Essay on anthropology - 590 Words

Anthropology proves to be satisfying and intellectually fulfilling to many in the field. However, there are also many challenges and bumps in the road along the way. Napolean A. Chagnon and Claire Sterk faced many of these challenges themselves. During his fieldwork with the Yanomamo, Chagnon faced many challenges interacting with the natives. Chagnon could not practically communicate with the people until about six months after he arrived. He notes ? the hardest thing to live with was the incessant, passioned, and often aggressive demands they would make.? An example of this is the natives threatening with a shout such as; ?If you don?t take me with you on your next boat trip to Widokalyateri, I?ll chop a hole in your canoe!? While†¦show more content†¦Developing a relationship and trust with women who had never had any trustworthy people in their lives was quite challenging as well. Sterk was once followed home by one of the woman?s pimps and his friends, and was jumped. The woman admitted to Sterk over a year later that they wanted to teach her a lesson and she knew about it all along. Sterk describes ? At one time, I felt true hatred for a crack house owner and was unable to adhere to the rules of courteous interactions.? ( Sterk 10) In Gmelch?s work with ethnography, he took students to do fieldwork in Barbados. He says his students usually come out of the experience learning more about themselves than they did about the people they were supposed to be studying. The students learned more than they ever had about intimacy in relationships than they ever had in their culture. They compared it to the impersonality and detachment of their suburban lives. One of the biggest adjustments the students had to make was adjusting to the slow-pace of village life. Many got used to being entertained just by socializing with the people and had no desire to leave if given a chance. Materialism diminished as the students began to feel embarrassed that they have so much. The people in the villages had so little and were seemingly so much happier than Americans. The students became minorities for their stay in the villages. One student says ? I have never been in aShow MoreRelatedAnthropology : Anthropology And Cultural Anthropol ogy1472 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is anthropology? This is a question that can be answered in numerous ways, but we are going to define it as simple as possible. If we break the word down into its two components it means the study of human beings. â€Å"Anthropo† means human beings or human kind and â€Å"logy† or â€Å"logia† is Greek for the study or knowledge of something. When we put it all together, it is the study of human beings which can be very broad. Anthropology can be broken down into four subfields: physical anthropology, archaeologyRead MoreAnthropology : Anthropology And Anthropology1550 Words   |  7 Pagesimagined the endless careers that are available to anthropology majors, before taking Professor Sharratt’s Intro to Anthropology course. The things that I have learned in anthropology have opened my mind to a variety of different career paths that is possible with a degree in anthropology. Anthropology majors go off to a plethora of c areers with their degrees in anthropology. Anthropology is â€Å"the study of humankind in all times and place†. Anthropology has four different subfields which include: Physical/BiologicalRead MoreAnthropology : The Anthropology Of Sports1496 Words   |  6 PagesAnthropology is a generic term which originates from the Greek word anthropo logos which means the â€Å"study of man.† Anthropology is the most comprehensive among the social sciences, covering every aspect of human behaviour, past, present and the future (Blanchard 1995:2). The anthropology of sports serves as a unique social scientific approach to understand and analyse sports alongside the practical application of results to real problems (Blanchard 1995:23) and like all other social sciences, operatesRead MoreCultural Anthropology : Physical Anthropology3800 Words   |  16 Pagesglossary Anthropology: It is a general comprehensive science of man in the past and present of any culture. This is divided into two main areas: physical anthropology, dealing with biological evolution and physiological adaptation of humans, and social or cultural anthropology that deals with people living in society, ie forms of evolution of language, culture and customs. Anthropology uses tools and knowledge produced by the natural sciences and the social sciences. Aspiration of anthropologicalRead MoreThe Anthropology Of Cultural Anthropology1370 Words   |  6 Pagescultural anthropology, which seeks to understand the purpose and place of the humans in this world. It will include anthropology as a social science, the concept of culture, and it would also introduction the human evolution and to archaeology, ethnographic field methods. The importance of human language, human development, patterns, global economy, marriage and the family, gender issues, global politics and local political organization, social stratification, medical anthropology, ethnicityRead MoreVisual Anthropology And Cultural Anthropology1554 Words   |  7 PagesAnthropologists have been able to study the differences in human cultures and how they have evolve. â€Å"There are now four major fields of anthropology: biological anthropology, cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, and archaeology† (Dennis O Neil). Within these fields are subfields, visual anthropology is a very important subfield of cultural anthropology. Visual anthropology is the study of the history of human customs and culture through what one sees or perceives in various types of media. ThereforeRead MoreAnthropology and Its Branches1728 Words   |  7 PagesAnthropology is the study of human beings, in particular the study of their physical character, evolutionary history, racial classification, historical and present-day geographic distribution, group relationships, and cultural history. Anthropology can be c haracterized as the naturalistic description and interpretation of the diverse peoples of the world. Modern-day anthropology consists of two major divisions: cultural anthropology, which deals with the study of human culture in all its aspects;Read More Anthropology1316 Words   |  6 PagesAnthropology Anthropology what a vulnerable observer you are! You may well have to jump into the arms of the scientists if you are going to try to keep your grass hut at the academy! -- Ruth Behar Debates on the role the reflexive plague the field of cultural anthropology as postmodern critics join the bandwagon attempting to claim authority in this dubiously recognized discipline. In the borderline realm between the sciences and humanities, cultural anthropology has tried to find a nicheRead MoreCultural Anthropology Of Humans Living And Dead Anthropology938 Words   |  4 Pagesnot share the same ideals as them. This lack of communication is a major barrier in advancement of our world. Anthropology, in short, is the study of humans living and dead Anthropology is divided into five main categories: applied, linguistic, medical, biological, archaeological, and cultural. Each of these five divisions teaches a different aspect of human life. Cultural anthropology teaches acceptance. There are social norms that can be found in every culture, the difference from culture to cultureRead MorePhilosophical Anthropology2982 Words   |  12 PagesPhilosophical Anthropology ABSTRACT: Philosophers cannot avoid addressing the question of whether philosophical anthropology (that is, specifically philosophical inquiry about human nature and human phenomenon) is possible. Any answer must be articulated in the context of the nature and function of philosophy. In other words, philosophical anthropology must be defined as an account of the nature of the subject of philosophical thinking. I argue that if philosophical thinkers admit that they

Essay about Lack of Education in Developing Countries

Approximately 75 million children around the world have no opportunity to attend primary school. Of the 75 million, most of them are girls due to tradition or parents that hold them back from attending (Main Navigation). Other factors that affect children from going to school is because of conflicts and wars that result in schools to be destroyed and families to flee the country. Lack of education is a growing crisis due to many factors in developing countries but it has the power pull a country out of poverty and make them economically stable and attract other countries to trade, therefore it should be seen as a priority. Developed countries are involved to help countries increase their education because every child should have the†¦show more content†¦Education comes with social benefits as well which can improve the situation of the poor, such as lower fertility and improved health care of children (Poverty and Education). Poor people are often unable to obtain access to an adequate education, and without an adequate education people are often constrained to a life of poverty. - Servaas Van Der Berg. The absolutely poor in developing countries have low education levels. Some may not even have access to primary education or may not have completed their primary education, not realizing that it is important to reduce poverty. Education is often poorly measured, and the impacts do not always show up as statistically significant in cross- country growth regressions (Levine Renelt, 1992). Africa’s education crisis makes media headlines and analysis by the Brookings Center for Universal Education (CUE) explains why this needs to change. Progress towards universal primary education has come to a halt and learning levels of children who are in school are poor as well. Using a Learning Barometer, CUE estimates that 61 million African children will reach adolescence lacking even the most basic literacy and numeracy skills, this will deprive a whole g eneration of opportunities to develop and escape poverty (Poverty, Education, Opportunity). Education improves living standards, a good look at this would be to travel from Canada to Africa, a huge difference is instantlyShow MoreRelatedInternet Based Educational Support for Students in Developing Countries1400 Words   |  6 PagesTITLE PAGE Internet based Educational support for Students in Developing countries TABLE OF CONTENT CHAPTER 1 Introduction Purpose Significance of this study CHAPTER 2 Background Literature review CHAPTER 3 Methodology CHAPTER 4 Results CHAPTER 5 Conclusions and Recommendations Summary Recommendations REFERENCES APPENDIX INTRODUCTION The internet is a collection of computers connect together electronically over the world. The internetRead MoreDeveloping Countries Working Their Way Up The Ladder Of Economic Performance, Living Standards, Sustainability, And Equality Essay1536 Words   |  7 Pagesaccording to Global Sherpa â€Å"refers to developing countries working their way up the ladder of economic performance, living standards, sustainability, and equality. . .†, in order to reach a developed status. Throughout the majority of history, the world was mainly divided amongst powerful empires and the territories that serve them, but times are changing now and no one is longer willing to become another one’s slave. In today’s society, there have been a number of countries that have learned to fend forRead MoreGlobal Health Organization System Of The United Nations1353 Words   |  6 PagesGlobal health care continues to evolve as countries develop and also improve medical technology and trea tments for diseases. Medical teams from developed countries continue to work in developing countries to treat patients and train locals with the medical skills they will need in order to help those in their community. The World Health Organization (WHO) is constantly monitoring and taking the lead when it comes to providing the health care that so many countries desperately need. Their primary missionRead MoreDeveloping Countries Suffer From Malnutrition1254 Words   |  6 Pagesrecommendation on how to improve education in most developing countries. After making some researches and reading several educational articles, I recommend the following strategies mentioned below should be implemented to enhance education in developing countries. In case of any questions, I will be much honored to arrange a meeting with you at your convenience with other members of interest. Mboy Embanglian Gabriela Mr. John Smith, Seventy five percent of children in developing countries suffer from malnutritionRead MoreImplementation Of The Following Strategies For Developing Countries1273 Words   |  6 Pages2015 To: John Smith, UNESCO chairman From: Mboy Embanglian Gabriela Subject: Improving Education in developing countries Mr. John Smith, attached is a recommendation on how to improve education in most developing countries. After making some researches and reading several educational articles, I recommend the implementation of the following strategies mentioned below to enhance education in developing countries. In case of any questions, I will be much honored to arrange a meeting with you at yourRead MoreTwo possible solutions for low life expectancy in developing countries1453 Words   |  6 Pages Essay Plan Introduction Definition of low life expectancy Explain what causes people die at young age such as malnutrition, lack of education and poor health care system. Increasing number of low life expectancy in developing countries Main problems and consequences in third world Possible solutions: Educate people from developing countries, improve health services and provide nutritional food. Main body Factor 1= malnutrition Shortage of food as population is bigger and bigger these days whichRead MoreEducation s Effects On International Business1151 Words   |  5 PagesAM University - Commerce Education is the root of business. It teaches citizens language, skills, values, and norms. A basic education gives citizens a basic way of business. A broader education brings the ability to specialize in an industry and bring business internationally. More skilled laborers bring the ability for a country to increase their potential and economy and move outside their borders to become a part of international business. A basic education can be the foundation of a country’sRead MorePoverty Case Study1277 Words   |  6 Pagesin both developing and developed country contexts, needs to be broadened beyond a uni-dimensional concentration on a person’s lack of financial resources. It is widely agreed that the relationship between poverty and education operates in two directions: poor people are often unable to obtain access to an adequate education, and without an adequate education people are often constrained to a life of poverty. However, before addressing the interrelationships between poverty and education, it is importantRead MoreBrain Drain And The Allure Of High Income Abroad1540 Words   |  7 Pagesvarious factors that comprises lack of high paying employment. In addition brain drain is also mentioned to as capital flight of human. Brain drain in another way of defining it, refers to the leaving of skilled, professionals from one economic sector to another country or field for better remuneration or living conditions. The allure of high income abroad refers to a circumstance whereby people in developing countries are entice by the benefits offered on develop countries. This paper will be focusingRead MoreThe Problem Of The Female Youth Population1519 Words   |  7 Pagesday of labor force. Today’s 11 year old girl without education or healthcare could be tomorrow’s key to a healthy, flourishing society. The well-being of the female youth population is a primary contribution to the welfare of a successful social and economic result in varying communities. 600 million of these adolescent girls live in developing countries; most of them have to face the harsh reality of a collapse in their healthcare, education, and many other contributing factors. The problems these

