Cultural Imperialism Is Power Essay

â€Å"Cultural imperialism† is what takes place when a large, powerful, economically dominant nation promotes, imposes, or otherwise spreads its own culture to less powerful, economically subservient nations. A. Examples Cultural imperialism is already evident throughout the world: Palestinian Arabs chanting â€Å"Death To America† do so while wearing Nike tennis shoes and t-shirts; Brazilians who curse George W. Bush nonetheless cheer for Madonna and Britney Spears; Turks who protest the ongoing occupation of Iraq may still stroll into a local McDonald’s for lunch; MTV reports 280 million subscribers throughout the world (Galeota, 2004). B. Hows and Whys In 1984, Harvard business professor Theodore Levitt warned that â€Å"the world’s needs and desires have been irrevocably homogenized,† adding that those companies that attempted to accommodate local tastes were â€Å"doomed to failure† (Galeota). II. The Means Today, with global travel and communication easy and quick, American Culture can be disseminated more widely and faster than ever. A. Marketing Images are everything. American corporations have been highly successful at portraying America as â€Å"The Land of the Cool† (Galeota, 2005). This results in an increasing demand for American goods, films and music. B. Communications The Internet has revolutionized communications, and because of forethought and planning, the U. S. has come to dominate the global traffic and marketplace of ideas and information. This has created a tremendous influence over the tastes and desires of people all over the world. III. How It Makes America Strong Darwinism is a fact of life, whether biological, social, or economic; only the strong survive. When the powers of Europe began staking their claims to overseas territories in order to feed their industries and expand their markets, the U. S. had a choice: stay out of the game and continue as a second-rate backwater, or get into the game and reach its full potential. U. S. power and prestige in the world owes a great deal to those visionary leaders who were willing to force open the medieval kingdom of Japan in 1854, to annex the Kingdom of Hawaii and seize Puerto Rico and the Phillipines when the opportunity was there. Today, America owes its incredible economic might to those leaders, who laid the foundations of Empire when Admirial Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay over 150 years ago. Conclusion: For better or worse, American culture is pre-eminent in the world today. Ultimately, this will be to the benefit to the entire world, ultimately making America a safer, more prosperous place. Works Cited Cohen, Nick. â€Å"This Comic Is No Laughing Matter: Michael Moore Is a Bestselling Author Not Only in the US, but Also in Britain, Japan, Germany, Australia and Many Other Countries. Has American Imperial Culturalism Taken over the Left as Well? † The New Statesman Vol. 132. Issue 4664. 17 November 2003, p. 23. Julia Galeota. â€Å"Cultural Imperialism: An American Tradition. † The Humanist. Vol. 64 Issue 3. May-June 2004, p. 22. Harper, Jennifer. â€Å"BBC Airs Global View of Americans; Many Foreigners Have Love-Hate Relationship With U. S. The Washington Times. 17 June 2003, p. AO8. Rothkopf, David. â€Å"In Praise of Cultural Imperialism. † Foreign Policy, No. 107. Summer 1997, p. 38

Discussing the character of Charles Darke Essay

Charles Darke is a character of huge importance in the novel because he embodies so many of the novels themes and is key to Stephen’s recovery after his loss of Kate and future journey. Events involving Charles Darke are not only significant to the plot but also teach the reader a lot about the movement of time and the confusion and issues surrounding childhood. The readers introduction to Darke shows him as a successful man in his publishing firm who has managed to acquire respect and power (â€Å"New York and Frankfurt were on the line†) however as the introduction continues the reader begins to see that under the surface he has a more childish side to him as he relishes receiving attention: â€Å"making expansive remarks to a young writer was one of the more desirable perquisites to his profession†. Even before his breakdown his youthful nature is evident for example choosing his political career is described as a â€Å"parlour game†. Darke is one of the characters that McEwan uses to present the major theme of childhood and adulthood, there is a constant conflict present within Darke of being a child and of being an adult. His successful political career shows that he must have debating skill and great intellect however at the same time his juvenile personality also breaks through. Having acted as a parental figure after the loss of Kate it is tragic that he should regress so rapidly away from reality. It is not only Darke’s contrasting personality which warns the reader of what may occur later, he is obviously unsettled as shown by his rapid career moves and house move from Eaton Square to the countryside. Thelma also describes to Stephen how he lost his mother and had a cold upbringing with his father suggesting that Darke did not experience childhood at all. Charles Darke also jumped straight into being a successful and married businessman therefore missing out on important lessons that many adults learn through their mistakes. Just before the reader is introduced to Darke there is even a subtle echo of what will happen later as Stephen describes a picture: â€Å"a grim-faced crow with a stethoscope round its neck taking the pulse of a pale young boy who appeared to have fallen out of a tree†. Darke shows the reader a disquieting reaction to time because instead of moving forwards he moves backwards, the reader sees personal and sometimes eerie moments involving Darke, these help McEwan to show the reader what a precious state childhood is and how time cannot be manipulated. Darke also embodies the theme of politics. Not only does he move the political plot forward by getting Stephen onto the committee but he is also the reason that Stephen meets the Prime Minister. The novel was written during the Thatcherite era of the 80’s and this is clearly reflected in the tone of the book and McEwan’s opposition to this right-wing rule. Stephen Lewis is cynical about the Conservative views that Darke has decided to take on and the short, abrupt syntax that McEwan uses emphasizes his suspicions of the government in power. It is a cruel irony that, like the Beggar Girl, Charles’ eventual death is a result of his political career and the harsh culture surrounding him. Different opinions can be taken on what Darke’s specific role is within the novel. He clearly is important for McEwan to carve in the political aspect of the novel and McEwan’s own political views however his regression back into childhood carries a much more complicated message. The title of the book â€Å"The Child in Time† at first may seem to describe simply Stephen’s loss of Kate however one can go much deeper and find that perhaps what McEwan is trying to show the reader is Stephen and Darke’s search for their own child in time. While Stephen searches constantly for the physical Kate he also looks for her in time through memories and visions of her growing up. Darke’s search for the child in time is different, he has had no childhood of his own so he searches for it and eventually finds it by regressing into boyhood. On the surface McEwan presents this as a natural step but it is actually quite disturbing and this is shown by the smile on his face at death. The conflicts within Darke show the reader the bitter sweet nature of childhood, while Darke is happy and carefree he also believes himself invincible and this eventually causes his death. Charles Darke is also important for the reader’s understanding of Stephen Lewis. It is because of Darke that Stephen meets Thelma who is important as she looks after both of the characters and gives the reader another way to look at time. The reason that Thelma chooses Stephen as the one person who she allows to see Charles after his breakdown is because she knows that he will not judge or condemn and it is important for the reader to know this feature of his character. Stephen has experienced loss and thought endlessly about childhood and is therefore understanding about Darke’s regression. The reader also learns about Stephen through the contrast of the characters. Darke becomes part of the right wing government while Stephen is saddened by the two â€Å"tribes† in the Supermarket. Stephen sees Charles Darke’s death first hand and this may help him reach an understanding about his loss of Kate because he has to come face to face with the reality that she too maybe dead. The fact that Darke dies with a smile on his face may remind Stephen that if Kate is dead then she has at least died in a happy part of her life and has not yet lost her innocence. Darke’s relationship with Thelma can also be contrasted with Stephen’s relationship with Julie. As the novel progresses Thelma becomes more and more of a mother figure to Darke and her older age implies that it has never been a marriage of passion and deep love but one of a mutual understanding, acceptance and care. In contrast to Darke’s seemingly sexless marriage Julie and Stephen have a much more real and natural relationship where there high points and low points are kept private and by the end their genuine love for one another is clear. Darke offers McEwan the means to show the reader his themes of time, childhood and politics but he also has deeper significance. Darke shows the reader how childhood, or the lack of it, effects ones whole life and how reaching adulthood is a continuous process that may never end. The search for â€Å"The Child in Time† by Darke is an emotional and metaphorical journey that eventually liberates him from the stresses and pressures of his hectic work life even if it does ultimately cause his death.

Queensland University of Technology Essay

Consultation Times: Consultation times will be posted on the Blackboard site by the end of Week 1. As this is a 12 credit point unit, students are expected to spend 12 hours per week studying. As there are 3 hours of contact, you are expected to spend on average an extra 9 hours in your own time, studying and completing all assessment items. Mode of Offering This unit is not offered in the form of external study. While resources such as lecture recordings and tutorial solutions may be made available, it is expected that students will attend class and participate, such that electronic resources are used in addition to attendance at scheduled classes. Blackboard You are deemed to have full knowledge of all information posted on the unit Blackboard site http://blackboard.qut.edu.au. It is vital that you check the Blackboard site and your QUT student email account on a regular basis for all important administrative announcements regarding this unit. All material on the unit Blackboard site will be removed on the day of the final exam for this unit. It is your responsibility to ensure that you have copies of all materials before this date. Development of Graduate Capabilities/Assurance of Learning Goals The QUT Business School has established the Assurance of Learning Goals (AOLs) to meet contemporary industry needs and standards. Achieving these learning outcomes will assist you to meet the desired graduate outcomes set at QUT and are aligned with other internationally accredited business schools. These AOLs are described on page 8 and the specific contribution of this unit to the overall development of the learning goals in the School of Accountancy units is shown on page 9. MODIFICATIONS TO UNIT FROM STUDENT FEEDBACK In response to student feedback, the content of the subject was reviewed for Semester 2, 2011 and the assessment requirements have been modified. In order to ensure that the assessment tasks more appropriately support your learning, the mid-semester exam has been removed and replaced with weekly tutorial work. The tutorial work is to be undertaken prior to the tutorial and comprise exam-related questions. The tutorial work comprises two types of questions, practical and critical thinking. The tutorial work will be collected each week and marked at random 5 times during the semester and are worth 5% each. The best 4 of 5 collections will count towards the overall 20% available for tutorial work. The tutorial work will be corrected in class by the student and then handed in. The work will be marked for ‘accuracy’. The weekly tutorial work is designed to develop a more independent, active and deeper learning process. The overall objective is to ensure that you have the opportunity to participate in the weekly tutorial class to the best of your ability and to receive a constant level of feedback and guidance. By adopting the role of â€Å"self-marker† in you will receive a clear understanding of not only the relevant solutions but also the level of understanding required for the final exam. Critical Thinking workshops have been introduced for the first time this semester to assist students in understanding the concept of Critical Thinking and provide assistance to students in learning how to answer (and structure their answer) to Critical Thinking based questions.

