McKenzie Journey Essays - Zoroastrianism, Religion, Theism, Yazatas

McKenzie Journey World Religions 160 10/26/16 Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism or natively known as, Mazdayasna, is one of the world's oldest monotheistic religions. It stemmed from ancient Asian countries and continued to spread across the nation. With only about 200,000 followers today, and 80% of them living in India, Zoroastrianism is a complex and intellectual religion. The ancient history of Zoroastrianism is very important when trying to understand the religion. Zoroastrianism is believed to of began around 600 to 650 CE. It started in central Asia and began to spread to other colonies and tribes. It next was spread across the Iranian plateau, here it was adopted by two Iranian tribes, the Medes and Persians. This religion was then colonialized and spread to nearby areas for hundreds of years under the Persian dynasties, Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid. During 900 CE the Zoroastrians split off into two groups, the Iranis, who stayed in Iran, and the Parsis, who left and established in India. Here, it began to flourish and be practiced continuously. Religion is much more than just believing in a god or higher power. There is an origin and the start of worship from a single being who believed in a particular deity. The Zoroastrian religion contains both monotheistic and dualism when obtaining to their god. This can be traced back to the prophet Zarathustra. When Zarathustra called Zoroastrianism the good religion. Zarathustra worshiped Ahura Mazda, Ahura Mazda's revelation was recorded in the scared writing of the Avesta. Zoroastrianism is also said to come from an older Aryan tradition that is formed on the foundation of the Vedic religion in India. The people who worship Ahura Mazda are called the Mazdeans or Zoroastrians. Ahura Mazda is called the Wise Lord, and is the ultimate principle of worship in the Zoroastrian religion. The very start of the religion began by Ahura Mazda bringing together two worlds, the menog, world or thought, and the getig, world of bones or living beings. These worlds are often called the spiritual and the physical worlds. Menog is apprehended by thought and getig is apprehended by the senses. Together, these worlds make up the order of the universe. The Wise Lord is said to be the eternal source of light for the two worlds. This is why the Zoroastrians pray in front of a source of light, it activates the connection between the getig and the menog. Getig is where fire exists and menog is where illumination arises. Since Ahura Mazda means Wise Lord, there is a close connection between wisdom, symbolized by light, and worship, centering on light. Fire worship is said to enhance human wisdom, if you are invested with wisdom, you then can freely choose to act by the Good Religion. Meaning, thinking good thoughts, speaking good speech, and doing good deeds. This will help maintain the order in the worlds, it also spreads Wise Lord's illumination. When Ahura Mazda made the two worlds, two forces came into existence, the Holy Entity and the Hostile Entity. These forces are called the cosmic twins: Spenta Mainyu and Angra Mainyu. In Getig, the world of bones, these cosmic twins represent truth and lie. The twins are always in constant battle with one another. Angra Mainyu is the force of darkness in Getig while Spenta Mainyu is the force of illumination, the religious followers of Zoroastrianism are always free to choose which twin they would like to associate themselves with. Spenta Mainyu has helper entities, holy immortals and also called, Amesha Spentas. The Amesha Spentas distribute positive forces through the spiritual world of thought and physical world of the living. Zoroastrians try to develop the qualities of the Amesha Spentas. While Angra Mainyu also has helper entities called Daivas. The Daivas are related with desire, wrath, bad thoughts, idolatry, and pollution. Followers who choose to fight on the side on Angr a Mainyu are pursued as being confused. The Good Religion wants everyone to gain wisdom, and eventually ally themselves with Spenta Mainyu, the life giving twin, instead if Angra. Religion can be practiced and exercised in many different ways. Here are a few ways Zoroastrianism is expressed. There are four Zoroastrian values that are very important to the religion.

Mentally Ill in Jail1 essays

Mentally Ill in Jail1 essays The articles inform that more mentally ill people are in jail than in hospitals. According to statistics 159,000 of mentally ill are presently incarcerated in jails and prisons, mostly of crimes committed because they were not being treated. Some of them become violent and may terrorize their families and neighborhoods. Tragically, most of those instances of incarceration are unnecessary. We know what to do, but for economic, legal and ideological reasons, we fail to do it. The deinstitutionalisation of the severely mentally ill in the 60ties qualifies a as one of the largest social experiments in American history. In 1995, there were 558,239 severely mentally ill patients in the nations public psychiatric hospitals. In 1995, the number has been reduced to 71,619. The deinstitutionalization created an mental illness crisis by discharging people from hospitals without ensuring that they receive medication and rehabilitation services in the community. Consequently, 2.2million severely mentally ill do not receive any psychiatric treatment. Mental patients were released from psychiatric hospital in the belief that permitting them to live in a freer environment was more humane and would improve their well-being. Instead, they turned up in prisons where they are virtually devoid of dignity and lack adequate treatment and understanding. Besides, even if they take medications and might get better in jail, there is no guarantee that they will continue with the treatment after they are released into the communities. And so the vicious circle goes on. The solution to the problem is to provide sufficient funding to the community-based mental health system so people could be helped before they become part of the prison system. Services like medication therapy and monitoring, residential services, rehabilitation services and support services are successful in bringing the severely mentally ill back ...

Deja Vu Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Deja Vu - Essay Example The experience of dj vu is usually accompanied by a compelling sense of familiarity, and also a sense of "eeriness", "strangeness", or "weirdness". The "previous" experience is most frequently attributed to a dream, although in some cases there is a firm sense that the experience "genuinely happened" in the past" (2008, pg. 1). Dj vu is an experience that is quite common, with 70% of people reporting experiencing it at least one time in formal studies. Past literature has also discussed dj vu, indicating that it is a rather old phenomenon. The experience is rather random, thereby making it hard to recreate in laboratory studies. Hence, research on the topic is most often conducted under states of hypnosis. The fact that the experience is hard to recreate also leads to there being little statistical research on the topic available. There are three different types of dj vu: dj vecu, dj senti, and dj visite. Deja vecu translates directly into "already lived." It is the most commonly experienced form of dj vu. "Dj vcu refers to an experience involving more than just sight, which is why labeling such "dj vu" is usually inaccurate. The sense involves a great amount of detail, sensing that everything is just as it was before and a weird knowledge of what is going to be said or happen next" (Wikipedia, 2008, pg. 2). Deja senti "primarily specifies something 'already felt.' Unlike the implied precognition of dj vcu, dj senti is primarily or even exclusively a mental happening, has no precognitive aspects, and rarely if ever remains in the afflicted person's memory afterwards" (Wikipedia, 2008, pg. 2). Deja visite "is less common and involves an uncanny knowledge of a new place. The translation is "already visited." Here one may know his or her way around in a new town or landscape while at the same time knowing that t his should not be possible" (Wikipedia, 2008, pg. 3). How Stuff Works offers an additional definition. In situations where one is learning a new topic, it is often helpful to look at the definitions provided by several sources. According to How Stuff Works, "The term deja vu is French and means, literally, "already seen." Those who have experienced the feeling describe it as an overwhelming sense of familiarity with something that shouldn't be familiar at all. Say, for example, you are traveling to England for the first time. You are touring a cathedral, and suddenly it seems as if you have been in that very spot before. Or maybe you are having dinner with a group of friends, discussing some current political topic, and you have the feeling that you've already experienced this very thing -- same friends, same dinner, same topic" (2008, pg. 1). Methods Used to Find the Answer The answers for this particular research assignment were found utilizing a search engine. The writer went to www.google.com, typed in the keywords 'dj vu' and selected resources from the hit list. Implications the Answer Has The main implication that the answer has is that this is a fairly common phenomenon that has been around a long time and, therefore, will likely remain around. It is not something to be experienced merely in the past or the