Issues and Problems in the Philippine Educational System free essay sample

Issues and Problems in the Philippine Educational System: A Challenge Towards the Attainment of Quality Education Our country has gone through many changes and development for the past few years. The continuous process made great impacts in the lives of millions of Filipinos. Relatively, the changes have given us advantages not to mention the disadvantages it brought causing downfall to many people. There are numerous questions concerning the issues and problems existing in the Philippine Educational System as to how we can resolve it the best way we could to attain that kind of quality of education we have been searching and longing for. Where do we begin and how do we respond to such? Public schools are the building blocks of our societies. They can be considered our foundational instruments. Although these venues of learning play significant roles, they are unable to provide the best they can, due to their numerous flaws. As I’ve gone through different readings and researches, questions were arising in my mind as to what solutions are applicable in addressing the problems about the quality of education, affordability, budget, mismatch, integration of sex education in the curriculum, R. A. 710 (Magna Carta for Women) and other concerns which are somehow related to it. I will always stand for what I believe in according to my observations that we have good guidelines and policies on education but what is lacking is the ability to implement such in accordance to the needs of every school, majority of which belong to the public education system. Generally, Philippine Education aims to provide quality and free education both for the elementary and secondary public schools but again this have not been observed and understood well causing it to be a burden most especially to the students and parents. Declining standards in public schools is one of the most controversial education issues today is the continuing decline in student learning standards. This concern dwells more on the noticeable decline observed among elementary and secondary schools along with their performances in the given standardized examinations which relatively explain underperformance results most especially in the core subjects. The problem on the affordability of education is also one of the detrimental factors in the existence of problems. Eventually, this explains that a student who has a more stable economic life have better opportunities to afford education in their choice of school and those who are economically unstable are deprived though they still have other means to support themselves. According to the government, information reveals that our constitution mandates the highest budget allocation to sustain the aim of the Department of Education. In the recent years, fund sources show billions of pesos in its allotment but questions still remain as to the purpose it is spend since at the end of the school year we have seen discrepancies or should I say deficit. Also, we have an issue pertaining to mismatch associated with the training and the actual jobs a person gets into after his or her tertiary. In most cases, this persistent and alarming problem leads to the increase of underemployed and unemployed Filipinos. Furthermore, this also worsens the poverty level in our country affecting us in many ways. Another prevailing issue is the integration of sex education in the elementary and secondary schools. This has generated controversies along with issues among religious sectors and parents yet Dep Ed is determine to push through with it due to the frightening reports on early or young pregnancy. To explain the aim of this program, Dep Ed ensures the public that â€Å"Sex Education is not about Sex† but on the science of reproduction, physical care and hygiene, correct values and the norms of interpersonal relations to avoid pre-marital sex and teen age pregnancy. This also emphasizes on the roles of teachers to educate our young people on issues that directly affect them and empower them to make informed choices and decisions. Let us now focus on the probable solutions or reforms on issues regarding the quality of education, the basic methods of ensuring it are the following: (a) Continuous Evaluation of Faculty and Staff Competence and Efficiency. This gives emphasis on the competence and efficiency of the teachers in his or her academic duties at all times otherwise a teacher who has consistently shows his inability to efficiently perform his duties and responsibilities, within common performance standards should not be allowed to stay in school. Aside from this, teachers not only need training in the preparation and development of instructional materials, but they must also be given financial support to produce these. It is also a must for teachers to undergo trainings and seminars to attain professional development; and (b) Evaluate Students: Determine Level of Learning Competencies. This is done by carefully giving and identifying the needs for every subject as prescribed by the school authority. In addition, upgrading the teachers salary scale is also a good way to promote it. Teachers have been underpaid; thus there is very little incentive for most of them to take up advanced trainings. In terms of budgeting, there is a need to amend the current system of budgeting for education across regions, which is based on participation rates and units costs. This clearly favors the more developed regions. There is a need to provide more allocation to lagging regions to narrow the disparity across regions. As for affordability, there is a must to stop the current practice of subsidizing state universities and colleges to enhance access. This may not be the best way to promote equity. An expanded scholarship program, giving more focus and priority to the poor, maybe more equitable. On the other hand, to resolve mismatch problems, get all the leaders in business and industry to become actively involved in higher education. In addition, carry out a selective admission policy, i. e. , installing mechanisms to reduce enrollment in oversubscribed courses and promoting enrollment in undersubscribed ones. Develop a rationalized apprenticeship program with heavy inputs from the private sector. Furthermore, transfer the control of technical training to industry groups which are more attuned to the needs of business and industry. In view of the Magna Carta for Women (R. A. 9710), a comprehensive womens human rights law that seeks to eliminate discrimination against women by recognizing, protecting, fulfilling and promoting the rights of Filipino women, especially those in the marginalized sectors; it points- out to few of the rights which include the following: (a) Equal access and elimination of discrimination against women in education, scholarships and training. This includes revising educational materials and curricula to remove gender stereotypes and images, and outlawing the expulsion, non-readmission, prohibiting enrollment and other related discrimination against women students and faculty due to pregnancy outside of marriage; and (b) Non-discrimination in employment in the field of military, police and other similar services. This includes according the same promotional privileges and opportunities as their men counterpart, including pay increases, additional benefits, and awards, based on competency and quality of performance. The dignity of women in the military, police and other similar services shall always be respected, they shall be accorded with the same capacity as men to act in and enter into contracts, including marriage, as well as be entitled to leave benefits for women such as maternity leave, as provided for in existing laws; These are just few of the ways to address such issues and problems. The effectivity of these solutions depends on its proper implementation along with the right people. According to studies conducted by researchers, aside from the above- mentioned problems, the following are also perennial issues regarding the education system of the Philippines: (a) Lack of facilities in public schools  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ with insufficient budget and large numbers of students, public schools lack classrooms, books, and supplies for their students. The lack of classrooms leads to prohibitively large class size, as many as 60 students in some schools, making for an undesirably high student-teacher ratio. In some schools it also translates to the shortest possible class periods, to allow for morning, afternoon, and even evening sessions so that as many students as possible may be accommodated; (b) School year   Because of the frequent interruption of classes during the rainy season, the issue of changing the school year to September-June from the current June-March has been raised again and again over the years; (c) Number of years   (not counting Pre-school, of course) The required number of years of basic education was reduced over the years to 6 in the elementary level. With 4 years of high school, the total number of years of basic education in the Philippines is 10, one of the lowest in the world and generally considered to be one of the factors in the inadequacy of basic education in the Philippines; (d) Medium of instruction  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ There is constant debate over which language should be used in educating Filipinos: English, Tagalog, or local dialects. The use of English for teaching math and science as well as English language and literature subjects has endured for many years, however. e) Subjects  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ The number of subjects increased for some years, making it difficult to give enough class time to each subject, including the core areas of English, Filipino, math, and science. There has frequently been contention on which subjects are essential, especially with the controversial lumping together of home economics, technology, physical education, health, art, and music with social studies in a subject called Makabayan. Opponents of th e scheme contend that less time will be given to the more important of these subjects, especially social studies. Some of the subject areas are also difficult to integrate with the core subject of social studies; (f) Gender issues  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ There used to be differences in the subjects taught to boys and girls, especially vocational training. There has been standardization in the requirements of subjects for both genders in recent years, though some schools still adhere to a traditional curriculum with different vocational skills taught to boys and girls; and (g) Drop-out rate  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Many students drop out due to poverty before completing basic education, even at the elementary level. Though schooling is free, there are other expenses which poor families have difficulty in meeting, such as school supplies, uniforms, and transportation. Philippine girls at all levels have been found to be more persistent in their schooling, whereas boys tend to drop out of school earlier. More than half of college students are female and larger numbers of women than men finish advanced degrees. Our real challenge is improving the present state of basic education. If we enumerate all the problems of Philippine education, we will take days of delight in self-flagellation that ends nowhere. As educators, we need to challenge ourselves to face the problems and come up with appropriate and immediate solutions to address it. The state of Philippine education is indeed sad and disheartening. We probably all asking who’s to blame for all this mess. But we cannot simply point finger since we all have responsibilities to solve these problems. The government tries its best to give the country and it seemed not enough. But we should not blame the government entirely since it is just not the government’s problems. It is the problem of each and every one of us. If we want the highest quality of education in the country, we should work together to solve this problem. This is the bitter cup of a teacher to bear.

