Gambling Addiction free essay sample

In precolonial times, the proceeds from lotteries authorized by the ruling English monarchy were used to subsidize explorations to, and settlements within, the New World (Ezell, 1960). As colonial America matured, government and private lotteries, as well as social gambling, were common. The colonial era of gambling ended with the spread of Jacksonian morality, aided by numerous well-publicized scandals. Civil War reconstruction introduced a second era of gambling, as lotteries were employed as a form of voluntary taxation to rebuild the wartorn South (Rose, 1998; Ezell, 1977). Gambling continued to spread until 1890, when a scandal involving the Louisiana lottery resulted in federal legislation that effectively banned state lotteries and prohibited other forms of gambling for nearly 70 years (Rose, 1998; Ezell, 1977). The United States is now in the midst of a third era of widespread legalized gambling, which began in 1931 when Nevada relegalized casinos (Rose, 1986, 1995). Initially, Americans in this era limited legal gambling opportunities to the Nevada casinos, charitable bingo, and pari-mutuel gambling, such as horse and dog track racing. We will write a custom essay sample on Gambling Addiction or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Popular forms of illegal gambling, such as offtrack betting, back room casino games, and numbers, were associated with organized crime and were treated as vice crimes by law enforcement institutions. Then, beginning in 1964, gambling expanded greatly after New Hampshire initiated the first modern state lottery, signifying a change in traditional social and moral barriers. As of this writing, some form of gambling is legal in all but 3 states, casino or casino-style gambling is available in 21 states, and 37 states have lotteries (National Opinion Research Center, 1999). In 1988, Congress passed the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, which allows tribes to operate any form of gambling currently legalized in the state in which the tribe resides. Resistance by many state legislatures to casino gambling and state-sanctioned sports betting continues, but in numerous jurisdictions other forms of gambling have become institutionalized, with state budgets increasingly dependent on gambling revenues. The advent of state-sponsored lotteries marked a significant policy shift in which the states moved from tolerance to active sponsorship and aggressive marketing of their own games. Public support of this shift is beyond question, with over 80 percent of adults in the United States participating in various forms of commercial or state-sponsored gambling sometime during their lives. Collectively Americans wagered over $551 billion in 1997 in legal gambling activities (International Gaming and Wagering Business, 1998). The process of discovering causal associations and pathways to understand how different factors, exposures, or disease-causing situations relate to each other usually involves multidisciplinary teams of psychiatrists, psychologists, statisticians, sociologists, economists, and epidemiologists. This chapter begins by describing considerations for undertaking or evaluating etiological research on pathological gambling, as well as the current state of knowledge regarding the causal pathways of pathological gambling. Risk factors for and correlates of pathological gambling, including psychosocial, environmental, genetic, and biological ones, are discussed and evaluated in terms of commonly accepted criteria for determining the strength of an association. Cooccurring disorders and their similar risk factors are also discussed. Throughout the chapter, substantial deficiencies in current research on pathological gambling are noted. Etiological Considerations in Undertaking Research on Pathological Gambling Etiological research is complex, and a number of aspects are essential to consider in undertaking it. They include the accuracy of diagnostic labels, the associations and causal relationships among potential risk factors, the uniqueness of risk factors, and age and cohort effects. In order to review the available evidence, the committee developed criteria to determine a causal association between a given risk factor and pathological gambling. Diagnostic Labels Considerable discussion has already been devoted to the definition, measurement, and prevalence of pathological gambling. When discussing the etiology of an illness, it is useful to revisit its label, because a label, as suggested by Nathan (1967), reflects the state of knowledge about the illness at the time it is labeled. In addition, etiological explanations keen on identifying causal pathways necessarily take labels into consideration, because they often describe the clinical site and clinical picture of an illness. For example, lung cancer, myocardial infarction, and lymphatic leukemia are medical labels that describe both the clinical site and the clinical picture of those illnesses. Medical labels such as tuberculosis and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can also specify the diagnosis, cause, or etiology of a physical illness. Precise diagnostic labels are less common in psychiatry. However, with the American Psychiatric Associations introduction of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), research on the more common mental disorders has flourished and has led to a concomitant explosion in research on risk factors (Goodwin and Guze, 1974). Research on the diagnostic classification of pathological gambling has lagged behind, and it has been identified as an area in serious need of etiological research. Associations and Causal Relationships As with other areas of research, when designing, undertaking, or evaluating etiological research on pathological gambling, one must understand and distinguish between associations and causal relationships among many potential risk factors. A risk factor is something that has a possible role in the initiation of a disease, the progression of a disease to a further state, or in the waning of a disease (which is then a protective factor). Demographic, biological, personality, family, peer, and genetic factors, among other possible risk factors, may interact over time to influence the course of outcomes, symptoms, and behaviors. Risk factors are most useful for research when they refer to a specific phenomenon that provides a feasible point of intervention. Some factors may be related exclusively to initiation; others may be related only to subsequent progression into problem or pathological gambling. Although important, such etiological distinctions have been rarely made in the relatively recent and limited iterature on pathological and problem gambling. The literature on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) offers an analytic model for distinguishing risk factors. Breslau and Davis (1987) demonstrated that it was the original exposure to a precipitating event, and not reexposure, that led to symptoms of PTSD among Vietnam veterans. In another study, Breslau and colleagues (1991), in an examination of young urban adults, identified risk factors for exposure to traumatic events (i. e. low education levels, being male, early conduct problems, and extraversion) that were distinct from risk factors for the actual disorder once exposed (i. e. , early separation from parents, neuroticism, preexisting anxiety or depression). Distinguishing risk factors is crucial in etiology research, as is identifying common risk factors for the progression of an illness. In the study just described, a family history of a psychiatric disorder or a substance abuse problem was identified as a common risk factor for exposure to traumatic events and acquiring PTSD. Unique Risk Factors Equally important to consider in etiological research on pathological and problem gambling is which factors for chronic, long-term gambling are unique to this disorder and not just predictors of excessive deviant behavior of all kinds. Again, the PTSD literature provides a template for research on pathological Age and Cohort Effects Etiological research must also consider how the effects of age and being in a cohort (a group of people born in the same year or decade) increase or decrease ones risk for initiating gambling or developing a gambling problem. Although these effects are infrequently considered in existing pathological and problem gambling research, Eriksons stages of development (Erickson, 1963, 1968, 1982) are one explanatory model that accounts for aging effects and could potentially be applied when investigating gambling behaviors. Specifically, the model hypothesizes that, as people age, they move through several developmental stages that correspond to certain stage-related tasks. When applied to gambling behavior, the implication is that, at certain developmental stages, the motivation for and expectations about gambling might change. A recent review demonstrated that gambling among young people occurs on a developmental continuum of gambling involvement ranging from no gambling experimentation to gambling with serious consequences (Stinchfield and Winters, 1998). These effects pertain to how risk factors and outcomes change with age and differ among groups of people (Mok and Hraba, 1991). Cohort effects pertain to specific events that affect groups of people born during the same time period (Mok and Hraba, 1991). When applied to gambling behavior, this means that increases in gambling opportunities during a certain period in history may affect a certain age group of people. For example, a cohort of same-age people who are passing through the age of risk for gambling problems when gambling opportunities are expanding may experience greater and increasing exposure to, involvement in, and social acceptance of gambling during their lifetimes than a cohort of same-age people at risk during periods of fewer gambling opportunities. In addition, circumstances can affect more than one cohort in the same way or in different ways. A classic example of an event that changed the trajectory of same-age people is the drug revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s. During this period, expanded drug use affected both teens and young adults, marking this time period as a historical risk factor for drug abuse. As opportunities to gamble continue to increase throughout most of the United States, it is likely that certain birth cohorts will be affected differently, perhaps in unanticipated ways.