Contribution of High Performance Working towards Greater Skills Essay

Contribution of High Performance Working towards Greater Skills Utilisation in UK Organisations - Essay Example The organisations are not able to fully utilised the potential and skills of the employees. Also, most of the employees are working in the position which are not compatible with their skills. All these factors have negative impact not only employees but also on organisation and in turn on whole economy. In this report an attempt has been made to analyse the extent to which high performance working in organisations can contribute towards greater skills utilisations with reference to the organisations in United Kingdom. The topic under discussion requires an organisation to develop a stimulating environment that harnesses its employee’s true working potential. By creating an environment that empowers an employee to use his skills to their maximum capacity would not only benefit the organisation (in terms of growth) but also the economy as a whole. When developing a workforce with variety of skill sets, it is of utmost importance to look at the broader picture (Dessler and Varkke y, 2009). In this broader picture the participants of the work force and the participating organisations are not the central figures. It is the economy of the country that is the central figure. Whenever, there is a demand for highly skilled workforce in the economy there arises a need to provide constant replenishment of workforce with new package of skills. When this happens the economy starts to move towards growth and prosperity. Therefore, in order to help the economy to grow and more importantly for its own growth an organisation should make endeavour that allows it to utilise its employees’ true working potential. An organisation can achieve this objective by crafting a High- Performance Work System. High-Performance Work System: A High- Performance Work System is an integrated set of human resource management policies and practices that together produces superior employee performance. Although there are no definite parameters or features of this kind of systems, but e xperts do believe that this kind of a system should comprise of the certain practices like: Employees Security, which entails job security and safety from workplace hazards and unjust employer treatment, selective hiring which involves the process of hiring individuals who fit with the work description, personality traits and organisational mission, extensive training which entails administering job specific training along with skill enhancing drills, self managed teams and decentralized decision making which in turn supports the delegation of work and authority, reduced status difference between managers and workers, information sharing i.e. Passing on the information that will help the person performing the task, contingent rewards (pay for performance) this enables the organisation to link reward with a performance goal, inspirational motivation through transformational leaders i.e. mentoring and supervision, measurement of management practices i.e. develop a departmental level S corecard to assess performance, and emphasis on high-quality work (Wood and Wall, 2007). With the help of high performance work system an organisation can achieve is several benefits and advantages. The organisation will be able to get more qualified applicants per position, there will be more employees selected based on validated selection tests, there will be more hours of training for new employees, employees will receive regular

Relationship between Lung and Tooth Abscess Assignment

Relationship between Lung and Tooth Abscess - Assignment Example If tooth decay is discovered early, cavities that could develop into abscesses can usually be treated. Since both diseases develop due to poor oral hygiene, practicing proper oral hygiene is the best way to prevent oneself from contaminating the abscesses. Avoiding cigarette and alcohol consumption not only serves as a prevention measure for a tooth abscess but also for a lung abscess. In ancient times, lung abscesses posed challenges to practitioners because of the long duration of the illnesses. A lung abscess was commonly associated with morbidity and mortality and supportive care was the major form of treatment. According to Ferri (2013), â€Å"a lung abscess is an infection of the lung parenchyma resulting in a necrotic cavity containing pus† (p. 9). In order to better comprehend this infectious disease of the respiratory tract, one needs to know the risk factors associated with the disease. Ferri’s (2012) study found the risk factors to be alcohol-related problems, seizure disorders, cerebrovascular disorders, drug abuse, poor oral hygiene and obstructive malignant lung diseases. According to Joiner, â€Å"a dental abscess develops when a pus-filled sac forms in the tissue at the root of a tooth† (2001, p. 348). It is known to bring intolerable pain to the affected. The tooth usually throbs and aches to make chewing or biting very painful. If one does not seek medical care, the infection spreads through the surrounding tissue and bone, causing the neck and face glands to become swollen. This is usually accompanied by a severe headache and fever, which are the common symptoms of infections. Joiner (2001) adds that the causes of a tooth abscess are bacteria accumulation in the deep pockets found between gums and teeth or infections on the roots of teeth. Numerous symptoms are observed in persons suffering from lung and tooth abscesses. These symptoms are usually prolonged occurring for weeks to months. For a  lung abscess, they include fever, chills and sweats, coughs, sputum production and amphoric breath sounds (Ferri, 2012).

