Athenian Democracy and Divination Essay - 2601 Words

Athenian Democracy and Divination Divination was a prevalent feature in Archaic Greece, as it provided objective advice, to assist people in making appropriate decisions in problematic predicaments. In certain situations its ambiguity allowed decisions to be postponed, or blame to be assigned to others. Divination was also used to explain matters that seemed unexplainable, such as crop failure or drought. This is illustrated in the Homeric epics, which depicts numerous oracle interpreters, such as Calchas, consulting oracles on domestic, as well as, military decisions. Divination was a guiding authority in ancient society. However, during the fifth and fourth century BC, the democratic†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, when the Athenians suggest to the Melians that they should become allies with them, against the Spartans, the Melians state: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦We trust that the gods will give us fortune as good as yoursà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦[3] In contrast, the Athenians dismiss the protection of the gods, and state: This kind of attitude is not going to be of much help to you in your absurd conquest for safety at the moment.[4] Thucydides portrays the Athenians in an arrogant light, which suggests that they will get their comeuppance for such sacrilegious opinions. Furthermore, Thucydides also highlights the scientific approach that the Athenians have towards their domination of the Peloponnese, suggesting that it is the law of nature, that they should conquer as much as they can. The rise of freethinking, that the democracy had established, had lead to the neglect of the gods. In comparison, Xerxes, in his conquest to dominate Greece, complies with a dream that is sent from the gods, which indicates to him and Artabanus that he should continue with the Persian wars.[5] Herodotus, writing in the early fifth century, highlights the importance of following divination, whereas, Thucydides, writing in the later fifth century, focuses on decisions made by the people. The Sicilian expedition, from 415BC,Show MoreRelatedEssay The History of Gambling in Ancient Civilizations3908 Words   |  16 Pagesoldest form, divination, was introduced around the same time systematic agriculture was (circa 14000 BCE). Divination is the practice of letting the outcome of an outside object determine what a person or a group should do in a certain situation. â€Å"Some examples of modern divination systems are the tarot, I Ching, scrying and using a pendulum,† (Ward, Keith). But, â€Å"the most widespread and oldest divination game was odds and evens,† (Schwartz, 6). Evidence for odds and evens divination can be found

Article Review Race, Gender, And Self Presentation

Lama Darji RUID: 146000789 Scholarly Article Review – Race, Gender, and Self-Presentation in Teen Profile Photographs Kapidzic, S., Herring, S. C. (2015). Race, gender, and self-presentation in teen profile photographs. New Media Society, 17(6), 958-976. doi:10.1177/1461444813520301 Introduction: This study analyzes how teens represent themselves through their profile pictures on a popular non-anonymous chat site. Ever since the rise of â€Å"computer-mediated communication†, people have been looking for ways to present their persona online. Recently, internet users have been using pictures of themselves to represent who they are. The choice of photographs is under the control of the user and it is intended to enhance user’s positive self-presentation, along with other aspects of impression management. The authors put a great amount of emphasis on race/ethnicity and gender and how it may shape online behaviors in different ways and to different extents. This study also suggested that teens manipulate their postures, gaze, dress and distance from the viewer all through their image choices. So the authors have traced patterns where this was visible. The key concept identified was self-presentation which is mainly involved in impression management because that is c losely related to forming an online identity. The main question the authors are trying to ask is whether there are differences in pictures chosen for self-presentation according to user race and gender on a teenShow MoreRelatedSelf Presentation Is Described As Playing Out A Self1273 Words   |  6 PagesSpencer Cermeno 5000269 Bernie Mac Research Paper 17 October 2015 1.) Self-presentation is described as playing out a self to the reaction and anticipation of others (p. 32). Men and women both modify their self-presentation to the reaction of others. In a classic study noted by Crawford of female college students who were provided with details of male students who were either desirable or undesirable as a potential date and who was characterized as having