Indian Economic Environment Essay Example

Indian Economic Environment Essay Example Indian Economic Environment Essay Indian Economic Environment Essay Companies and their suppliers, marketing intermediaries, customers, competitors, and publics all operate in a macro environment of forces and trends, increasingly global, which shape opportunities and pose threats. These forces represent â€Å"non-controllables†, which the company must monitor and to which it must respond. The beginning of the new century brought a series of new challenges: the steep decline of the stock market, which affected savings, investment, and retirement funds; increasing unemployment; corporate scandals; and of course, the rise of terrorism. These dramatic events were accompanied by the continuation of existing trends that have already influenced the global landscape. Within the rapidly changing global picture, the firm must monitor six major forces: demographic, economic, socio-cultural, natural, technological, and political-legal. Economic Environment- The available purchasing power in an economy depends on current income, prices, saving, debt, and credit availability. Marketers must pay careful attention to trends affecting purchasing power, because they can have a strong impact on business, especially for companies whose products are geared to high income and price-sensitive consumers. India’s economy has been showing vibrancy of growth from 1991 ever since the government initiated programs to ease control on industry and commerce. In 1998-1999, the GDP of the country was estimated to be Rs. 17,410 billion, at current prices. By the year 2006-2007, the GDP was estimated to be Rs. 41,000 billion. By applying the purchasing power parity (PPP) method, India’s GDP is estimated to be about $3. 319 trillion, making India the fourth largest economy in the world. GDP has also been growing at more than 7% per annum. The per capita income is also estimated to be increasing at the same rate. In addition, India has healthy foreign exchange reserves to cover the county’s imports for nearly one and a half year. Inflation has also been showing a healthy trend of less than 5%. These figures indicate that India has strong economic fundamentals that suggest a positive climate for business growth. India was under social democratic-based policies from 1947 to 1991. The economy was characterized by extensive regulations, protectionism, public ownership, corruption and slow growth. Since 1991, continuing economic liberalization has moved the country toward a market-based economy. A revival of economic reforms and better economic policy in 2000s accelerated Indias economic growth rate. In recent years, Indian cities have continued to liberalize business regulations. By 2008, India had established itself as the worlds second-fastest growing major economy. Indias large service industry accounts for 55% of the countrys Gross Domestic Product (GDP) while the industrial and agricultural sector contribute 28% and 17% respectively. Agriculture is the predominant occupation in India, accounting for about 52% of employment. The service sector makes up a further 34% and industrial sector around 14%. Previously a closed economy, Indias trade has grown fast. The Economic Survey for 2009-10 presented by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in Parliament on Thursday has revealed Indias share in world merchandise exports after remaining unchanged at 1. 1 per cent between 2007 and 2008, reached 1. per cent in 2009 (Jan-June) mainly due to the relatively greater fall in world export growth than India. Income Distribution- Macro economic indicators of the country provide the overall health of the economy as well as direction of economic growth. A marketer needs to understand the distribution of income to reach more meaningful conclusions about taking spe cific decisions. In India, we see that 77. 7% of urban households in India have a monthly income of up to Rs. 3000. Urban households with a monthly income between Rs. 3001 and 6000 are estimated to be about 16. 2% and another 4% with a monthly household income of Rs. 001-10,000. Only about 2. 1% of urban households have a monthly income over Rs. 10,000. Income distribution of households in India has been changing significantly over time. Households belonging to the lower income segment have been steadily declining over the years, and the middle income households have been showing an increase. These are the results of economic growth. The NCAER (_) has classified Indian consumers into five categories destitute (annual household income of Rs. 16,000; not active participants in market exchange for a wide range of goods), aspirants (annual household income of Rs. 6,000-22,000; new entrants into the consumption systems due to increase in their real income), climbers (annual household in come of Rs. 22,000-45,000; have desire and willingness to buy, but have limited cash at hand), consuming class (annual household income of Rs. 45,000-215,000; households that form the majority of consumers; have money and are willing to spend), and the rich (those who have money and own a wide range of products). The patterns of income distribution in urban and rural areas also vary. SECTORS- Industry and services Industry accounts for 28% of the GDP and employ 14% of the total workforce. However, about one-third of the industrial labour force is engaged in simple household manufacturing only. Economic reforms brought foreign competition, led to privatization of certain public sector industries, opened up sectors hitherto reserved for the public sector and led to an expansion in the production of fast-moving consumer goods. Post-liberalization, the Indian private sector, which was usually run by oligopolies of old family firms and required political connections to prosper was faced with foreign competition, including the threat of cheaper Chinese imports. Business services (information technology, information technology enabled services, business process outsourcing) are among the fastest growing sectors contributing to one third of the total output of services in 2000. The growth in the IT sector is attributed to increased specialization, and an availability of a large pool of low cost, but highly skilled, educated and fluent English-speaking workers, matched on the demand side by an increased demand from foreign consumers interested in Indias service exports, or those looking to outsource their operations. In 2009, seven Indian firms were listed among the top 15 technology outsourcing companies in the world. Agriculture India ranks second worldwide in farm output. Agriculture and allied sectors like forestry, logging and fishing accounted for 17% of the GDP in 2009, employed 52% of the total workforce and despite a steady decline of its share in the GDP, is still the largest economic sector and plays a significant role in the overall socio-economic development of India. Yields per unit area of all crops have grown since 1950, due to the special emphasis placed on agriculture in the five-year plans and steady improvements in irrigation, technology, application of modern agricultural practices and provision of agricultural credit and subsidies since Green revolution in India. Banking and finance Prime Minister Indira Gandhi nationalized 14 banks in 1969, followed by six others in 1980, and made it mandatory for banks to provide 40% of their net credit to priority sectors like agriculture, small-scale industry, retail trade, small businesses, etc. o ensure that the banks fulfill their social and developmental goals. Since then, the number of banks has been increasing in the country and the population covered by each branch has decreased. Since liberalization, the government has approved significant banking reforms. While some of these relate to nationalized banks (like encouraging mergers, reducing government interference and increasing profitability and competitiveness), other reforms have opened up the banking and insurance sectors to private and foreign players. Natural resource Indias major mineral resources include coal, iron, manganese, mica, bauxite, titanium, chromite, limestone and thorium. India meets most of its domestic energy demand through its 92 billion tonnes of coal reserves (about 10% of worlds coal reserves). Indias oil reserves, found in Mumbai High, parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan and eastern Assam, meet 25% of the countrys domestic oil demand. Indias total proven oil reserves stand at 11 billion barrels. In 2009, India imported 2. 56 million barrels of oil per day, making it one of largest buyers of crude oil in the world. The petroleum industry in India mostly consists of public sector companies such as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). There are some major private Indian companies in oil sector such as Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) which operates the worlds largest oil refining complex. Pharmaceuticals India has a self reliant Pharmaceuticals industry. The majority of its medical consumables are produced domestically. Pharmaceutical Industry in India is dotted with companies like Ranbaxy Pharmaceutical, Dr. Reddys Laboratories, and Cipla which have created a niche for themselves at world level. India including China, Brazil, Turkey, Mexico, Russia and South Korea are called â€Å"pharmerging† countries. Today, India is an exporter to countries like the United States and Russia. In terms of the global market, India currently holds a modest 1-2% share, but it has been growing at approximately 10% per year. External trade and investment ? Global Trade Relations Indias economy is mostly dependent on its large internal market with external trade accounting for just 20% of the countrys GDP. Until the liberalization of 1991, India was largely and intentionally isolated from the world markets, to protect its economy and to achieve self-reliance. Foreign trade was subject to import tariffs, export taxes and quantitative restrictions, while foreign direct investment (FDI) was restricted by upper-limit equity participation, restrictions on technology transfer, export obligations and government approvals. Indias exports were stagnant for the first 15 years after independence, due to the predominance of tea, jute and cotton manufactures, demand for which was generally inelastic. Imports in the same period consisted predominantly of machinery, equipment and raw materials, due to nascent industrialization. The Indian export has grown by 22. 5 per cent at $16. 64 billion in August 2010. India is a founding-member of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) since 1947 and its successor, the WTO. While participating actively in its general council meetings, India has been crucial in voicing the concerns of the developing world. For instance, India has continued its opposition to the inclusion of such matters as labour and environment issues and other non-tariff barriers into the WTO policies. ? Balance of payments Since independence, Indias balance of payments on its current account has been negative. Since liberalization in the 1990s (precipitated by a balance of payment crisis), Indias exports have been consistently rising, covering 80. % of its imports in 2002–03, up from 66. 2% in 1990–91. Indias growing oil import bill is seen as the main driver behind the large current account deficit. Although India is still a net importer, since 1996–97 its overall balance of payments (i. e. , including the capital account balance) has been positive, largely on account of increased foreign direct investment and deposits from non-resident Indians; until this time, the overall balance was only occasionally positive on account of external assistance and commercial borrowings. As a result, Indias foreign currency reserves stood at USD 283. 5 billion at the end of December 2009. [pic] Due to the global late-2000s recession, both Indian exports and imports declined by 29. 2% and 39. 2% respectively in June 2009. The steep decline was because countries hit hardest by the global recession, such as United States and members of the European Union, account for more than 60% of Indian exports. However, since the decline in imports was much sharper compared to the decline in exports, Indias trade deficit reduced to 252. 5 billion rupee. Indias reliance on external assistance and commercial borrowings has decreased since 1991–92, and since 2002–03, it has gradually been repaying these debts. Declining interest rates and reduced borrowings decreased Indias debt service ratio to 4. 