING AND PREDICTING BUYERS ATTITUDES AND PURCHASE INTENTIONS * Peter D. Bennett and Gilbert D. Harrell * Journal of Consumer Research * Vol. 2, No. 2 (Sep. , 1975), pp. 110-117 * Published by: The University of Chicago Press * Article Stable URL: http://www. jstor. org/stable/2488752 This research examines the role of buyers confidence in the formation of attitudes and purchase intention. It supports current buyer behavior theory which postulates a positive relationship between overall confidence in a brand and intention to purchase the brand. It also examine buyers confidence in their own ability to judge attributes of brands. 2. NEED FOR UNIQUENESS AND CONSUMPTION BEHAVIOUR FOR LUXURY BRANDS AMONGST INDIAN YOUTH * Authors: Meenakshi Handa, Arpita Khare * JournalInternational Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management * Publisher : Inderscience Publishers * ISSN:1753-0806 (Print),1753-0814 (Online) * IssueVolume 3, Number 5/2010 * Pages489-502 The purpose of this research was to examine the Indian youths need for uniqueness (NFU) and their attitudes towards luxury brand as an expression of individuality. A primary research was conducted amongst Indian University students to ascertain their NFU and perception of luxury brands. It was apparent that while the NFU is not very high amongst the Indian youth, luxury brands do symbolize status and individuality to them and serve a value-expressive function. As the Indian social system is witnessing a transition from traditional family driven values to more of western and individual-centric values, NFU and expression of self-identity amongst Indian youth may also become more marked. While marketing global luxury brands in India, advertising may be focused towards conveying a new identity to the consumers yet maintaining a balance with traditional norms and value systems. 3. LUXURY’S NEW DESTINATION – CHANGING PARADIGMS OF THE INDIAN CONSUMERS – AN EMPIRICAL STUDY * DR. BUSHAN D. SUDHAKAR*; ARUN KUMAR. PARISE * International Journal of Multidisciplinary Management Studies * Vol. 2 Issue 1, January 2012, ISSN 2249 8834 * Online available at http://zenithresearch. org. in/ In this study the researcher investigate, Indian consumer migration towards Luxury brands form value middle tier brands. The findings suggest that there is significant difference with the gender difference, social status, price, quality to purchase a luxury good. There is a higher association between the annual household income and Purchase of luxury goods It clearly says that affordability, quality, availability, celebrity, self-satisfaction, image and social status are the key drivers to the migration of consumers to Luxury brands from value middle tier branded goods. It confirms the view that brand perception and purchase value is, apart from socially oriented motives of buying to impress others also affected by financial, functional, and individual aspects. It would seem that the dimensions presented in this paper are appropriate variables for segmenting the market for branded items. 4. ATTITUDES TOWARDS THE CONCEPT OF LUXURY: AN EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS * Bernard Dubois, Groupe H. E. C Gilles Laurent, Groupe H. E. C. * Asia Pacific Advances in Consumer Research Volume 1, 1994 * Pages 273-278 In this paper is the author did an exploratory analysis of the perceptions and attitudes attached to the word (and underlying concept of) luxury. It is hoped that the results presented below will stimulate further research in the area and eventually contribute to the development of a theory of luxury acquisition and consumption behavior. Research Gap: The literature available on topics such as Need for uniqueness and consumption behavior for luxury brands amongst Indian youth, luxury’s new destination – changing paradigms of the Indian consumers – an empirical study, There is no study on attitude (belief like confidence, trust and optimism) of Young people of India towards Luxury brands, which will help in marketers to plan their strategy in reaching these new and promising target consumers. It is essential for the marketer to understand how consumers think and value a product. There has been a vast increase in the luxury market and attempts are being made to attract the youth through different marketing strategies. This research will identify the different belief parameter which is an important attitude of young people of India which influence them towards luxury brands and provide information for better understanding of young customer. Research Design:. Sample Design: Sample size: is hundred (100). Sample techniques: it is judgmental sampling these samples/ respondents will be selected from both NIFT students and young working professional’s i.e. young people’s working in companies like TCS, Infosys and Wipro. Observational Design: This research based on primary secondary data. The primary data are collected through structured questionnaire. Primary data generally means those raw data which are handled first handedly and haven’t any previous meaningful interpretation. Secondary data collected from different journals, book and internet on topic of people’s attitudes and luxury brands. Statistical design: we are going to segment young consumers based on their three important beliefs parameters (confidence, trust, optimism) as we know consumer belief is an important factor of consumer attitude. Our proposed segmentation tool is Cluster analysis. We will be using Hierarchical cluster with between groups linkage as the clustering method based on squared Euclidian distance. Wards Hierarchical Clustering Method: Ward considered hierarchical clustering procedures basedon minimizing the loss of information from joining two groups. This method is usually implemented with loss of information taken to be an increase in an error sum of squares criterion. ESS. First, for a given cluster k, let ESSk be the sum of the squared deviations of very item in the cluster from the cluster mean (centroid). If there are currently K clusters, define ESS as the sum of the ESSk or ESS = ESS1 + ESS2 + + ESS K At each step in the analysis, the union of every possible pair of clusters is considered, and the two clusters whose combination results in the smallest increase in ESS (minimum loss of information) are joined. Initially, each cluster consists of a single item, and, if there are N items, ESSk = 0, k = 1,2, , N, so ESS = O. At the other extreme, when all the clusters are combined in a single group of N items, the value of ESS is given by N ESS =j=1nxj-x(xj-x) where Xj is the multivariate measurement associated with the jth item and i is the mean of all the items. The results of Wards method can be displayed as a dendrogram. The vertical axis gives the values of ESS at which the mergers occur. Wards method is based on the notion that the clusters of multivariate observations are expected to be roughly elliptically shaped. It is a hierarchical precursor to nonhierarchical clustering methods that optimize some criterion for dividing data into a given number of elliptical groups. We discuss nonhierarchical clustering procedures in the next section Proposed Questionnaire: 1=strongly agree 2=agree 3=neither agree or disagree 4=disagree 5=completely disagree Please do tick which option you feel most†¦ Statement no 1: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"I buy luxury products because good quality of product† Statement no 2: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"Luxury means some extra things which is adding more value than the regular brands have† Statement no 3: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"I buy luxury products whatever I can afford whatever I want† Statement no 4: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"I preferred luxury products what I like, if I like it a lot and feel like it’s worth my money† Statement no 5: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"I preferred luxury brands because it brings higher aspiration in my life† Statement no 6: 3. 3. 2. 2. 5. 5. 4. 4. 1. 1. â€Å"I like to have BMW or Ferrari in future†.