traditional or more modern values, AccordingRead MoreFrom A Young Age, Arlie Russel Hochschild Developed An1624 Words   |  7 PagesArlie Russel Hochschild developed an inclination and curiosity towards emotion and emotional displays. Born on January 15, 1940, as a child to parents of the U.S Foreign services, Russel explains her early observations of behavior and emotional presentations of foreign diplomats. It is from this memory, that Russel centers her current sociological work. As a young adult, Russel attended the University of California, Berkley where she successfully obtained her maste r’s and doctorate degrees. As a studentRead MoreThe Effects Of Minority Stress On Mental Health Within The Transgender Community Essay1340 Words   |  6 Pages The purpose of this study was to prove how minority stress correlates with mental health within the transgender community. As defined by Meriam-Webster Dictionary, transgender â€Å"is relating to, or being a person who identifies with or expresses a gender identity that differs from the one which corresponds to the person s sex at birth† (Merriam-Webster, 2016). For example, male to female, or female to male. However, researchers in this study used the minority stress model, which suggested that theRead MoreGender Bias At Job Fairs1734 Words   |  7 PagesGender Bias at Job Fairs Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature Introduction to the Literature The first step in the research process is to locate literature that supports, or contradicts the hypothesis of the research study. It is to identify gaps in the topic area that need to be filled by future studies. Literature review also provides the context of the study in relation to its perspective field. This research involves gender bias at job fairs. Research on gender bias is extensive, butRead MoreThe Role Of Media On Influencing The Way People Perceive The Relationship And Punitive Attitudes Between Race And Crime Essay2079 Words   |  9 Pagesworld surrounding them, and even more importantly, how they feel about the criminals portrayed by the media. This research paper examines the role the media plays on influencing the way people perceive the relationship and punitive attitudes between race and crime. In my hypothesis, I believe that the majority of the participants in this research will presumably perceive Blacks/ African Americans as criminals. 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According to the article, research is needed for a better understanding of the implications of diversity (age, race, unit tenure, RN experience and education) on nursing work group performance (patient falls, satisfaction and medication errors). The authors explain that diversity of the nursing workforce has increased over the past 10 years, supporting statistical evidence isRead MoreFace It: the Impact of Gender on Social Media Images9362 Words   |  38 Pagespp. 588–607 Face it: The Impact of Gender on Social Media Images Jessica Rose, Susan Mackey-Kallis, Len Shyles, Kelly Barry, Danielle Biagini, Colleen Hart, Lauren Jack Social websites like Facebook enable users to upload self-created digital images; it is therefore of interest to see how gender is performed in this domain. A panel used a literature review of pictorial features associated with gender traits, and a sample of Facebook pictures to assess gender stereotypes present in Facebook imagesRead MoreThe Effects Of Addiction On The Field Of Nursing1860 Words   |  8 PagesA Review of Addiction in the Field of Nursing Background: In the field of nursing there is a culture of self-diagnosis, self-referral and self-treatment which have repercussions not only for their own health but also for the quality of healthcare that they provide for their patients. Factors in regards to addiction among nurses may be age, gender, family history of substance abuse and access to prescription drugs. Aims: To look at addiction in the healthcare industry, with emphasis on individualsRead More Bhabhas Contribution to Postcolonial Theory Essay2599 Words   |  11 Pagesproposed by Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Chandra Talpade Mohanty as pioneers of postcolonial feminism are helpful in coming to the desired conclusion in this thesis. In addition to Mohanty and Spivak Homi K. Bhabhas propositions regarding the colonized self and her/his dual subjectivity also are helpful. Central to feminist concerns among the postcolonial scholars such as Gayatri Spivak and Talapde Mohanty is Western feminisms inattention to the differences among women. Spivak exposes how the world