5% in 2007. In India, External Commercial Borrowings (ECBs) are being permitted by the Government for providing an additional source of funds to Indian corporates. The Ministry of Finance monitors and regulates these borrowings (ECBs) through ECB policy guidelines. ? Foreign Direct Investment In India As the fourth-largest economy in the world in PPP terms, India is a preferred destination for foreign direct investments (FDI); India has strengths in telecommunication, information technology and other significant areas such as auto components, chemicals, apparels, pharmaceuticals, and jewelry. Despite a surge in foreign investments, rigid FDI policies resulted in a significant hindrance. However, due to some positive economic reforms aimed at deregulating the economy and stimulating foreign investment, India has positioned itself as one of the front-runners of the rapidly growing Asia Pacific Region. India has a large pool of skilled managerial and technical expertise. The size of the middle-class population stands at 300 million and represents a growing consumer market. Indias recently liberalized FDI policy (2005) allows up to a 100% FDI stake in ventures. Industrial policy reforms have substantially reduced industrial licensing requirements, removed restrictions on expansion and facilitated easy access to foreign technology and foreign direct investment FDI. The upward moving growth curve of the real-estate sector owes some credit to a booming economy and liberalized FDI regime. In March 2005, the government amended the rules to allow 100 per cent FDI in the construction business. This automatic route has been permitted in townships, housing, built-up infrastructure and construction development projects including housing, commercial premises, hotels, resorts, hospitals, educational institutions, recreational facilities, and city- and regional-level infrastructure. A number of changes were approved on the FDI policy to remove the caps in most sectors. Fields which require relaxation in FDI restrictions include civil aviation, construction development, industrial parks, petroleum and natural gas, commodity exchanges, credit-information services and mining. India has been ranked at the third place in global foreign direct investments in 2009 and will continue to remain among the top five attractive destinations for international investors during 2010-11, according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in a report on world investment prospects titled, World Investment Prospects Survey 2009-2011 released in July 2009. India attracted FDI equity inflows of US$ 2,214 million in April 2010. The cumulative amount of FDI equity inflows from August 1991 to April 2010 stood at US$ 134,642 million, according to the data released by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). The Indian rupee is the only legal tender accepted in India. The exchange rate as on 23 March 2010 is 45. 40 INR the USD, 61. 45 to a EUR, and 68. 19 to a GBP (British pound). The Indian rupee is accepted as legal tender in the neighboring Nepal and Bhutan, both of which peg their currency to that of the Indian rupee. The Rupee hit a record low during early 2009 on account of global recession. However, due to a strong domestic market, India managed to bounce back sooner than the western countries. Since September 2009 there has been a constant appreciation in Rupee versus most Tier 1 currencies. On 11 January 2010 Rupee went as high as 45. 50 to a USD and on 10 January 2010 as high as Rs. 73. 93 to a British Pound. The RBI, the countrys central bank was established on 1 April 1935. It serves as the nations monetary authority, regulator and supervisor of the financial system, manager of exchange control and as an issuer of currency. The RBI is governed by a central board, headed by a governor who is appointed by the Central government of India. According to The Times of India, a majority of Indians have per capita space equivalent to or less than a 10  feet x 10  feet room for their living, sleeping, cooking, washing and toilet needs. and one in every three urban Indians lives in homes too cramped to exceed even the minimum requirements of a prison cell in the US. The average is 103  sq  ft (9. 6 m2) per person in rural areas and 117  sq  ft (10. m2) per person in urban areas. Around half of Indian children are malnourished. However, India has not had famines since the Green Revolution in the early 1970s. While poverty in India has reduced significantly, a 2007 report by the state-run National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS) found that 65% of Indians, or 750 million people, lived on less than 20 rupees per day with most working in informal labour sector with no job or s ocial security, living in abject poverty. Since the early 1950s, successive governments have implemented various schemes, under planning, to alleviate poverty that have met with partial success. All these programs have relied upon the strategies of the Food for work program and National Rural Employment Program of the 1980s, which attempted to use the unemployed to generate productive assets and build rural infrastructure. In August 2005, the Indian parliament passed the Rural Employment Guarantee Bill, the largest program of this type in terms of cost and coverage, which promises 100 days of minimum wage employment to every rural household in all he Indias 600 districts. Recent statistics in 2010 point out that the numbers of high income households have crossed lower income households. Agricultural and allied sectors accounted for about 60% of the total workforce in 2003 same as in 1993–94. While agriculture has faced stagnation in growth, services have seen a steady growth . Of the total workforce, 8% is in the organized sector, two-thirds of which are in the public sector. From 1983 until 2000, Indias Unemployment Rate averaged 7. 0 percent reaching an historical high of 8. 30 percent in December of 1983 and a record low of 5. 99 percent in December of 1994. The labour force is defined as the number of people employed plus the number unemployed but seeking work. The non-labour force includes those who are not looking for work, those who are institutionalized and those serving in the military. [pic] Indias labor force is growing by 2. 5% annually, but employment only at 2. 3% a year. Unemployment in India is characterized by chronic or disguised unemployment. Government schemes that target eradication of both poverty and unemployment (which in recent decades has sent millions of poor and unskilled people into urban areas in search of livelihoods) attempt to solve the problem, by providing financial assistance for setting up businesses, skill honing, setting up public sector enterprises, reservations in governments, etc. Child labor is a complex problem that is basically rooted in poverty. The Indian government is implementing the worlds largest child labor elimination program, with primary education targeted for ~250 million. Numerous non-governmental and voluntary organizations are also involved. Special investigation cells have been set up in states to enforce existing laws banning employment of children (under 14) in hazardous industries. In spite of the high growth rate in India, the country still continues to be a low-income country since decades. Though it is believed the country could be a â€Å"motor to the world economy† if it fulfills its growth potential. In order to achieve its growth potential, things needed to be done are: o Improve Governance Raise Educational Achievement o Increase Quality and Quantity of Universities o Control Inflation o Introduce a Credible Fiscal Policy o Liberalize Financial Markets o Increase Trade with Neighbors o Increase Agricultural Productivity o Improve Infrastructure o Improve Environmental Quality. ? Agriculture The low productivity in India is a result of the following factors: o According to India: Priorities for Agriculture and Rural Development by World Bank, Indias large agricultural subsidies are hampering productivity-enhancing investment. Overregulation of agriculture has increased costs, price risks and uncertainty. Government interventions in labor, land, and credit markets are hurting the market. Infrastructure and services are inadequate. o Illiteracy, slow progress in implementing land reforms and inadequate or inefficient finance and marketing services for farm produce. o The average size of land holdings is very small (less than 20,000  m? ) and is subject to fragmentation, due to land ceiling acts and in some cases, family disputes. Such small holdings are often over-manned, resulting in disguised unemployment and low productivity of labour. o Adoption of modern agricultural practices and use of technology is inadequate, hampered by ignorance of such practices, high costs and impracticality in the case of small land holdings. o World Bank says that the allocation of water is inefficient, unsustainable and inequitable. The irrigation infrastructure is deteriorating. Irrigation facilities are inadequate, which result in farmers still being dependent on rainfall, specifically the Monsoon season. A good monsoon results in a robust growth for the economy as a whole, while a poor monsoon leads to a sluggish growth. Farm credit is regulated by NABARD, which is the statutory apex agent for rural development in the subcontinent. Indias population is growing faster than its ability to produce rice and wheat. The most important structural reform for self-sufficiency is the ITC Limited plan to connect 20,000 villages to the Internet by 2013. This will provide farmers with up to date crop prices for the first time, which should minimize losses incurred from neighboring producers selling early and in turn facilitate investment in rural areas. ? Corruption Corruption has been one of the pervasive problems affecting India. The economic reforms of 1991 reduced the red tape, bureaucracy and the License Raj that had strangled private enterprise. Yet, a 2005 study by Transparency International (TI) India found that more than half of those surveyed had firsthand experience of paying bribe or peddling influence to get a job done in a public office. The Right to Information Act (2005) and equivalent acts in the Indian states that require government officials to furnish information requested by citizens or face punitive action, computerization of services and various central and state government acts that established vigilance commissions have considerably reduced corruption or at least have opened up avenues to redress grievances. The 2009 report by Transparency International ranks India at 84th place in terms of corruption and states that significant improvements were made by India in reducing corruption. Education India has made huge progress in terms of increasing primary education attendance rate and expanding literacy to approximately two thirds of the population. The right to education at elementary level has been made one of the fundamental rights under the Eighty-Sixth Amendment of 2002. However, the literacy rate of 65% is still lower than the worldwide average and the country suffers from a high dropout rate. ? Infrast ructure In the past, development of infrastructure was completely in the hands of he public sector and was plagued by corruption, bureaucratic inefficiencies, urban-bias and an inability to scale investment. Indias low spending on power, construction, transportation, telecommunications and real estate, at $31 billion or 6% of GDP in 2002 had prevented India from sustaining higher growth rates. This has prompted the government to partially open up infrastructure to the private sector allowing foreign investment which has helped in a sustained growth rate of close to 9% for the past six quarters. Some 600 million Indians have no mains electricity at all. While 80% of Indian villages have at least an electricity line, just 44% of rural households have access to electricity. India has the worlds third largest road network in the world. Container traffic is growing at 15% a year. Some 60% of India’s container traffic is handled by the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Navi Mumbai. Internet use is rare; there were only 7. 57 million broadband lines in India in November 2009, however it is still growing but at a slower rate. Most urban cities have good water supply water 24 hours a day, while some smaller cities face water shortages in summer season. A World Bank report says it is an institutional problem in water agencies, or how the agency is embedded in the relationships between politics and the citizens who are the consumers. ? Labour laws India’s labor regulations  - among the most restrictive and complex in the world  - have constrained the growth of the formal manufacturing sector where these laws have their widest application. Better designed labor regulations can attract more labor- intensive investment and create jobs for India’s unemployed millions and those trapped in poor quality jobs. Given the country’s momentum of growth, the window of opportunity must not be lost for improving the job prospects for the 80 million new entrants who are expected to join the work force over the next decade. ? Economic disparities One of the critical problems facing Indias economy is the sharp and growing regional variations among Indias different states and territories in terms of per capita income, poverty, availability of infrastructure and socio-economic development. Six low-income states Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh are home to more than one third of Indias population.