The Rise And Development Of American Novel English Literature Essay

The Rise And Development Of American Novel English Literature Essay When we speak about American Literature, we are speaking about written works that were produced in America geographically or politically. Apart from English writers the American writers also proved their worth in creating literature such as is able to be recognized as one the best masterpieces of the English works. The genre of novel gave the novelists a medium to speak freely to the world seeking comfort and knowledge contrasted to the other genres of literature in which apart from creativity a writer has to seek many other techniques of writing which sometimes hurdle the writer to express his or her true meaning. The category is as wide as poetry: novels are long prose fictions, including every kind of Plot (tragic, comic), all styles and manners of dealing with their material (from the satiric to rhapsodic) and showing a capacity to cover every imaginative subject matter from all points of view. They range from the popular Thriller to the most esoteric literary artifice. The capacity of the form to absorb other literary styles, its freedom to develop in any direction and its flexibility, have made the novel the major modern literary form.(Gray, 198). There are many reasons which show the absence of cultural voices in the early American novel. First of all there was no authentic American language or medium of expression avaiable for literary purpose. Americans were in a process to coin new style of language that could be considered as the American language distinguished from the English style or Englsih writing style. There was also lack of cultural support for the Americans to create new ideas or creative efforts. America due to the impact of colonialism was not in a strong position to depict its utmost culture in its works of literature. American culture tended to be parochial and generally distrustful of any written expression that was not didactic. For example, clergy such as Janathan Edwards taught that reading novels was an indulgence leading to moral decline. Due to an unstable society, there could be no stable American genre of the novel. Cathy Davidson and others have argued that some novels tried to attain an ideological status (Revolution and the Word, 1986) which is a critique of the existing order, and that the more popular the genre became, the more those vested with cultural authority worried over their loss of dominance. This was especially true because novels, unlike sermons, required no intermediaries for interpretation. The early American novel, as a genre, tended to proclaim a society egalitarian message. It spoke forà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦orphans, beggar girls, factory girls, or other unfortunates, and it repeatedly advocated the general need for female education'. (Davidson,73). The genre of novel can be classified as sentimental, picaresque, gothic and the novels of nostalgia or reclamation which unifies the spirit of the nation for example James Fenimore Coopers novel The Spy (1821). Sentimental novel or novel of sensibility reflects the sentimentalism of the 18th century which is reflected in sentimental comedy and domestic tragedy. The term Sentimentalism bears two meanings, first the overindulgence in emotion especially for the pleasure that this feeling provides, secondly the optimistic overemphasis on the goodness of humanity (sensibility), signifying in part a reaction against Calvinism, which regarded human nature as depraved. Pamela was the beginning of the style; although Fieldings more realistic Tom Jones was written in protest. There are also examples of 18th century sentimental novel: Oliver Goldsmiths The Vicar of Wakefield (1766), Henry Mackenzies The Man of Feeling (1771), Laurence Sternes Tristram Shandy (1760-67). Sensibility is a term for reliance on feelings as guides to the truth and not on reasoning and law. The term is concerned with primitivism, sentimentalism, the nature movement, and other aspects of romanticism. The high value that the e ighteenth century put on sensibility was a feedback against the stoicism of the 17th century and the theories progressed by Hobbes and others that human beings were inspired primarily by self-interest. Picaresque began in sixteenth century as a counterpoise to the chivalric romance. It includes a gallery of human types drawn from all societal classes. It sorts lower class protagonists who survive by treachery and malleability. Hero is both a swindler and a victim. It also features a encounter between the heros craving to survive and his natural itches to side with truth and goodness. Picaresque novel uses subsidiary characters, like Sancho Panza, who assist the hero. This genre also emphasizes liberty and emission from limits of conservative society and lastly it also features panoramic scenes. The purpose of this genre is that it contains different types of discourse: philosophical reflection, travel essay, political disquisition, it also parodies other traditional literary forms, such as poetry and the romance. It is also suitable for observation on politics of republicanism. Its dimness is its uneven point of views-not a problem in Huck Finn, though. Hugh Henry Brackenridges Mod ern Chivalry (1792-1815), Tabitha Gilman Tenneys Female Quixotism: Exhibited in the Romantic Opinion and Extravagant Adventures of Dorcasina Sheldon (1801), Charlotte Lennoxs The Female Quixote (1752), and Royall Tylers The Algerine Captive (1797) are a few examples of picaresque novels. The conventions of Gothic are mad monks, castles, ruined abbeys-and also superstitions and delusion, hidden corruption and human anxieties, mazelike pathways, haunted minds masked by apparently normal outward lives. Gothic conventions became a form for expressing fears of the conflicting claims of authority and liberty in American society-self-made, self-improved, self-confident men abusing power or undermining the social order. Charles Brockden Browns Wieland (1798), Ormond (1789), and Edgar Huntly (1799) are the examples of Gothic genre. So far as American literature is concerned Captain John Smith is considered to be the first American author due to his work: A True Relation of Such Occurrences and Accidents of Noate as Hath Happened in Virginiaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(1608). This kinds of works are known as the colonial literature. Smiths other works are The Generall Historie of Virginia, New England, and the Summer Isles (1624). Other colonial writers of this manner are Daniel Denton, Thomas Ashe, William Penn, George Percy, William Strachey, Daniel Coxe, Gabriel Thomas, and John Lawson. During 18th century the focus of all the phenomena were shifted from religion to the reasoning with the advent of era of science and inventions. All the happenings were observed with the laws of Physics as were given by Sir Isaac Newton and thus religion and the rules of clergy were demolished. There happened a great shift from the Holy Scriptures towards the human reasoning as to say. This era is known as the Enlightenment of 18th century which strongly impacted the authority of churchmen hence making the way for democratic principles. There also increase in population in the British colonies which helped account for the greater diversity of opinion in religion as well as political life which is seen in the literature of this time. The American post-independence era gave rise to many pieces of writing concerning American State, comprising notes on the State of Virginia by Thomas Jefferson and his many letters solidify his place as one of the most trained early American writers. So far as the first American novels are concerned, they were first published during late 18th and early 19th century. These works of fiction were too lengthy to be printed for pubic reading, but the publishers took the chance to public having hope that they would become steady sellers and hence need to be printed. Among the first American novels are Thomas Attwood Digges Adventures of Alonso, which was published in London in 1775, and William Hill Browns The Power of Sympathy published in 1791. Browns novel shows a tragic love story between siblings who fell in love without knowing that they were related. This epistolary novel is related to the Sentimental novel tradition. During the next decade many novels were published which were written by many female writers. Susanna Rowso is known very well for her novel, Charlotte Temple, which is a tale of seduction and written in third person warning against listening to the voice of passionate love and counsels resistance as well. Another female novelist, Hannah Forster wrote The Coquette: Or, the History of Eliza Wharton which was published in 1797 and it was also an extremely popular novel. This being told from Hannah Forsters point of view and secondly based on the life of Eliza Whitman, this another epistolary novel is concerned with a woman who is seduced and abandoned. Eliza is a coquette who is courted by two very very different men: a clergyman who is offering her the comfort and regularity of domestic life, and a noted and specified libertine. Both novels that is The Coquette and Charlotte are considered to be those novel which speak about the rights of women. In this way these novels can be rendered as the Feminist novels or works of American literature. These novels are also known as the democratic ones as they speak of equal rights of women. The novels are classified under the term as sentimental novels or sentimental genre, characterised by over indulgence in emotion. They are an open invitation to listen to the voice of reasoning against misleading passions and they are also an optimistic over-emphasis about the necessary goodness of humanity. Although these novels were very popular, yet the economic infrastructure of that time did not allow these writers to make their ways living easier. It was in 1809 when an American author, Washington Irving, was able to publish his work entitled A History of New-York from Beginning of the World to the End of the Dutch Dynasty and he became able to support himself from the income generated by his publications. Charles Brockden Brown is another American novelist who published Wieland in 1798, Ormond in 1799 and Edgar Huntlyin in 1799 which were of the Gothic genre. Hugh Henry Brackenridge published Modern Chivalry in 1792 which was of the picaresque genre. Tabitha Gilman Tenney wrote Female Quixotism, Charlotte Lennox wrote The Female Quixote in 1752. Royall Tyler, William Gillmore Simms, Lydia Maria Child, John Neal and Catherine Maira are the porminent figures of American novelists. Puritanism 17th Century: Puritanism is a movement created by extreme Calvinist Protestants who sought to purify religion and society. They believed God would cleanse their feelings through grace eliminating envy, vanity, and lust. Puritans valued plainness in all things including their writing. Of Plymouth Plantation by William Bradford, and speech Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards Classicism/ The Age of Reason 18th Century: The Age of Enlightenment, or Age of Reason, is an intellectual movement which began in Europe. Writers during this time believed the goals of rational individuals were knowledge, freedom, and happiness. The literary movement which coincided with the Age of Reason was Classicism, based on the study of and adherence to the ancient classic works of Greece and Rome. Classicists valued clarity, order, balance, and reason instead of imagination. They believed nature was like a machine with fixed, unchanging laws. The following works are examples: Poor Richards Almanack -Benjamin Franklin Speech in the Virginia Convention Patrick Henry The Crisis, Number 1 Thomas Paine The Declaration of Independence Thomas Jefferson To the Right Honorable William, Earl of Dartmouth Phillis Wheatly Nationalism in Literature Late 18th Century to Early 19th Century: Nationalism developed from pride, patriotism, and the desire to be distinctly different from the Europeans. American writers tried to write stories and poems unlike European Romantic writers, but they largely failed in their efforts. Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving and The Deerslayer James Fennimore Cooper Romanticism 19th Century: Romanticism is the movement that rebelled against Classicism in favor of the imagination and emotions. Romantic writers favored intuition over reason and were more concerned with the individual than the whole society. They saw art as an imaginative expression of an individuals essence. Romantics viewed nature as a beautiful mystery, and source of moral and spiritual lessons, not a machine. Many American Romantic writers were also Nationalists who used American history and legends as their subject matter. Rip Van Winkle Washington Irving, The Deerslayer by James Fennimore Cooper, Masque of the Red Death and The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe, Walden by Henry David Thoreau, and Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne are the exemplary wroks. American Renaissance/ New England Renaissance Mid 19th Century: The American Renaissance is a flourishing of literature dominated by two groups: the Brahmins (based in Cambridge, Massachusetts) and the Transcendentalists (based primarily in Concord, Massachusetts). The Brahmins/Fireside Poets were Longfellow, Lowell, Whittier, and Holmes, Harvard professors who promoted a second attempt at creating a literature which, though based on European models, is distinctly American in character. The Transcendentalists, led by Emerson, were philosophers, social reformers, and writers. The Southerner Poe as well as the Anti-Transcendentalists, Hawthorne and Melville (more Massachusetts residents) are also frequently associated with this movement. Paul Reveres Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Old Ironsides by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Self-Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walden or Life in the Woods by Henry David Thoreau and Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne are a few works. Transcendentalism 19th Century: American Transcendentalism was created by Emerson who borrowed his ideas from German Transcendentalism and Indian religion to develop a new philosophy. Transcendentalists believe that the basic truths of the universe transcend the physical world and lie beyond the knowledge that can be obtained from the senses. They feel that every individual has the ability to experience God firsthand in his/her intuition. They value nature and believe in the spiritual unity of all life, stating God, humanity, and nature share a universal soul. They feel that nothing in nature is trivial or insignificant; all is symbolic and important. They also promoted the belief that every human being is born inherently good. Self Reliance by Ralph Waldo Emerson, Walden by Henry David Thoreau and Woman in the Nineteenth Century by Margaret Fuller are prominent works. Anti-Transcendentalism 19th Century: Anti-Transcendentalism (like Transcendentalism) is a subsection of Romanticism. Hawthorne and Melville were far less optimistic than Emerson and his fellow philosophers. The Anti-Transcendentalists believed good and evil coexist in the world and that intuition could lead a person to evil just as easily as it could lead to good. The Scarlett Letter, The Birthmark, The Minsters Black Veil by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Moby Dick by Herman Melville are few examples. Local Color and Regionalism Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century: Local color writers identify with a particular place or region of the country. They emphasized distinctive and colorful regional traits (speech patterns and dialects, local customs and folkways, character types, etc.). These writers promoted the objective observation of social facts as well as the sentimental treatment of human emotion and motivation.The White Heron by Sarah Orne Jewett and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain are the major works. Realism Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century: Realism, unlike Romanticism, places less emphasis on the imagination and more on observed fact. These writers viewed the world and human behavior scientifically, mirroring realities without softening or idealizing them. This movement is often considered a rebellion against Romanticism. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain and My Antonia by Willa Cather show realism. Naturalism Late 19th Century to Early 20th Century: Naturalism was a significant offshoot of Realism. Many American authors were influenced by this movement. Naturalism demands that writers penetrate the surface of life and human character. It focuses on inherited traits and environmental conditions (nature and nurture). Naturalism usually explores the negative aspects of society. These authors did not judge their characters morality, but rather viewed them through a social Darwinist lens. Naturalists believed that chance exists but free will is rarely possible. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane and Of Mice and Men and The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck are few examples of this era. Modernism First half of the 20th Century: Modernism is a self-conscious break from traditional literary forms and subject matter and a search for a distinctly contemporary mode of expression. It was heavily influenced by the horrors and disillusionment of World War One. These writers are also referred to as The Lost Generation. Their writing reflects isolation, alienation, and fragmentation. It places emphasis on individual perception, sensibility, and human consciousness. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber by Ernest Hemingway and The Crucible by Arthur Miller are the exemplary works. Imagism Early 20th Century: Imagism is a subsection of Modernism that attempted to free poetry from stale conventions and florid language. It emphasized direct concentration on the precise image, the use of precise words and the language of common speech, new rhythms and the use of free verse, as well as complete freedom in the choice of subject.This is Just to Say and The Red Wheelbarrow by William Carlos Williams,The Garden by Ezra Pound and Heat by H. D. (Hilda Doolittle) are the best examples of imagism. Harlem Renaissance Primarily the 1920s: The Harlem Renaissance, also called the New Negro Movement, is a period of outstanding creativity among African American writers. Many of these works were sophisticated explorations of black life and culture that revealed and stimulated a new confidence and racial pride. The following are a few works of literature. The Invisible Man Ralph Ellison Lift Every voice and Sing James Weldon Johnson Their Eyes Were Watching God Zora Neale Jurston Harlem: A Dream Deferred Langston Hughes Southern Renaissance 1930s and 40s: The Southern Renaissance is heavily influenced by traditional Southern humor (stories, sketches, tall tales, and folklore) as well as by the Local Color movement. This time period marked a sudden explosion of excellent Southern writers who emphasized regional speech patterns and dialects, local customs and folkways, as well as character types. The following are a few works of literature. A Worn Path Eudora Welty The Sound and the Fury William Faulkner All the Kings Men Robert Penn Warren Beat Movement The 1950s: Centered in the bohemian or beatnik urban artists communities, the Beat movement defines itself in its alienation from the conventional and its adaptation of the seedy and hip, embracing jazz music, drugs, sex, and Buddhism. The following are a few works of literature. Howl Allen Ginsberg On the Road Jack Kerouac Pluralism 20th century: Pluralism is a movement defined by diversity. During the 20th century American literature was no longer predominantly male, white, and Christian. Men and women of many cultures, races, religions, and ethnic groups began to be published. Many of these authors chose to use the first person point of view rather than the, previously popular, their person. Various voices shared their stories while addressing universal themes. The following are a few works of literature. The Bell Jar Silvia Plath The color Purple Alice Walker The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven Sherman Alexie Magical Realism The Second half of the 20th Century: Magical Realism was created in Latin America but it has influenced many writers of the United States as well. This movement juxtaposes the ordinary and the magical, incorporating fantastic elements into otherwise realistic fiction. The following are a few works of literature. Like Water for Chocolate Laura Esquival Beloved and Song of Soloman Toni Morrison Going After Cacciato Tim OBrien The Lovely Bones Alice Sebold Post Modernism The Second half of the 20th Century: Postmodernists believe that there is no single truth, but rather a variety of perspectives none of which is better or worse than another. This movement neither embraces nor resists the conventional. It accepts everything equally. Postmodern works are often eclectic, and anachronistic. Postmodernists make no distinction between high art and popular culture, can blur the boundary between fiction and nonfiction, and often sample other artists work freelyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦(very freely). The following are a few works of literature. The Simpsons Matt Groening Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas Hunter S. Thompson Snow Falling on Cedar David Guterson Breakfast of Champions Kurt Vounnegut Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf Edward Albee The Secret Life of Bees Sue Munk Kidd