Terminator technology as an ethical issue in business Essay

Terminator technology as an ethical issue in business - Essay Example Therefore, the standards govern the relationship between people for a mutual benefit for all parties concerned. Terminator technologies are a form of organic patenting (Jeurissen and Rijst, 2007:20). Organic patenting is an issue of ethical concern in the world today. The idea of organic patenting has received conflicting discussion all over and has generated an emotional theme. The point of contention being whether it should be accepted or rejected. The subsequent discuss has further picked on the ethical concerns associated with this practice in regards to addressing the law of natural order. Organic patenting involves the law of giving the rights of an organism to a particular party, organisation or a person (Jeurissen and Rijst, 2007:27). The concept of terminator technology, therefore, as a form of organic patenting is a technology designed to genetically alter a plant’s capacity to germinate a second time. The motive behind this business idea is to force farmers to purch ase fresh supply of seeds. Thus, the terminator technology is a patent given to corporations to protect them from unscrupulous farmers. The control of seed technology prevents the growers from pirating based on the premise that if crops remain fertile farmers may use the transgenic seed from previous season. By farmers using these seeds, then they lower the profits of the companies owing to reduced sales. The ethical issue in this discussion is the traditional rights of the farmers, and the companies’ rights of patenting (Jeurissen and Rijst, 2007:20). Discussion This paper seeks to unveil the controversial theme of terminator technology in terms of the environmental disasters, and the effects of seeds patenting by companies on farmers. From the ethical point of view, this paper shall discuss those affected by this technology, those who bear the greatest responsibility, and the aspect of the situation that violates the rules of conduct, as to what constitutes good or bad (Jeu rissen and Rijst, 2007:35). Terminator technology is presently the greatest danger to humanity. If this technology is used in large scale in the world today, it poses a huge threat; it will entirely lead to the disaster of famine and starvation for humankind on a worldwide scale. Farmers who store seeds that they harvest, and plant them in the following season support more than half of the world population. This, therefore, means that seeds are planted and then harvested. In addition, the seeds are harvested and then replanted. Many farmers face the problem of buying seeds every season. Therefore, harvesting and replanting seeds becomes a significant aspect of the farming process. If terminator technology is the way to go, then farmers have to pay for seeds every other season. Apart from the danger of famine and starvation to huge populations terminator technology poses another disaster: It spells a significant contribution to the deterioration of health and the environment. This is probably to affect hundreds of scores around the world. The effects of terminator technology as a form of seed patenting to farmers are far reaching. Seed patenting on farmers causes a lot of concern because the wellbeing of a majority of the world populace may end up with food insecurity. In a country like India, poorer farmers have even committed suicide. This type of technology is also feared to force poor farmers to be more dependent. In addition, patent holders may manipulate the available supplies with intent to drive seeds’ market prices. This is likely to alter the resources available to the farmers and render them helpless. It is will also

Introduction Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Introduction - Lab Report Example Coral reefs are found in about 100 countries and are home to over 25% of marine population and are the world's most fragile ones. They are topographically complex. Thousands of species of fish and invertebrates live in association with reefs, because of their complexity. For example, hundreds of colonial invertebrate species are found living on the undersides of platy corals in Caribbean Sea. Coral Bleaching: Coral bleaching is the whitening of diverse coral colonies. It happens as the reaction of the loss of symbiotic zooxanthellae, residing within corals, or a reduction in its photosynthetic pigments. Factors causing coral bleaching include various anthropogenic and natural variations in the environment including sea temperature, solar irradiance, sedimentation, xenobiotics, sub aerial exposure, inorganic nutrients, freshwater dilution, and epizootics. Coral bleaching is caused by both low as well as high levels of salinity. Low salinity level originates from sea water dilution tha t is a result of high precipitation events or storm runoff. High salinity levels are produced by the desalination plant operations. Copper accumulation is the dominant trait of Aiptasia pallida. They are sensitive towards the relevant copper concentrations. Hence they may be useful in bio-monitoring of copper polluted environments.

The Civil War in Syria Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Civil War in Syria - Coursework Example The current issue or trend to write about is the revolution in Syria that would help bring peace and reduces the mass casualties of innocent citizens due to increased civil war. The audience for my commentary includes but not limited to the course instructor, the students, peer counselors, the institution management team and other nations involved in the civil war at large. 1. Through revolution, a country like Somalia in East Africa has stabilized its government with a reduction in the number of al-Qaeda. Therefore, the revolution in Syria is no exception to a possibility. 2. Syria is one of the most oil productive nation worldwide and with the existence of civil war, it cannot be able to enjoy its absolute and comparative advantages of the other countries in oil production. 3. The political instability of a nation leads to poor economic performance, lack of democracy, the high number of refugees and increased number of civil war that rise number of casualties hence the need for the revolution in Syria. 4. A country in war can be described as a fallen country as people are divided, however, the revolution will help to unite people together. This can be summarized as, â€Å"together we are united, divided we fall.† 5. There is need to have effective rules and regulations governing people and this can only be possible via revolution where the amendment can be made. However, with existence of civil war, this cannot be achievable hence the need for revolution

Advertising to Children Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9500 words

Advertising to Children - Coursework Example I would like to thank my interviewees for giving up their valuable time to speak to me during their hectic schedules. I also appreciate all the support and guidance offered by my tutor and lecturers. This help has been invaluable to me. My dissertation aims to explore the current problems pertaining to marketing trends involved with advertising aimed at the young audiences and small children. It is reported that Food companies alone spend a whooping $10 billion annually on advertising aimed at young children and this is alleged to have caused the American children to consume almost a third of their daily calories from junk food. The problem of advertising to children is not just restricted to television advertising but extends to the increased use of Internet games, product placements, character licensing and an increased use of word of mouth campaigns to increase sales of products to the young consumer base.The Food,Toy and gadget industry is adamant to defend itself upon any accusation of irresponsible advertising to little children with the likes of themes like parental responsibility and First Amendment rights. The Paper discusses whether or not it is the sole responsibility of these corporate giants to act agai nst self-interest or that the Government should regulate such advertising more seriously. The Dissertation aims to balance these villainous notions of the modern advertisers which have been assigned to modern marketers and whether it is time parents took responsibility for their own actions rather than laying the blame on advertising. Essentially the aim is to question the models of childhood which the are assumed in this debate by policy makers and marketers alike in order to explore the way forward for regulation and the burden of responsibility to the advertisers or the parents. I would like to clarify at the outset that my methodology in this dissertation is largely based on a literature review of contemporary sociological perspectives on childhood and the debates that have because a part of the controversy of advertising to children. The methodology then analyses a two interviews to reconcile the findings of the literature review. The Dissertation restricts itself to the UK discourse on children and advertising and is aimed at contributing to a greater understanding the debate and policy on advertising and children, and to encourage the further practical research in this area armed with these new perspectives. Thus this paper is an exploration into the empirical and polemical literature yet it neutrally considers both sides of the argument and ontology of advertising to children. Tongue-in-cheek social skeptics have often subscribed to the term "adults-in-waiting" or "pre-adults" when describing the modern technologically aware child (James et al., 1998). At the same time the modern marketer knows that the modern child in "independent" and a potential customer which means that certain strategies will be built by marketers and marketing researchers to capture and compete on capturing this segment of the consumer base.(Kline, 1993).The modern marketer thus knows that small children in particular form their future preferences in their early formative stages but the older they grow the more difficult they are to convince.(Lowden, 1999). There are so many industries depending on their bread and butter for effectively capturing the children's consumer base and therefore whether its Mc Donalds or Toys r' Us ,KFC or Disney Land. These exclusively child-oriented industries have come under recent fire from media, sociologists and the political community alike and a heated debate as to their ethical premise has followed which has raised an outcry

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) - Essay Example The Millennium Development Goals refer to a set of eight goals that were established in the Millennium Summit of the year 2000. Member countries, totaling 189 at that time, adopted a declaration called the United Nations Millennium Declaration. International organizations, about 23 in number, were also present in the summit and pledged commitment toward the realization of the goals. The eight goals, which were established at the summit, are to eradicate extreme cases of poverty and hunger, to achieve universal primary education, to promote gender equality and empower women, to reduce child mortality and to improve maternal health, to fight HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases. Others include to ensure environmental sustainability, and finally to develop a global partnership for development. The goals were established to tackle specific areas that were of general concern across member countries. The MDGs were designed in such a way that each goal is inter-dependent of the other. This is to say that the MDGs are linked together in such a way that one influences the progress and achievement of the other. The design of the MDGs is that all eight have a health nature in it, that is, all influence health, and health, on the other hand, influences them. For instance, promoting gender equality is paramount in the realization of better health. Reducing extreme poverty and hunger influences health. Healthy children are able to learn while healthy adults are able to work and earn a better living.