Long-Term Investment Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Long-Term Investment Strategy - Essay Example Again, the savings have to be an equal amount of money that I get from my security fund every month. I really want that when I retire, I have enough money that can enable me to build a bigger and expensive residential home and also have business premises in the city. Therefore, in addition to saving for my children, I’d like to save close to $6 million for the premises project. To be able to achieve all these goals, my monthly retirement savings must be put into an investment that will enable this money to multiply. This will help me to both save and invest at the same time. By saving, I will be able to earn an interest every month and when I invest, there are proceeds that I will benefit from in form of profits. My retirement savings per month is $1,000. I’ll be able to take this fixed amount of money monthly and invest it in appropriate investment. The low-cost mutual funds and ETFs that attract popular market indexes will be preferable for this strategy but dollar co sting can be done for any investment. This has two benefits, first by putting aside the same amount every month; one builds the habit of saving and investing at the same time. Secondly, one would buy more shares when they are cheap and when prices shoot, one ends up with the same shares hence investing the same amount. Averagely, I will be able to buy more when an investment is cheap than when it is expensive. To buy cheaply is a way of generating long term profits and by using dollar-cost averaging, one is able to take advantage of changing prices and add it to your gains. In investing, I’ll be looking for two things majorly, my current income and long-term investment. To be able to achieve these, my future prospects will be to invest into dividend stock. This will give me the best choices paying reliable and growing dividends while I’ll still be able to share in the prospects of the company underlying the business. I’ll have to keep checking with my broker to know what services it offers. Give that there are hundreds of high quality blue chip dividend stock, together with many ETFs and mutual funds specializing in dividends, it will never be hard for me to find promising candidates for my investment portfolio. As good investors say, successful investment does not rely on the picking of great stocks and other investment, but it also depends on hanging onto as much of what you earn as possible. This investment strategy will be able to consider ways of keeping the IRS at bay as capital gains taxes can get into my investment returns. I realize that I’ll even be able to take advantage of tax benefits which are available for retirement savings by investing in employer sponsored-retirement plans. Much income is normally sheltered from taxes as long as the money stays in the account, depending on how much growth one can get from the retirement savings. However, for some retirement accounts, one has to pay taxes when they have to withdraw money in retirement, but IRAs and 401 (k)s make the income tax free. When one wants to invest, having a solid strategy makes his investment plans less intimidating than if the strategy is not strong to make the investment to be nerve wracking. My strategy will depend largely and be based largely on market efficiency. This is where I will have to keep on watch with my broker to monitor when the shares are sold cheaply in the market for me to buy them. This will enable me to purchase a lot of shares and dividends cheaply. Then when the prices shoot, I will be

Healthful Eating for Weightlifters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Healthful Eating for Weightlifters - Essay Example The awareness for such healthy outlook is more universal now than ever before. There are more fitness camps, more gyms in the neighborhood, more health and fitness equipment and facilities, and those who do not have access to these or do not feel their need have viable alternatives in aerobics and yogic stances. (Robert J. Buresh, MS, et al). The first step towards the achievement of good health and physique is proper diet and exercise. This paper is focused on healthful eating for weightlifters. As such, we are going to concentrate on those muscles that help weightlifters. There are muscles for activities such as marathon runners. These muscles are made up of Type 1 fibres and are ideally suited for runners and other activities of aerobic nature. The Type 2 fibre muscles develop for the purpose of short bursts of energy and are ideal for weight lifters. (Jonny Bowden). Therefore, the diet and exercises for weightlifters are framed after examining two factors. Factor number one is the weightlifter. Diet and exercise comprise factor number two. In order to satisfy the criteria for factor number one, the weightlifter's age, sex, height, weight, body mass index, present state of health, health history, and disability (if any) are recorded. The recording of data for factor number two will include present diet and physical activities, heart beat and pulse rates, calories level, and health related problems (if any). 4. Healthy Eating and Exercises It may not be possible to obtain the complete regimen of diet and exercise suitable for a particular person in one day. Getting hold of the regimen is the first step. Gradually, the process may undergo changes as the weightlifter continues on the diet and workouts, and upgrades to diets and physical activities which help in performance improvements. As a first step, the regimen comprises the following. 4.1 Nutrition The nutrition that results from dietary intake in our bodies is necessary for all of us. The body will simply collapse without nutrition. It is necessary for our health. Nutrition helps combat diseases, and cushions the effects of fatigue. It is important that the weightlifter consumes diet of the right nutritional value to suit his needs. The diet has got to be such that the conversion of body fat into muscle is easily achieved when combined with exercise. 4.2 Essential to Long Life A diet that provides healthy nutrition is essential for long life which is free from sickness and infirmities. It is important for the weightlifter to bear in mind a positive lifestyle is one of the key ingredients in performance improvement issues. Performance is not only related to diet and exercises but it is a matter of the mind as well. After