Shakespearean Female Characters And Roles

Shakespearean Female Characters And Roles During the Elizabethan era women were not allowed to perform by law as they were second class citizens at that time. Young boys, also known as beardless boys were hired to act to play the roles of younger women in plays, such as Juliette. These boys hadnt reached puberty therefore still have smooth skin and high pitch voices. The older women in plays such as Julettes nurse, were performed by adult male comic actors The costumes used for the female characters were complex as they had to reflect the clothes worn during the Elizabethan era. They were constructed with many layers of clothing which made it difficult for the boy actors to get dressed. They also wore wigs, or periwigs to give more of a female affect. They applied white make up which were lead based and highly poisonous. This got the female actors to be very unhealthy as well as having facial skin diseases. This caused a high proportion of them who died of lead poisoning. This wasnt a pleasant job for them, they were also payed the lowest out of all the actors. Every colour of clothing had its own meaning. They were related to the characters status and rank of the play. These meanings were understood by the audience as it also the same in their daily lives. The colour, material and style of the clothing convey an enormous amount of information. It will also indicate the role of the character he is playing. The higher ranked costumes were mainly made of velvets, futs, silks or lace- the Upper Class audience would easy recognise the material. The lower ranked costumes were made of cottons and traffeta. There are many type of female character which Shakespeare has developed- bawdy woman, tragic innocent woman, the scheming femme fatal, the witty but unmariable woman, the married of woman, the women who dress like men and the falsely accused of adultery. All these types of personality had to be performed by the female actors. The bawdy woman characters are sexualized, cheeky and flirtatious, such as the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, Margaret in Much Ado about Nothing or Audrey in As you Like It. The female actors would have to portray this personality by using sexual innuendo when conversing. Their dress up would also have to be lower class. The tragic innocent woman such as Juliet from Romeo and Juliet are often pure and abstain from sex in the beginning of the play, and die when their innocence is lost. The portrayal of these characters would have to have a high social standing to the death seem more tragic. A good example of the scheming femme fatal character is Lady MacBeth. Her man ipulation of Macbeth them to both of their deaths, as she commits suicide and he is murdered. Being able to perfectly act out this personality they would have to be presented as clever, bold and independent. Many Shakespeares comedies end with a woman getting married- the married off woman. They are performed by the young boy actors, to be able to act as Helena and Hermia from the Midsummer Nights Dream. There are certain characters from Shakespeare who are women but dress like men such as Rosalind in As you Like It and Viola from Twelfth Night. These characters are obviously already performed by men therefore being a much easier task and having more freedom, highlighting the lack of social liberty for women. In Shakespeares plays (Othello) women are sometimes are falsely accused of murder. This demonstrates male insecurity and female sexuality. In the play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is played by the young boy actors as she is a young woman. In the start of the play the actor will have to perform Juliet as a young and naive girl. Ill look to life, if looking liking mmove:/ But no more deep will I endart mine eye/ Than your consent gives strength to fly. This is evidence that she is compliant with her parents wishes, and inexperienced in matters of the heart. In Act 1 Scene 5, the actor will have to be able to recite a beautiful sonnet expressing her love. Her development in her character in this scene show that she is bright and intelligent. Voice is very important especially when showing true feelings of Juliet for Romeo. The actor will have to be speaking in soliloquy in the balcony, showing maturity. Independence and defiance will have to be expressed in the end of Act 3. She shows courage t o do whatever she has to do to be with her husband- taking the potion from Friar Laurence. In 1660 that was the only time where Women were only allowed to perform on stage as actresses. The reaction from the audience were positive and the young boy actors wouldnt have to wear such clothing and make-up anymore. However they did not receive the same status as the men did in the theatre. They had a much lower pay than the male actors and barely any of them became playwrights. Now in the present day, men and women perform together on stage, receiving the same amount of respect and status- including Shakespeares plays. Due to the rights they have been granted this has become normal and in fact plays a positive impact in modern theatre as it performance has become more realistic and less disgust to the audience especially during sexual scenery. Some of Shakespearean plays are banned from performing because of his portrayal of female characters and how they are treated.

Ethics of Full Disclosure of Security Holes Essay -- Hackers Internet

Ethics of Full Disclosure of Security Holes Introduction Security breaches are making big headlines nowadays, and Microsoft is leading the charge. Its flagship operating systems and office suite are so bulky and complex, that it is impossible to be bug-free. The system administrators (the white hats) are up to their noses plugging all the holes from super hackers (the black hats). Yet they are also facing attack from another front – those that post vulnerabilities on the internet (the gray hats). The gray hats are hackers that find security vulnerabilities and post them on the internet, forcing system administrators to patch up the holes. Usually, they inform the vendor ahead of time. Then, if they deem the company is not taking them seriously, and malicious hackers will exploit the threat, they post it on a forum. Though acting in good faith, the ethics of full disclosure of security holes are in debate, including: how full disclosure can cause more harm then good, how long vendors should be allowed to fix the problem, and liabilities for posting on the internet. Issue 1: Full disclosure of security-related information can inflict more damage than good. You are showing people how to break into systems. The debate about vulnerability-disclosure policies involves two main parties. Researchers at security companies say they want to get their latest findings out quickly to hasten software makers' response to bugs. Software makers, on the other hand, say they aren't given enough time to deal with a problem, and that publicizing it simply alerts malicious hackers to an opportunity. There are super hackers out there who find security vulnerabilities, then write a script up on the internet, with one or two l... ...on't publish code, 17 Oct. 2001, CNet News.com, 11 Mar. 2004, 6. Lemos, Robert, Microsoft developers feel Windows pain, 7 Feb 2002, CNet News.com, 12 Mar. 2004, < http://news.com.com/2100-1001_3-832048.html> 7. Lemos, Robert, When is Hacking a Crime? 26 Sept 2002, ZDNetNews, 15 Mar. 2004, 8. Fried, Ina, Attack concerns slow Microsoft's pace, 16 Mar. 2004, CNet News.com, 16 March 2004, 9. Shankland, Stephen, Governements to See Windows Code, 14 Jan 2003, CNet News.com, 14 March 2004, 10. Lemos, Robert, New laws make hacking a black-and-white choice, 23 Sept 2002, CNet News.com, 14 March 2004,