Alcohol Advertisement Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Alcohol Advertisement Report - Essay Example Now the ads are found everywhere in the newspaper, magazine, TV shows even in the textbooks. Ads can be seen at every nook and corner, as they are being so common that the people are also being familiar with the message they convey. Alcohol companies do put warning like â€Å"Drink Responsibly† on their advertisement but no one bothers to consider that, because the alcohol advertisement make drinking so appealing to the youth, that they start believing it to become one of those â€Å"cool kids† in town. The above advertisement is of signature, product of MC Dowell Nepal Limited and it is taken from January 15 2007 issue of â€Å"The Boss†, a business magazine. As we can see that their main target in this advertisement is youth and adolescent. The companies advertising alcohol products mainly show it as a â€Å"Lifestyle Theme†; which prompts the viewer to take the action as the advertiser wants. It is observable in the above advertisement, that the people portrayed belong to a wealthy background, and are going somewhere, away from their workplace or home town.

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Management - Essay Example Competing values framework for psychological states defines appropriate behavior that has to be upheld during negotiations. During negotiations, there is the existence of conflicting cultures that may co-exist due to different characteristics of the management team (Drucker, 2012). This should be appropriately handled during negotiations. Refers to the mastery of the knowledge and skills required to enhance sustained success in the current changing business environment. This means that the leaders of the company in negotiations should carefully highlights and extensively consider the scope of competency they have. The leaders to be chosen during the negotiations should be having immense skills and experience needed to propel their respective companies to greater heights. This wills enhance their business competitiveness in the current times of stiff global competition. (Drucker, 2012). The agenda for personal leadership improvement helps the company to use small innovations that can be proven directly, to come up with products of higher quality faster. This will totally enhance customer advantage as they are currently asking for faster and higher quality products than ever before (Drucker,

Social Media for Business Essay Example for Free

Social Media for Business Essay Introduction. The area under discussion in the following assignment is to quantify the possibility of a deviation from accuracy in the fifty samples formed from a selection of data, following their questionnaire rejoinders. Questioning in which there is a relationship between the kinds of social media is and the type of business. Moreover, does this relationship exist for the reason that day by day more people use social media? (NielsenWire, 2010).This assignment’s first directional hypothesis, testing the first question is: The longer a company use the social media, the more improver’s its customer’s relation. This assignment’s second directional hypothesis, testing the second question is: The longer a company use social media, the helpful to raise companies’ profile. This assignment third hypothesis is: The more skilled companies’ employees are in using social media, the more customers attracts to the firm. Firstly this assignment will review the questionnaire follow by my personal critique. Secondly, present its ‘findings in a variety of tables and graphs followed by analyse and discussion relate on the literature review. This assignment will end with a personal suggestion for future research. Questionnaire. According to Sekaran and Bougie 2009, our data collecting method was questionnaire. A questionnaire is a pre-formulated question, in particular written set of questions to which the respondent records his/her answers. Students at Canterbury Christ Church University Worked under the guidance of Zoodikers Consulting Ltd were the general administered of the questionnaire research that had been considered for this assignment. In addition by choosing a questionnaire in the method of collecting data will increase the chance that more people will respond on our survey. Due to the fact that a ‘questionnaire’ can be complied in short period of time and that the exact questionnaire had been contain with close questions. In result, this questionnaire was not monotonous to its targets and it could achieve its aim of research. (Michaelidou, et al, 2011) For this assignment the questionnaires had been mail to the responders with a result of delayed he data analysis and some of them di dn’t return. In my personal opinion, the questionnaire is clear and easy to understand, particularly it include close questions at the beginning and slightly more complex questions later in order to be more clear and easy to the target group. Certain questions have nearly the same meaning such as, question seven with question nine, also the question ‘My company accepts and adapts to new technology’ displays two time on the questionnaire. Also if I were going to do this questioner again, I would situate more questions that can be specific on how the social media help companies raise their profits and also make specific questions on what social media platform companies use and for what main reason do they use each one. For example: Which social platform helps your company raise its relationships with customers, as feedback gathering. and which social media does your company use in advertising and promotion. As well as an issue arises in question three with the time that a company is using social media. Is been consider that is need more time to see the difference on using social media in many factors. It may be restored with longer time between the answers. Perhaps using: 6months, 12 months, 18 months, over than 24 months. In my personal view this information consider more useful. However, the questionnaire perform fair-minded part in not asking personal questions such as, responders name etc.(Fisher, 2010). It leads the respondent over the questionnaire and continues with general questions followed by more focused questions. According to the fact that our target was people who work in companies and by this I mean that people, who have general education level ensure that everyone could answer it easily. For the most part the frequently use of ‘strongly agree’ scale makes it relatively easy for there audience to select answers and become more comfortable with the questions format. An analysis and discussion of results. Primarily, you will note from the first pie chart below that approximately all companies are using social media platforms. In particular, over forty nine samples that filled in only one company do not use social media platform. Another research shows that firms use social media as a daily part of business (Carter, 2011). This authorise that social media proves to be very important for organisations (Shih, 2009), additionally evidence (e.g. Shih, 2009) recommend that social media is one of the most important tool on running a company. In the second pie chart you can see that manufacturing and transport companies do not use social media. According to manufacturing executive (Can Manufacturing use Social Media to improve its image?, 2012) manufacturing lives outside the world of social media se antithesi with transport companies (Social Media in Transportation in 2012, 2012). However, business services companies that have as most important implement the communicate, collaborate and share information (Enders, Hungenberg, Denker, Mauch, 2008) In order to test the first hypothesis we will test the variable: ‘How long has your company been using social media?’ against another variable: ‘Our relations with customers have improved since we started using social media. ’The table below shows the results of a cross tabulation to the question ‘How long has your company been using social media in addition to agreeing with the following statement Our relations with our customers have improved since we stared using social media. A Chi-squared distribution method will be used in this assignment in order to test its hypotheses. Through this test is going to make clear to whether the collected data are close to the results that been expected. The Chi-squared test for the above data is 3.620254 through a significance level of 10% and that means that there is 10/100 possibility that the results that had been gathered are by pure chance. In addition according to the Chi-squared test, the lowest level of confidence that is acceptable is 5%.In other words there is uncertain fact in the first hypothesis. Furthermore, the literature approve that social media is becoming a core element for businesses in the form of Customer Relation Management (CRM) (Beard, 2010).In particular, as well as known as ‘user-generated communication’, create a new source of information by changing the tools and strategies that companies use to communicate and interact with their customers. (Mangold Faulds, 2009). Another finding by Jacques et al (2011) is that internally networked firms share easier information and carriage them on decision making. The below area graph is displaying the results that had been found. From the below chart it is noticed that all companies start using social media more than 4 months. From the time of 4-6 months only 9% ‘strongly agree’ and 36% ‘agree’ to the statement. Companies that using more than a year the social media shows that there are more certain that social media improve their customer relations, which 24% ‘strongly agree’ and 44% ‘agree’ with the statement. To test the second hypothesis, this assignment took the variable ‘How long has your company been using social media?’ compare it with ‘Social media has helped the company to raise its profile’. In other words how do social media have impact on companies’ profit? The below table shows the results: According to the above table you can see that as the time past that a company use social media then the more raise the companies’ profile. The findings noted that of the forty nine individuals only four of them are ‘not sure’ or ‘disagree’ with the fact that social media is increasing a company’s profile. Correspondingly it’s has been note that on the companies that has been using social media for 4-6 months, only one company,9% ‘strongly agree’ and 9 companies 82% ‘agree’ that is effective on the company profit. However with finding, 38% ‘strongly agree’ and 53% ‘agree’ companies that using social media more than a year are further sure that it’s have excessive impact on companies’ profile. The Chi-squared test data is 8.395945 with significant level of 10% which with the intention of this there is 10/100 probability that the findings that had been collected are through pure chance. In other words, due to the fact that the lowest level of significance confidence is been acceptable is 5% this hypothesis is uncertain. Furthermore the fact that Small, Medium Enterprises (SME’s) have found that using social media is a low-cost, affective marketing tool (Fischer, et al 2011) confirm that it’s reduce firms expenses. Moreover, in 2009 Facebook, a social network site had 206.9 million unique visitors globally (NielsenWire, 2010).This information increase and in my way of thinking ensure that firms by using social media are raising their profiles. To test the third hypothesis, this assignment compare the following variables: First, We have become skilled in using social media. with the second, Social media attracts new customers to the company. additionally the following hypothesis will investigate whether there is a difference on how skilled are companies employees in using social media, with how can affect on attracting new customers to the company. On the below table you can see the results of the third hypothesis. Its been recognise that Chi-squared is analyse on how two variables related to each other. In particular by comparing samples we discover whether there is significantly difference from each other. Its ensure us that our scores are not relate on chance. On the third hypothesis, the Chi-squared test data is 36,161934 with significant level of 1% which with the intention of this there is 1/100 probability that the findings collected are by means of pure chance. In other words, the second hypothesis has been confirmed. These all support the literature argument on the strong connection and big influence social media allows firm to have with the customers (Berinato Clark, 2010 cited in Fischer et al 2011).As well as allows for the firm to converse with customers and creating effectively a fan base (Volpe, 2008 Fischer et al 2011). On the other hand others literature arguments show that staff may not be familiar with social networking sites (Michealidou et al 2011) and that some of them ignore social media because they don’t have the knowledge of how to use it to an advantage (Kietzmann et al, 2011). This assignment point to test the results of an open question, nonetheless the few amount of responders on ‘open question’ make it unreliable to compare the relationship between these responses by means of another variable as the information is pure. Conclusion Furthermore the analysed of the statistic data answer the research questions that had been set out in the introduction of this assignment. For the most part, this assignment shows that there is a relationship between the use of social media and their relation with customers. This is due to the good communication channels that contain in social networking sites. Finally, proving that there is a relationship between the skilled an employee is in using social media the more customers will attract to its company. This is the reason that university is making a lot of effort in making student be aware of social media and be able to use the ‘power’ of it. The future research that this assignment could look into is what social media platform companies use and for what main reason do they use each one. Reference Beard, D. (2010) Do it right: Social media for B2B firms, Marketing (00253650), pp. 19-19 Available at: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=truedb=buhAN=52909723site=ehost-live (Accessed 25/10/11) Carter, M. (2011) ‘Small but nimble’, Computer Weekly, p. 19. (Accessed: 13 November 2011) Christodoulides, G. (2009). Branding in the post-Internet era. Marketing theory, Vol 9, Issue (1), PP141-144. Sage publications Ltd. Available at: http://mtq.sagepub.com/content/9/1/141.abstract. Date accessed 5/11/11. Constantnides, E. (2008) ‘The Web 2.0 as Marketing Tool: Opportunities for SMEs’ Mendeley,9,3,pp.231-244. [Online] DOI: 10.1057/palgrave.dddmp.4350098 (Accessed: 9 November 2011). Enders et al., 2008A. Enders, H. Hungenberg, H.-P. Denker, S. Mauch The long tail of social networking: Revenue models of social networking sites European Management Journal, 26 (2008), pp. 199–211 Article | PDF (395 K) | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (16) Fischer, E, Reuber, R (2011) Social interaction via new social media: (How) can interactions on Twitter affect effectual thinking and behavior?, Journal of Business Venturing, Volume 26, Issue 1, January 2011, Pages 1-18, Available at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0883902610000856 (Accessed 1/11/11) Fisher, C (2010). Researching and Writing a Dissertation. 3rd ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. pp.210 217. Fisher, T. (2009). ROI in social media: A look at the arguments. Journal of Database Marketing Customer Strategy Management, Vol. 16 Issue 3. PP189-195. Available at: http://www.mendeley.com/research/roi-social-media-look-arguments/ Date Accessed: 6/11/11 Jacques, B. and Chui, M. (2011) ‘How Web 2.0 pays off: The Growth Dividend Enjoyed by Networked Enterprises’ McKinsley Quarterly, 2, EBSCOHost [Online] Available at: http://web.ebscohost.com (Accessed: 13 November 2011). Kietzmann, J., Hermkens, K. and McCarthy, I. (2011) ‘Social media? Get Serious! Understanding the Functional Building Blocks of Social Media’, Science Direct, 54, pp. 241-251. [Online] DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005 (Accessed: 26 November 2011). Mangold and Faulds, 2009W.G. Mangold, D.J. Faulds Social media: The new hybrid element of the promotion mix Business Horizons, 52 (2009), pp. 357–365 Article | PDF (207 K) | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (33) NielsenWire, 2010NielsenWire Led by Facebook, Twitter, global time spent on social media sites up 82% year over year, January 22 2010 Available at: http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/global/led-by-facebook-twitter-global-time-spent-on-social-media-sites-up-82-year-over-year/ (2010) [Accessed 26 November 2010] Michaelidou, N., Siamagka, N. T. Christodoulides, G. (2011). Usage, barriers and measurement of social media marketing: An exploratory investigation of small and medium B2B brands, Industrial Marketing Management, (0), Available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019850111001374 (Accessed 25/10/11) Russell, M.G. (2009) A call for creativity in new metrics for liquid media. Journal of interactive advertising, Vol 9. Issue 2. PP 44-61. Available at: http://www.warc.com/Content/ContentViewer.aspx?MasterContentRef=c78bc957-b78e-4f47-99f3-776b68c045d1q=+Social+Media-+Metrics. Date Accessed 11/11/11 Sekaran, U and Bougie, R (2009). Research Methods for Business. 5th ed. Chichester: John Wiley Sons. pp.197. Volpe, M. (2008, March 5). How to use Twitter for marketing and PR [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://blog.hubspot.com/blog/tabid/6307/bid/4034/How-to-Use-Twitter-for-Marketing-PR.aspx http://www.manufacturing-executive.com/thread/1013 http://blogdg.ctl.ca/2012/01/social_media_in_transportation.html