World Food Supply Verses World Population free essay sample

A look at the growing population and what this means for world food supply. This paper analyzes the food supply available in the world and compares it to the rapidly growing world population. The author examines world food distribution and how it effects world hunger arguing that distribution is unequal. Includes arguments by various critics. The increase in food production over the past 200 years has been greater than the increase in population. So we ask, Why do nearly twelve million children per year die of hunger? That number is more than the number of people who died each year in World War II, and these are children, not soldiers, we are talking about. (Lappe 2). It has been proven that there is enough food in the world for everybody to be sufficiently healthy. The problem is that this food has not been distributed equally among countries. With the worlds population expected to grow fifty percent by the year 2050 to 9. We will write a custom essay sample on World Food Supply Verses World Population or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 37 billion, What are the odds we can feed everybody then when we cant even do it now? This is a question that has been studied, pondered, and written about extensively for years. Many people have different thoughts and opinions about it. Something definitely will have to be done in the future. The question is what.

Discuss Gi lyard s bubble theory , Royster s t Essays - Thought

Discuss Gi lyard ' s bubble theory , Royster ' s t Essays - Thought Discuss Gi lyard ' s bubble theory , Royster ' s theory of su bject position and the relationship between them . The question seeks to explore both Gilyard's bubble Theory and Royster's theory of subject position by juxtaposing the two. The bubble that Gilyard makes reference to is the seemingly impenetrable bubble of social inequality among members of present day society. Royster refers to these groups as insiders and outsiders. Outsider groups such as Blacks continue to be marginalized by a society which embraces the principles of White insider privilege. This barrier is upheld by the pervasive societal view of which makes no effort to challenge or pop' this bubble. The meaningless discourse which stems from this ideology neither seeks to highlight the disparities which exist nor to develop new ideologies or ways of thinking in order to level the playing field. The only remedy for this is to seek contrasting ways of life and viewpoints in order to enlarge the bubble; to make it more inclusive and forward thinking so that the bubbly may one day be burst. The salient point within Royster's essay is that " subject position really is everything". Subjectivity and subject position both speak to how a person is seen in the eyes of those around them and the place that society assigns them. Royster also highlights the disconnect between the qualities assigned to a person and the true essence of who they are. She speaks to the feeling of superiority that those around her hold on issues that she knows much more about because she's lived through them as well as the voice that they have assigned to her without knowing what she claims to be her true voice. The they in this scenario is the White Man, the final judge of what one's position in life actually is. Both theories focus on American society and view African Americans as the disadvantaged group that they are. They also highlight the false ideologies that continue to be throughout communities and population and the need for new voices and information to be disseminated. However, while both writers call for persons to act, when given the opportunity to do so, Royster does not lead by the example her words tried to set.

Product Life Cycle Essays

Product Life Cycle Essays Product Life Cycle Paper Product Life Cycle Paper 1. Introduction It has been well established that Product Life Cycle (PLC) concept has a significant impact upon business strategy and corporate performance. Since the term was first used by Levitt (1965 ) in an Harvard Business Review article â€Å"Exploit the Product Life Cycle† the concept has been widely accepted and applied by marketing practitioners all over the world. The product life cycle concept is one of the most quoted and most frequently taught elements of marketing theory. According to Mercer (1993: 269) the influence of the product life cycle can be seen in other theories, from new product development, positioning differentiation and portfolio analysis. Since its adoption by marketing, the product life cycle (PLC) has achieved universal acceptance because of its appeal and wide application. According to Weber (1976: 12) the product life cycle concept provides an intuitively appealing and readily understandable framework of analysis for considering future growth opportunities and pitfalls. As time passes sales increase slowly at first (introduction phase), then more quickly (growth phase), then once again more slowly (maturity and saturation phases), and finally decrease (decline phase). This assignment discusses the importance of repositioning and differentiating for an organization’s products or services using the concept of Product Life Cycle (PLC). It also critically analyses the actual practice an organization undertakes to repositioning or differentiating it products. Based on the critical analysis a set of recommendations are provided for the selected organization to improve its overall positioning differentiating efforts during the various stages of PLC. Within this context, the organization that is selected is Bahrain International Retail Development Centre (BIRD) which is one of the leading corporate training providers in Bahrain. 2. Discussion 2. 1 Description of the selected organization- BIRD Bahrain International Retail Development Centre (BIRD) is a sister concern of Bahrain Duty Free. It is a joint venture between Bahrain Duty Free Air Rainta International, set up since 2001. The Product Life Cycle Introduction Stage Focused and intense marketing effort This is the design stage where they think of a product which they feel there is a gap in the market for there product and whether or not they feel they can succeed and be profitable for example playstation they have 3 consoles xbox realised a new console in 2006 the xbox360 playstation came up with a new console the playstation 3 it had more extras than the xbox and had free internet access on it and more extras. Establish a Clear Identity It is important for a business to develop an identity for they this is important so customers can relate to the business and it can be separate image for that of its customers. For example addidas have a motto impossible is nothing its catchy and inspirering. Also they use celebrities to endorse there product when people think about David Beckham than they think addidas the two are thought off together. Promotes Maximum Awareness For a product to promote maximum awareness than they must use the marketing mix effectively to do this the company needs to utilise the 4 Ps if this is done than enough people should know about the product for it to succeed. Carlsberg is a prime example of this they are frequently advertised on television with a variety of supermarkets and also an advertisement by the company itself with also have catchy mottos Carlsberg properly the best larger in the world. Trial or Impulse purchases occur at this stage When a new product comes out it has zero sales no one has seen this product before so it generates interest and people will buy for the sake of buying this product this is buying on impulse. An example of this would be when ipods first came out no one really new what it was and it generated a huge interest people bought on impulse. Growth Stage Increasing Sales Experienced When a product is first introduced the sales will increase rapidly because it starts at zero sales. Customers see a new product it increases interest and people start to buy. An example of increasing sales experience is blue ray DVD players it is new technology it is a relatively new product and sales havent peaked yet. Competitors Emerge Competitors emerge once a product has been released and has become successful other companies see this and release there own products. An example of this would be games consoles in general when a new generation of games consoles come out they all come out within a year and half of each other and have almost identical features. Sustained Market Activities Sustained market activity is important for a product to be successful the marketing mix most be used efficiently. All large companies do this good market research is key for this Sony have sustained market activities because of there ability to adapt to the current market. Maturity Stage In this stage sales have peaked they are still quite high but are not increasing. Competitors begin to leave the market this is because the sales have stopped growing so there are now no new customers. This may happen in television market as five or 6 years ago ordinary widescreen televisions had become quite popular and many homes had got one but they soon stopped increasing with new flat screen televisions about to enter the market so competitors left the market. Sales Velocity is dramatically reduced the products growth stops it still makes a profit but profits do not noticeable increase. Sales Volume reaches a steady state this will show up like a flat line on a product life cycle graph it is where the products are now not attracting any new customers. Mostly Loyal Customers buy the product this is where profits and product interest has stopped it only gets repeat purchase from loyal customers there are no more impulse buying of the product. Decline Stage Lingering Effects of competition this may add to the decline of a certain product if rival companies release a similar product an example of this would be Nintendo GameCube came out a year before play station 2 it had huge success until the realise of play stations new console then declined. Unfavourable economic trends this contributes massively to some items profits. We are now in a credit crunch and all car companies are at a loss and almost all have stopped production. New Fashion Trends is where a product is no longer in demand an example of this would be tamagochi toys they where a must have accessory in the late 90s to young children to teenagers but the trend soon changed and they now cannot be found Boston Matrix The BCG matrix (aka B.C.G. analysis, BCG-matrix, Boston Box, Boston Matrix, Boston Consulting Group analysis) is a chart that had been created by Bruce Henderson for the Boston Consulting Group in 1970 to help corporations with analyzing their business units or product lines. This helps the company allocate resources and is used as an analytical tool in brand marketing, product management, strategic management, and portfolio analysis. www.wikipedia.org Dogs A dog this is business term for company which has a low share of a low growth market. They do not generate cash for the companies they are tend to suck money into the company. These are the sort of products you should not invest in. An example of this would be a tamagochi it was a electronic toy which only ever lasted a few months it soon came out of production and now can not be found. Cash Cows These are products with a large share of a slow market growth. They generate money for the money that is invested into the company. This is a company which you would keep your shares in. An example of this would be in the car manufacturer the bmw m3 it is a high powered large sports car and not many would buy them. Question Marks These have low share in high growth market. The money invested in them is used up mostly on marketing to try increase awareness and profits. An example of this would be fruit of the loom clothing is constantly growing and also in a fashion orientated generation but people want designer clothes. Stars These are products which has a high share in a high growth market these make a lot of money for the money invested itll be promoted heavily and expand the product when needs be. An example of a star would be the apple ipod more and more people are buying them and they already have a high market share in a high market growth. Magners Cider would be a Star it has a large share in a high growth market a lot of people buy alcohol and a lot of people buy Magners it is a popular brand.