The Character of Shakespeares Hamlet Essay -- GCSE English Literature

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Hamlet is arguably the greatest dramatic character ever created. From the moment we meet the crestfallen Prince we are enraptured by his elegant intensity. Shrouded in his inky cloak, Hamlet is a man of radical contradictions -- he is reckless yet cautious, courteous yet uncivil, tender yet ferocious. He meets his father's death with consuming outrage and righteous indignation, yet shows no compunction when he himself is responsible for the deaths of the meddling Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and the pontificating lord chamberlain, Polonius. He uses the fragile and innocent Ophelia as an outlet for his disgust towards the Queen, and cannot comprehend that his own vicious words have caused her insanity. Hamlet is full of faults. But unlike Macbeth, who has committed murder and, as a direct consequence, has been relegated to the heap of weak-willed villains, Hamlet has remained a demigod of sorts -- his faults having been quashed under his good qualities. What are Haml et's good qualities? How is it that even seemingly negative qualities like indecisiveness, hastiness, hate, brutality, and obsession can enhance Hamlet's position as a tragic hero -- a 'prince among men'? To answer these questions we must journey with Hamlet from beginning to end, and examine the many facets of his character.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Our first impression of Hamlet sets the tone for the whole play. Even without Shakespeare providing an elaborate description of Hamlet's features, we can envision his pale face, tousled hair, and intense, brooding eyes. Dressed totally in black, Hamlet displays all the 'forms, moods and shapes of grief'. His mother cannot help but notice Hamlet's outward appearance of mourning, but Hamlet makes it clear that the overt signs o... ...ally die, it is his princely qualities that make the lasting imprint in our minds. Hamlet remains The courtier's, soldier's, scholar's, eye, tongue, sword, The expectancy and rose of the fair state, The glass of fashion, and the mould of form The observ'd of all observers (III.i.153-56)          Bibliography Bradley, A.C. Shakespearean Tragedy. (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1966). Burnett, Mark, ed. New Essays on Hamlet. (New York: AMS Press, 1994). Evans Lloyd Gareth. Shakespeare IV. (London: Oxford university Press, 1967). Granville-Barker, Henry. Prefaces to Shakespeare.3 (New York, Hill and Wang, 1970). Loske, Olaf. Outrageous Fortune. (Oslo: Oslo University Press, 1960). Muir, Kenneth. Shakespeare and the Tragic Pattern, Proceedings of the British Academy, Vol.XLIV (London: Oxford University Press, 1958).

The Ground Work Trust :: Papers

The Ground Work Trust The first Groundwork Trust was established 21 years ago on Merseyside. Seventeen years later, there are 44 independent Groundwork companies all over England, Wales and Northern Ireland, each with charitable objectives to bring social and economic regeneration into areas of need. The Groundwork approach has also been adopted in Japan and the USA where the National Park Service is supporting a growing number of Trusts. Groundwork's purpose is "to build sustainable communities through joint environmental action". They do this by getting residents, businesses and other local organisations involved in practical projects that improve the quality of life, bring about regeneration and lay the foundations for sustainable development . The Projects of the Ground Work Trust aim to improve things in three ways: - creating opportunities for people to learn new skills and take local action - creating better, safer and healthier neighbourhoods - helping businesses and individuals fulfill their potential The Groundwork Trust recognises that people, places Photo - Communitiesand (www.Groundwork.org.uk ) prosperity are inextricably linked and so aims to design projects that bring benefits for all three at once. They believe this integrated approach is vital if we are to bring about sustainable development - 'meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs' In 2000-2001 Groundwork spent  £76 million on practical regeneration projects. We received money from the following sources: * UKGovernment and national assemblies* -  £14.2 million (18%) * Private sector -  £16.5 million (22%) * Local authorities -  £13.3 million (17%) * European Union -  £10.7 million (14%) * National Lottery -  £6.2 million (8%) * Other regeneration funding (RDAs, SRB etc) -  £16.3 million (21%) Last year Groundwork received a central grant of  £7.7 million from the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR). The money was spent as follows: * Physical environmental improvements -  £44 million (58%)

Health Assessment Essay

Assessment of environmental processes includes agents and factors that may cause injury, illness, or death. Choose one of the following age groups: toddler, preschool, and school-age child. List some of the most frequent causes of injuries, illness, or death at the age level. Discuss and describe safety concerns specific to the age, listing the most common causes of injury, illness (acute or chronic), trauma, and death for the age level. Describe how health promotion and health prevention interventions can be incorporated into parent and child teaching. Including in-text citations and references for each of the scholarly sources used. Respond to other learners’ posts in a manner that initiates or contributes to discussion. School-age children, face daily exposure to environmental agents and factors that may cause injury, illness, or death similar to those of all other age groups. Physical agents such as fires; mechanical agents such as bicycles, skateboards, and cars; biological agents such as bacteria; chemical agents such as asbestos; and radiological agents such as x-rays are the causes of injuries or death. Accidents are the leading cause of death in children over age 1 year in the United States. Accidents from contact sports and cuts, falls, burns, and injuries from firearms, are also increasing. Typically school-age boys have more accidents than girls, perhaps due to differences in personalities, societal expectations, child-rearing practices, and more risk-taking behaviors. Most accidents happen outdoors, and it occur mostly in summer because of outside play. The nurse has a significant role in educating parents and school personnel on ways to prevent dangers to school-age children and to become involved in public initiatives to create a safer society for them. Parents of these children must be involved in community and legislative activities that provide safe play environments. Each child should have a well-maintained bicycle, ride only in safe areas approved by parents, observe rules for vehicle traffic and use a federally approved riding helmet. Parental supervision when children play close to streets and heavy traffic areas. Children should wear a seat belt or be in age-appropriate booster seat as needed; older children should ride with restraint system and in back seat until age 12. Working smoke detectors should be in place in home and school. Children need to engage in age-appropriate activities and wear protective equipment according to the sport. Parents need to ensure safety and maintenance of all sports equipment. Children should play with friends, have a plan for returning home, know home phone number and address, play in safe and known area, and report any suspicious activity threatening their safety to an appropriate adult. Children should know how to locate assistance when in an unsafe situation. Children should avoid insecticides, radiation sources, inappropriate use of medications, and pollution sources; parents need to store all known toxins, chemicals, and household cleaning agents in an adequately ventilated location that is unreachable to children. Edelman, Mandle. Health Promotion Throughout the Life Span, 7th Edition.