Analysis of Amazon’s Australian E-Commerce Website †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Analysis of the Amazons website. Answer: Introduction Amazon has made their personal research stage named as "Weblab" that organization utilize to assess improvementsto sites as well as items. In 2013, Amazon had run 1,976 Weblabs across the whole world. The planners of web based business sites today confront various difficulties in endeavoring to manufacture a client experience that improves the probability of guests making on the web buys. One thing that Amazon does is customizing the shopping background to every client. Setting off to Amazon's landing page, the customers will see diverse areas, for instance, "Identifying Items customers have been viewed," "Perked-up By Shopping Trends," Amazon realizes that the more pertinent the item is to the client, the more probable clients will buy. Overview of the business and description of the website feature Website Selected: https://www.amazon.com.au/ Positive and Negative aspects The E-commerce or Web based business basically implies offering items and administration on the web, yet it's not as basic as it might sound. The web based business requires a refined substance administration framework and a system that joins many separate components. It might be helpful for advancing associations to consider many issues required before setting out on an online business activity, in connection to the association's order, improvement objectives, and authoritative structure (Amazon., 2017). Amazon has started its ascent as a web based, showcasing goliath of numerous items by offering books on the web. Amazons retail website has understood the absence of establishment in the amazon business along with the possibility of creating the book shop that does not include production titles. By changing over his carport into a distribution center, Amazons organizer could establish Amazon as a book retailer while concentrating on six middle qualities that Amazon website owners re cognized, such as, client fixation, enchantment, inclination for activity, thriftiness, high procuring bar and advancement. When it started offering books, Amazons retail website also extended to offer different other items also. With the internet business, the sky's the point of confinement with regards to amazon's intended interest group. Analyse the website design Amazons retail website in no time in the future will be bound by the points of confinement of its nearby region. The site business achieve any area and exploit the fresh open doors. With the expanded perceivability as well as deals, the site will surely produce more cash. Time andas well as cash implies a considerable measure, and the site would not prefer to consume either attempting to pitch its item to the wrong clients (ECommerce strategy, 2014). The web based business takes in the account the focus on correspondence which sends pertinent communication to amazon's customers. The E-commerce strategy is a actual approach to produce the business of the website, achieve new clients and procure more benefits. It also separates the impediment that numerous enterprise confront while attractive just in a little, neighborhood group of the onlookers. Relationship between an applied business model Amazon must use these two business models: B2C model which is also named as Business to Consumer Model: B2C is the principal kind of internet business that is likewise the most widely recognized one. It is otherwise called as the business to customer framework. In this type of model, the online business offering is given to the individual clients. This sort begun to extend after the year 1995 and now, it has become the most widely recognized web based businesses (Hawk, 2014). B2B model named as Business to Business model: B2B, is the biggest web based business display that depends on income, which includes the trillions and millions of dollars. In this business model, both the purchasers and the dealers are the business elements. B2B depicts trade exchanges between organizations, for example, between a maker and a distributor, or between a distributer and a retailer. Revenue Model of Amazon The Websites Revenue Model: If the Amazon plug in a few average illustrations for pay-for-execution-based advertisement options similar to Cost per Click (CPC) and Cost per Action (CPA) conceptualization along with the fixed fee as well as CPM models lean to be desirable. Income from the Pay per Prospect access to the record: Here the installment happens just for a single access in a report, video and music which must be downloaded or installed. It might possibly be ensured with a DRM (HowStuffWorks, 2017). E-Commerce Implementation Strategy The successful execution of E-commerce that include all features and services of Amazon is based on the implementation as well as adoption of seven basic steps: Prepare for E-Commerce Enterprise Technology Assortment or Website Analysis and Audit Optimizing Basic Metrics Customer Learning Customer Engagement Customer Possession Business Investigation and Customer Insight Business