Chapter Notes on Confucius Lives Next Door by T.R. Reid :: Confucius Lives Next Door Asia Essays

Chapter Notes on Confucius Lives Next Door by T.R. Reid Chapter 1: THE OTHER MIRACLE 1) Japan still has the largest foreign currency reserves in the world even after years of recession. This fact was important because later it was explained that everyone in Japan had money and that it was more equally distributed than in the east. 2) East Asia has been extraordinarily successful. They have the safest streets, the strongest families, and the best schools in the world. This statement was important because it showed how this country surpassed other countries especially America. It also showed how safe it was for children to walk around by themselves even when it is at nighttime and with far distance. 3) It is shameful and humiliating in Japan if a couple gets a divorce. Shows how Japan?s high emphasis on morals impacts everyone on a daily basis. 4) Confucius was a big influence and explained the region?s low rates of crime and family breakdown and relatively high level of economic equality and social civility. Shows how Confucius teaches individuals of both high and low birth to strive for success in their lifetime. Chapter 2: EASTERN FLAVOR 1) Baskin Robins in Japan is the biggest ice cream chain in Japan. Also the Thirty-one in the name is pronounced ?Satay-wan? since the Th. is not pronounced in the Japanese language. Interesting to state this because they also say San-kyu instead of Thank You. San-kyu also means 3-9, which gives them their most thankful day of the year March 9. It?s just interesting to point out. 2) Kentucky Fried Chicken was the most successful food chain in Japan. Showed how Japan easily accepts and institutes foreign markets and ideas without hesitation or humiliation. They adapt so well to the outside world. 3) Stealing was very shameful so a mountain bike that was not locked would be considered very safe in the streets. Showed their high standards and respect for others which has contributed to many successes in Japan. 4) There is a different language for greeting somebody who stands above you in hierarchy and a whole different language for ordinary conversation. This shows how language plays a role in Japan by the maintenance of the hierarchical structure of the society.