Starbucks Structure

Starbuck’s Structure MGT 330 Jerry Simpson August 20, 2012 We all live in a world or businesses and organizations. Our day to day lives are dependent on large public organizations, small businesses, well-known private companies or even voluntary groups. The ways these organizations are structured varies a lot and even in the same business categories companies/organizations differ a lot. initially started in 1971 as a very small structure, run by three partners in a small shop in Seattle.By that time the company then was simply selling whole bean and ground coffee but after taking over the operation of Starbucks in 1987, Schultz decided to expand the company's business, which has now shops all around the world. In a generic way, it is possible to say that an organizations structure describes the way tasks are divided supervised, and coordinated. The first one is the size and age. A small and young company usually has a very simple structure but complexity and formality increase with size or age.Then we have the core process which must be aligned with structure so as to avoid important disruptions in daily operations. The structure of an organization also has to adapt itself to the environment. While a stable structure might be more easily addressed with an organization with a simple structure, an unstable and turbulent one will be, surely, more suited to an adaptable structure. Strategies and goals stand for others imperatives, structure and process must be both flexible as to adjust themselves to change.As for Starbucks, the best structural configuration for a company of this magnitude would be a divisional structure. This is due to the large size of the company, as well as the multi-market and multi-product offerings of the Starbucks Corporation. Though it must be noted that among the many weaknesses of the divisional structure is the duplication of activities and the potential for counter productive, inter-market competition for customers. What this me ans is Starbucks could end up competing against themselves essentially for customers which is a waste of resources.This is why it is imperative for Starbucks to implement the divisional structure as effectively as possible. In addition, if Starbucks plans to operate as efficiently as possible, they will be best served to utilize departmentalization by matrix (which is used by high tech firms or multinational companies). This creates circumstances in which maximum flexibility and adaptability in operations as possible. Starbucks employees would then have to be able to adjust to change and accept some role ambiguity as part of the daily routine. The tasks they work on tend to vary.The only constant would be the employee’s functional supervisor. This form of departmentalization should remain the same for stores offering food products and lunch in order to provide commonality amongst stores. This creates brand recognition, not only on the part of the consumers, but also on the pa rt of the employees of the company as well. In that sense we can say that for every structure we can find successful companies. The trick appears to be the balance the manager finds between contingency factors and the organizational structure through which resources are deployed and managed.Moreover, as the result of internal or external changes, every organization, no matter what core or  type, has to restructure at some stage in life. Restructure is more than a fashion, in some cases, is really a matter of survival. Employees of various companies deal with restructuring all of the time. Starbucks has many employment opportunities within its brand and I have chosen to discuss the position of Barista and come up with a job description as well as job specifications for the position.Barista Job Description: The Barista position is an essential job within the Starbucks organization. As a Barista, employees will be expected to: Welcome guests when the walk in to the coffee shop Take t he orders of the guest upon request Inform guests of product offerings Inform guests of promotions Make sure the coffee shop is clean and professionally maintained at all times Responsible for making specialty coffees for guests and understanding ingredients usedThe Barista is the first point of contact for the guests of the Starbucks corporation, so it is essential for all Starbucks barista’s to have a positive attitude and to work with a smile. References Reilly, M. , Minnick, C. , & Baack, D. (2011). The five functions of effective management. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education. Starbucks Facts (2008), Company Fact Sheet, Starbucks Coffee, Retrieved from http://www. starbucks. com/aboutus/Company_Factsheet. pdf Starbucks Corporation. (2009), International, Retrieved November 6, 2009, from http://www. starbucks. com/default. asp?