Technical factors affecting e-banking development in Iran Dissertation

Technical factors affecting e-banking development in Iran - Dissertation Example Research questions The purpose of this study is to get greater understanding of e-Banking phenomenon and find out its implementation obstacles in Iran. In the conduct of the collection of data; both primary and secondary data, it is important that the researcher has a guide on the kind of data to collect and which ones to ignore. In doing this, the following research questions have been set to guide the researcher on the exact data to go after. Therefore, the researcher tries to reach this goal by answering the following questions. 1 What have been the hindrances to the advancement of e-banking in Iran? Problem Overview In recent years acceptance of e-Banking has been rapid. In many west countries like Finland over 50% of bank customers use e-Banking services. On the other hand some evidence shows half of new customers that have used e-Banking for the first time, do not continue using this channel as an active customer.(reference needed) the development of new technologies in communi cations and information practices and the emergence of new services and increasing expectations and needs for banking services market caused our public and private banks to compete for providing new e-banking services. E-banking in recent decade has been carried out with various implementations in our country by a variety of public and private banks. Now each bank more or less seeks for efficient use of this new technology. However, it seems the use of e-banking is still not institutionalized in the culture of our people, and customers still do not use this technology with trust for large financial transactions. The Central Bank of Iran (CBI) observes that not many companies and organisations are taking advantage of... The paper tells that in recent years acceptance of e-Banking has been rapid. In many west countries like Finland over 50% of bank customers use e-Banking services. On the other hand some evidence shows half of new customers that have used e-Banking for the first time, do not continue using this channel as an active customer. the development of new technologies in communications and information practices and the emergence of new services and increasing expectations and needs for banking services market caused our public and private banks to compete for providing new e-banking services. E-banking in recent decade has been carried out with various implementations in our country by a variety of public and private banks. Now each bank more or less seeks for efficient use of this new technology. However, it seems the use of e-banking is still not institutionalized in the culture of our people, and customers still do not use this technology with trust for large financial transactions. The C entral Bank of Iran observes that not many companies and organisations are taking advantage of e-business as penetration rate in e-business is still very low. Iranian banks have made huge investments into e-business but this has not succeeded in changing the trend. According to BBC news 60 †¬percent of Iranians go to banks only to receive or pay cash to the banking network. Iranian banks talk about the spread of e-banking while Iranians spend a lot of time to pay the bills for water, electricity, gas, phone, or transferring money to other accounts and sometimes they stay in line for hours to receive or pay cash.

Corporate Finance Stratergy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Corporate Finance Stratergy - Assignment Example ASSIGNMENT COVERS SHEET Office use only INDICATIVE MARK All marks are subject to ratification at the appropriate Examining Board. ... †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Problem 1 1. Calculate the combined effect of the three off-balance-sheet items in Exhibit 3 on each of the following three financial ratios shown in Exhibit 2. Following is the given information of the ratios in the Exhibit 2. Exhibit 2 - Selected Ratios and Credit Yield Premium Data for Montrose EBITDA / interest expense 4.72 Long-term debt / equity 0.30 Current assets / Current liabilities 1.05 Credit yield premium over US Treasuries 55bps Following is the given information of the off balance sheet items in the Exhibit 3. Exhibit 3 – Hudson Chemical off-balance sheet items 1 Hudson Chemical has guaranteed the long-term debt (principal only) of an unconsolidated affiliate. This obligation has a present value of $995,000. 2 Hudson Chemical has sold $500,000 of accounts receivable with recourse at a yield of 8 percent. 3 Hudson Chemical is a lessee in a new non-cancellable operating leasing agreement to finance transmission equipment. The discounted present v alue of the lease payments is $6,144,000 using an interest rate of 10 percent. The annual payment will be $1,000,000. When we calculate the combined effect of the three off balance sheet items on the three ratios the following changes will take place. EBITDA / Interest Expense a. The guarantee of long term debt will not affect operating (EBITDA) or the interest expense. This ratio

Poetry Analysis Essay Example for Free

Poetry Analysis Essay Six Galician Poems by Federico Lorca (Madrigal for the City of Santiago, Ballad of Our Lady of the Boat, and Song of the Shop Boy) Lisability: Camellia-any of several shrubs of the genus Camellia, especially C. japonica, native to Asia, having glossy evergreen leaves and white, pink, red, or variegated roselike flowers. Veiled-not openly or directly expressed; masked; disguised; hidden; obscure: a veiled threat. Languishing-to be or become weak or feeble; droop; fade. Pampa-the vast grassy plains of southern South America, especially in Argentina. Nostalgia-a wistful desire to return in thought or in fact to a former time in ones life, to ones home or homeland, or to ones family and friends; a sentimental yearning for the happiness of a former place or time: a nostalgia for his college days. Story-The story is about Federico leaving his hometown of Madrid and going to Santiago. He arrives in Santiago Argentina, because several words he uses and other objects he describes are only found in Argentina. Lorca is in Santiago and it is constantly raining, it is raining at night and in the morning. If he is not writing about rain, it’s the ocean or some other form of water. While wondering the city he encounters a statue or painting of the Virgin Mary. He then travels to the capital of Argentina , Buenos Aires. He says the wind sounds like bagpipes. Ramon de Sismundi owns a shops and he seems to be unhappy throughout the whole poem. Meaning – Rain symbolizes a lot of things especially in poetry where there is not a real meaning. The rain Lorca rights about is cleansing him, starting a new life. All of the difficulties he had in Spain and America are now behind him, it is time for him to move on and start a new beginning. Many people are always stuck in the past, but he is not going to be like them, he is going to move forward and make progress. He also writes a whole poem about Our Lady of the Boat (Virgin Mary). She also represents various meanings, but in this poem he is most likely talking about pureness. A double emphasis since water is also pure. Also he may be trying to tell us that if it wasn’t for his strong faith in the Virgin Mary, he wouldn’t have the chance to move forward. He tends to write about nature, but the otherness of it. He talks about wind, which more than often symbolizes a certain type of force or energy. In Santiago the wind is damp and gray. Ramon is cleaning his shop, and dreaming but this man is still unhappy. He does not find the bagpipe winds of Buenos Aires, people that have positive and happy attitudes find great things about the city and move on, people who are depressed and unhappy such as Ramon do not get nowhere. Maybe Ramon is unhappy because he knows he is going to die, and it is sooner than he thinks. Lorca always seems to be expressing his inner emotions and feelings. Even though this place is great, there is no place better than home. Technique-Lorca is very big on imagery. Almost every single line contains imagery. He really tries to get the reader in the spot that he is at. Lines such as Trembles in my heart, and came the misty dead. He uses imagery to emphasize the meaning. Often, the intention of Lorca is to change the way readers see the world. Especially with Lorca’s themes, some of which include: awareness of death, our limitations, isolation and nature. He uses a lot of diction which is choosing certain words to emphasize something else, whether it is emphasizing the meaning or imagery. He also does not give no direct meaning. Mo or Pomo- Lorca is definitely a modernist poet. Not only in the pom but also in real life. He stuggles with the fact that he is homosexual and many people do not accept him, placing himself on the lower part of the hierarchy. Even though he is low on the hierarchy is doesn’t prevent him from making progress and moving on, leave everything else behind. These poems are modernist simply because of their appearance, they are very structured and have the same number of lines in each stanza, very formal.

The Victims in McCarthys Child of God Essay example -- McCarthy Child

The Victims in McCarthy's Child of God  Ã‚   In Cormac McCarthy's Child of God, Lester Ballard is a recluse who is shunned by the people of his community. Because of his morose nature and his bizarre habits, he stands out among the small rural community. The rejected Ballard turns from being a harmless recluse to a murderer. While he is clearly a victimizer, he is also a victim himself. He is the victim of his own ostracization from the community that he was a part of. While the victimization that he suffers cannot justify his violent actions, it provides some explanation of how Ballard has reached the point of being a victimizer himself. Lester Ballard is a loner who is forced off his property and takes refuge in an abandoned barn hidden in the woods. He does not have a job and often has difficulty in his associations with the people of his own town. He supports himself from day to day on what provisions he can find in the woods and what he can manage to afford from town. He spends his days wandering through the woods or through town. He rarely associates with any locals and he takes more delight in whisky than in the presence of others. A couple of stuffed animals that he wins at a fair take their place as his only company. The corpse of a young woman that he stumbles upon in the woods becomes his first sexual companion. Ballard treats the corpse as he would a wife, buying clothes for her, whispering into her ear, and laying her down beside him when he goes to sleep. While these actions seem deranged, they also seem to be his way of finding the nearest replacements to the social company that he has been denied in li fe. Unlike the young women in town, the dead corpse of a woman cannot make fun of him or be insulted by his ... ...e would suffer. The people of his community always had low expectations of Ballard to begin with, and they gave him no reason to fear what they might think of him. Lester Ballard is a victimizer of innocent people, and this is the result of his own isolation . Although little insight into his mind is provided, the existing evidence of his way of life has provided some explanations into why he has committed these crimes. The members of his community, wanting to distance themselves from any association with Ballard, has coincided with the evolution of his bizarre actions. Thus Ballard is completely unrestrained by any concept of helping society. He is the product of a society that has turned its back on an individual that they would rather look down upon than be associated with. Works Cited: McCarthy, Cormac. Child of God. New York: Vintage Books, 1973.