Discuss research relating to bystander behaviour Essay

The murder of Kitty Genovese and the bystander behaviour that was apparent that night triggered a great deal of research to explain bystander behaviour. Latane & Darley suspected that the fact that the number of possible helpers was so large might actually have contributed to their lack of intervention. They processes that might explain the reluctance of others to ‘get involved’ in situations such as the Kitty Genovese incident. The Diffusion of Responsibility explanation suggests that the more witnesses there are to a person needing help, the less anyone witness feels responsible for giving help. Latane & Darley conducted a lab based experiment using male university students seated in individual cubicles connected by an intercom system, believing they had come to take part in a discussion on collage life. Students were lead to believe they were on their own, alone with one other participant who would later appear to have an epileptic seizure, or an increasing number of other participants. Help was less likely and slower to be given when participants believed that other potential helpers were available. The findings from this study support the notion of diffusion of responsibility as, as suggested the more witness there were to the victim needing help, the less the participant felt a sloe responsibility to help. Participants assumed that his intervention would not be necessary, as confederates would have taken care of the situation. However, it could be argued that as the experiment was lab based it holds no ecological validity, and therefore the results cannot be generalised to real life situations. Participants reluctance to help may have been caused by an attempt to avoid social disapproval (e. g. being the odd one out), or they may also have picked up demand characteristics from experimenters or other confederates as to the true nature of the experiment and felt they needed to supply the experimenters with the results they required. Latane & Draley also proposed the Pluralistic Ignorance theory. This hypothesis suggests that when making a decision about whether or not to help, we look to see what other bystanders are doing. If other bystanders appear to act as if the situation is an emergency situation and help the victim, we are likely to do the same. If no one else offers to help we are unlikely to offer help as well. In the smoke filled room experiment participants were invited to take part in what they thought was a psychological experiment. While waiting for it to ‘begin’ they were asked to fill out a questionnaire in a waiting room that is filled with smoke. In the first condition they were in the room on they’re own, and then in a variety of conditions including an increasing number of confederates, who acted like it was not an emergency situation. When on their own participant’s seeked help 100% of the time, but as the number of people present increased, participants remained seated and acted like it was not an emergency situation (mirroring the confederates behaviour). This strongly supports the idea of pluralistic ignorance as they were looking to confederates for guidance on how to shape their own behaviour. Again this was a lab-based experiment and therefore it lacks ecological validity. As a result of Latane & Darley’s research, Piliavin conducted a field in a New York subway, where a stooge collapsed in a variety of conditions (black stooges that looked ill, white stooge that appeared to be drunk and visa versa), with other experimenters observing commuters behaviour. If the victim appeared to be ill they were helped much more frequently than if they appeared to be drunk. The colour of the victim made no difference to the frequency of help they received. This real life study demonstrates that personal characteristics of the victim appear to play a more important part in whether to be a bystander or not. This study is much higher in ecological validity than those conducted by Latane & Darley as it was conducted in a real-life situation. Most of the above research has been carried out in the USA. The dominant approach in the USA is based on self-interest, rather than concern for others. There is evidence that this selfish approach is not dominant in other cultures, e. g. a study by Whiting & Whiting found large differences in the prevalence of altruistic behaviour form one culture to another. Darley said in 1991; â€Å"in the United States, and perhaps in all advanced societies, it is generally accepted that the true and basic motive of human action is self-interest†.