Cba 300 Ch 1 Notes

CBA 300—Section 01 ? Dr. Sam Min CBA353 ? Office Hours: Friday 8:00am – 10:00am ? Read your text book first, come & take notes, and read newspapers ? Tests are straightforward, text, weakly reading, and lectures TEST 1 September 14 Chapters 1, 2, 3 TEST 2 October 5 Chapters 4, 5, 6, 7 TEST 3 October 26 Chapters 8, 9, 10, 11 TEST 4 November 16 Chapters 12, 13, 14, 15 FINAL Final Week Chapters 16, 17, 18 Assignments & in-class activities Total (50 points) (50 points) (50 points) (50 points) (50 points) (30 points) 280 points CBA 300—Section 01 †¢ The grading system will be as follows: Total points Possible: 280 252 and more = A 224 to 251 = B 196 to 223 = C 168 to 195 = D Less than 167 = F 2 3 ASSIGNMENTS 1-5 Please read any article of your interest, which is related to International Business and (1) summarize the article (1/2 page) and (2) discuss what you learned from reading the article (1/2 page). †¢ Do not write more than 1 page. †¢ Use 12 font size, 1. 5 spaced, 1-inch margins, and Times New Roman. This assignment is worth maximum 4 points. Due is on each testing date! 4 Chapter 1 – The Challenging World of International Business International Business 13e by Ball, Geringer, McNett, and Minor 5 Why you need global business perspective? †¢ â€Å"Having a foreign perspective gives you an advantage not only for doing business outside U. S. but domestically, where we have the most diverse society in the world. † – Carlos Gutierrez, the CEO of Kellogg & US 35th Secretary of Commerce 6CEOs of Fortune’s larges American corporations strongly believe: (1) An international orientation should be an important part of college business education (2) International business skills and knowledge were important not merely for promotion to senior executive positions, but also for appointment to entry-level positions, and across a broad array of functional as well as cross-functional areas (3) The above two p oints are even more important for those anticipating international activities increase in the next five years. 7 My suggestions 1) Take IB course(s) (2) Consider going overseas (exchange program, intern, English teacher, volunteer, mission, etc. ) (3) Learn foreign language 8 Topics †¢ What is international business? †¢ IB Concepts and seven dimensions for globalizing a business †¢ What is different about international business? †¢ Growth of international firms and IB †¢ What is globalization? †¢ The drivers of globalization 9 What is International Business? †¢ International Business (IB): any business transaction across national borders – Trade in goods – Cross-border services ? consulting, advertising, egal, financial, accounting ? tourism, banking, communications/media, construction management, etc. †¢ Company activity inputs may involve IB activity even if outputs do not – Firm’s revenues may come entirely from the home country – Key raw materials, knowledge, processes may come partially or entirely from other countries Concepts of International Companies A Multidomestic Company has multi-country affiliates, each of which formulates its own business strategy based on perceived market difference A Global Company attempts to standardize and integrate operations worldwide in all functional areas. 1 The 7 Dimensions for Globalizing a Business 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 1-12 Product Markets Promotion Where value is added Competitive strategy Use of non-home-country personnel Extent of global ownership in firm What is Different about International Business? International Business †¢ deals with 3 environmental forces: 1. Domestic 2. Foreign 3. International Domestic Business †¢ deals with the domestic market †¢ But†¦may face foreign competition in domestic market 1-13 Why is International Business Different? : Forces in the Environment ?Environmental forces can be classified as external or internal. †¢ External forces are uncontrollable, but perhaps can be influenced by mgmt. †¢ Internal forces are controllable by mgmt, but not completely. 14 External Forces †¢ Competitive – Kind, number, location †¢ Distributive – For distributing goods and services †¢ Economic – GNP, unit labor cost, personal consumption expenditure †¢ Socioeconomic – Characteristics of human population †¢ Financial – Interest rates, inflation rates, taxation 15 External Forces, cont’d. Legal – Laws governing how international firms must operate †¢ Physical – Topography, climate, and natural resources †¢ Political – Forms of government, and international organizations †¢ Sociocultural – Attitudes, beliefs, and opinions †¢ Labor – Skills, attitudes of labor †¢ Technological – Equipment and skills that affect how resources are converted to produ cts 16 Internal Environmental Forces †¢ Factors of Production – Capital, raw materials, and people †¢ Activities of the organization – Personnel, finance, production, and marketing 17Explosive Growth †¢ Exporting – transportation of any domestic good/service to a destination outside a country or region – The level of world merchandise exports increased from $2 trillion (1980) to $15. 24 trillion (2010). – Service $365 billion (1980) to $3. 7 trillion (2010). 18 Growth in the volume of world merchandise exports and production, 2000-2007 2000-07 World merchandise exports Agricultural products Fuels and mining products Manufactures 5. 5 4. 0 3. 5 6. 5 2005 6. 5 6. 0 3. 5 7. 5 2006 8. 5 6. 0 3. 5 10. 0 2007 6. 0 4. 5 3. 0 7. 5World merchandise production Agriculture Mining Manufacturing World GDP 3. 0 2. 5 1. 5 3. 0 3. 0 3. 0 2. 0 1. 5 4. 0 3. 0 3. 0 1. 5 1. 0 4. 0 3. 5 4. 0 2. 5 0. 0 5. 0 3. 5 Note : See the Metadata for the estimation of world aggregates of merchandise exports, production and GDP. 19 Growth in volume of world merchandise trade and GDP, 2000-11 (Annual % change) Source: WTO 2011a: Figures of 2011 are projections 20 Explosive Growth ? Foreign Direct Investment – Direct investment in equipment, structures, and organizations in a foreign country †¢ level sufficient to obtain significant anagement control – World stock of outward FDI was $19 trillion at the beginning of 2010 (9 times larger than what it was in 1990). 21 Number of International Companies †¢ Keeps expanding and the big get bigger. – ExxonMobil sales for 2011: $486 billion – Wal-Mart sales revenue for 2011: $446 billion 22 Globalization †¢ the process of transformation of local or regional things or phenomena into global ones. – Technological globalization – Political globalization – Economic globalization – Cultural globalization 23 Globalization Economic Globalizati on – is the international integration of goods, technology, labor, and capital. – refers to the implementation of global strategies which link and coordinate a firm’s international activities on a worldwide basis. 24 Drivers of Globalization †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Political Drivers Technological Drivers Market Drivers Cost Drivers Competitive Drivers 1-25 Political – There is a trend toward the unification and socialization of the global community. – NAFTA and the European Union present significant marketing opportunities for companies. the progressive reduction of barriers to trade and foreign investment by most governments. – the privatization of much of the industry in formerly communist nations. 26 Technology – Advancements in computers and communication technology are permitting an increased flow of ideas and information across borders. †¢ The Internet and network computing enable small companies to compete globally. †¢ Business to business commerce is experiencing significant savings by using the Internet for business exchanges. †¢ Foreign outsourcing more and more common 27 Globalization Forces Market – As companies globalize, they also become global customers. †¢ Companies follow customers abroad in order to avoid a competitor stealing the account. – The saturation of the home market also sends companies into foreign markets. – Emergence of global customers 28 Cost – Economies of scale to reduce unit cost are always a management goal. †¢ Globalizing product lines to reduce development, production, and inventory costs can help achieve economies of scale. †¢ Companies can also locate production in countries where production costs are lower. 29Competitive – Competition continues to increase in intensity. – Companies are defending their home markets from competitors by entering the competitors’ home markets to dis tract them. 30 Views On Globalization Arguments Supporting Globalization †¢ Enhances socioeconomic development Concerns with Globalization †¢ Uneven results across nations and people †¢ Promotes more and better jobs †¢ †¢ Deleterious effects on labor and labor standards Decline in environmental and health conditions 1-31 $1. 25 per Euro Crude Oil ($94. 61) Gold ($1,653. 5) Corn ($8. 10 per bushel)

Classification Essay

Chris Owens Professor McCrary EN130 29 October 2012 Types of NFL Head Coaches Many people think that NFL Head Coaches are just the ones in charge of the team, and call the plays on game days. There are many styles that different Head Coaches have – Players Coach, Motivator, Strategist, and Team Builder – these styles need to be recognized. Most fans think that the HC is the leader, and tries to set their team up to be successful. Certain coaches use different styles that they implement into their coaching, and that’s how they get things done with their teams.Many of the styles are similar in some instances, but very different in other ways. Player Coaches are able to look at the players and the game from a different perspective, because the coach was in the players shoes at one point an time. He knows how relate to players better than some other coaches, when it comes to getting the job done and going through the grind of the season. Coaches like Herm Edwards and Mike Singletary are good examples of player coaches. Players’ see the coach as someone who has experience as a player, and that he really knows what he’s talking about when he is instructing.Players tend to have a little bit more respect for player coaches, especially when it’s their first time getting that HC job. Player coaches ten to be very charismatic and up beat when it comes to getting their players ready for the game. Another very charismatic and passionate leader is the Motivator coaching style. This type of really knows how to inspire the team and get them on the right track to be successful. John Madden and Vince Lombardi are two legendary coaches that were great motivators and lead their teams to multiple Super Bowls.Players enjoy playing for a great motivating coach. Motivational coaches tend to land those big time free agents and are able to keep the stars that are already playing for him happy. Coaches with this style tend to get the most out of the players performance and have them performing at a high level on Sundays. They are known to be great speakers, and always have that inspirational pre-game speech to get the team ready greatness. On the other hand, great motivational coaches may not always have the greatest game plan for a game.Motivators sometimes just hope that their players are better than the other team on that given day. The third coaching style relies less on the hoo-rah of the game and inspiration of players. This style relies more on out-smarting his opponent by being more strategic. The Strategist is a brilliant tactician, and looks at the football field like a chessboard. The Strategist coach is always trying to evolve his game plan and always wants to put his players in the best situations to win games. Strategists are always thinking of new ways to progress player and own abilities.Bill Walsh and Tom Landry are two legendary Strategist head coaches. They came up with totally different styles of offense that changed the game of football forever. Strategist coaches know how to build up their young players and keeping his veteran players at the top of their game. However, being the smartest coach doesn’t always lead to wins if you don’t have the right players or the ability to motivate them. Coaches must try to be men of different hats to be successful head coaches in the NFL. This last coaching style takes traits from all of the previous coaching styles discussed.The Team Builder coach usually comes into a situation where the team isn’t that good and trying build their team to be very competitive again. Team building coaches are almost part scout and part general manager when it comes to running their team. Team building coaches are always looking for that next stud college player or that big time free agent to add to their team’s talent level. Bill Walsh and Joe Gibbs are examples of great team building coaches, that have took teams from worst to first. Once a Team Building coach gets their personnel together, they must be able to progress his players and inspire them to be great.If that can be done the sky is the limit. Although each Head Coach may have a different style of how they want run their team. If their style is a Player’s Coach, Motivator, Strategist, or Team Builder; in the end, their goal is for their teams to be great and to become Super bowl Champions. Not many people know of the different styles that different head coaches bring to the table, and that has to be recognized by the fans. Football is a team game, and when you put the right coach with the right assistants and players. It’s no telling how far that team will go.