Strategies Supply chain management (SCM) strategy:The effective and impactful management or administration of the inventory network can be controlled with the assistance of SCM e-business procedures, which will guarantee the effective coordination between the wholesalers and the Amazons retailer of different items. Better reconciliation of the store network ideal from the origin till the last conveyance of the item can be viably executed utilizing the SCM e-business technique. Smart Innovation or Conception Strategy: The fundamental reason for the effective journey of the website Amazon.au is the advancing methodology of the organization. The website Amazon.au began its online business by providing CDs and DVDs and books. CRM Strategy: When a client initially goes into the Amazon.au, he/she will be provided the featured products or items from the site, however, when the client visits for the next time, the recommender framework consequently gives items by examining the clients interests and identity (Huang and Benyoucef, 2013). The clients procurement and maintenance have been the most required part of the Amazon.au system. Development of SET on the Internet The Secure Electronic Transaction is the framework for guaranteeing the security of the budgetary exchanges performed on the web or the Internet by the customers of Amazon. It was assisted at first by MasterCard, Microsoft, Visa, and Netscape. With the use of SET, a client has been given a digital orelectronic wallet,and the cash exchange is completely conducted as well as verified by utilizing a blend of computerized authentications along withthe digital marks amongst the buyer, the dealer, as well as the buyer's bank within a mode that guarantees confidentiality and security (Lim, Ajjarapu and Thummala, 2004). Privacy policies, potential legal and ethical issues and online auctions Security or Privacy policies Clients must be advised when the site gathers their information. Individual information ought to be gathered for particular purposes. Online Auctions: The online auctions have been an approach for Amazons website to purchase and offer products or administrations for a great many years. In a closeout, the merchant of Amazons website sets a low beginning cost and a gathering of purchasers offer incrementally higher costs until a victor rises (Say, 2013). Legal and Ethical issues Digital Squatting: Its a movement which a man or a firm enlists, buys and uses the current space name, and has a place with the outstanding association with the goal of invasive its trademarks. Web Spoofing: It most of the time happens when an assailant sets a site which absolutely looks same as the first site so as to draw the buyers to give their Visa numbers or other individual data (Standing and Lin, 2012). Ways to manage the customer relationship Client success is an urgent concentration point for the organization. In the event that Amazon offer help to its clients, they will, thus, remunerate the website with steadfastness and provide profitable input. This could begin with small things: for instance, by entrusting somebody from the website management team with client support obligations (Huang and Benyoucef, 2013). This will help the website to keep up the client connections, and build up business as that which makes addressing their client's needs a top need. Recommendations for changing the website from national e-commerce to an international one Here are some recommendations if Amazon wants to expand its business around the globe: Innovation or advancement of all new products: It is basic for Amazon to thoroughly consider everything and bring new items to completely satisfy the customers and hold clients to be faithful to Amazon.au. Amazon should dependably offer its clients the better quality of the products and the best online shopping services. However, in the future Amazon should be sufficiently keen to comprehend the clients requirements before even clients think about it. Integration of Innovative and New Technology: Technology is gaining more and more progress just like the speed of the light. Amazon should be versatile and be technology friendly so that it can hold its control in the market. Amazon must utilize the new technology, such as, the Drone delivery framework for gaining that large amount of money and business reputation. Conclusion This study concludes that the e-commerce or the internet business customize the shopping knowledge of clients of Amazon.au. The E-commerce or the Internet business gives the amazon's clients easy to understand devices that brings life into their shopping experience. For example, as opposed to investing hours attempting to buy some jeans or shoes, e-commerce help the website's customers to locate that item online and purchase them very easily as well as effectively with the use of customized search