Environmental Analysis ITT Technical Institute

Environmental Analysis ITT Technical Institute Free Online Research Papers ITT Technical Institute (ITT Tech) is a private institution with 114 locations in 37 states. Each location offers degree programs. ITT Tech was founded in 1969 and came to Nashville in 1994. Known for its technical degree programs, it offers degrees in the areas of Information Technology, Electronics Technology, Drafting and Design, Criminal Justice, Business and Health Sciences. The organization specializes in career focused programs which helps to place graduates in their career field. The core of ITT Tech lies with the admissions department also known as marketing. Without the admissions department the school would not be able to function. The primary goal of admissions is to recruit new students as well as students whom may have withdrawn or dropped from school. The Nashville campus admissions department consists of a director of recruitment, manager of recruitment and 21 student representatives also known as recruiters. The recruiters consist of one community relations recruiter that attends career fairs and visits high schools to conduct seminars about ITT. Her goal is to bring in additional outside leads for the other 20 recruiters to contact and attempt to enroll in school. Each recruiter has a minimum number of students they are required to have sit in class each year. Depending on how many students the recruiter started the year before will determine if the number will increase or decrease each year. These numbers determine a recruiters ranking in the department. Some would argue a recruiter is a salesman due to the job weighing heavily on numbers. With each recruiter having individual numbers to meet, the department can be very competitive. The competitiveness brings about low team morale. Managers are not concerned with individual numbers but are more concerned with the final school number. This discernment often leads to a breakdown in communication between managers and recruiters. Recruiters feel they are not respected or rewarded for working hard to achieve their numbers. This often leads to resentment between managers and staff. Another common problem is recruiters begin to get greedy and develop a â€Å"by what ever means necessary† mentality. This mentality often causes them to step on their team members in order to achieve their required numbers. Macroeconomic Forecast â€Å"Economic factors concern the nature and direction of the company in which a firm operates† (Pearce, 2004, p.79). ITT Tech is affected by economic factors in a number of different areas. Changes in the economy can prove to be good as well as bad for the education industry. Studies have shown when individuals lose their jobs they seek a different method to help with seeking out employment. If someone does not have a degree oftentimes they decide school is their best option to obtain job security and become competitive in the job market. The decline in the economy over the last year has proven to be beneficial for ITT Tech. The admissions department has witnessed a rise in incoming students every quarter since the economy has been on a downward slope. Students are realizing experience in a field is no longer enough to get and secure a good paying job. Students are also realizing for every one job that may be available the number of applicants have increased tremendously over the last year. This increase in applicants makes them want to return to school to be more competitive in their job search. IBISWorld reports that in â€Å"2008 as a whole, current data indicated the average level of the unemployment rate was 5.8%. For the first quarter of 2009, the rate averaged 8.1%, reaching a monthly level of 8.5% in March. In 2008 when the housing market began to crumble major lenders began to pull out of lending money to potential students. Sallie Mae was one of the major lenders that pulled out. This left a great deal of students in a stand still position. This drastically hurt the admissions department because the majority of these students had no means of funds to go to school. Therefore, these students were dropped from the active roster list, which in return affected each recruiter’s individual required numbers. ITT Tech was forced to develop in-house programs to assist potential students. Unlike Sallie Mae qualifications, these programs were credit based which still eliminated some students. Although some students were declined this was alternative some found to be beneficial. According to the IBISWorld report â€Å"revenue forecasts have been upgraded for 2009, with the expectation that enrollments will increase in a period of higher unemployment. Volatile quarterly revenue growth reflects the seasonal demand for services.† (2009). Most people have the mindset if they are working there is no need to return to school. Therefore, when jobs are on the rise, enrollment into post secondary schools begin to decline. Studies have shown 1 out of 5 people live from check to check. Most people do not think long-term and don’t understand the importance of obtaining a degree even if they currently have a good paying job. This also helps us to understand that the generation attending college lives in an immediate gratification era. Individuals are more concerned with what needs to be done today and not taking into consideration what needs to be done in the future. IBISWorld report states the Technical and Trade Schools industry is expected to grow an average rate of 5.7% per annum. This is due largely to the demand for training in the areas of new technology. Employers are also more focused on employees receiving hands on training when getting a degree. â€Å"New technology has caused qualified trades people to undertake regular re-training in order to update their skills† (IBISWorld, 2009). Once the economy begins to get back on track the admissions department will begin to see students drop out of school due to finding jobs. Recruiters will also begin to experience a decline in committed potential students. It’s not uncommon to contact a potential student today and have him come in and sign up for school the same day. The turn around in the economy will have a negative impact on recruiters making their required numbers because it becomes more difficult to recruit potential students. Analysis of Remote Environment Social and Cultural Trends â€Å"Like other forces in the remote environment, social forces are dynamic, with constant change resulting from the efforts of individuals to satisfy their desires and needs by controlling and adapting to environmental factors† (Pearce, 2004, p. 9). ITT Tech is good about recognizing what consumers are looking for. Therefore, the admissions department is always provided information on the current social trends. These updates help recruiter’s sale the programs being offered to potential students. Although ITT Tech was founded on technical degree programs, ITT Tech recognizes other fields of study that are rapidly growing. One social trend that is rising at a rapid pace is the medical field. When talking to potential students each recruiter can expect to have at least one person state he is interested in the medical field daily. Due to this demand ITT Tech has began offering medical degree programs at many of its locations. Currently in Nashville none of the programs are offered on site but some are offered online. When speaking to a potential student who is interested in the medical field but may not want to do an online program, a recruiter is forced to refer the student to a different school. Once these programs are brought to the Nashville area this will help recruiters with making their numbers because more students will be able to be serviced. Political â€Å"Political factors define the legal and regulatory parameters within which firms must operate† (Pearce, 2004, p.14). ITT Tech is governed under the Higher Education Commission of Tennessee. They are also accredited by the Accrediting Counsel for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS). These two organizations govern what the school and its employees can and can not do. ACICS compliance concerns are with graduation numbers and placements. Therefore, in order to keep the current accreditation, each program must graduate a certain number of graduates every year and out those graduates at least 75% of them must be placed in their career fields. This works in the recruiters favor because they are able to use this as leverage when talking to potential students. Federal regulation allows ITT Tech to be a Title IV school. Being a Title IV school allows students to be eligible to receive Federal Government funding in the form of different government loans. Students are able to obtain state and federal grants as well as federal student loans. By providing these programs students are not limited in their financial options. Potential students have the misconception that since ITT Tech is a private school they do not offer federal funding. A recruiter can use this information to assist them when interviewing potential students. This helps the student to understand he can combine different programs to cover their financial aid with the hopes of not having to come out of pocket any money. Technological Technological factors play a role in the education industry as well. It’s no secret the world is moving towards a tech savvy era. Therefore, in order for a school to survive it must keep up with current technological trends. ITT Tech offers onsite as well as online classes. This gives students flexibility in completing their program. When a student signs up for school everything is done electronically. This decreases the time it would normally take for a student to complete his paper work. ITT Tech has shortened their admission time process in half since putting documents online. A student no longer has to visit a campus to go to the library. An online library has been established for the convenience of the students to access at their leisure from any computer with internet access. These changes have allowed ITT Tech to stay in line and in some cases ahead of the competition. One of the new technological advances currently being implemented include live chat. Live chat gives a potential student the ability to speak to recruiter while online. This gives both the student a chance to ask any questions he may have while also allowing the recruiter to schedule an interview for the potential student to come in. This will help recruiters by providing leads at that very moment as opposed to leads coming into the system and not knowing how long ago the person requested information. Demographic IBISWorld states approximately 40% of students at technical and trade schools are less than 21 years old with 35% being 21-30 years old and 25% over 30 years old. At ITT Tech less than 25% of its students are less than 25 years old, 45% being 25-35 years old and 30% over 35 years old. The students at ITT Tech are typically there because of the hands on experience. The majority of the students have families; works full-time jobs, have been to college in the past and didn’t graduate or may just be looking to change careers completely. ITT Tech provides a environment for adults where they are only required to take three classes a week one class a day to be considered fulltime. Competitive Analysis Currently ITT Tech’s tuition is $468 per credit hour. An Associate’s degree takes 96 hours to complete ($44,928 total tuition) and a Bachelors degree takes 180 hours to complete ($84,240 total tuition). At local community colleges a student can complete an Associate’s degree for less than $10,000. To complete a Bachelor’s degree from a traditional university a student will pay about $35,000. The drastic difference in cost can pose a problem when recruiters are talking to potential students. These students see bottom line dollar figures and it’s up to the recruiter to sale ITT Tech and the reasons why the tuition is different. Currently ITT Tech is ranked ahead of its competition in technical schools. This is attributed to ITT Tech being a combination of a traditional school and a trade school. A combination of the curriculum and the hands on training puts them in the forefront. Although all their programs result in degrees, ITT Tech differs from a traditional school in a number of ways. One way includes, students only take general education classes 25% of the time they are enrolled. 75% of their time is spent on core related courses all requiring both a classroom and lab sessions. The mission of ITT Tech is: The ITT Technical Institute is an institution of higher learning that is committed to offering quality undergraduate, graduate and continuing education locally, nationally and worldwide to students of diverse backgrounds, interests and abilities. The institution offers educational programs that integrate life-long learning with knowledge and skills to help students: pursue their personal interests and objectives; develop intellectual, analytical and critical thinking abilities; and provide service to their communities. The programs employ traditional, applied and adult-learning pedagogies and are delivered through traditional, accelerated and distance methodologies in a learner-centered environment of mutual respect. (ITT Technical Institute, 2009) The vision of the admissions department is to achieve budgeted year end census. Currently the forces and trends that could affect ITT Tech achieving this vision include the remote industry (economic, social and technological factors). In order to remain ahead of competition there are several opportunities and issues that need to be addressed in this strategic-planning process. Those include but are not limited to the following: 1. Incorporate classes in both English and Spanish 2. Obtain national accreditation to allow for more opportunities for students 3. Discontinue the current ranking system among recruiters 4. Give all recruiters the opportunity to go out in the community and recruit 5. Implement quarterly team morale building activities SWOT Analysis Strengths include: Well Trained Recruiters Accreditation Flexible hours to meet with potential students Monday – Saturday between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Over 15 years of experience Weaknesses include: Low Team Morale Disconnect with managers and recruiters Quarterly and yearly requirements No reward system Constant negative reinforcement and no positive reinforcement from managers Revolving door for new employees Threats include: Competition Cheaper tuition Economy begins to turn around Long-Term Objectives As with any organization, long-term objectives are key to helping determine their success. â€Å"For most strategic managers, the solution is clear- distribute a small amount of profit now but sow most of it to increase the likelihood of a long-term supply† (Pearce, 2004, p.5). The objectives of the admissions department include: 1. New starts (measured against budget) 2. Achieve re-entry goals (measured by re-entries as a % of past 12 months gross drops) 3. Accepted students – Financial aid conduct % 4. Workforce management – Maintain recruiter staffing levels at targeted levels. (Target is based on leads/recruiter per week) (ITT Technical Institute, 2009). Conclusion It’s imperative that an organization establish a mission and a vision for not only the organization but each department as well. Although short-term goals are good for instant needs long-term goals must be set for success of the company. The goals must be specific in order for members of the organization to have a clear understanding of them. References ITT Technical Institute. (2009). Retrieved April 26, 2009 from itt-tech.edu Pearce, J. and Robinson, R. (2004). Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation, And Control. McGraw- Hill Companies. Technical Trade Schools in the US:61151. (2009). IBISWorld Industry Report. Retrieved May 12, 2009 from IBISWorld Database. Research Papers on Environmental Analysis ITT Technical InstituteStandardized TestingPETSTEL analysis of IndiaOpen Architechture a white paperThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationResearch Process Part OneThe Project Managment Office SystemPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyCapital PunishmentIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalDefinition of Export Quotas