Aircraft Icing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aircraft Icing - Research Paper Example Icing does not spare any type of aviation. In extreme cold conditions, ice forms naturally. An aircraft, despite its size and shape, has no control over formation of ice over its surface. Deicing and anti-icing treatment helps ward off icing on aircraft surface. But even with these treatments, it is necessary to be on the lookout for sneaky icing to happen unobtrusively. No region in the world can boast of ice-free aviation condition. Icing is not known as the silent killer for nothing. It has taken heavy toll arising from complacency and lack of vigilance. Early in the 1940s when the problem of icing began to get noticed, people in the aviation industry did not view it very seriously. Aviation was not a huge industry then. However, when the industry began to grow in leaps and bounds in the late 1970s, icing problem began to get noticed. Customer base grew. It became a demanding market. It became necessary for flights to be frequent and time adherent. It was then that problems such as icing began to get noticed in the way it should. On 13 January 1982, the Air Florida flight 90 accident at Washington National Airport sounded alarm bells to the lethal hazards of ground icing (William M. Leary). The clear and smooth ice with air pockets that has the lumpy and translucent appearance. The more the accretion, the less the glazed ice takes the form of the wing. This ice is clear and hard to break and is more transparent. Mixed ice Rime ice and clear ice together form the mixed ice. Conditions that cause icing High humidity and the low winter freezing levels are the main causes of icing. The airframe icing are caused when planes are flying through visible cloud, rain and drizzle and the temperature reaches at a point zero or sub zero. The aerodynamic danger The weight of ice on the body of the plane causes accretion; the accretion occurred is asymmetrical that causes higher uncontrollability to the plane and aircraft movements. The visibility in front of the plane is also lost because of the ice. The propeller blades of the plane if iced causes reduction in thrust and may result in danger by causing imbalance to the movements of the plane; surface movement may be cut down because control of the plane may be lost, causing flutter. The antennae of the plane that helps in bridging communication may render ineffective. The speed of the plane may be stalled because its flaps may be extended. Technology of icing detection Anti icing technology The technology is used at a pre icing stage, to avoid ice to shape form on the body of the plane. Various areas of plane are heat up including carburetor heating, prop heating, pilot heating, fuel vent heating, and wind shield heating, etc. Deicing This procedure is used after the icing conditions have engulfed the plane. Surface deicing equipment is to prevent any ice from inhibiting the