Why do consumers purchase fair trade products Discuss Essay

Why do consumers purchase fair trade products Discuss - Essay Example The traditional theories of consumer behaviour were strongly related to the rational aspect of consumers whereas in the present scenario the consumers buy more of justice, intangibility and conscience. The issue of ethical consumerism has gained its importance in the recent times which clearly states that while making purchase decisions the factor of ethics is highly integrated by the consumers. The concept of fair trade can be related to an organized social movement with a goal to help the producers located in developing countries to make the best practices of trading and even to encompass sustainability. The fair trade practices comprise of high environmental and social standards and even advocates a higher price payment to the exporters. It is a kind of trading partnership that is based majorly on transparency, respect and dialogues that secures more of equity in the practice of international trade (Ransom, 2006, pp. 94-95). The major benefit of such fair trade is that it tries to establish the best conditions for trading and even secures rights for those marginalized workers or producers. These fair trade practices usually demands for the support of the consumers in order to raise awareness, campaign for changes, and even support the producers so as to eliminate the loopholes that are in conventional trading. There are certain fair trade organizations such as FLO Intern ational, World Fair Trade organization, Network of European Worldshops, European Fair Trade Association that involves into various forms of ethical marketing programs and aims at selling fair trade products mainly through supermarket channel so as to create a real impact through large volumes of product sales. The fair trade products provide the opportunity to the customers to shop everyday and help to reduce the level of the poverty across the world and develop a bright future (White, Macdonnell and Ellard, 2012, pp. 103-118). The fair trade mark on the

Based on your tradition Christianity and the decisions you make based Essay

Based on your tradition Christianity and the decisions you make based on your values and morals, what is the proper role for YOU in your own work as a technolog - Essay Example Considering all these fact a question arises for each and every individual sooner or later, whichs what is the proper role for the citizen in the society. What should we do for to keep the environment we live in balanced, and pleasant to dwell in? Are we obliged to contribute to the society we live in? Every individual has to find his own answer, or answers for these questions. Those answers come after years of life; they are dictated by the kinds of experience the person has. Thus, in my opinion, every viewpoint, considering this question is valuable and true in some way, and we have no right to throw stones at people whose opinion is somehow different from ours. As each and every individual who dwells on our planet I have my own answer on this question. I dont consider it to be the only true, nor do I reckon it to be suitable for the majority of people in my country. My judgment on the role of the individual in the society is dictated by my social, and, what is even of greater importance, religious background. The specific of my work requires me to be aware of the reasons and principles which guide me in my decision-making process. The thing is that I am a Technology Manager responsible for the technology to support training and content management to our external and internal customers. I am one of the decision makers and I am in direct contact with senior level executives providing input and opinions on decision making. My staff consists of 8 people in which I must manage and provide strong leadership. Thus I feel I have to possess deep understanding of the principles which guide me in my work, in my decision making process, and in my relationships with the colleagues and senior executives. I feel this project can help me to have an insight into my values and beliefs; it is able to assist me in improving my decision-making and leadership skills. The thing is that the values and morals that guide me in my existence are

Budgeting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Budgeting - Essay Example Budgets are not always made for a fixed period, some budgets are created by adding a few more months to ensure that the total tenure for which the budget has been made spans over a total of twelve months. Another type of such estimation is known as a forecast. A forecast is a budget that modifies in the middle of the year to make a new/mini budget which is for a period of 3 months or 6 months. By making a budget, a company gets the following advantages: It ensures that the resources are being used in conformity with the goals of the company. It ensures that there are proper controls over the use of resources. It can help in ensuring that the departments of the company are engaged constructively with each other. It acts as a way of evaluating the performance of managers of the company - by comparing their achievements with the budgeted performance (Collier, 2010). Budget Cycle: In a budget cycle, a budget is first planned and then performances are controlled on its basis. In this proc ess, a plan is first developed to manage the finances of the company. This plan is then made the benchmark against which the performance is compared. If the performance is below the budgets estimations, reasons for deviation are found out and measures are taken to ensure that the work performed conforms to the standard set in the budget. Working with the Budget throughout the Budget Cycle As the person in charge of the department of finance, it is obvious that you are going to be a part of every step that is taken when the budgets are prepared. These steps include the following: 1. Planning and Development Planning and development is the first step of the budget cycle. When budgets are made, people involved in the preparation consider the present financial situation to make future estimations; they do not disregard the previous historic data relating to the product or departments. To ensure that the budgets are as accurate as possible, they encourage the people who are involved in t he daily financial dealings of the products to give their inputs. This is because these people are the specialists of the products they work with every day; thus, they will be able to give a better idea of the estimated revenue, expenses, etc. 2. Implementation After a budget has been prepared and loaded into the finance system, it is now the time to implement it. However, before the implementation stage is started, it is imperative to ensure that the correct budget has been loaded. In case of any kind of an ambiguity, it is always advisable to get in touch with a professional accountant. 3. Monitoring a. Revenue and Expense Statement Detail In order to ensure that each fund has its FOPPS, the report that shows the entire details of the expenses incurred and revenue earned is required to be reconciled on a monthly basis. i. All the amounts for expenses incurred during the year, transfers made and revenue earned must be compared with the original document on the basis of which the en try was made and the transaction went through. ii. Once the mistakes are identified, they must be removed as soon as possible. b. Revenue and Expense Statement Summary To make sure that the company has a full control over the operations going on, the statement that shows the summary of the revenue earned and expenses incurred is required to be seen monthly. i. The actual amounts of expenses incurred