A Complete Guide to Writing a Marketing Essay

A Complete Guide to Writing a Marketing Essay If you go to college with an assumption that you’ve learned everything there is to learn about writing essays back in high school, then you are in for a nasty surprise. A college marketing essay is an entirely different beast from what you’ve been taught before. In high school, it was enough to rehash the relevant chapter from a textbook and â€Å"express your thoughts†. In college, nobody is interested either in textbook material or in your thoughts unless they are backed up by original research and, preferably, grounded in practice. In this guide we will cover, step by step, how to write a marketing essay you won’t have to rewrite half a dozen times to impress your professors. Choosing a Topic Marketing deals with current problems and issues, which means that you can earn bonus points with your professor or tutor if you find a topic that is relevant here and now instead of repeating the same generalities as everybody else. Here are a few ways to get ideas for a topic: Go to the Marketing section of Quora and take a look at what questions people are asking right now. Topics discussed there are not only current and interesting but often contain usable links to information sources and allow you to get in touch with specialists you can consult; Visit marketing websites like GrowthHackers or Social Media Examiner and see what’s trending; Look for marketing communities in social media, LinkedIn first of all; Read mass media sources like AdNews and AdWeek to spot the current trends; Brainstorming with mind mapping is a fun and surprisingly effective tactic. Write down the general idea of your topic in the middle of a page (it may be just â€Å"Marketing† for now) and start jotting down ideas all around it. Go for quantity, not quality, simply put on paper everything you come up with. Turn off your internal censor and don’t be afraid to write a bad idea – it will help to spur your creativity; Check if it is relevant for your course and you can find enough material on the topic before you commit to it; Narrow down your topic if necessary. Essays are relatively small assignments, not very well suited to discussing broad subjects. For example, â€Å"Social media marketing† is way too vague a topic. â€Å"Facebook marketing campaigns† is better. â€Å"Use of video in Facebook marketing campaigns† is better yet; Discuss the topic with your supervisor and ask if your choice is a good one. It can just as well be a step one – simply say that you want some advice. Your supervisor probably did it many times before and knows what would be the best course of action. However, before you proceed with writing, you should ask yourself a few questions: Do you have access to data relevant for your topic (market researches, consumer reports, current statistics, etc.)? Do you have contacts of people from whom you can get the necessary information? These are not always necessary but can give your essay extra credibility? Is your topic original? You probably won’t be able to find a topic that has never been touched upon before, but if it is something every other student writes about, you will have a hard time impressing your professors? Is your topic relevant? Is it important in today’s world? Can studying it be useful? If you need more specific ideas, consider these prompts – each of them can serve as a basis for a dozen original and interesting essays: Analyze a particularly imaginative and successful marketing campaign and discuss what makes it so; Analyze a marketing campaign that backfired spectacularly and discuss what mistakes were made and how they could have been avoided; Discuss the importance of taking local culture and realia into account when planning marketing campaigns for foreign markets and potential blunders that can result from failing to do so; Compare two marketing campaigns promoting similar products and point out their strong and weak suits; Discuss the reasons why viral marketing campaigns are so powerful and analyze some examples. Tips from Our Experts: Before You Start Writing Gathering Enough Information Just as with any other writing assignment, you start your job with gathering enough reliable sources of information to support your point of view and demonstrate that it is based on existing body of research, not just your own conjectures. In fact, it is best to do a bout of information before you settle down with a topic to make sure you will have enough material to work with. How many sources you need may vary – if it isn’t mentioned in the assignment you should consult your supervisor. Some students decide that the more the better – however, it isn’t always true. Using fifty sources to write a one-page essay is a bit excessive (and makes the professor doubt whether you really used all of them or simply added them to works cited page to make a better impression). General rule of a thumb is this: start with at least 3 sources and add one for each page after the first one. Also, consider the quality of the sources. Although marketing as a discipline is less conservative than, for example, psychology or physics, you still have to maintain certain standards. For example, blog posts aren’t usually considered to be a viable source of information. This, however, doesn’t mean that you cannot use online sources – you simply have to look for them using special academic search engines like Google Scholar. When choosing sources, follow these guidelines: Try to choose the most recent ones. Marketing is a volatile discipline that is subject to quick changes, and data that has been relevant five years ago may be hopelessly obsolete today; Prefer articles published by well-reputed magazines and universities. Irrespectively of their true value, they immediately add gravitas to your argument; Books and newspapers with good reputation are also suitable, although mass media in general are considered less valuable sources than proper academic materials, so don’t rely on them too much; Use a variety of sources without fixating on any one type in particular to make your research more well-rounded; Using case studies is a good idea in almost all situations. Any marketing assignment that uses data about real-life situations is going to be treated better than a purely theoretical work. Do Market Research In order to write most marketing essays you have to prepare at least a superficial market research related to your topic, even if you are dealing with a past case. Its details may vary, but most commonly you should do the following: Study the target demographic of the product or service you research. Before you do anything else, consider who its main intended consumer is. How does the company position the product? Is this positioning in alignment with how it is perceived by the public? Can this perception be changed with marketing methods? Do demographic research. Once you’ve formed your preliminary judgment, back it up with real research. Marketing reports are especially helpful when gathering this sort of info, but you shouldn’t forget about other sources: corporate websites and social media accounts, magazines and advertisements promoting the product. Document the trends trying to use as much objective facts and numerical data as possible. Support your conclusions with quotations from academic sources; Use input from psychology. Marketing isn’t the only discipline that studies advertisements and their influence. Psychology does so as well, and by looking at the subject from this unusual perspective, you can gain valuable insights into the situation: what psychological impact the ads in question have and how they can be altered. Writing Introduction and Thesis Statement Just like any other academic assignment, a marketing essay should start with a thesis statement – that is, the primary idea behind your writing, your viewpoint on the subject you are about to discuss and the purpose of your essay condensed to one or two sentences. Depending on the size of your essay, place thesis statement either in the introduction (in smaller assignments) or in the second paragraph (in larger ones). Be concise and straightforward and avoid vague expressions. However, don’t run the opposite extreme – phrases like â€Å"the topic of my essay is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and â€Å"the purpose of my essay† are fit for middle school, not college. You should formulate your thesis statement before writing anything else, as the entire essay revolves around it. If by the time you finish writing you feel that your perception of the subject changed, don’t hesitate to come back and alter it to suit the final variant of the essay better. Introduction per se serves a technical purpose – it should grasp the reader’s attention and lead him up to the thesis statement. Use anything that will cause the necessary effect. Here are some tips that will help you write a better introduction: Start with an interesting, probably unexpected fact about the industry in question (e.g., â€Å"Although there is twenty times as many consumers in the country as there are business buyers, the total volume of business market far surpasses that of that of consumer market†); Don’t repeat what you’ve said in the title. Better yet, use something seemingly completely unrelated to it; Keep it short. Introduction should lead the reader up to the main content, not replace it; Don’t forget to point out why your essay is important. Methodology Marketing is more concerned with provable facts and methods used to achieve the results and less with your personal thoughts and opinions on the subject. If you cannot prove that certain results are connected with certain factors, your opinion doesn’t mean much. That is why you should pay special attention to describing how you reached your conclusions: Where did you get your data? What methods did you use for data collection? What statistical procedures have you applied? How did you analyze your information? Why have you chosen this particular methodology (in case you had a viable alternative)? Body Paragraphs The number of body paragraphs, carrying the main content of the essay, can vary, but they are usually written following the same structure (sometimes called TEEL or TEECL): Topic sentence. Each paragraph should deal with a single idea or claim, and it is the job of the topic sentence to introduce it; Explanation. A few sentences to elaborate on the idea or claim in greater detail; Evidence. Back up the idea or claim with proof. This is where all your information sources come into play. Don’t forget that all sources should be cited using the academic style you’ve been assigned with; Comment. An optional yet very helpful part. Think about strong and weak points of your arguments and explain how your evidence supports your claim. Consider potential counter-arguments and answer to them preventatively; Link. Sum up the main idea of the paragraph, point out how it refers to the rest of your argument and why it is an important part of the bigger picture. Conclusion Marketing is all about practical application of knowledge and information, and it is not enough to just analyze the subject. That is why in conclusion in addition to summing up your argument and explaining the value of your research you are expected to offer your recommendations to solving the problem discussed in the main part. Post-Writing Activities Revision Ideally, you should set your essay aside for at least a day or two before revising it. Immediately after you’ve finished writing you are too used to your own words and sentence structures to notice most of the mistakes you’ve made. Better yet, have a trusted friend or a professional proofreader (or both) read your essay and point out all the errors they’ve noticed. However, this doesn’t replace a dedicated effort at proofreading on your own. Here are things you should pay attention to in addition to grammar and syntax: Eliminate any logical inconsistencies you find; Check if you answered all the questions you’ve asked. Make sure your answers are clear, comprehensible and unambiguous; See if you use unnecessarily long and complex words and sentence structures to make your writing appear more scientific. Remove them; Check if you follow â€Å"one paragraph – one idea† rule; Make sure you use passive voice only if it is absolutely necessary; Do you see any unnecessary words, sentences or even paragraphs? More isn’t always better, so if something isn’t needed to convey your thoughts, eliminate it without doubt. Style and Formatting When you are first given an essay to write you are assigned an academic style to use: APA, MLA or some other. You can find most information needed to successfully write an essay using one of them on websites like Purdue Owl. However, getting a relevant style guide is still a good idea. You will probably have most trouble with citations and bibliography page. If you have problems keeping in mind all the requirements in the style guide, consider using one of the websites generating citation entries based on your input. Conclusion Finally, a word to the wise. Don’t put writing off until the last possible moment – it always tends to take more time than you expect. If, however, you manage to finish the assignment a few days before the deadline, take a little break and then reread it carefully. If you find that you don’t like some parts of it, don’t hesitate to cut and rewrite – it may mean all the difference between a passing and a failing grade.