Decision Making Process

Decision Making Process 1.0 INTRODUCTION: Globalism is the term that being mentioned everywhere in the field of business at present. Thus, due to lots of new developments and emerging techniques are introduced in the organizations very rapidly, creates a number of problems in the field of management. The problem solving and decision-making process begins when recognizing the problem, experiencing pressure to act on it, and the resources to resolve the problem. This can be done only by a manager, whose key roles are solving problems and making decisions. He must recognize problems, make a decision, initiate an action, and evaluate the results. It is difficult to make good decisions without good planning. Generally, a problem can be solved by thinking about the issue and making logical decisions. These are mostly assumptions that can predict the decisions that are being formulated as a result of the problems. This can also be given as rational thinking of the organizational problem solving strategy can be benefited by a positi ve result. 2.0 WHAT IS RATIONALITY? Rationality is related to the idea of reason, referring to thinking that gives an account or an explanation. Rationality and reason are the key methods used to analyze the data gathered through systematically gathered observations. It also gives the success of goal attainment. Rationality is equated with behavior that is self-interested to the point of being selfish. Whereas, irrationality refers to talking or acting without regard to rationality. Peoples actual interests differ from what they believe to be their interests. Mechanisms that have evolved to give optimal behavior in normal conditions lead to irrational behavior in abnormal conditions. Thus, rational behavior in an organization is nothing but having sound judgment and practical implementation. There are 2 types of rationality that are existed. They are: Mathematical Rationality Functional Rationality 2.1 Mathematical rationality: Mathematics can be used to formulate objective knowledge. The mathematical formulation enables us to express the knowledge of reality with a maximum degree of objectivity. There are number of possible conceptions of mathematics, it is open to the risk of choosing different hypotheses, a risk which is technically called undesirability. 2.2 Functional rationality: Functional rationality prevails in an organization of human activities in which the thought, knowledge, and reflection of the participants are virtually unnecessary; men become part of a mechanical process in which each is assigned a functional position and role. What they forfeit in creativity and initiative is gained by the organization as a whole and contributes, presumably, to its greater efficiency. Bureaucratic organizations strive for maximum functional rationality. 2.3 SCIENTIFIC RATIONALITY: The history of science constitutes the evident for the concept of rationality. A good theory of rationality must fit the history of science. A methodology for scientific rationality is a theory of rationality, it tells us what is rational and what is not in specific cases. Always accept the theory with the greatest degree of confirmation. 3.0 ADVANTAGES OF RATIONALITY: Thinking rationally means thinking logically. Rational thoughts will be always right and true. Its a sole source of knowledge. Rational thinking gives confidence. It helps to make decisions. Rational decision making is good for incremental, linear causality. Can solve problems incase of critical situations. Gives independent thinking and meaningful orientation. There is a traditional ingrained habituation. It avoids a value-laden assessment. It ultimately leads to self-awareness. 4.0 LIMITATIONS TO RATIONALITY: The incompleteness of formal logical systems can be an incontrovertible truth. An arithmetical statement is true but not provable in the theory. Any theory capable of expressing elementary arithmetic cannot be both consistent and complete. Rationality is arbitrary, subjective and incapable of describing something completely. Rational approach will always fail eventually. It evaluates uncertainty. 5.0 APPLICATIONS OF RATIONALITY: There are different applications of rationality. They can be classified into normative and positive forms of applications. They are: The firm acts rationally and this is to predict behavior. For example the firm makes decisions according to options that can predict the behavior of the firm. The firm will be a better off if it makes its decision following a rule derived from rational analysis. For example using an options formula will improve a firms capital allocation. The user must verify that the environment fits the assumptions of the model. For example, the assumptions made in mathematics model derivations should be true of the strategic context. Instead of presenting a mathematical model, the general implications of a theory can be taken and applied without working out mathematics. These applications run the real risk that the assumptions of the model are not checked for their fit with the real world. 6.0 PROBLEM SOLVING: Problem solving forms part of thinking, the most complex of all intellectual functions. Problem Solving has been defined as higher-order cognitive process that requires the modulation and control of more routine or fundamental skills. It occurs if an artificial intelligence system does not know how to proceed from a given state to a desired goal state. It is part of the larger problem process that includes problem finding and problem shaping. The problem-solving process operates under awareness versus outside of awareness, and typically employs mathematically well-defined computerized systems. Problem-solving often involves decision-making, and decision-making is especially important for management and leadership. There are many approaches to problem solving, depending on the nature of the problem and the people involved in the problem. The more traditional, rational approach is typically used and involves. There are many techniques for problem-solving. They are: Challenge your assumptions Lateral thinking Divide and conquer Hill-climbing strategy Trail and error Brainstorming Morphological analysis Hypothesis testing Root-cause analysis Break big problems down Ask three people Write down the problem Change your perspective Generalization and specialization Working backwards These techniques can be applied to an organization by using certain tools. They are: Extracting maximum information from facts Appreciation Understanding problems in detail Drill-Down Identifying possible causes of problems Cause Effect Diagrams Understanding how a process works Flow Charts Understanding the way factors affect one-another Systems Diagrams Analyzing Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats SWOT Analysis Making Cash Flow Forecasts with Spreadsheets Methods of Risk Analysis Understanding where the power lies Porters Five Forces Understanding the big picture PEST Analysis Identifying what really matters to customers Value Chains Find your competitive edge with USP Analysis For example, taking my own organizational experience (I-Tech Ppl Staffing Solution, Chennai, India) we had certain issues relating to location change in our organization where we used some techniques like morphological analysis, etc. we also used certain tools in relation to the problem solving technique i.e. SWOT Analysis and PEST Analysis for solving our organizational problems. 7.0 DECISION-MAKING: Decision making can be regarded as an outcome of mental processes (cognitive process) leading to the selection of a course of action among several alternatives. Every decision making process produces a final choice. The output can be an action or an opinion. Human performance in decision making terms has been subject of active research from several perspectives. From a psychological perspective, it is necessary to examine individual decisions in the context of a set of needs, references an individual has and values he/she seeks. From a cognitive perspective, the decision making process must be regarded as a continuous process integrated in the interaction with the environment. From a normative perspective, the analysis of individual decisions is concerned with the logic of decision making and rationality. The decision-making process can be explained by two different models. They are: Garbage Can Model Carnegie Model GARBAGE CAN MODEL: The Garbage Can Model of organizational choice was formulated by Cohen, March and Oslen. The Garbage Can Model deals with the pattern or flow of multiple decisions within organization. It was developed to explain the pattern of decision-making in organizations that experience extremely high uncertainty. It was developed in reference to ambiguous behaviors, i.e. explanations/interpretations of behaviors which at least appear to contradict classical theory. The Garbage Can Model was greatly influenced by the realization that extreme cases of aggregate uncertainty in decision environments would trigger behavioral responses which, at least from a distance, appear irrational or at least not in compliance with the total/global rationality of economic man†. An organized Anarchy can be caused by three characteristics: Problematic Preferences Unclear, poorly understood technology Turnover The theoretical breakthrough of the Garbage Can Model is that it disconnects problems, solutions and decision makers from each other, unlike traditional decision theory. Specific decisions do not follow an orderly process from problem to solution, but are outcomes of several relatively independent streams of events within the organization. THE STREAMS OF EVENTS: PROBLEMS Problems require attention, they are the result of performance gaps or the inability to predict the future. Thus, problems may originate inside or outside the organization. Traditionally, it has been assumed that problems trigger decision processes; if they are sufficiently grave, this may happen. Usually, however, organization man goes through the garbage and looks for a suitable fix, called a solution. SOLUTIONS They have a life of their own. They are distinct from problems which they might be called on to solve. Solutions are answers looking for a question. Participants may have ideas for solutions; they may be attracted to specific solutions and volunteer to play the advocate. Only trivial solutions do not require advocacy and preparations. Significant solutions have to be prepared without knowledge of the problems they might have to solve. CHOICE OPPORTUNITIES There are occasions when organizations are expected to produce behavior that can be called a decision. Just like politicians cherish photo opportunities, organization man needs occasional decision opportunities for reasons unrelated to the decision itself. PARTICIPANTS They come and go; participation varies between problems and solutions. Participation may vary depending on the other time demands of participants. Participants may have favorite problems or favorite solutions which they carry around with them. The organizational decision making generally takes on a random quality. When a problem arises a solution can be proposed by the participants. Equal opportunities should be given to all the staffs in an organization. For example, considering my own organizational experience, our organization was suffering from poor training process. Our Manager was welcoming some volunteers to give some good suggestions to improve the process of training process. Thus, I and my colleagues worked on this by gathering information from many sources. We conducted a survey in many big organizations about the training methods that are being followed by them. Then, finally we ended up by giving certain logical ideas as well which formed to be the good solution for the training methods. Thus, rational thinking is important for solving any kind of problem in an organization. Equal opportunities were given to all the employees in our organization. Thus, the problem was solved using the kind of Garbage Can Model. PROBLEMS CHOICE OF OPPORTUNITIES MANAGEMENT PARTICIPANT SOLUTION Fig. 1.0 represents the Garbage Can Model of decision-making. Source: Self CARNEGIE MODEL: The Carnegie model was formulated by Richard Cyert, James March and Herbert Simon. This helped to formulate the bounded rational approach to individual decision making that can provide new insights about organizational decisions. An organizational decision-making involves coalition choice made by the mangers. It means the relationship among the managers who take decisions about organizational goals and problems. The organizational goals are mostly unstructured and contradictory. The mangers can be rational but function with human cognitive limitations. The coalition process has several steps starting with satisfactory decision that can be suggested for the performance to achieve goals. Continued by an immediate environment for resolving a problem can be suggested by some managers. Finally, for identifying the exact problem identification stage of decision making can be done by discussion and bargaining. Coalition forms to be the major part of organizational decision making process. Thus, the solution should be quick, simple and cost-effective. For example, we can consider fire security measures, which help to solve the problem initially by creating an environment suitable for solving the problem. They also get prepared with the pre-requisites needed to solve the problem satisfactorily. This method does not need a discussion or bargaining as the steps are taken immediately once the problem is been observed or indentified. These two models can be used to solve the problem of decision-making in an organization. But certain methodology has to be followed for making a decision successfully. The best method is Systems Intervention Strategy. 8.0 SYSTEMS INTERVENTION STRATEGY [SIS]: Its a family of ‘systems approaches based on systems ideas. To move from a completely unstructured problem situation to a situation in which viable options can be modeled and comprehensively evaluated before successful implementation, which can be done by SIS. We can integrate SIS into Systems thinking Personal mastery Knowledge of mental models Building shared vision Team leading There are three overlapping phases of SIS. They are: 8.1 DIAGNOSIS: Initially, the problem should be identified and analyzed. This can help to change problems, develop a perspective and spell out the purposes of change. The diagnosis process initially starts with ‘entry by recognizing the change. This is followed by description process that gives the structure and other views on the change. The objectives and the constraints are identified that helps to formulate measures for the objectives. 8.2 DESIGN: Different methods are suggested to solve the problems and new methods are explored. A range of options can be generated and the models can be selected accordingly. 8.3 IMPLEMENTATION: The change can be carried out by developing the tactics for bringing out the desired change. These options are evaluated against the measures by designing the implementation strategy by carrying through the planned changes. DIAGNOSIS IMPLEMENTATION DESIGN Fig. 2.0 represents the three overlapping phases of SIS. Source: For example, taking my organizational experience where we had the problem of completing the projects on time. Thus, our manager first recognized the root-cause for delayed project completion. Then the reason was analyzed by getting other employees point of view by arranging for some special meetings to resolve the issue. He also conducted some surveys to find proper measure for the problem. Logical thinking and rationalistic view can give a right solution for the problem solving in the organization which was done by our manager. Then, the proper measures like giving incentives, improved employee facilitation will be given to the employees who finish their job on-time, were been formulated by him. He also had different options like improving the pantry facilities, parking facilities and other dress-code were been suggested to us. Where we were allowed to choose the best option that can be exhibited completely. Then finally, the results were evaluated and they are implemented. This was then carried out successfully in our organization. 9.0 CONCLUSION: Any kind of organizational problems can be solved by rational thinking and strategical planning. This can also be supplemented with certain types of model or theory implementation. Analyzing and identifying the root-cause of the problem helps in clear decision-making. Thus, proper detection of the problem paves way for proper solution for that problem in an organization.

My Personal Journey Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

Journeys are moments in life that define and reconstruct the myths we create about ourselves and others. All too often the ideals of a biased community or select group are viewed as the model by which all individuals must follow. To escape the pressures of a collective standard a person must travel outside the constraints of a community and discover his or her own true identity. On such a journey one can expect moments of planned reflection or unexpected instances of revelation. A journey is every minute of my existence, as I travel through life and try to ascertain my own presence in its cycle. An essential journey occurred three years ago when I set out on a personal pilgrimage. I wanted to re-travel the time line of the past few years and locate the point where I had allowed the influence of others to determine my own concept of self. "Self" is not necessarily complex or intricate, but it does define the character of a person and how he or she wants to be viewed. In my own rush to "fit in" at college I had disregarded what I needed and complacently accepted the definitions of others. I expended my energy trying to model myself according to the contemplation of my peers, all the while ignoring principles which I felt were inherent to my survival. Once the missing feeling of singularity is discovered, an individual must set out upon a journey and reconstruct the notions of self and identity. Understanding my own needs, I decided to embark on a solo expedition into the woods of Maine. The solo was an opportunity to disassociate myself from everything that I considered comfortable and safe. For two nights the only person I encountered was myself. After several days of paddling, my guide and I neared the island where... ...d in an unknown surrounding and somehow I had become part of it. I welcomed the crash of an animal over my tent or the presence of the sand fleas. I journeyed into their environment a foreigner, and even in my most vulnerable stages of sleep, I had become an accepted presence. While on my solo I wrote a letter to myself. In the letter I revealed what I had learned and what it meant to realize my own strength and will in those few days of solitude. I gave the letter to my guide and asked him to send it to me in a year. I remember the day the letter came. At first I did not recognize the faded words on the envelope, but as soon as I glanced at the return address I knew that they were my own. I once again sought solitude. In a small corner of my family's flower garden I opened the letter and began reading. The first words I read were "remember the Medicine Wheel."