Social Networks and Their Effects on Teens Essay Example for Free

Social Networks and Their Effects on Teens Essay Social Networks such as Facebook are used by teenagers all over the world, but the effects from having a profile page online may be detrimental. Profile pages online are filled with photos, personal information, interests, and dislikes, comments from friends and other information. All of this information can cause premature opinions of all the teens associated with these pages and personal relationships could be affected. Having an online profile page is almost like a popularity contest; teenagers vie for friends, but do not realize that these profiles can cause depression, embarrassment, gossip and lies. The use of social networks can affect real life teens and their personal relationships in very adverse ways. When a teenager creates a profile page on Facebook, their first objective is to see how many friends they can acquire. As the friend totals increase so does the popularity of the profile page owner; this is the beginning of the â€Å"unofficial† popularity contest. Photos are uploaded, statuses are typed, comments made, â€Å"likes† are displayed and friend requests are sent out; the more activity happening on the page, the more popular this teenager looks. Numbers become very important, Shalaka Gole states, â€Å"Facebook easily points out the difference between those that have a lot of friends and those that dont† (1). Some teenagers take it too seriously and become almost distraught because they don’t have many friends on their list or they can become too egotistical because they have so many. The next objective a teenager has is to post a picture known as the profile picture. The profile picture is the one that everyone sees when viewing the profile so it has to be perfect. When a teenager first posts their picture(s), they wait for comments and â€Å"likes†. Sometimes they sit and wait and sometimes they don’t get any. If they don’t, they begin to feel as though they are not liked and they think less of themselves. The teenager may think that they posted the greatest picture but others may not think so and actually write disrespectful comments. Again, there is the egotistical side where someone may get so many comments and â€Å"likes† that they think they can do anything or be in a relationship with anyone they choose. The next aspect of Facebook is to write a status. A status can be whatever  you want to say. It is the thought or thoughts that you want to share at the current moment. However, statuses can be very dangerous. As with anything, you must watch what you say. Sometimes people may not like what you have to say and may write something you don’t like in a comment and someone you want to â€Å"like† the status doesn’t. Things like these are what upset teenagers. One of the biggest mistakes with making a status is that no one knows what tone of voice you used to say what you did. Some people may think of sarcasm and laugh at something serious or be angered at something meant to be funny. But most of all, statuses start gossip. Gossip can start with one post and move on. Someone could say something very simple and it can go from a mole hill to a mountain in very quick time. Someone could change their relationship status from â€Å"in a relationship† to â€Å"single† and as soon as that happens, all the friends of the friends of that someone know. Most of the time things get blown out of proportion. If someone posts their opinion about someone or something, the next day at school everyone is saying â€Å"Did you see what she said?† One little sentence goes a long way and that little bit of gossip can hurt someone to the point that they will spend hours trying to figure out if what they are going to say or post will cause any problems. Some teens have even deleted their accounts because of such situations. Facebook has been known for making people â€Å"fake†. When people and teens especially make their profile, they have to include details about who they are. It goes from what music they listen to, to their favorite quotes. Because someone feels left out they could say things that aren’t true just to get attention from others. People can lie about anything on Facebook from their age and sex to their job and education. There is no verification of who you are. Teens use this to their advantage to try to feel included in conversations that they know absolutely nothing about. Sometimes, the lies that are told on Facebook actually are believed by the person telling them because it becomes that serious! One of the biggest problems Facebook has is that anything can be said. My son about a month ago posted â€Å"Maybe the world would be better off without  me† and so many people commented on it. He really was depressed but just posted for the attention reason. He wanted to know that people cared more than he thought. It caused a lot of problems with my friends and I and people became worried that my son would commit suicide or do something in that matter. His friends were scared. My friends were scared. I was scared. Certain things like that can cause problems mentioned before such as gossip and distraught. In conclusion, the online world of Facebook can be very dangerous. It was created for good cause but gradually became a highly intense problem. Even after all the problems and stress that the site causes, it still has over 500 million daily visitors! Something about it all is attractive and almost addicting. Parents should certainly have more rules to control what goes on their teens Facebook page for the sole fact that there shouldn’t be any unnecessary drama and gossip being said in a teenager’s life.