Financing Plan to Raise Capital Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Financing Plan to Raise Capital - Research Paper Example The Marina Restaurant was blessed with an interest from very influential people and customers even from the beginning. It usually hosts live bands apart from food and this has helped it solidify its image as the premier casual rock and roll diner. With all the success, the company has grown globally. The vast amounts of locations reflect the effective and efficient management which has led a small investment in a single cafe into an internationally recognized business expanding in just over 18 years. Marina Restaurant revenues are mainly from cafes, selling memorabilia and hotels. To ensure customers keep coming back they ensure they provide excellent value in the form of good food and entertainment. With such growth, the management has decided to open more outlets for the restaurant. However, it needs capital to start up the investment. Start-up Funding The Marina Restaurant seeks funding of $900,000 for the new venture and it will get it from three investment groups or under equity offering which entails raising capital through the issue of stock. This approach is preferred at this stage since there are no repayment schedule or debt service repayments. The shareholders will only get their returns when the company makes profits. The shareholders also have a right to vote during annual general meetings and can elect the board of directors (Owen 2003). The ordinary shareholders are the owners of the business and can receive dividends from profits. However, it is a costly process as there are floatation costs incurred and it can lead to dilution of shares held by existing shareholders. It is also risky if there are no dividends payable at year end thus shareholders end up bearing the operational risk. The investment documents will be prepared by legal firms representing each party and will not be limited to Form D Security Exchange Commission (SEC) filing, Subscriptions agreement and the Private Placement Memorandum (PPM). The subscriptions agreement reflects the terms and conditions of the investment. In other words, it is the sales contract for buying securities. Form D SEC filing notifies the commission that the company is using Regulation D program and also gives the basic information of the company. It is vital to note that this form is not an approval document but a mere notification that the company has an offering in the place. It is a violation of the security laws under the federal government to raise capital without this document. The PPM discloses all the company’s information to investors. The information maybe whether the company is raising debt or equity, the risk the investors may face and the terms of the investment( share price, maturity dates or note amounts). Financial projections Financial projections will be on the income statement, statement of financial position, statement of cash flows as well as on the financial ratios. Projections will be on years ranging from 1 to 5, and they are based on historical inform ation already available from the company (Owen 2003). Apart from the forecast, the break-even analysis will be carried out. Break even analysis Break even analysis shows the relationship between selling prices, sales volume, variable costs, fixed costs and profits at various levels of activity. It is also referred to as cost-volume profit analysis. It used in determining the break-even point where the total revenue equals the total costs. This means that at BEP, the profits are zero. Fixed costs include rent,

Speech Recon Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Speech Recon - Assignment Example It is not unreasonable to assume therefore that in the future advanced speech recognition software will govern more and more of our common day to day activities (Li, 2004). One particular aspect that it is likely to replace is the job of the drive thru order taker. Everyday, tens of thousands of orders are placed and received by a human being; however, the fact of the matter is that there is no reason why speech recognition software would not be capable of doing the exact same task. Further, technical support automation is already something that has experienced a great deal of success. As such, it would not be a stretch to assume that at some point, calling your banking institution, cell phone provider, or electrical company could all be handled by speech recognition software; with a human only acting as a last resort back up for very complex and convoluted issues. Authors and futurologists have long feared the time in which computers/robots will take over a high number of jobs from humans; thereby stripping humanity of its wherewithal and ability to perform certain functions on their own. In the same way, having voice recognition software conceivably performing a majority of customer care/relations jobs will doubtless have a negative effect on consumer satisfaction as the consumer feels as if their business is unworthy of the time it would take a â€Å"real human† to answer their questions. In the end, the technology in and of itself is not a bad thing; however, its application if overused is troubling for the