Teaching Document Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teaching Document - Essay Example The other chemicals used include: alpha amylase enzyme, gluco-amylase enzyme and carbon which is used in the adsorbers as a decolorizer. The process occurs in five main stages; two hydrolysis processes that convert about 100% of the starch in the slurry into glucose and three evaporation processes to dry up the glucose. The starch slurry first flows into the first hydrolyser, R1, which converts 25% of the starch into glucose using alpha-amylase enzyme that catalyzes the hydrolysis process. After the first hydrolysis process, the viscosity of the slurry is reduced, and the slurry is then passed through a centrifuge, PS-1, which removes any proteins and oils present. The slurry is then passed through the second hydrolyser, R-2, which completes the hydrolysis process using the gluco-amylase enzyme that leads to the overall conversion of starch to glucose to almost 100%. The viscosity reduction of the slurry after the first hydrolysis process ensures proper mixing with the gluco-amylase and prevents the formation of unhydrolyzable gelatinous material in the second hydrolyser. After the second process of hydrolysis, the slurry is decolorizes in an adsorber, CS-1, parked with carbon (Silla 23). After the conversion of starch to glucose the rest of the process dehydrates the glucose. A dry product is then obtained using the process of evaporation. The glucose solution is pumped into the first stage of evaporation where a portion of the water is removed. To conserve energy (heat), the first stage of evaporation uses mechanical re-compression of the vapor evolved and since glucose is heat sensitive the process is conducted in a vacuum produced by a vacuum pump, C-1. The first evaporation stage is carried out in two steps; in the first step, energy is transferred to the solution in the boiler to evaporate some water concentrating the glucose. In the next step vapor and liquid are separated in a phase separator. After the

The Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is a very useful model and it Essay

The Capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is a very useful model and it is used widely in the industry even though it is based on v - Essay Example In this sense, a high quantity of a security’s beta would result in a high expected return of an asset and vice versa. After CAPM was published, and after actual returns were compared with expected returns, many economists have since then criticized the simplicity of and the reality of application of CAPM. The CAPM is still subject to empirical and theoretical criticism despite it being the basis for over a hundred academic papers and having affected non-academic fiscal community considerably. Although it has an apparent invalidity, the CAPM is still widely used by companies as a valuable model for computation of capital cost through justification of high returns in correspondence to higher beta. Therefore, this paper will discuss the implications with regards to the current developments in the area. The paper will first explain and discuss various assumptions in relation to the model and thereafter discuss the key theories as well as the whole debate that surround this area p articularly through the criticizing the assumptions. There are numerous economic applications of the CAPM. It is used in valuation of a company’s common stock, for acquisition and merger analysis, capital budgeting and the valuation of convertible and warrants securities (Naylor & Tapon 1982, p.1166). To ensure validity of the CAPM, William Sharpe came up with numerous assumptions designed for investors in the creation of market equilibrium. The supporters of the model postulate that the capital market functions as though the above assumptions were met. The model derives the price to be commanded by any asset to make the investors happy to retain the present market portfolio. Under the CAPM, each person carries similar risk in diverse amounts. Investors have different portfolios, and they will need a return for their portfolio’s systematic risk because the removal of the unsystematic risk has been done and therefore, can be disregarded. An investor will give a ranking to the portfolio in accordance with a utility function which is dependent on the expected return rate of this portfolio. Because everyone has the same risky assets’ portfolio; it is normal that everyone is exactly happy to purchase the market portfolio, that is, the portfolio of every asset available in the market. Furthermore, part of the risk can be diversified through purchasing many dissimilar assets. The level of stock risk not necessarily related to how variable its return is. The variability is an appropriate measure only if one investor invests all his/her money in one asset. In reality, part of the risk is diversified through purchasing many dissimilar assets. In fact, through diversification, there is a possibility of averting the risk associated with each stock as opposed to the risk which the whole market may decline. The non-diversifiable risk originates form macroeconomic factors which affect all assets simultaneously. For instance, in the credit-crunch many fir ms have the tendency of having negative cash flows and low profits. As much as the assumptions contained in CAPM permit it to concentrate on the relationship between systematic and return risk, they propose an idealized world that is different from the real world where investment decisions are majorly made by firms

Article review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Article review - Essay Example The author also makes suggestions on how corporations can do something about this dissatisfaction. John Baldoni (2010) states that during his work presentations there was a time when he discovered eight out of ten workers were not content with their employment. Although the Great Recession made employees stick to their jobs, their dissatisfaction did not go away and new research manifested the fact. (Baldoni, 2010) Workers complained of being overworked, underpaid and underappreciated. The article continues with the research showing six out of ten workers wanting to leave the company. Baldoni goes on further to explain that managers must face the fact that their employees are not pleased. Also, as proven by research, quite a number do not trust upper management thinking that the ones in the higher up do not have as many sacrifices as those in the lower ranks. Ultimately, managers should remember that unhappy workers are unproductive ones and thus steps should be taken to make improve the workers’ disposition. There were three suggestions were made in the article for making work more tolerable for employees. The first one was to address the situation. Baldoni hints that most employers try to ignore the fact that the problem exists. This should not be the case. He encourages employers to try and find out why there is a problem. Asking employees outright is also not a good tactic, Baldoni states, as this would make employees be afraid to tell the truth. A private company resorted to conducting a survey after a number of its professional staff submitted their resignations. (Von Achen, 2010) The results showed that insufficient training and support, infrequent performance feedback and workload issues were the reasons the workers at this company wanted change. The next step Baldoni wrote is to encourage alternatives. He suggests to work together with the employees in making improvements to the

African Cultural Practices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

African Cultural Practices - Essay Example The case in point is how Oduduwa ceremony is presided over by priests and priestess in Yoruba land found in Nigeria. Although Africa is rich in ceremonies, the sacred ceremony for the Oduduwa the first king of the Yoruba community is one of kind. In this festival, drumming is prohibited and instead a percussive instrument known as eganira is used (Olupona 83). Notably, the instrument is particularly used by priests and priestess who have learned how to effectively produce the desired sound. Sound from drums and chanting from priests usually communicate to the spirits and ancestors thus they are evoked to answer the needs of the society. The ceremony was of great importance especially for those that believe in the power of traditional beliefs. Chanting from the priests and priestess has enabled Yoruba community to engage deity forces with courage as they try to inspire them through chanting. The Oduduwa ceremony was first conducted in Nigeria; it specifically started at Yoruba land a region that was formally dominated by the Yoruba community. The ceremony initially started as a move to engage forces from the evil. Because of their rich cultural practices, the Yoruba community has since continued to enjoy high profit made from the sales of beads and objects. This has really boosted Nigerian economy because of high income obtained from the tourism sector. Interestingly, Yoruba community has practiced the ceremony up-to-date despite challenging influence from modern way of life especially targeting the young generation. Priests and priestess take the center stage of the ceremony; they are the ones in charge of presiding over the ceremony. Priests are perceived as being mystical since they obtain powerful spirit during their initiation. They relentlessly learn how to tune their voices like an instrument in order to contend the supernatural powers.