Halloween Night

It is 8:30 on Halloween night as I am walking down the long streets of Clinton hearing nothing but children screaming, cars beeping, and leaves crackling beneath my feet in the cold, fall night. I turn the corner and see college kids and parents laughing by the Tavern as they exit the building. Making my way down the street with my friends by my side, cars are zooming by us like a school of fish swimming to get away from sharks. All of a sudden the group of kids I am with get attacked with shaving cream by underclassmen that think they are funny. A police slows down as he passes us to see what all the commotion was.Realizing it was nothing he continues on his nightly route. Furious and startled we walk away slowly because we were not dressed for the occasion of what kids call â€Å"bombingâ€Å". Minutes passed and we decided to go trick-or-treating. Approaching a house with a long cobble stone driveway and bright yellow lights we finally reach our destination. Warm apple cider and fresh cinnamon donuts are passed out among all of the people. We make our way back to town passing little kids in a variety of different costumes. Also middle and high school students throwing eggs and attacking each other with shaving cream.Dodging all the action we walk on the opposite side of the street they are on so we don’t get hit. Arriving back into town we see teachers, parents, and kids we know. After a warm welcoming of hellos we decided to make our way back to our homes considering it was a school night and it was getting late. Streets were starting to become clear as people decided the Halloween night was over. Adults turned off their lights making it clear they were done handing out candy for the night. Clintons streets remained silent as Halloween night came to an end.

The Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation

When you watch any movie, TV show or documentary on World War Two, there is one quote that you hear in almost every single one of them. This timeless and moving quote is â€Å"a date that will live in infamy. † This was the opening line said by Franklin D Roosevelt in his National address the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor. It is one of the most replayed and well known speeches in American history. It was the declaration of war against the Empire of Japan and entered the United States into one of the greatest wars it would take part in. Franklin D Roosevelt uses pathos, ethos and logos to deliver a resounding speech for the declaration of war and the entrance of the United States in to World War Two. He essentially assigns a third of the speech to each one of these rhetorical speaking tools. The speech was given at 12:30 p. m. on December 8th 1941 to a joint session of congress and was broadcast over radio and television. It was key for the president to get the people as a whole for the war and united for the cause. He wanted to arouse as many strong emotions from the people as possible. Luckily for him this was very easy to accomplish. At every point in history the American people have exploded with outrage at every deceitful military tactic ever used by another nation or people against America. The populace becomes very motivated to take the fight to the enemy to uphold core American values such as patriotism and justice. A prime example of this was the sinking of the U. S. S. Maine. The ship was unexpectedly sunk by Spaniards in the Havana harbor of Cuba. This event is considered the precipitating event of the Spanish-American war. He plays upon the circumstances in the same way that the Americans did with this instance back in 1898. He portrays America as a purely passive victim through his diction in the portion of the speech. FDR mentions multiple times that America and Japan still had ongoing peace talks and that the attack was completely unprovoked. He elegantly uses Pathos at the throughout his speech and really harps on Americas emotions about the event. After Franklin D Roosevelt talks about the surprise attack upon Pearl harbor, he goes on to list all of the other military advances Japan made shortly afterwards. This list of attacks is viewed as him trying to convince the American people why it is logical and necessary for their country to go to war with this aggressive nation. He lists islands all across the pacific and under American control. Each statement is staccato and kept to the point, followed a pause to let each one individually sink in. He says when each attack happened and where. This is a particularly ominous portion of the speech, and was expertly done by the president. Logical explanations are very important to the American people and are the primary basis of why we do what we do. In the last part of the speech Franklin D Roosevelt makes an effort to talk about the character of the American people. Our countries ethics and moral values are the staple of our nation and the reason our people are willing to do everything necessary to preserve and protect it. This acknowledgment of the American ethos is a testament to the greatness of this country and why the war must be fought and will be won. But the biggest portrayal of this ethics and patriotism shown by Roosevelt is unbeknownst to most Americans at this time. The president had polio early in his life, and was paralyzed from the waist down, but he refused to let the American people know this. When he gave the speech he walked up to the podium and stood tall. This is a perfect example of the determination of the American heart to never let bad circumstances stop someone from what they must do. I consider this one of the most important and powerful speeches ever given on American soil. It speaks to every true Americans heart through patriotism and moral fiber. Franklin D Roosevelt delivered the speech fantastically and ignited a war engine within the United States that was unparalleled at the time. This speech is still a powerful symbol today of a great and shaping time of our country and its people.

muic1 essays

muic1 essays Introduction Beginning in late 1978 the Chinese leadership has been trying to move the economy from a sluggish Soviet-style centrally planned economy to a more market-oriented economy but still within a rigid political framework of Communist Party control. To this end the authorities switched to a system of household responsibility in agriculture in place of the old collectivization, increased the authority of local officials and plant managers in industry, permitted a wide variety of small-scale enterprise in services and light manufacturing, and opened the economy to increased foreign trade and investment. The result has been a quadrupling of GDP since 1978 (CIA, 1998). Agricultural output doubled in the 1980s, and industry also posted major gains, especially in coastal areas near Hong Kong and opposite Taiwan, where foreign investment helped spur output of both domestic and export goods. On the darker side, the leadership has often experienced in its hybrid system the worst result s of socialism (bureaucracy, lassitude, corruption) and of capitalism (windfall gains and stepped-up inflation). Beijing thus has periodically backtracked, retightening central controls at intervals. In 1992-97 annual growth of GDP accelerated, particularly in the coastal areas-averaging about 10% annually according to official figures (CIA, 1998). This purpose will analyze the efforts of China's government to restore its economy to a more performing one in spite of many challenges. China's Economy: An Overview Over the past 10 years, China's GDP has grown at an average annual rate of nearly 10%. Some economists have speculated that China could become the world's largest economy at some point in the near future. However, future economic growth will likely depend on the ability of the Chinese government to make significant new reforms. Chinese officials have recently announced major new initiatives to reform money-losing state-owned enterprises and China's ...

Valuable guide to major writing styles

Valuable guide to major writing styles Writing styles It is known that there are a few kinds of writing styles. A style is a means of describing subjects, places, events, and presenting ideas. Every writer takes personal approach to analyzing some issues and communicating with readers. Each paper has a specific purpose. Some works are produced to explain how some mechanisms works. Other pieces of writing tend to convince readers of something. It is understandable that each author has a particular style of writing stories. Nevertheless, according to the aim of writing, there are four main types of papers. If you want to know how to prepare papers using a particular style, consider the following points: Expository Writing Style The aim of such a work is to inform readers about something or explain how to do something. When writing this type of paper, you should not express your opinion about the analyzed subject. It means that you need to be objective when examining the given topic. It is important to provide straightforward facts about the discussed matter. Furthermore, you may also present charts, tables, and statistical data to make the analysis more detailed. Do not forget that you should not share your point of view on the matter. Note that it is one of the most popular styles of writing. It is widely applied to producing handbooks. Expository papers:Describe different processes; Provide vivid details about the discussed issue; Present information logically.An expository style of writing is used to produce:Recipes Textbooks Guides Newspaper Articles Scientific Works Descriptive Style of Writing It is known that there are different writing styles. This one must be the most specific among all the others. It concentrates on the peculiar features of events, characters, etc. The chief aim of the work produced in this style is to provide detailed description of the debated matter. Therefore, when preparing papers in this style, you need to explore every last detail about the selected subject. Thus, you will be able to write a superior essay. By the way, there is a considerable variety of poems written in this style. Peculiar Features:It describes the analyzed subject (places, situation, people, etc.) in detail. It is widely used in poetry unlike other types of writing styles. It helps readers imagine the described events and feel the emotions described by the author of the story.This style may be found in:Diaries Poetry Fiction Stories Compositions describing naturePersuasive Writing Method According to the writing style definition, persuasive papers try to convince readers to take the authors position. When producing a piece of persuasive writing, you may express your personal opinion about the discussed matter. This is a key feature that differs this style from the expository one. When preparing a work in this style, you should state convincing reasons to persuade readers to take your personal point of view on the discussed issue. Letters of complaint, advertisements, cover letters, etc., are usually written in this style. Persuasive pieces of writing:provide strong evidence to support the authors opinion; present the authors point of view on the analyzed issues and persuade readers to take it; motivate readers to participate in the discussion.A persuasive style of writing can be found in:Advertisements Cover letters Reviews (movie, story, book, etc.) Recommendation letters Letters of complaint Narrative Writing This is one of the most wide-spread essay writing styles. Narrative papers have the same features as stories. They are often presented in the form of dialogues. The prime purpose of such works is to tell readers an interesting story. Authors usually create characters and involve them in different situations. Sometimes, the narrations are written in the first person singular. Such works as bibliographies, novels, poetic pieces, and others are usually produced in this style. Narrative essays tell readers what happens with the characters and how they act in the situations described by the author. Significant Features:Narrations retell a story; Narrative papers have main and minor characters; Narrative pieces of writing present a logical flow of information; This type of papers shows how characters handle conflicts and find solutions to the faced problems.A persuasive style of writing is used in the following works:Poems Novels Anecdotes Autobiographical papersConcluding Section The writing styles discussed above are used for producing different types of papers. However, you should know that there are a lot of their sub-types that may be applied to preparing works as well. If you want to write a good essay every time your professor gives you an assignment, you should be well-aware of the key features of these styles. The most important thing is determine the purpose of writing a paper. Then, you will easily choose and use the required style.