Knowledge and Heritage Essay

Abstract Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use† and Amy Tan’s â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† investigate the relationships between mothers and daughters. Both writers show a struggle, by the children, to understand the true meaning of heritage. Each story has a specific type of mother-daughter relationship. Mother and Daughter Conflict: The Struggle to Understand Heritage in First-generation Americans A key factor in Alice Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use,† and Amy Tan’s â€Å"A Pair of Tickets,† is heritage. Throughout both stories the use of heritage can be seen easily. Walker shows Dee misunderstands her heritage while Tan shows Jing-Mei comes to an understanding. Understanding both sides of the two stories gives readers a chance to explore their own heritage and reflect on how they accept their past. By contrasting the family characters in â€Å"Everyday Use,† Walker illustrates Dee’s misunderstanding of her heritage by placing the significance of heritage solely on material objects. Walker presents Mama and Maggie, the younger daughter, as an example that heritage in both knowledge and form passing from one generation to another through a learning experience connection. Dee, the older daughter, represents a misconception of heritage as a material thing. Dee portrays a rags to riches daughter who does not understand what heritage is all about. Her definition of heritage hangs on a wall to show off, not to be used. Dee’s avoidance of heritage becomes clear when she is talking to Mama about changing her name, she says, â€Å"I couldn’t bear it any longer being named after the people who oppress me† (Walker 746). Dee just takes another name without even understanding the true meaning behind it. She tries to explain to Mama that her name now has meaning, quality, and heritage; never realizing that the new name means nothing. Dee fails to realize that her name goes back multiple generations. Dee digs around the house for objects she can display in her own home as examples of African-American folk art. Her argument with Mama about taking quilts that were hand stitched as opposed to sewn by machine gives readers a chance to see Dee’s outlook of heritage is short lived. Dee says to Mama, â€Å"But they’re priceless. . . Maggie would put them on the bed and in five years they’d be in rags. Less than that! † (Walker 748). Mama will not allow her daughter to take the quilts because she has been saving them for Dee’s sister, Maggie, and she wants the quilts to be put into everyday use. By helping and living with Mama, Maggie uses the hand-made items in her life, experiences the life of her ancestors, and learns the history of both, exemplified by Maggie’s knowledge of the hand-made items and the people who made them—a knowledge in which Dee does not possess. Dee attempts to connect with her heritage by taking â€Å"picture after picture of me sitting there in front of the house. . . She never takes a shot without making sure the house is included† (Walker 746). Therefore showing Dee’s quest for heritage is external, wishing to have these various items in order to display them in her home. She allowed Dee to run over her enough, and now she would not allow her foolish behavior to carry on, because heritage needs to be put to everyday use and not just be hung up on a wall for people to see. Dee views her heritage as an artifact which she can possess and appreciate from a distance instead of as a process in which she is always intimately involved. She knows the items are hand-made, but she does not know the knowledge and history behind the items. Yet, Mama does know the knowledge and history and she also knows that Maggie does too. Ironically, Dee criticizes Mama for not understanding heritage when, in fact, Dee fails to understand heritage herself. Throughout the story, the true meaning of heritage is understood by two characters and avoided by one character. Dee mistakenly places heritage wholly in what she owns, not what she knows. In Amy Tan’s â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† the theme of Chinese-American life, focuses mainly on mother-daughter relationships, where the mother is an immigrant from China and the daughter is thoroughly Americanized. Tan begins her story by describing a feeling that Jing-mei, the narrator, speaks of. She says, â€Å"The minute our train leaves the Hong Kong border and enters Shenzen, China, I feel different. I can feel the skin on my forehead tingling, my blood rushing through a new course, my bones aching with a familiar old pain. And I think, my mother was right. I am becoming Chinese† (Tan 120). Tan tells a story within itself giving readers a chance to get to know the character right off the bat and also allowing an understanding of heritage to be brought out. Jing-mei has come to China to trace her Chinese roots which her mother told her she possessed, and to meet her two twin half-sisters whom her mother had to abandon on her attempt to flee from the Japanese. Readers can see that Jing-mei has waited her whole life to connect with her heritage when she says, â€Å". . . I saw myself transforming like a werewolf, a mutant tag of DNA suddenly triggered, replicating into a syndrome, a cluster of telltale Chinese behaviors, all those things my mother did to embarrass me. . . . But today I realize I’ve never really known what it means to be Chinese. I am thirty-six years old. My mother is dead and I am on a train, carrying with me her dreams of coming home. I am going to China† (Tan 120). Although Jing-mei was not born in China like her mother, she now has a grasp on her life and on her mothers. By having the story take place on a train in China, helps the tracing of heritage become real for readers. Strong feelings of happiness and sorrow are felt when Jing-mei traces her Chinese roots and becomes in touch with her heritage and her past; allowing readers to place themselves in the same situation and experience the feelings are being portrayed by the characters. Learning about family heritage is something people do not always understand, like Jing-mei, people do not always want to believe their past and heritage. When coming to an understanding of their past, people can lay to rest their urging thoughts and can come closer in contact with their present life. Now that Jing-mei has met her sisters, she can now make peace in her life knowing that she has fulfilled her dreams and the dreams of her mother. Amy Tan reveals Jing-mei’s epiphany well by writing, â€Å"I look at their faces again and I see no trace of my mother in them. Yet they still look familiar. And now I also see what part of me is Chinese. It is so obvious. It is my family. It is in our blood. After all these years, it can finally be let go† (Tan 134). Jing-mei finally realizes that she is Chinese and that her mother was right. Jing-mei also says, â€Å"Together we look like our mother. Her same eyes, her same mouth, open in surprise to see, at last, her long cherished wish† (Tan 134), thus adding on to her realization of her heritage and past. Jing-mei can now lay to rest the thought of her mother never seeing her twin daughters again and continue on with her existing life, but now with a different perspective, a Chinese perspective. Throughout both of the stories, heritage becomes a major factor. The characters coming to an understanding of heritage helps readers to become more fascinated with the stories. Bringing out the points in Walker’s â€Å"Everyday Use† and Tan’s â€Å"A Pair of Tickets† gives readers a chance to see the heritage â€Å"shining through†. References Tan, A. (1999) A Pair of Tickets. In E. Kennedy and D. Gioia (7th Ed. ). Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. (p. 120-134) New York City, NY: Longman. Walker, A. (2008). Everyday Use. In R. DiYanni (6th Ed. ). Literature: Reading Fiction, Poetry, and Drama. (p. 743-749). United States of America: McGraw Hill.