tools. E-commerce provides the capability to the customers of the website in contrast to their old shopping habits as well as it avails them to discover the items that provides value and suits the customer's pocket. On the other hand, the e-commerce provide several benefits to Amazon as well, as it helps in increasing the sale of the website, hence, increasing its annual revenue, and reputation of the business. References Alzaabi, D. (2011). Electronic Commerce Taxation: Should Electronic Commerce Be Taxed?.SSRN Electronic Journal. amazon.jobs. (2017).eCommerce Platform. [online] Available at: https://www.amazon.jobs/en/business_categories/ecommerce-platform?base_query=loc_query=job_count=10result_limit=10sort=relevantbusiness_category%5B%5D=ecommerce-platformcache [Accessed 16 May 2017]. ECommerce strategy. (2014). 1st ed. Geelong, Vic.: Deakin University. Hawk, S. (2014). A Comparison of B2C E-Commerce in Developing Countries.Electronic Commerce Research, 4(3), pp.181-199. HowStuffWorks. (2017).How Amazon Works. [online] Available at: https://money.howstuffworks.com/amazon2.htm [Accessed 16 May 2017]. Huang, Z. and Benyoucef, M. (2013). From e-commerce to social commerce: A close look at design features.Electronic Commerce Research and Applications, 12(4), pp.246-259. Introduction to the Special Section: Electronic Intermediaries and Networks in Business-to-Business Electronic Commerce. (2015).International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 4(4), pp.5-6. Lim, B., Ajjarapu, S. and Thummala, K. (2004). Interfacing with Amazon Web Services Using Java and .NET: A Comparative Study.Journal of Internet Commerce, 3(4), pp.19-41. Say (2013). 6 Things Online Retailers Can Learn From Amazon. Standing, C. and Lin, C. (2012). Organizational Evaluation of the Benefits, Constraints, and Satisfaction of Business-to-Business Electronic Commerce.International Journal of Electronic Commerce, 11(3), pp.107-134.

Programming Languages free essay sample

When working with programming languages, what is meant by â€Å"syntax†? Give one or more examples. A syntax is a symbolic representation illustrating form and structure. Syntax in the form of text is completed through a series of characters. In a graphical environment, a syntax is illustrated in the form of symbols. An example of a graphical syntax is the symbol of a speaker is a representation of volume or sound. An example of a text syntax is the paragraph mark in a Word document. 2. When working with programming languages, what is meant by â€Å"semantics†? Give one or more examples. Semantics describe the meaning of the syntax. Using the examples above: The graphical representation of the speaker in the call center world serves as instruction for the program to play an announcement to the caller. The paragraph mark in Word used in a text syntax tells the program to perform a carriage return so the end user can continue the entry of letters and formatting. We will write a custom essay sample on Programming Languages or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 3. What does it mean to say that a programming language is machine independent? A program language that is machine independent does not rely on a specific machine language to run. A caveat to this is the third generation programming languages. While it is machine independent to a point, it requires a complier to actually run the program effectively. 4. Compare and contrast 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation computer languages and give one or more examples of each. First Generation computer languages were written using 1s and 0s. While simplistic in nature for the actual machine, it was very difficult for humans to read and understand. These languages were hard to edit in the event of errors. Second Generation computer languages were written using code that was easier to understand by humans. However, it required a complier to covert the information into binary code which is recognized by the computer. Third Generation computer languages introduced variables that are easily read and understood by programmers. These programs include C++, Cobol, Basic and Fortran. Fourth Generation computer languages took the third generation languages to the next level and enabled communication and interaction with items such as databases. The foundation for the Fourth generation languages came from the Third generation languages. 5. Tell what programming languages have you studied and discuss any previous programming experience, if any? If you had the opportunity, choose a language from the list you created in question #4 and explain why you would like to learn this language over any of the others. If I had an opportunity to learn a language, I would like to learn C++. I have very little exposure to C++ but found the language easier to understand and easy to remember.