Marketing Game Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Marketing Game Report - Essay Example Hence the product features were enhanced to meet the needs of these users, by investing highly on research and development. Since Voice X had set its focus on these three target segments, the marketing mix was designed for all the periods with the requirements of these three segments in mind, with minimum variations. The price was not changed for a long time after the second period, in order to provide a value added, feature rich product to the target segments and to overrun the price competition from the other brands (see figure 4). The main strategy followed was to generate high revenue by focussing on the premium segments. As the market share in the other segments were being taken up by competitors, initiatives were taken in the fifth period to focus on distribution in channel 2, so as to capture a part of the student market. Also additional sales resources were put into force in channel 2, to take up the interested market. A part of the rationale for choosing this distribution strategy was that about one-third of the high end consumers shopped through Channel 2. After the decline of sales in the fifth and sixth periods, a focussed strategy was adopted to regain the market share and to reap profits, by targeting the Managerial segment by tailoring the product and the distribution strategies to meet their requirements. High spending behaviour of the managerial segment and their preference for quality of service were the rationale behind this decision. This change in the strategy proved fruitful and Voice X re-positioned itself as a Premium product and gained its market share of sales. This strategy if followed for the next few periods, will put Voice X in a better financial position to start a new low priced product with minimum features to capture the low spending segments and become the market leader for this

HRM and leadership 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

HRM and leadership 1 - Essay Example The company employees many workers, in 2012, it was estimated that he company had about 81,223 employees worldwide. The company’s revenue stands at ?9,934.3 billion, the operating income for the factory also stands at ?746.5 million with a profit of ?489.6 million (Kluwer 2006, p.52). Under the management, the company’s chairperson is Robert Swannell and the CEO is Marc Bolland, with over one thousand stores around the world. It will be appreciated the company has a daunting task to ensure that the employees are recruited in the best ways and that they select top of the list candidates, despite the diverse political, economic, and social factors. The company has endeavoured to ensure that maintain their niche in the market and that their customers remains happy with their services as well as the management of the company (Kluwer 2006, p.71). The human resource department in the company is therefore keen in ensuring that the policies of the company are met and that their esteem customers are also given the best of services. This is part of what has made the company to grow and became an international company with overwhelming customers all over the world. ... r to achieve this, the company should be creative and innovative o how they relate with the employees, they should establish a system that is open, flexible, and caring, this will enable the employees to feel that they are part of the management and they would tend to take responsibility, this is particularly important for the company. When the employees are contented with the work place, they tend to be more productive and the only way to ensure that they become productive is to ensure that their well-being is catered for in the workplace. Good HRM practices are essential in leading a department to achieve their objectives and for productivity enhancement. Marks and Spence is one of the international companies that have adopted several unique HRM practice in order to realize productivity through employee’s motivation. The practices that are offered by M&S are responsible for the company’s employee’s contention with their work place and are not always shopping fo r the next company for engagement. The company has organized a strong sense of HRM practices that unlike other companies that will be experiencing transit of employees, M&S do not experience such movement given the nature of the environment they have created for their employees. When employees are not contented with the working place because of poor HRM practices, it will be rare to find employees growing together with an organization as is the case with M&S. Below are some of the practice that have been employed M&S in order to come up with a highly motivated and productive team Work Environment One of the most important aspect for motivating employees that M&S has been working on since is the type of environment that there employees operates in. they realized that employees needs a safe and a happy

Report on Religious Field Research Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Report on Religious Field Research - Essay Example Om Peace, Peace, Peace†. (Om asato†¦) Prayer over, the Preacher lost no time in beginning the day’s lecture: â€Å"The Perfect Masters of all religions mention about the same transcendental truth. What they wish to explain is beyond the realm and boundaries of words, thoughts, feelings and the capacity of body-mind-intellect. My submission is also an outline, and not the reality of spirituality. That has to be practically experienced by you. There is much more in this cosmos than what the senses can detect or the mind can comprehend. The totality can be comprehended with the help of the â€Å"Third Eye†, which Lord Jesus proclaims, â€Å"When thine Eye be Single†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The problems arise when the Transcendental Reality is explained by the mind-level philosophers, intellectuals, preachers, mullahs and pundits. Arguments and counter-arguments follow. Misunderstandings generate and conflicts arise. This is the genesis of religious conflicts. If t he founders of all the religions are to sit together and engage in a discussion, actually there would be no discussion as there would be no differences of opinions amongst them. Though they use different languages and tender different examples, they are speaking about the same truth, the Ultimate Reality! For example, the source of energy for all the electrical appliances is electricity†. â€Å"The followers of different religions must stop quarrelling and grasp the underlying essence of the revelations by their Masters. World Peace becomes an attainable reality if they follow the revelations of the Masters in true letter and spirit. What difference does it make if you call electricity by some other name, it is the same entity and its power remains the same? Similarly hail the Consciousness that governs cosmos, the All-pervading Reality by any name, Jesus, Allah, Rama, Krishna, God or whatever you like. That Power is the same†. â€Å"God, who exists even before the cre ation and from whom the entire universe originates and gets manifested, in whom the entire universe exists and in whom the entire universe will be withdrawn, eventually; and that Light of your Consciousness, which is the Illuminator, the Witness, the Self within, which is aware of the presence or absence of thoughts in the mind, is one and the same! That Thou Art! You are not the body-mind-equipment, which you have assumed yourself to be, till now. Know the technique to stabilize your mind, transcend it and you will know that you and God are the same entity! The eternal search ends and no further running around are needed. All ambiguity stands vanished†. â€Å"The mind is an instrument in the hands of the Self just as the body is an instrument controlled by the mind. Matter is motion outside, the mind is motion inside. Theoretical arguments only lead to arguments and counter-arguments. It is impossible to realize the Truth through arguments. This is the reason that the name o f God, which out to bring peace and happiness to humankind, has been the cause of bloodshed in the world. The pages of human history are daubed in bloodshed due to bitter quarrels in the name of religion and race. Reach out for the direct