The Often Complex Process Of Reading English Language Essay

The Often Complex Process Of Reading English Language Essay Reading is often seen as a fairly simple process where a person reads text from left to right and from the top to the bottom while making meaning one word at a time. The process of reading is much more complex than this, and many theorists have presented models explaining what skills and knowledge they believe people need to possess in order to read effectively. Three mainstream theories of teaching Reading include the Psycholinguistic model, the Bottom-up model and the Socio-cultural model supported by Luke and Freebody (year 1990?). The Psycholinguistic Model: The Psycholinguistic model of teaching Reading is also called the Top-down model and the Inside-out model. Goodman (1967), a theorist supporting this reading model, proposes that the reader is the major component of reading, as opposed to the Bottom-up model which focuses on the text. The Psycholinguistic model places importance on the reader making meaning from a text by relating it to their background and prior understandings. The more prior knowledge and experiences a reader has, the less dependence they will need to place on word order, language structures, and phonological concepts (week 1 ppt). Unlike the Bottom-up reading model, this theory focuses on the non-visual information that the reader has and suggests that, in order to read, one must have semantic, syntactic and grapho-phonic knowledge. Semantic information involves a readers prior knowledge and understandings of the world and various concepts. Syntactic knowledge is the understanding of word order and language struct ures (week 1 ppt, p.?), and grapho-phonic information involves phonological concepts; an understanding of the alphabet and the sounds that various letters and letter combinations make (week 1 ppt). The idea of relying on the readers experiences and prior knowledge can also be seen as one of the biggest downfalls to this model. When presented with reading topics that are new to the reader, it is very difficult to make meaning of a text based solely on prior knowledge. For example, picture a young boy living in a secluded, poor village in Africa reading a text about Blu-Ray DVDs. The boy would likely have no knowledge or prior experience with this topic and so, according to this model, would not be able to make meaning of the text (slideshare). The Bottom-Up Model: The Bottom-Up Reading theory is also known as the Skills Model and the Outside-in theory. According to this Reading theory, beginner readers obtain a number of sub-skills that build towards understanding and comprehension. This theory suggests that readers passively receive information from a text and that it is their job to reproduce the meaning that already exists in the text. Visual information is the beginning point of the Bottom-Up Reading theory and involves interpreting written symbols into spoken language (McCarthy, 1999 www.teachingenglish) or (Nunan, 1991). Reading, according to this theory, involves recognising letters before recognising sounds, before recognising words, before recognising sentences, before finally making meaning of a text (week 1 ppt). It is essentially a decoding or skills approach based on the relationship between sounds and written symbols (week 1 ppt). One downfall of this theory is that it doesnt take into account the contributions a reader can bring to the process such as prior understandings and knowledge. It fails to recognise the need for the reader to use their previous experiences in order to make predictions and to have expectations whist reading. This process focuses on the text whereas the Psycholinguistic model focuses on the reader; two factors that are not enough by themselves (www.slideshare). The Socio-Cultural Model: The Socio-Cultural model of teaching Reading, supported by Luke Freebody (year), recognises the importance of both the reader and the text in the reading process. In this model, importance is placed equally on both the text and the reader (nadabs). Unlike the psycholinguistic and bottom-up models, the Socio-cultural theory relies on both the visual and non-visual aspects of reading and not just on one of these factors (www.slideshare). An attempt is made to combine the positive aspects of both the Psycholinguistic and Bottom-up models, whilst also trying to eliminate the negatives (McCormick, 1988). As a result of this, the Socio-cultural reading model focuses on the importance of prior knowledge while recognising the fact that certain skills are also necessary (www.slideshare). This Reading theory consists of four Roles of the Reader which include the Code Breaker, the Text Participant, the Text User and the Text Analysis. The code breaker involves decoding visual information such as letter-sound understanding. Text participant involves creating meaning from the text by using prior knowledge and experiences. Text user involves knowing the purpose of a text and how to use it, for example, a recipe, comprehension or birthday card, and Text analysis involves working out what the author is trying to do to you, for example, underlying intentions and biases (week 1 ppt). According to this socio-cultural model, a reader is required to successfully perform each of these four roles in order to become effective readers. Most effective model to use in the classroom: The Socio-Cultural model is the most promising teaching Reading theory as it tries to incorporate the positive components and eliminate the negative components of both the psycholinguistic and the Bottom-up Reading theories. This model, therefore, is arguably the most effective theory to be used in the classroom as it recognises the importance of both the Reader and the text. According to Eskey (1988), a good read is someone who is able to decode and interpret readings in an increasingly automatic manner. They attempt to identify the purpose and the form of a text before reading it, continually making predictions about what will happen next based on personal experiences and information learned earlier. Effective readers also try to form a summary of what they have read by using skills such as classifying, sequencing, hypothesising, predicting, inferring, comparing and contrasting (www.teachingenglish). The socio-cultural reading model tries to present a balanced view of the reading process and recognises the importance of teaching children phonics and other necessary skills, while noting that phonics by itself is not enough. Students need to be able to do more than just say a written sentence; they also need to try to make meaning of it. According to this model, students should be given plenty of opportunities to practice each of the following four roles of the reader; Code-breaker, Text-participant, Text-user and Text-analysis (Winch et al., 2001, p.58). They need to learn to say the words, create meaning from these words, know the purpose of each text and how to use it, and finally, learn to recognise how a text is positioning them. According to this Socio-cultural reading model, students are effective readers once they have become proficient at each of these four reading roles (Winch et al, 2001). Classroom practice examples: Effective teaching is necessary in order to nurture students to become effective readers. Reading lessons must be carefully planned, prepared and monitored to ensure that high level learning is occurring in the classroom. The activities a teacher chooses to assist in any Reading lesson must encourage students to learn necessary skills and to perform each of the four roles of the reader. Activities must provide students with frequent opportunities to read, teach them phonological skills, and help them to understand the structure of verbal and written words. Effective teachers will model effective reading to their students in a fun, positive manner by using props, acting, strong expression and variations in speed, pitch and volume to ensure that students see the process as enjoyable. Shared reading or modelled reading is one activity that teachers should incorporate into their Reading teaching program. It is usually a whole-class activity structured to demonstrate effective reading to the students. Teachers will often use a big book that all students can see and will follow a somewhat structured procedure. Before reading the book, an effective Reading teacher will try to build up their students semantic knowledge about the topic of the book so that students are able to relate text to mental pictures. This could be done by taking students on an excursion, drawing/painting pictures, watching a video or through writing activities. When first introducing a big book, the teacher should ensure that it is visible to all students and should encourage children to suggest what they think the book might be about. The teacher then reads through the entire book with limited stops as this first reading is usually for the enjoyment of the children. Following readings are more i nteractive and require students to join in on repetitive parts and answer questions about the storyline, characters, punctuation and structure. They are also followed up with activities to help support learning and encourage understanding. Shared reading helps to build sight word knowledge, increases reading fluency, provides opportunities for struggling readers to enjoy books they otherwise would not, and ensures that all students have a feeling of success as the whole class is supported (WETA http://www.readingrockets.org/strategies/shared_reading). Guided reading is another effective strategy to use in the classroom. This differs to shared reading in that students are placed in groups of similar reading ability and are given their own book to look at.The book should be introduced in a similar manner to shared reading, with attention being paid to the front cover, author and illustrator. Each students should be given the opportunity to read a designated section out loud, however, teachers should be careful not to set a child up for failure by asking a struggling reader to read a large, difficult portion of the book. Techniques should be available for students to use in order to overcome reading difficulties such as with phonics, grammar and meaning. Students should be required to take on the four roles of the reader by answering pre-prepared questions by the teacher. After a guided reading session, students should re-read the book with a partner and then take the book home to read to their parents. Again, follow-up activities ar e to be used in order to reinforce new learning such as sequencing activities or memory where repetitive words are written on pieces of card/paper and students are required to find two matching words (Winch, et al., 2001). Guided reading is effective as it allows children to read and comprehend books at their own level, instead of struggling to read books that are too difficult and where students are unable to make meaning of the text. Another effective activity to use when teaching Reading to students is called The language experience approach which uses events that have occurred in the students life in order to create texts. Students verbally share an experience which is written down either by the student or with the help from the teacher. These stories then become meaningful texts for reading and further activities as they are written at the students level and often reflect common every day experiences. The language experience approach is an effective strategy as it is learner-centred and shows students that their thoughts and experiences are valued. It also creates texts that are readable and predictable as it uses language that is common to the students (McCormick, 1988). Reading is a very complex cognitive process and involves both the text and the semantics of the reader. The Psycholinguistic and Bottom-up models both acknowledge some important elements of the reading process, however, the Socio-cultural model is more effective as it attempts to combine the positive and eliminate the negative aspects of each. Effective teaching is of great importance in order to help students to become competent readers. By providing students with valuable reading activities and experiences, and encouraging them to take on the four roles of the reader, teachers are setting students up with the essential skills and understandings to becoming effective readers.

Psychological Egoism :: Psychology Selfishness Selfish Egoism essays

Psychological Egoism Psychological egoism is a reflex that every person has to orient themselves toward their own welfare. Through this, it follows that every one of his (or her) voluntary actions is some good to himself. If someone gives away the last piece of bread to someone else, it is because they want to look like a better person. Due to the fact that they would give away the last piece of bread. Human nature is completely and exclusively egoistic. People are entirely selfish and devoid of any genuine feelings of sympathy, benevolence, or sociability. They are always thinking of themselves in everything they do.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Each individual is preoccupied exclusively with the gratification of personal desires (felicity or happiness).Ones success in maintaining a continuous flow of gratification is the means of ones happiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The object of the voluntary acts of every man is some good to himself. Whenever man renounces his right it is either in consideration for some right reciprocally transferred to himself, or for some other good he hopes for from the outcome. This presents us with the old saying: "Do unto others as you would want them to do unto you."   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Social organization originates out of self interest. All society is for gain, or for glory. It is not like we think it is—for love of our fellows. Instead it is for self preservation. It is a sort of social contract. In a state of nature we are at war with each other and life is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short. In a natural state individuals are in equal powers. Voluntary collective organization is the most effective way for individuals to utilize their powers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Man should be allowed the right to use all means or actions to preserve himself. For every man is desirous of what is good to him, and shuns what is evil, but chiefly the chiefest of natural evil, which is death. The right to bear arms. In conclusion, I would like to say that? Psychological Egoism-- This is the claim that humans by nature are motivated only by self-interest . Any act, no matter how altruistic it might seem, is actually motivated by some selfish desire of the agent (e.g., desire for reward, avoidance of guilt, personal happiness). This is a descriptive claim about human nature. Since the claim is universal--all acts are motivated by self interest--it could be proven false by a single counterexample (Weston, rule #11). It will be difficult to find an action that the psychological egoist will acknowledge as purely altruistic, however. There is almost always some benefit to ourselves in any action we choose.