What Savs Cal in East of Eden

What Savs Cal in East of Eden Faith 1Faith M. DennyMr. FineranAP Lit24 September 2014The movie East of Eden has many allusions throughout it. A main one is how Cal and Aron show similarities with Cain and Abel (two brothers in The Bible). In the biblical version, Cain murders his brother, then is cast away from his family. When cast away, he is doomed to live east of Eden. Although there had been many similarities up to then, when Cal (basically) murders Aaron, he is not cast out. Instead, Cal is saved.Throughout Cal's entire life, he feels that he is 'bad'. He constantly uses this term to describe his life and how he is feeling. At one point, Cal says, "Every person only has a certain amount of good in them and a certain amount of bad." He feels that evil mostly influences him and that causes him to act the way he does.15th century depiction of Cain and Abel, Speculum ...His thoughts are reaffirmed when he discovers that his mother is a heavy drug dealer and basically the runner of a local trap house. His realiz ation of where he comes from leads to more destructive habits.As his destructive habits build, he tries to repress them and earn his father's love, but he goes about it in the wrong way. Cal borrows money from his mother, invests it, and earns enough to give his father what he lost in the ice business. His father does not see this act as thoughtful as Cal intended it to be. Instead of being excited, his father is disgusted and instructs him to return the money. This causes Cal to drift even further away from his father.While Cal is drifting away from his father, he becomes closer to Abru. A main reason that Cal chooses to stay and is not...

Marketing Plan Phase II Johnson and Johnson

Marketing Plan Phase II Johnson and Johnson Market identification and a clear understanding of the demographic vagaries of a specific market remains one of the most important aspects of producing products that are tailored to meet the need of a market (Armstrong Kotler, 2011).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Marketing Plan Phase II: Johnson and Johnson specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The target market for the Johnson and Johnson baby lotion will be based on a differentiated market and thus will target more on babies of five years and below. This is because the products from the company are designed to meet the needs of babies who are between this age bracket both male and female. The company’s organizational buyers consist of wholesalers and retailers in the market. The wholesalers in the country import the finished products from Johnson’s baby in containers. These wholesalers specialize in one product and may even engage in advertisin g the products within the country of their operations. They have large warehouses to store the product before selling it. The wholesalers sell to the retailers in smaller units. Some other retailers also act as wholesalers whereby several wholesalers come up together and purchase the Johnson baby lotion directly from the firm at a lower price and later subdivide the products among themselves. The retailer breaks the Johnson baby lotion into single packets or bottles and sells them either to the small retailers in the market or to the final consumers of the product. The factors influencing organization buying include economic conditions whereby the changes in the inflation rate and interest rates will affect the demand of Johnson products. An increase in the interest rate will lead to a reduction in the quantity demanded while a rise in inflation of importing country will also lead to reduced importation (McCarthy Perreault, 1994). Secondly, changes in politics affect the economy of the country leading to changes in the quantity of the Johnson baby lotion product demanded. Thirdly, changes in the social environment also will affect the demand of the product.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, if the society perceives that lotion is not good with young babies, this will automatically lead to a reduced demand for Johnson baby lotion. Fourth, is competition whereby if Johnson company competitors come up with a new product in the market, this will automatically alter the product’s demand. The factors that influence consumers’ buying behavior include cultural factors such as if use of lotion is perceived negatively in a particular community, then the demand for Johnson baby lotion in that community will be low. Secondly, there are social cultural factors such as family, reference groups, roles and status groups in the society. For example, if adult ladies prefer to use lotion rather than solid body oils, this will lead them to purchase Johnson baby lotion for their babies. Thirdly, demand is affected by personal factors such as age, occupation and lifestyle. For example, if where a person works most of the people prefer to buy Johnson’s baby products, a person may also be influenced to be buying the same products. Like any other organization operating in a perfect market, Johnsons and Johnsons is faced with various factors of competition. The competitors of Johnson and Johnson baby lotion include the companies that produce baby lotions such as Aveeno, the Natural Baby, Fulton Street Market among others. These are big companies that pose a threat in the market. For example, Aveeno and Natural Baby pose a big threat as they also produce the baby lotion herbal products which are currently said to be chemical free. If these factors are not perfectly considered, they may lose their market s hare due to the currently rising demand of herbal products in the world. The strengths for Johnson Johnson baby lotion over their competitors in the market include the strong brand image of Johnson Johnson Company products where they are believed to be of high quality and effective in their use. This makes the company market share to even continue to increase as more people purchase the product. The other strength is continued innovation and thus coming up with new and better baby products in the market such as the Johnson natural lotion, bedtime lotion, after bath lotion, cream among others. These developments will help the company to maintain or increase its market share as the new products are to the current needs of babies.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Marketing Plan Phase II: Johnson and Johnson specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Besides the aforementioned strengths, Johnson Johnson is buoyed by th e fact that it is an international company. It has invested a lot in assets such that a new company that wants to get in must invest heavily on assets in order to compete with Johnson Johnson. Since Johnson Johnson focuses only on one market its competitors are targeting several market segments, this may limit their development of new products in the baby segment that Johnson target. This gives Johnson Johnson a competitive edge over its competitors. References Armstrong, G., Kotler, P. (2011). Marketing: An introduction. (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. McCarthy, E., J. Perreault, W., D., (1994). Basic marketing: Selected cases. New York: McGraw-Hill Higher Education.

Reflective Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Reflective Journal - Essay Example The primary audiences for this journal are the different marketers and the organizations who are rowed in a competition for their success in a market. This journal helps them to gain insight on the various marketing trends. On the other hand, the journal provides secondary information to students and researchers to study and analyze the emerging marketing strategies and how companies are adopting new modes to compete with each other. Marketers and different organizations are the primary audience for this journal because these two groups remain in constant struggle to adopt different marketing strategies to compete with other marketers and organizations in marketing their products. This helps them to constantly monitor and analyze the various emerging trends. This research will help the primary audience to gain insight to the various strategies adopted by the different key players and how these marketers would consider marketing their product according to the new demands. For a marketer, it is important to know about the targeted customer and a particular segment but this study would have made them think that segmentation and knowing your customer is not important anymore to compete in a dynamic world of today but the main focus should be emphasized on what these marketers and organizations are offering to the customers which is more important in today’s market. Bailey, C., Baines, R. P., Wilson, H. and Clark, M. (2009). Segmentation and Customer Insight in Contemporary Services Marketing Practice: Why Grouping Customers Is No Longer Enough. Journal of Marketing Management, Volume 25, Issue 3 & 4 April 2009, Pages

Understanding Luther Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Understanding Luther - Essay Example Understanding Luther Luther tried also to point that James considered the perfect law as a way to liberate men from bondages (James 1:25), However, Luther believed that Paul considered the law as the law of slavery, wrath, death and sin. In this ground, Luther was confident in his stand that James opposed Paul and the scriptures and whatever the apostles were able to accomplish by stimulating people to love. It is therefore evident that Luther was comparing both James and Paul’s epistle on the ground of faith and work. His stand was evident on Paul’s writing and he used this as his basis to consider James’ stand between faith and work as completely contradictory. Paul’s teaching about works and faith in Galatians Paul’s teachings about works and faith in Galatians are evident. His very example was the faith of Abraham which was considered righteousness before God. He would offer his son, by believing in God and that certain faith moved the hands of God on him. In this e xample, Paul pointed out that Abraham had faith and because of that, he would be willing to offer his son, as God commanded him. Paul depicted that real faith certainly would result to action that would justify it, just like what Abraham did. In the same way, Paul pointed out that it is only by faith we are justified in Christ. ... it is an act considered by Paul which results to having its fruit such as love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). Therefore, Paul was clear about its message that having faith in Jesus is about living in righteousness guided by the Spirit. Thus, there is an act involved in here to be initiated by man, combining the real essence and power of both faith and work. James’ teaching about works and faith in James James was also bold and clear about his stand on faith and works. ‘You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless (dead)?’ (James 2:20). James wanted to emphasize that faith is made complete by what the person does (James 2:22). Abraham was made righteous and was remarkably remembered of his faith because of his ability to obey God to the fullest even if it would mean the life of his dear son. James just wanted to emphasize that a genuine faith would result to doing great things, no matter how hard they might be for as long as it is pleasing before God and in accordance to His will. Evaluating Luther Luther was exactly missing the real point of what righteousness is all about. He did not consider the fact that faith and works are interrelated which was elaborately shown by the epistles of Paul and James. However, compared to Paul, James was very bold in saying that genuine faith results to works that are acceptable and pleasing to God. Luther had a point believing that works cannot justify a person before God. It is absolutely true because the scripture is clear about it. ‘For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). However, Luther is