Black social movements Essay Example for Free

Black social movements Essay Race is used by social scientists to refer to distinctions drawn from physical appearance (skin color, eye shape, physiognomy), and ethnicity is used to refer to distinctions based on national origin, language, religion, food, and other cultural markers. â€Å"Race has a quasi-biological status and among psychologists, the use of race terminology is hotly debated In the United States, race is also a socially defined, politically oppressive categorization scheme that individuals must negotiate while creating their identities. † (Frable , 1997, 139) Before the Black Power Phase of the Black Social Movement, blacks displayed a decidedly dualistic worldview. After 1968, a trend toward a black perspective, which is almost as significant as the dualistic frame, becomes apparent. A reactionary, extreme pro white position is seldom advocated: The dualistic, integrationist ethic was perhaps stronger in the past than it is today, although it is probably still the dominant ideology among blacks. Finally, over the past 25+ years, a nationalistic black oriented ideology has become increasingly important in discussions of black affairs. The racial and ethnic identity terms are often used inappropriately in psychology. While black immigrants to the United States may have a racial identity as black, their ethnic identity reflects their country of origin; racial identity is much more likely to be problematic in the United States than ethnic identity. Whether a researcher assesses racial identity, ethnic identity, or some combination may only be clear after reading the Methods section of their report. EVIDENCE OF IDENTITY CHANGE: 1968-PRESENT The Black Social Movement had two phases: (1) the Civil Rights Phase, which lasted from 1954-1967 and (2) the Black Power Phase, which began to take hold from 1965-1967. (See Exhibit 1) 118 or 73% were conducted during the period 1968-1977. Of these, 22 (19%) were Black group oriented, 84 (71%) were personal self-worth related and 12 (10%) applied personal self-worth and Black group oriented measures on the same sample. A significant number of both Black group and personal self-worth studies from this period show blacks with an increased in-group orientation and adequate to above average levels of self-esteem. (Allen et al, pg. 161)The Black Movement has increased the probability that more blacks will superimpose a black orientation upon a greater variety of situations. As a perspective, the extent to which the world view of the mainstream group (Americanism) has been internalized by a Black person is not one of self-rejection as it was in the past. As a result, some 20 years later and as a side product of the mind set change, Hip-hop (music) was created in the mid-seventies as black social movements began to take less noticeable role in the African-American communities and mainstream media, and replaced by electoral politics. â€Å"It has deep sixties cultural and political roots; Gil Scott-Heron and The Last Poets are considered the forebears of rap. But once the institutions that supported radical movements collapsed or turned their attention elsewhere, the seeds of hip- hop were left to germinate in American society at large-fed by its materialism, misogyny and a new, more insidious kind of state violence. † (Ards, 1999, p. 11) This suggests racial motivation impetus more of a political-cultural propensity rather than a psychological trait. All along, even during the racial segregation and Jim Crow, Blacks have consistently had a high sense of personal worth. The Black Movement probably had a less dramatic effect on the personal identity as opposed to the reference group orientation of black people as whole. Blacks have had, and continue to have, a multifaceted reference group orientation that determine behavior depending upon the situation being confronted. BLACK ELITE LIBERAL CONCEPT Is this America? Land of the Free and Home of the Brave? Fannie Lou Hamers question still rivets attention, for it is at once radical and conservative, communitarian and individualistic, a plaintive cry and a hardened protest, fiercely American and defiant of America. (Robinson, 1997, p. 179) While not a new paradigm in and of itself (and while certainly reductionist), Cedric J. Robinson, in Black Movement in America, calls for framework forces one to consider social movements. He points out that the very success of black activism during the Civil War would point the way toward future divisions within black political culture. Both free black leaders and the masses of Southern slaves who rebelled against their masters turned a white war into a battle over slavery and racial injustice. (Newman, 1999, 683) Slaverys destruction, ironically, removed a common focus of protest, and more importantly, enticed certain black elites to accept the liberal concept of changing American political culture by trying to join it and reform it from within. These elite representatives were largely irrelevant in Robinsons eyes, for the black masses focused on community-building and autonomy (Robinson, 1997, p. 92). The black social movements of the 60’s and 70’s single indicator of common social beliefs may simply be related with other dimensions and intangibles yet to be discovered or even recognized. In brief, due to the impact of during the ten to fifteen year span, black consciousness and awareness had become so pervasive throughout the black population that by the late seventies†¦Ã¢â‚¬  a single item tapping common-fate solidarity was adequate to capture a fully politicized sense of group consciousness. Of course, other changes in the political landscape may also contribute to such a shift. For instance, collective political efficacy among black Americans may have been enhanced by the growing number of black elected officials. † (Bobo Gilliam 1990) A generation has almost passed since the social activisms of the late 50’s and upheaval turbulent 60s and birth of modern day public black social movement. There are now thousands of black elected and appointed officials throughout the United States. Southern presidents have been elected to the White House since 1976, both of whom received the overwhelming support of the African American electorate. A great deal of literature has been devoted to the position that Black working people and the poor challenged the â€Å"system† by establishing, ad hoc or organized significant black social movements that were rooted simultaneously in a political and social tempest. However, thus knowing that a person has a strong black identity will not inform the listener about the nature of his/her personal identity; however, it gives considerable insight into the persons value system, political posture, and cultural stance. REFERENCE(S) Deborrah E. S. Frable , 1997, Article Title: Gender, Racial Ethnic, Sexual andClass Identities. Journal Title: Annual Review of Psychology. Volume: 48. Page Number: 139+. Angela Ards, 1999, Organizing the Hip-Hop Generation. Magazine Title: The Nation. Volume: 269. Issue: 4. Publication Date: July 26,1999 Page Number: 11. Cedric J. Robinson, 1997, Black Movements in America. (New York: Routledge,. p. 179, 92 ) Rich Newman, 1999, Black Movements in America. Journal Title: The Historian. Volume: 61. Issue: 3. Publication Page Number: 683. Walter Recharde Allen, Geraldine Kearse Brookins, Margaret Beale Spencer,1985, Beginnings: The Social and Affective Development of Black Children. Publisher: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Place of Publication: Hillsdale, NJ. Bobo, Lawrence. 1988 Attitudes Toward The Black Political Movement: Trends, Meaning, and Effects on Racial Policy Preferences. Social Psychology Quarterly 51:287-302. Gilliam, Franklin D. , and Kenny J. Whitby. 1989 . Race, Class, and Attitudes Toward Social Welfare Spending: An Ethclass Interpretation. Social Science Quarterly 70:88-100.

The Day My Father Began to Understand the Colors of My World :: Personal Narrative, Autobiographical Essay

The world is full of color. It has to be. Where else would we find depth and meaning and purpose? Color comes together to make shape. The vibrancy of blues, reds and yellows all wash over us as we experience life. Everything ruptures with color, even music with its bright highs and dark lows or language spoken with meaning and clarity. Existence is an art and the freedom to express your art a privilege we all hold dear. I discovered the power of expression when I was young. Crayons and scissors filled my mind. I could manipulate a world of my own on paper, shaping its people. I was king. I knew my subjects. They were spread in 2-demensions before me as they struggled to all escape my mind at once. Although my scribbles never quite matched the emotion I felt deep inside me, they were enough. The forms and figures were mine. I created them. I began to know myself as I continued to grow and develop, but I could never reach the ultimate plateau I felt so strongly that I needed. I needed a boost to reach some sort of self-assurance in my ability and my love. I tried to achieve acceptance once. Although I was young, I remember it well. I had spent all day in school creating another expansive world. As my teacher rattled off times tables and division, I furiously created an eight-year-old masterpiece through a storm of colored pencils and erasers. As I perfected each tree in my landscape, I began to feel powerful. I knew what it was to create and to be good; all I needed was for someone to show confidence in my work. My mother picked me up, but I didn't take this opportunity to show her. My picture was special. It deserved the ultimate unveiling. I was going to show it to my father. Dad came home unhappy, as usual, and ready for dinner. I knew better than to involve him yet. As I ate my unnoticed meal, I could barely hold my excitement. After dinner, I ran to my room and unfolded my work along its careful creases. I walked slowly to his chair, carefully and excitedly balancing my masterpiece in my hands. "Look, Dad, look at what I did. I did it today in school all by myself." He turned slowly in his chair, upset because his connection with CNN had been broken.

Healthy Eating Habits of African Americans Essay

America is an overweight nation with many being considered obese; African Americans in particular, make up a considerable fraction of the population due mainly to culturally poor eating habits and inactive lifestyles. The latest Gallup-Healthways well-being Index survey shows that up to 63. 1% of the US population was overweight or obese in 2009. That means two out of every three adults and 17% of children in this country are overweight. Out of that number, approximately 60% are African American men and 78% African American women. The survey also says that African Americans were the most likely to be obese at 36. 2% compared to a national average of 26. 5%. Disturbingly, African Americans rank at the top of many similar health studies. This group is at a higher risk for chronic diseases. Chronic diseases are normally lifetime diseases that have no cure, but can be treated and maintained. African Americans lead all other ethnic groups in the nation in most statistics on obesity. Even though the numbers are alarming and a bit sobering, there are a variety of unhealthy habits that help contribute. The top reasons for many of these social and health issues lifestyle choices that can be prevented by proper education on health and fitness. For many Americans, poor lifestyle choices make for vulnerability to an assortment of health issues. One of the challenges for African Americans to overcome is healthy food choices. The cultural diet that many African Americans share makes this even more of a hurdle so to speak. African Americans have a rich family tradition of soul food that can present problems for today’s less active lifestyles. Many African Americans accept the notion that soul food is African-American recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation. â€Å"Soul food† meals traditionally depend on high levels of sugar, fat and salt for flavoring. Even though this may have some degree of truth to it, decreasing portion sizes and modifying recipes, can insure that blacks continue their cultural heritage of family eating traditions without expanding their waistlines. Decreasing the holesterol, fat and sodium content in their diets; African Americans can significantly reduce the risk of diabetes complications. Often these instructions by doctors and fitness experts result in dishes that can seem unfamiliar. According to the Department of Agriculture, (2002)11% of American households did not have access, at all times for to enough food for their family to support an active and healthy lifestyle. There is a direct relationship in the diets and eating habits of African Americans based on their socioeconomic status and education. African Americans have this and other cultural challenges to overcome. For example frying food is common method of cooking for African Americans due to the fast cooking time and versatility of meals that can be arranged quickly. The lack of affordability of higher quality meats, vegetables and fruits can also impact the opportunity leaner diets. A large amount of African Americans are on the poorer end of the poverty scale. Families scrambling to barely feed their households often select the cost conscious foods versus nutrition. The average African American family household income according to the Economic Census Bureau report (2007) was $33,916 compared to $54,920 for non-Hispanic White families. These issues are by no means excuses and in fact, change easily by a focus on health education and better diets alternatives. Meals can be modified by purchasing meats with less fat, fresh, green vegetables and fruit. African Americans can choose also choose better cooking methods such as baked, grilled or broiled. These methods can reduce saturated fats, cholesterol, and sodium while keeping the original, intended flavor of the food. Many cookbooks and recipes have been created to offer options and alternative to traditional soul food and unhealthy â€Å"quick† meals. African Americans of all ethnic groups in the United States have shown the most difficulty choosing diets that are low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This would require a huge change in diet quality and working against this is the greater marketability of packaged and processed foods. The packagings of processed foods seem strategically designed to attract certain demographics and African Americans do not seem to be exempt. African Americans have the highest risk of almost all diet-related disease when compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts. Heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes are all leading causes of death in blacks. It’s a well know fact that being overweight can be dangerous to our health, however African Americans have to worry more about life-threatening disease like Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and certain forms of cancer. African Americans are twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes as non-Latin white adults. Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent in African Americans because fat interferes with body’s ability to use insulin. Death from heart disease was 30% more likely among African Americans compared to their white counterparts. (2005, CDC) The most serious forms of cancer like lung, prostate, breast, and stomach also are more likely to be a cause of death in blacks than whites. These often fatal diseases can be traced back to poor eating habits. Heart attacks are often discovered to start from blockage of arteries from high cholesterol and saturated fat. Proper screening and regular checkups is a proactive way to early detection. Many African Americans do not get blood screenings or physicals regular, let alone have a primary-care physician. Changing to more active lifestyles and a regular exercise routine are critical ingredients needed to reduce the chances African Americans have for stroke and heart attack. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, African Americans were 50% less likely to participate in active physical activity as non-Hispanic whites. Considering this, it’s of no surprise that they die from heart disease and stroke almost twice the rate of Whites also. A professor at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, Robert Newton Jr. , PhD, said in his Exercise for African Americans article that one of the perceptions of African Americans have is the belief that work provides sufficient exercise. Many African Americans are blue collar workers and often do strenuous jobs. He goes on to say other so-called barriers African Africans declare prevents them from regular exercise are myths like messing up their hair styles or dislike of public showers. Whether there is any validity to these claims or not, African Americans must educate themselves on the benefits of regular exercise and the affects of an in-active lifestyle. There are many books, programs, clubs and social activities that offer the specific, specialized support African Americans need in order to improve their overall health as a group. Many unhealthy habits of African Americans can be changed by simply adding in a regular exercise routine. Regular exercise brings along with it the desire to eat healthier. African Americans will first need to make some tough and ometimes unfamiliar choices. Choosing a family doctor or primary care physician is a positive step in the right direction. This is especially important when there are current health issues or one hasn’t been active lately. Educating themselves around the specific trends and downfalls they have as an ethnic group, can be a motivating factor in a lifestyle change. Also, developing a regular exercise routine will take firm commitment and discipline. One of the easiest ways African Americans can incorporate this into their current lifestyles is to start sneaking it into their daily activities. For example, they could take the stairs instead of the elevator at work, or go for walks during breaks or lunches. Even doing housework at a fast past can get the heart rate up and pumping. Yard work like raking leaves can provide extra-curricular activity too. Gym memberships and personals trainers can be a barrier to some African Americans due to the costs and fees associated with them. African Americans don’t have to look very far to find alternatives. Various local churches sponsor health programs or have created fitness committees to help improve their congregations health. A lot of companies sponsor mini-marathons or charity races to help a local cause and keep its staff in better physical shape. African Americans are still at the highest risk for a shorter life expectancy due to generations of poor eating habits and a lack of general health knowledge. These trends are evident in many Americans, but disproportionately still more in African Americans. With continued focus, attention and education by experts, schools, churches, even media and society as a whole, there can be a cultural shift. African Americans can close the gap between them and other ethnic groups in health statistics like obesity and body mass indexes (BMI). This is especially essential between blacks and non-Hispanic whites where the biggest gaps are evident. Chronic and diet related diseases like hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and cancer can all partly be attributed to lifestyle choices. Healthful living, proper diets, and active lifestyles can greatly improve the health of all Americans, but essentially the African American people.