Analysis of Samuel Adams and Boston Beer Company Essay -- beer industr

The Boston Beer Company and Samuel Adams have both had a long history. Since the 1870s, six generations of the Koch family have been involved with beer. In the early 1980s, the seventh generations almost turned his back on the family business. After graduating from graduate school, Jim Koch wanted to stray always for the family business and seek a career in management consulting. After a short time in the consulting business, Koch decided that he just could not ignore his destiny to create a new, different beer. In 1984, Koch was on the search for a â€Å"better beer†. The only options at the time on the market were pale lagers from mass producers (Company), Koch decided there needed to be a change. In April 1985, Samuel Adams made in bar debut. At first, Koch and his partner, Rhonda Kallmen, were the only employees and were only producing 500 barrels a year. The company has now grown to 400 wholesalers, 200 sales representatives and 6 million barrels of beer produced each y ear. Because of the creativeness of Jim Koch the craft beer industry has been forever changed. Structure and Strategy Boston Beer Company has always structured themselves as a craft beer maker. Their strategy is to always strive to give their loyal customers a â€Å"better beer†. Their idea of a better beer includes giving their customer a higher quality, a better and unique taste, and a sophisticated image. Along with the strategy to a better beer for the customer, Boston Beer and Samuel Adams also pay close attention to their operations strategy. Their operations strategy includes paying close attention to the brewing process from start to finish. The producers are involved in every step of the brewing process. They hand select all of the raw materials, they br... ... on top of the craft beer industry. Through their business strategy, structure, strengths, and adaptability, Samuel Adams is a company that will continue to grow and continue to provide their customer with a better beer. Works Cited Company, Boston Beer. Samuel Adams- Our Craft Beers. n.d. 6 Nov. 2015. . Polgar, by Richard. NYS Bottle Bill: Deposit & No Return. September 2011. 6 Nov. 2015. . Ruggles, M. 4 Main Ingredients in Beer and Why They are Important. 29 April 2011. 6 Nov. 2015. . SABMiller. Vers. ww.sabmiller.com. n.d. 8 Nov. 2015. Verive, John. Los Angeles Times: Food. 19 September 2013. 6 Nov. 2015. . Analysis of Samuel Adams and Boston Beer Company Essay -- beer industr The Boston Beer Company and Samuel Adams have both had a long history. Since the 1870s, six generations of the Koch family have been involved with beer. In the early 1980s, the seventh generations almost turned his back on the family business. After graduating from graduate school, Jim Koch wanted to stray always for the family business and seek a career in management consulting. After a short time in the consulting business, Koch decided that he just could not ignore his destiny to create a new, different beer. In 1984, Koch was on the search for a â€Å"better beer†. The only options at the time on the market were pale lagers from mass producers (Company), Koch decided there needed to be a change. In April 1985, Samuel Adams made in bar debut. At first, Koch and his partner, Rhonda Kallmen, were the only employees and were only producing 500 barrels a year. The company has now grown to 400 wholesalers, 200 sales representatives and 6 million barrels of beer produced each y ear. Because of the creativeness of Jim Koch the craft beer industry has been forever changed. Structure and Strategy Boston Beer Company has always structured themselves as a craft beer maker. Their strategy is to always strive to give their loyal customers a â€Å"better beer†. Their idea of a better beer includes giving their customer a higher quality, a better and unique taste, and a sophisticated image. Along with the strategy to a better beer for the customer, Boston Beer and Samuel Adams also pay close attention to their operations strategy. Their operations strategy includes paying close attention to the brewing process from start to finish. The producers are involved in every step of the brewing process. They hand select all of the raw materials, they br... ... on top of the craft beer industry. Through their business strategy, structure, strengths, and adaptability, Samuel Adams is a company that will continue to grow and continue to provide their customer with a better beer. Works Cited Company, Boston Beer. Samuel Adams- Our Craft Beers. n.d. 6 Nov. 2015. . Polgar, by Richard. NYS Bottle Bill: Deposit & No Return. September 2011. 6 Nov. 2015. . Ruggles, M. 4 Main Ingredients in Beer and Why They are Important. 29 April 2011. 6 Nov. 2015. . SABMiller. Vers. ww.sabmiller.com. n.d. 8 Nov. 2015. Verive, John. Los Angeles Times: Food. 19 September 2013. 6 Nov. 2015. .

History On Amazing Grace :: essays research papers

"Amazing grace, how sweet the sound..." So begins one of the most beloved hymns of all times, a staple in the hymnals of many denominations. The author of the words was John Newton, the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost but then was found, saved by amazing grace. Newton was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. In 1744 John was impressed into service on a man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured and publicly flogged and demoted from midshipman to common seaman. Finally at his own request he was exchanged into service on a slave ship, which took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. He then became the servant of a slave trader and was brutally abused. Early in 1748 he was rescued by a sea captain who had known John's father. John Newton ultimately became captain of his own ship, one which plied the slave trade. Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother, who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any religious convictions. However, on a homeward voyage, while he was attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced what he was to refer to later as his "great deliverance." He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, "Lord, have mercy upon us." Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him. For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power. "Thro' many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; 'tis grace has bro't me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home." He continued in the slave trade for a time after his conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his care were treated humanely. In 1750 he married Mary Catlett, with whom he had been in love for many years. By 1755, after a serious illness, he had given up seafaring forever. He decided to become a minister and applied to the Archbishop of York for ordination.

From PDAs to Smart Phones: The Evolution of an Industry in the Beginning

Even though PDAs had innovative and sophisticated product designs, companies failed due to several reasons. First, enabling technologies were not up to par and such features as wireless connectivity, greater processing power, longer battery life and replicating streamlined versions of office software compromised the performance and size of the PDA. Another reason was due to the lack of market awareness about the functionality and the future potential of pen-based PDA and the market was still undeveloped in terms of such technology. With the lack of publicity, how would the public see any use for a PDA? This was especially true for a generation that was not technologically driven as we are today. With a device more expensive than desktop systems, it seemed that without proper marketing the public would not understand the need for it. Furthermore, potential users were unsure of the PDA’s performance, compatibility and availability showing how companies failed to address user needs and did not focus on the type of consumer that would most likely buy such a device. In addition to these setbacks, Microsoft stalled the market acceptance of PDA technology when it announced it was planning on a making a PDA, but failed to follow through with it. It is obvious that companies producing PDAs could have developed successful marketing tactics to gain momentum and build a consumer base upon such publicity. However, it can be debated whether the PDA could of survived the emergence of the smart phone. Although many companies such as Momenta and GO failed in the PDA business, Palm proved to be the most victorious. The PalmPilot was successful because the product was fast, simple, and was available for less than $300. With the extinction of PDAS came the launch of the smart phone which created competition among such companies as Research In Motion, Motorola, Samsung, and HTC. However, in 2007, these companies were in for a major battle when computer giant Apple entered into the smart phone industry. Being late to the smart phone market proved in no way to be a disadvantage for Apple as the iPhone surpassed present smart phone models. specially with its integration of touch screen technology into smart phones. Apple was able to successfully enter into the industry when it did due to its well known and trusted brand. The company’s triumph can be measured by the success of its computers, computer software including iTunes, and iPods. The iPhone has been successful due to such features as its user interface, touch screen technology, applications, synchronization with iTunes, and its simplicity along. Apple has always been known for its innovation and the iPhone was proof of that. Overall, there seems to be increasing returns in the smart phone market as its consumer base grows; nevertheless, it is not likely that a single operating system as the dominant design as the cell phone industry produces a variety of different models that accommodate user’s preferences. Overall, the smart phone industry has gained the longevity and potential for further technological advances that PDAs failed to obtain demonstrating how the timing of a product’s entry into its industry is vital in the products success.