Websites Essay Example for Free

Websites Essay Websites are an integral element in ensuring proper electronic communications between various entities bearing in mind that the world is rapidly going high-tech. Websites may thus be categorized into 3 groups namely: bad; good; or ugly. Good sites ensure fast maneuverability besides offering accurate and relevant information. Ugly sites are those that appear plain silly owing to various omissions or unnecessary additions. Conversely, bad sites have the characteristics of being inefficient to use owing to poor design. The Department of Homeland Security website is an example of a good site because it is both interactive besides providing original and credible content. Regarding interactivity, the website has provisions for visitors to subscribe to electronic mail alerts (Department of Homeland Security, 2010). This aspect ensures that visitors are up-to-date regarding the organization’s activities. Concerning credibility, the website provides current news about activities that have been carried out by known homeland security officials. This aspect makes the site credible with regard to information. Conversely, the Space Is the Place website appears ugly owing to its awful color combination. For example, the colors blue and yellow are placed side-to-side (Harman, 2007). The contrasting nature of these colors makes the site quite off-putting especially to color-sensitive visitor. To rectify the site’s appearance, the designers should do several things. For example, they should modify the color scheme to incorporate more complementary colors. Moreover, they should adjust the appearance of the suspended saint to show that he is comfortable. This will make the appearance plausible by changing the current appearance whereby the saint is controversially happy while hanging in space. Moreover, by making the website’s content less crowded, the designers will make the website more acceptable. Conversely, the Ling’s Cars website is poorly designed. To begin with, the advertised cars are barely visible due to obstruction by huge adverts. Further, numerous eerie images litter the site, making it unintelligible. To cap it all, the websites’ arrangement of various elements is simply outrageous (Biz/ed). To improve the site, the cars should dominate it since it is meant to sell them. Moreover, the images on the site should be systemized, perhaps, providing them in slide form, so as to enhance readability. To improve overall quality, the haphazard arrangement of the site’s many features should be overhauled by creating definite sections that hold specific elements.

The Human Perception of Loudness Essay Example for Free

The Human Perception of Loudness Essay Aim: The aim of the experiment was to discover the difference between loudness and sound pressure level, gain knowledge of typical sound level values in common environments and to be able to make rough estimations of what sound level measurements could be in different places. Method: The CEL-440 sound level meter was used to measure sound pressure levels in dbz and loudness levels in dBA. It was decided to base the experiment on learning environments around the university, ranging from areas of study inside and outside. This was done because, as the areas that are considered in the experiement are ones that the group would use in everyday life so it would be interesting to see what loudness and sound pressure levels most people live and sit in during there every day lives. Loudness is a psychological quality which relies on human interpretation. Loudness is hard to measure as it depends on how the human ear responds to it. Sound Pressure Level is linked to loudness as it is a physical quantity which can be measured. Sound Pressure Level can be measured, when loudness cannot. Sound pressure level ranges from the smallest detectable sound which is measured in pa (pascals). Sound is heard, by air follicles vibrating on the ear. The highest sound is atmospheric pressure around 1,000,000pa that can not physically be heard. If it was any louder then there would not be any atmospheric pressure left so everything would be destroyed. Threshold of human aural perception is the pressure of the air molecules colliding with the ear drum which is close to the threshold of perception. Young people with sensitive hearing are able to hear as little as 20pa, but most people will not be able to hear this measurement. The just noticeable difference depends on factors such as overall levels and frequencies. However, it is conveniently remembered as 1dB, one decibel. When something is measured in decibels it is refering to ratio (10log power difference, 20 log voltage difference) between the amount of two levels and the level being measured. How do people hear sound? When a sound is made, it is dependant on the response of the human ear and every ear responds in a different manner. Everybody has a different individual shape to their ear. The ear canals are unique to every individual, and ear canals resonances occur at approximately 3.4khz and 13khz, but this depends on age and health. There is no accurate way of measuring sound as everybody interprets is differently. The diagram below shows the basic structure of the ear and where the ear canal is situated. Fletcher and Munson Experience 1993 was the breakthrough of an investigation that explains a great deal. They investigated the perception of loudness in human subjects. The loudness level estimated by the subject for different stimulus levels and different frequencies was recorded. Humans have a limited range of hearing whereas dogs can hear things much louder. Fletcher and Munson discovered a graph of equal loudness contours. Shown below. When the ear hears sound it is not equally sensitive to all frequencies, especially the low and high frequency ranges. Fletcher and Munson charted the response to frequencies over the entire audio range and this is shown in the graph above. The set of curves show the sound pressure level of pure tones that are percieved as being equally loud. The graph has been plotted for each 10 decibel rise in level when the reference tone is 1kHz. This is also referred to as loudness level contours. From 1 to 5kHz the curves are lowest in the range. There is a slight dip at 4kHz which probably indicates that the ear is most sensitive to frequencies in this particular range. The levels of intensity for higher and lower tones had to be raised in order to create the equal impression of loudness. The results were accurate to the predictions made for the different locations. The sound pressure level in the places such as the computer labs and lecture theatres were thought to be quieter. However there were many computers and equipment which were left on standby, appearing off and very quiet. It was thought that the the library upstairs should have been quieter than downstairs as it is where books are kept and downstairs is where groups congrigate. Although it seems fairly quiet in the upstairs section, the air conditioning fitted can effect the sound pressure level recorded. The recording booths and live room were exactly as predicted which is very good as it means they have been built correctly and are one hundred percent sound proof. The relationship between the dBa results that were collected and the dBz were more or less as expected. The measurements that stood out were the library upstairs as the sound pressure level was much higher than the loudness along with the Lecture room. The lecture room was empty until it was entered by the group and there were no lights on either. The lights turned on automatically when people entered. It was thought that in both the library and the lecture theatre there are a lot of frequencies that exist but cannot physically be heard. This would include certain machinary such as air conditioning, automated light response system, fans from computers that seem very quiet, anything that is left on standby which appears off. Loudness is a subjective quality in which is depends a huge amount on sound pressure level as well as the frequency spectrum and amplitude envelope of sound. It also depends on the environmental conditions under which it is heard and the auditory of the listener.