Pre Marital Counselling Essay

Premarital Counselling is therapy with two people prior to their marriage, to help give them more realistic ideas of what to expect and how to cope with living with another person as a spouse; relating to each other as a committed pair. By taking the time to explore the reasons you came together, your similarities, your differences, your hopes and your dreams, as well as your expectations of one another, it is sometimes possible to avoid the disappointments that many couples face with the passage of time. Pre-marital counseling offers the opportunity to explore your differences in a relatively safe, supportive, constructive environment. And while some couples may choose to postpone their union until key differences can be resolved, most couples find that pre-marital counseling helps to prepare them for the kind of life they would like to build together. Premarital counseling can help ensure that you and your partner have a strong, healthy relationship — giving you a better chance for a stable and satisfying marriage. Premarital counseling can also help you identify weaknesses that could become bigger problems during marriage. Through premarital counseling, couples are encouraged to discuss a wide range of important and intimate topics related to marriage, such as: Finances, Communication Beliefs and values Roles in marriage Affection and sex Children & parenting Family relationships Decision making Dealing with anger Time spent together. The initial period of any relationship is called the honeymoon period; and after that fairytale, marriage can be a rude reality check. In most cases, quarrels over money, family and trust break a couple apart. A pre-marital session helps partners accept each other better and avoid future complications or conflict. † Contrary to popular belief, pre marital counseling isn’t only for couples who are going in for an arranged marriage. It is also very important for couples who have had long courtships or have been living together. In arranged marriages, the people going to spend their life together are perpetual strangers, with no idea of what lies ahead of them. In India specifically, arranged marriages are sealed with just one word of advice for the bride â€Å"you HAVE to adjust, and you HAVE to compromise. Premarital Counselling ensures that the couple do not just â€Å"fulfill† the responsibilities of marriage for their family, but also participate in it wholly as individuals. In india marriages are seen as a ‘union of two families’ and the individuals who are supposed to spend the rest of their life together, they get lost in the entire plan. Pre Marital Counselling ensures that doesn’t happen. People who have had long courtships and have been living together, need it perhaps more than than people who’re going in on for arranged marriages . Why? Because once you’re living in with someone ,you think you know everything that there is to know about that person and marriage cant spring any surprises. But guess what? You WILL be surprised greatly by what surprises pre marital counseling will bring for you. Marriage changes the set of expectations two individuals have from each other. More issues have to be dealt with, like children, financial planning etc. Most couples spend more time planning their weddings than their marriages!. If you think about the amount of financial and emotional investment that goes into preparing for the wedding itself, doesn’t it make sense to invest a little in strengthening the relationship at the onset? Many couples preparing for marriage honestly believe they are strong going into the union – and they probably are in a lot of ways. Being caught up with all the loving feelings and other feel-good stuff going on ahead of nuptials, couples often don’t consider the potential pitfalls. Those â€Å"pitfalls† are often times what leads them into a therapist’s office some time down the line. Here six great reasons to get pre marriage counseling: 1) Strengthen Communication Skills:  Being able to effectively listen, truly hear and validate the other’s position is a skill that isn’t necessarily a â€Å"given† for many people. Couples that really communicate effectively can discuss and resolve issues when they arise more effectively. You can tune up your talking and listening skills. This is one of the most important aspects of emotional safety between couples. 2) Discuss Role Expectations:  It’s incredibly common for married couples to never really have discussed who will be doing what in the marriage. This can apply to job, finances, chores, sexual intimacy and more. Having an open and honest discussion about what each of you expect from the other in a variety of areas leads to fewer surprises and upsets down the line. 3) Learn Conflict Resolution Skills:  Nobody wants to think that they’ll have conflict in their marriage. The reality is that â€Å"conflict† can range from disagreements about who will take out the trash to emotionally charged arguments about serious issues – and this will probably be part of a couple’s story at one time or another. There are ways to effectively de-escalate conflict that are highly effective and can decrease the time spent engaged in the argument. John Gottman’s (www. gottman. com) research has shown that couples who can do this well are less likely to divorce in the end. 4) Explore Spiritual Beliefs:  For some this is not a big issue – but for others a serious one. Differing spiritual beliefs are not a problem as long as it’s been discussed and there is an understanding of how they will function in the marriage with regards to practice, beliefs, children, etc. ) Identify any Problematic Family of Origin Issues:  We learn so much of how to â€Å"be† from our parents, primary caregivers and other early influences. If one of the partners experienced a high conflict or unloving household, it can be helpful to explore that in regards to how it might play out in the marriage. Couples who have an understanding of the existence of any problematic conditioning around how relationships work are usually better at disrupting repetition of these learned behaviors. ) Develop Personal, Couple and Family Goals:  It amazes me how many married couples have never discussed their relationship goals – let alone personal or family. I honestly think it just doesn’t cross their minds! This is a long term investment together – why not put your heads together and look at how you’d like the future to look? Where do you want to be in five years? Approximately when would you like to have children? How many children? There are many areas that can be explored and it can be a fun exercise to do together. Pre marriage counseling doesn’t need to be a long process, especially if you feel you’re starting out with a very solid foundation and only need some clarifications and goal-setting. For some people who are poised to start out the marriage as a â€Å"higher conflict† couple or have deeper issues to contend with, the process could take a bit longer. Regardless, be sure to take the time to invest in your marriage as you might in the event itself. The return on your marriage investment has the potential to be life long What you can expect Premarital counseling typically includes five to seven meetings with a counselor. Often in premarital counseling, each partner is asked to separately answer a written questionnaire, known as a premarital assessment questionnaire. These questionnaires encourage partners to assess their perspectives of one another and their relationship. They can also help identify a couple’s strengths, weaknesses and potential problem areas. The aim is to foster awareness and discussion and encourage couples to address concerns proactively. Your counselor can help you interpret your results together, encourage you and your partner to discuss areas of common unhappiness or disagreement, and set goals to help you overcome challenges. Your counselor might also have you and your partner use a tool called a Couples Resource Map — a picture and scale of your perceived support from individual resources, relationship resources, and cultural and community resources. You and your partner will create separate maps at first. Following a discussion with your counselor about differences between the two maps, you’ll create one map as a couple. The purpose is to help you and your partner remember to use these resources to help manage your problems. In addition, your counselor might ask you and your partner questions to find out your unique visions for your marriage and clarify what you can do to make small, positive changes in your relationship. Keep in mind that you bring your own values, opinions and personal history into a relationship, and they might not always match your partner’s. In addition, many people go into marriage believing it will fulfill their social, financial, sexual and emotional needs — and that’s not always the case. By discussing differences and expectations before marriage, you and your partner can better understand and support each other during marriage. Early intervention is important because the risk of divorce is highest early in marriage. In Pre marital counseling, as couples you become aware of so many issues that you never thought existed earlier between you two. Premarital counseling is a way to pull the darkness out from its hiding places so that you can turn it over in the light and see it for what it actually is. Remember, preparing for marriage involves more than choosing a wedding dress and throwing a party. Take the time to build a solid foundation for your relationship.