Educational System in Nigeria Essay

Education in Nigeria is the shared responsibility of the federal, state and local governments. The Federal Ministry of Education plays a dominant role in regulating the education sector, engaging in policy formation and ensuring quality control. However, the federal government is more directly involved with tertiary education than it is with school education, which is largely the responsibility of state (secondary) and local (primary) governments. The education sector is divided into three sub-sectors: basic (nine years), post-basic/senior secondary (three years), and tertiary (four to seven years, depending on the major or course of study). Education in Nigeria is provided by public and private institutions. According to Nigeria’s National Policy on Education (2004), basic education covers education given to children 3-15 years of age, which includes pre-primary programs (ages three to five), and nine years of formal (compulsory) schooling consisting of six years of primary and three years of junior secondary. Post-basic education includes three years of senior secondary education in either an academic or technical stream. Continuing education options are provided through vocational and technical schools. The tertiary sector consists of a university sector and a non-university sector. The latter is composed of polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education. The tertiary sector as a whole offers opportunities for undergraduate, graduate, vocational and technical education. There are currently (2011) 117 federal, state and private universities accredited in Nigeria as degree-granting institutions. Information on all accredited universities is available on the National University Commission’s website. The academic year typically runs from September to July. Most universities use a semester system of 18 – 20 weeks. Others run from January to December, divided into 3 terms of 10 -12 weeks. Annually, an average of 1.5 million students take the Unified Tertiary and Matriculation Examination (UTME) for entrance into Nigerian universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. Universities have the capacity to absorb less than 40 percent of these test takers. The other 60 percent tend to go to their second and third choice categories of institutions—polytechnics and colleges of education. Many Nigerian students also apply to institutions abroad. In 2011, 40 percent of the students who sat for the UTME made the minimum cut-off grade of 200 (out of 400) for entry into Nigerian universities. There are currently various government reforms and initiatives aimed at improving the Nigerian educational system. These include the upgrade of some polytechnics and colleges of education to the status of degree-awarding institutions, the approval and accreditation of more private universities, and the dissemintaion of better education-related data, including the recently published Nigerian Educational Statistics (a publication assisted by USAID among others). However, with the recent announcement by Nigeria’s National Population Commission that Nigeria’s population is expected to hit 166 million by October 31, 2011 and that approximately 60 percent of this population will be between the ages of 13 and 45, the recent government initiatives fall far short of addressing the educational needs of the country. As a result, an increasing number of families and students are looking at alternative educational opportunities within the region and further abroad. Primary education (grades 1-6) is free and compulsory, and offered to children aged 6-12. The curriculum is geared toward providing permanent literacy, laying a sound basis for scientific, critical and reflective thinking, and also in equipping children with the core life skills to function effectively in society. In 2009, the gross enrollment ratio at the primary level was 89 percent (95 percent male and 84 percent female) according to UNESCO statistics. The net enrollment rate (as a percentage of children in the 6-12 age group) was a much lower 61 percent (male children 64 percent, female children 58 percent) in 2007 (UIS) suggesting that many students outside of the primary age group are attending primary school. In 2008, the primary to secondary transition rate was 44 percent, according to the Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) EdData Profile. Under the new Universal Basic Education (UBE) system of 9-3-4, which replaced the former universal primary education scheme of 6-3-3-4, students attend six years of primary school and three years of junior secondary, thus nine years of compulsory and uninterrupted schooling. This is followed by three years of senior secondary schooling. Until 2006 entry to junior secondary education was based on the Common Entrance Examination, but entry is now automatic. The Junior Secondary School Certificate is awarded at the end of junior secondary school. Students who pass the Junior Secondary Certificate Examination (JSCE) at the credit level (see the grading system below) in not less than six subjects may proceed to senior secondary school (grade 10) at either the same institution, or they may transfer to another institution of their choice. Core subjects at the junior secondary level include: English, French, science, technology, Nigerian language (Hausa, Ibo and Yoruba), mathematics, and social studies. Students may also choose to study a number of elective subjects. A prevocational stream is also available to students looking to pursue technical or vocational training at the senior secondary level. A majority of senior secondary school students proceed in the academic stream from junior secondary school. However, there is also a technical stream, in addition to vocational training outside of the school system, or apprenticeship options offering a range of terminal trade and craft awards. Private organizations, community groups, religious bodies, and the federal and state governments establish and manage secondary schools in Nigeria. All private and public schools offer the same curriculum but most private schools include the Cambridge International Examination curriculum, which allows students to take the IGSCE examinations during their final year in high school. It is also important to note that some private schools offer GCE A-levels, which usually serve as a gap year after graduation for students that are interested. The common core curriculum at the senior secondary level consists of: English, one Nigerian language, mathematics, one science subject, one social science subject, and agricultural science or a vocational subject. In addition students must take three elective subjects, one of which may be dropped in the third year. Students take the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) at the end of grade 12. The Senior Secondary Certificate (SSC) is awarded to successful candidates. The certificate lists all subjects in which the student is successful. The SSCE replaced the West African GCE O and A levels in 1989, although those examinations are still available to students who wish to take them (see above). The SSC is issued by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) or the National Examination Council (NECO), depending on the examination board used. An average grade of ‘credit’ level (C6) or better is required for access to public universities; however some require higher grades for admission. The standards of the two examinations are essentially the same. Students register for a maximum of nine and a minimum of seven subjects, which must include mathematics and English. A student must get at least a C in English and four other courses relevant to his or her major in order to sit for the University Tertiary Matriculation Examination. A student applying for admission to study medicine, computer science or accounting, for example, will be required to have a minimum of a C in mathematics as well as in English whereas a student applying for a program in history will not necessarily require a C in mathematics.

Graphic Design as Main Communication Medium Essay

As multimedia advances to higher stages of development, the significance of graphic design continues to increase. Graphic design was once considers a visual form of art. Over time, it has come to be recognized as form of communication. Art and communication reflect and serve culture. Culture represents the political and economic structure of the society. Therefore graphic design reflects and promotes political and economic systems. This paper attempt to show that graphic design, layout design of the poster and artistic craftsmanship of typography are the main communication media that have served different cultures during different historical eras. Graphic design can be defined from many perspectives. For a layman, graphic design may simply refer to the production of printed, online, and manufactured materials that are visually appealing. Graphic design is reproduced in either large numbers or in gigantic media such as billboards so that it can get the attention of many people. Being a visual instrument of communication, it usually employs an effective combination of graphics and text in order to convey a message. Graphic design is prevalent in both the capitalists and socialist economies. The capitalist use it mainly to sell goods and services while the socialists use it to sell ideas to motivate people to agree with government policies and work for a socialist economy. Whatever the case , the of aim graphic design is to motivate people to act; the information it relays is meant to move people and not just to satisfy the usual thirst for knowledge. Some people include paintings as graphic design but Barnard in the book, Graphic Design as Communication, denies that this is incorrect. Classical paintings merely tell a story. They are being viewed only in the confines of private homes or museums. They are definitely not for popular consumption. Newark, in the book, The Gutenberg Galaxy, states that the coins found in Apollonia, Greece, which was estimated sometime in 450 BC may be considered the earliest products of graphic design. Because it was a form of currency, it was produced in large numbers. It has a prototypical logo and it was made with the use of a metal die, a technological wonder at that time. Jobling & Crowley define graphic design in relation to social structures and the historical context in which such structure exists. Graphic design is shaped by certain society’s beliefs and morals. Jobling & Crowley identify three factors that graphic design constitutes the following: It is produced in large numbers; It should be cheap and graphic design conveys ideas through a combination of words and images. However, Jobling & Crowley argue that not all products of graphic deign are cheap. In fact, some of them are symbolic of wealth and luxury. Newark defines graphic design by focusing on its functions. Graphic design functions as a means of communication. Once the design is able to attract the attention of people, it must be able to explain its message with the minimum use of words, if any. Brand logos explain not only the product but also the quality it possesses. A graphic design becomes the identity of its subject. People begin to relate certain symbols to what they represent. For example, the elephant symbol becomes the Republican Party. These act on people’s emotions and become factors in determining how they feel the market. Knoblauch points out that communication shapes culture. Culture develops by communication and acceptable interaction by the society. In this regard, since graphic design is a medium of communication, it serves culture as well. It passes through many historical eras and different cultures. This is contrary to the common belief that it is just a product of the modern computer technology. Technology is a continuous process and so is its evolution. History has shown that human beings had begun communicating through visuals before oral communication grew. McLuhan notes that Gutenberg press is an important stage in the evolution of graphic design. Invented around 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg, it made possible the mass production of literary material. Bibles were the first material to be produced. Gutenberg used a special character symbols which he developed himself to represent words and common Latin phrases. Gutenberg’s visually attractive typography and lay-out made the Bible more appealing to people, a fact that served well the cultural interests of the Holy Roman Empire . 1700s and 1800s saw further development of graphic design. This was the time that capitalism was developing at a rapid pace. Publishers were in great competition with each other.. Therefore, graphic design was highly improved. At this point came there arose contradictions between publishers and authors. Publishers used graphic design especially on the covers to make it more attractive. The authors feared that this might change the context of the book. This shows that graphic design can either enhance or destroys the context of the ext. Barchas, J. warns us not to make judgment by looking at the cover of a book since graphic design may convey anther meaning. Graphic design is developing further. The advancement of computer and information technology has made it possible for graphic arts to be blended with other media Graphic design has been used tin advertisement. Eisend advises that the advertisers have to create graphic design that effectively sells a product. The graphic design must also be able to convince the consumer to buy only the brand that it promotes. Lindstrom notes that many companies are gradually transforming the traditional billboards into audio-visual displays, which appeal to more senses other than just sight. In conclusion, graphic design can either be a factor to encourage the survival of a social system or it can destroy it to introduce a new one. Reference The given research paper

Assigning Evaluation and Management Essay

Individual Assigning Evaluation and Management (E/M) Codes 1. Initial consultation for a 78-year-old woman with unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, and rectal bleeding. Comprehensive history and examination performed. 99205 This history and examination were comprehensive and dealt with several body systems, so 99205 is the better E/M code to use. 2. 30-year-old patient presents complaining of flu-like symptoms characterized by unremitting cough, sinus pain, and thick nasal discharge. Examination reveals bronchitis and sinus infection. Patient is prescribed a five-day course of Zithromax. 99202 The case does not distinguish whether the patient was a new or an established patient. Without this knowledge, I would use the code 99202. 3. Established patient on Lithium presents for routine blood work to monitor therapeutic levels and kidney function. Nurse reviews the results and advises the patient that tests are normal and no change in dosage is indicated. 99211 This patient is an existing patient with an established history, so 99211 is the proper E/M code to use. 4. 62-year-old diabetic female presents for check-up and dressing change of wound on left foot. Examination reveals that the wound is healing. Nurse applied new dressing and patient will return for check-up in one week. 99212 I have selected 99212 because the patient has diabetes and is there for a routine check-up and dressing change. Because the wound is healing and the patient will return for another check-up, 99212 is the best/M code. 5. A mother brings in her six-month-old male child for routine wellness check. Examination reveals the child to be in good health and making adequate progress. 99215 This is a routine wellness check, which is an extensive visit to ensure the baby is doing well and continues developing on schedule.

Amst 301

AMERICAN STUDIES 301 MIDTERM Please include a title for the midterm, TA name, and staple Description of assignment: Compose an anthology of thirteen quotations drawn from the materials assigned for the first three sections of this course (Parts I, II and III). The anthology will consist of a preface, short commentaries on each quotation, and a conclusion. The anthology should be governed by a theme (or a set of two topics aligned to the concerns of the first four sections of the syllabus) that offer a way to unite together the diverse materials for this course.The best anthologies (those that will receive an A or A- grade) will be ones where the theme enables the student to inquire into the complexities of American culture and where both the structure and content of the midterm manifest democratic thinking (i. e. , examining an issue by looking at it from multiple points of view) and integrative thinking (i. e, finding similarities or making syntheses between separate, diverse voices ). Texts for the assignment: Draw one quotation from each of the following texts or set of texts.Present the quotation and cite the text and page number of the quote (if the page number is available). Then provide your analysis of the quotation. Note: You should feel free and encouraged to arrange the quotes and commentaries in whatever order you find most appropriate and compelling. It’s best not to arrange the quotes in the order presented in the list of texts that follows. Compose an arrangement that allows you to create the most interesting and revealing conversation—or dialogue and debate–among the texts. . Carroll, ed. , Letters from a Nation 2. Katz, ed. , Why Freedom Matters 3. Smith, Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 4. Cumings, Dominion from Sea to Sea, chapters 2, 10 or 11 5. O'Hearn, ed. , Half + Half: Writers on Growing Up Biracial and Bicultural 6. Essays on Los Angeles by Christopher Isherwood, Sonora McKeller, Wanda Coleman, Jimmy Santiago Baca, Lynell George, or Bill Bradley. 7. Political oratory or writings by John Winthrop, Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson or Frederick Douglass 8.Herman Melville, â€Å"Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street† or Nathaniel Hawthorne, â€Å"A Gray Champion† 9. Black, Our Constitution: The Myth That Binds Us 10. Political oratory by Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr. , Thurgood Marshall, Mario Cuomo, Ronald Reagan, Barack Obama, or Bernie Sanders. 11. Essays or Speeches by Tony Kushner, James Baldwin, Stanley Crouch or Cornell West 12. Poetry by Pat Mora, Gloria Anzaldua, Ariana Waynes, Beau Sia, Steve Connell, Langston Hughes, or lines from comedy skits and writings by Culture Clash 13.John Leland, Hip: The History, David Brooks, On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (and Always Have) in the Future Tense, or any quotation of your own selection drawn from American music, film, literature, history, politics, including lines from movies or lyrics from a so ng. Analysis of the texts: Write a commentary on each quotation that is between 3-5 sentences in length. The commentary should be more than a paraphrase of the passage: it should seek to illuminate the significance of the passage and connect the passage to other passages through comparisons and contrasts.The commentary should develop the theme or governing idea of the anthology as a whole. It is vital in these commentaries to explicate the passage first and foremost from the point of view of its author rather than to offer your personal opinion of it. Consider the commentary an act of empathic listening and of comparative or contextual analysis. Seek to understand the passage in its own context rather than just declaring its personal significance to you. Comment on the language and specific details of the passage and make both comparisons and contrasts to other texts in the anthology.Preface : Write a 1-2 page Preface to this anthology in which you introduce and explain the orchestr ating theme or themes of this anthology—-the topics, concerns, issues, arguments that govern selection of the quotations you use to compose this anthology. The Preface should be similar to a presenting a thesis to a 5-7 page critical essay in Writing 140 or 340. Conclusion: Conclude the anthology with a paragraph in which you briefly explain which text or reading assignment was most important for your education so far.Select the one text or assigned reading that you feel should definitely be included in the syllabus when I teach this course in a future semester. The task of this anthology (beyond revealing that you have studied the wide range of materials assigned so far for this course) is to find sources of unity in the diversity of the materials. Advice for the Midterm When commenting upon texts for the midterm and when choosing a theme or set of themes to orchestrate your midterm anthology, I recommend that you keep in mind the approaches of Anna Deavere Smith and Michael Kammen to American culture as described below.Smith believes that words can be â€Å"the doorway into the soul of a culture,† and in Talk to Me: Listening Between the Lines (2000), she writes, â€Å"I set out across America, on a search for American character. My search was specifically to find America in its language. I interview people and communities about the events of our time, in the hope that I will be able to absorb America†¦. This is a country of many tongues, even if we stick to English. Placing myself in other people’s words, as in placing myself in other people’s shoes, has given me the opportunity to get below the surface—to get ‘real. † When you comment upon these texts, try to place yourself â€Å"in other people’s words† as if placing yourself â€Å"in their shoes. † Listen to what is said and what may be hidden between the lines, and comment upon both. Consider also what might be revealed about a te xt by comparing and contrasting its words with voices from other texts or by juxtaposing its words against the words of a different text. Compose this anthology, in other words, by â€Å"downloading† and â€Å"mixing† and â€Å"sampling† voices to burn your own CD representing and reflecting upon the â€Å"American sound. And just as in Hendrix’s version of â€Å"The Star Spangled Banner,† your anthology can give us sounds and voices of dissonance as well as harmony. Smith also writes in Talk to Me: â€Å"My pursuit of American character is, basically, a pursuit of difference. Character lives in that which is unique. What is unique about America is the extent to which it does, from time to time, pull off being a merged culture. Finding American character is a process of looking at fragments, of looking at the unmerged. One has to do the footwork, one has to move from place to place, one has to stand outside. Your anthology will be composed of a s et of 12 quotations, and each quotation can be considered a fragment. When commenting upon each fragment or text, try to relate the fragment to other fragments. Seek out and explain places of merger or agreement among the fragments. But also be willing to see each fragment as unique, as a different take or look or perspective on your theme. The various quotations will come from different places, different times, and along with noting the specific time and place of each quotation, you should note on occasion how the quotations differ or disagree with each other.The anthology should, in effect, create a conversation and dialogue and debate—or a drama or a jazz performance–among the texts, playing one text off another. Consider each voice a solo or a monologue whose performance you analyze, but let your commentaries and the structure of the anthology as a whole be a jazz orchestra, or a play, or a congress of voices checking and balancing each other. A crucial part of the anthology will be your selection of a theme or themes that will enable you to unite together the different materials for the course.If you conceive of the anthology as part of an attempt to understand some aspect of the â€Å"American character,† you can follow the path of Michael Kammen who advises us to seek out paradoxes and contradictions within American culture. He notes that many have tried to provide a master key to unlock the mystery of the American character, proposing such single explanations as the Puritan sense of mission, the westward movement of the frontier, the desire for opportunity and open land, the effects of immigration, or the story of freedom.But any â€Å"quest for national character, culture, or style,† Kammen cautions, â€Å"plunges one into a tangle of complex historical considerations,† and he draws upon the writings of Erik Erikson to remind us, â€Å"It is commonplace to state that whatever one may come to consider a truly America n trait can be shown to have its equally characteristic opposite. † There is no simple answer and no one right answer to the question: â€Å"What is the American character? You might say that America is a place of â€Å"mixed messages† and that it will take some â€Å"hard work† to understand the complexity of the struggle for democracy, freedom, justice, equality, and a more perfect union in America. Godfrey Hodgson in his book, More Equal Than Others: American from Nixon to the New Century (2004) gives us an wonderful update on Kammen’s attempt to see Americans as a â€Å"people of paradox. † Hodgson writes, â€Å"At the beginning of of the twenty-first century, the United States was a mature civilization marked by striking, well-rooted contradictions.It is (and the list of pairs by no means exhausts the difficulties facing anyone who attempts a simplistic analysis) generally pacific but occasionally bellicose; religious yet secular; innovative but conservative; tough but tender; aggressive yet reluctant to incur casualties; egalitarian by instinct but stratified in tiers of wide and growing inequality; puritan yet self-indulgent; conformist but full of independent-minded people; devoted to justice, but in many ways remarkably unfair; idealistic yet given to cynicism. (â€Å"Nice guys finish last† is almost a national motto. At some times it can be self-confident to the verge of complacency, at others self-doubting to the point of neurosis. † When choosing a theme for you anthology, I recommend that you search for a topic that allows you to study America by highlighting at least one or two of the contradictions or paradoxes within its â€Å"character. † You can draw upon the list of contradictions/paradoxes/ tensions/conflicts as possible topics of themes for your anthology. Freedom vs. Tyranny Liberty vs. Slavery Equality vs. Hierarchy (or Supremacy) Democracy vs. Monarchy/Aristocracy or Imperialism/Em pire Democracy vs.Racism/Sexism (or the Tyranny of the Majority) Tradition vs. Revolution/Innovation Purity (or virtue) vs. corruption Exclusion vs. Inclusion Culture clash—culture merger Memory (studying the past) vs. Forgetting (letting go, living in the present) Born to Run/Born to be Wild vs. Stability/Civilization/the Home The Founding Fathers Know Best vs. The Sins of the Fathers Democracy vs. Theocracy Church—State Religion—politics Letter of the law—spirit of the law (or a higher law) Unity—-diversity Melting pot—-mosaic Assimilation—roots Majority–Minority Insiders—outsiders (outcasts) More perfect union—individualismSelf-interest vs. fraternity (brotherhood) Care for self vs. Care for others (caritas) Materialism—-spirituality Gold—God Success-failure Happiness—misery Blues–gospel Mobility-fixity Tradition—innovation Conformity—revolt Parents—children (gen erational conflict) Machismo—feminismo Country—city Civilization—savagery Hope—-fear Privilege—equality Reverence–irreverence Authority—-rebellion Provincialism—cosmopolitanism Country-city Myth vs. history Stories we want to hear vs. stories we need to hear Format: Title Preface 1. Anna Deavere Smith, Talk to Me: Listening Between the Lines (2000):I set our across America, on a search for American character. My search was specifically to find America in its language. I interview people and communities about the events of our time, in the hope that I will be able to absorb America†¦. This is a country of many tongues, even if we stick to English. Placing myself in other people’s words, as in placing myself in other people’s shoes, has given me the opportunity to get below the surface—to get ‘real. ’ (p. 12) 3-5 sentences of commentary 2. Author, title quotation: xxxxxxxxxxx 3-5 sentences o f commentary Conclusion