Bi

Introduction Bi-lens, a company incorporated in the United States of America where its headquarter lies, operates from the headquarters and has targeted markets all over the world.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Bi-lens specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The company’s products seem to have stronger market coverage in foreign markets as compared to the home market. The Bi – lens Company manufactures digital cameras for its customers. The company faces a strong competition from other companies within the same industry. To continue its path along a successful operation, the company needs better strategies. This essay seeks to present a proposal of multi-assembly strategy, labor and compensation strategy, financial strategy and an analysis of the company using Michael porter five forces. Entry/multi-assembly strategy It is important for multinational companies to develop a good foreign market entry strategy. Foreign markets are different from the local ones based on politics, legal issues, social issues and cultural differences. Political issues in a foreign country should be of great interest to a multinational business because changes in laws and regulations affect the performance and operation of a business. For instance, if the Government of one of the European countries imposed a law that increases tax on imported goods, the company’s products would be a little bit more expensive. Higher product price is a weight felt by the customers. That is, the customers would pay more for the cameras than usual. Based on the law of demand and supply, the products’ market demand would be less and Bi-lens would risk losing its customers to the competitors. Another tricky issue involving foreign market entry is the cultural and social life.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Culture defines the way people live in a society. Social activities on the other hand are based on the cultural dimensions like language and moral practices. Products whose consumption cause moral conflict in the society are not saleable. Therefore, it is better to understand the moral practices of a particular target market in order to produce goods and services that are friendly to the market’s popular culture and conforms to customers’ moral practices. A proposed foreign market entry strategy for the Bi -Lens Company would be assemblies. In this strategy, Bi-lens would locally production the parts of the digital camera and transports them into a foreign market to be assembled. This strategy is suitable for the company because it is cost effective in matters related to transportation and custom tariffs. The strategy will also enable the company to exploit local employment, which will facilitate foreign market penetration thus help overcome potential cult ural and social obstacles like a different language. This strategy will enhance the domestic firm’s full concentration on research activities that seek for product development and improvement of production skills. Assembling strategy restores all management voice with the domestic firm. This will ensure that the share ownership lies entirely with the domestic firm thus facilitate quick decision-making.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on Bi-lens specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Therefore, this strategy will bring a great success to the company because it is cost effective and needs less of the company’s attention thus more focus will be on product development (Tielmann, 2010). Labor and compensation strategy Labor is one of the most important factors of production. An employee of a company is the provider of this most important factor of production and therefore, is an important part of the compan y too. They offer their time, skill and effort toward ensuring that a company’s plans and objectives are met. Therefore, for their dedication, time and skill, they are rewarded through wages and salaries. Employees are the most difficult and more delicate part of a company thus should be handled with a lot of care. The whole idea of handling employees with care is to keep them happy. A happy employee will dedicate full time and skills toward the production of quality products and better service delivery. It should be keenly noted that constant quality delivery is a key to attracting and maintaining customers. In addition to that, constant quality delivery is a core competence. The second reason for keeping employees happy is to avoid moral-hazard related losses at work place. Cases like employee theft at work places are deterrence to achievement of organizational goals. The third reason for keeping employees happy is to be able to obtain highly skilled labor force at a cheape r cost.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Employees would like to associate themselves with a company that takes good care of its employees therefore recruitment costs would be minimized because it would be easy to obtain employees. To be able to keep employees happy, the company should provide a secure and free working environment and implement a lucrative remuneration plan. The concept a secure and free working environment would involve reducing or eliminating employee monitoring and inspection. The introduction of inspection-free working environment makes employees feel like they own their job and are trusted. It is in that feeling where employees derive their freedom. A secure working environment would involve taking measures like implementing hazard control equipments. For instance, installation of enough fire extinguishers to minimize fire damages. Another necessary security measure is the provision of protective gears like gloves and jumpsuits appropriate for various tasks if necessary. Lastly, another security measu re is to ensure availability of enough ventilation to avoid cases of suffocation (Glo-bus: Developing winning competitive strategies, 2013). A compensation strategy would involve provision of a reasonable amount of wages and salaries matching with the level of service delivered or the quality of a product completed. The company should introduce incentives like bonuses for higher work rates in order to encourage employees to complete more cameras. The proposed labor and compensation strategy would ensure that the employees’ needs are taken into consideration thus would be a core competence (John Allen, 1998). Financial strategy Every business idea remains an idea unless implemented. Implementation of the idea requires a large amount of money for setting up operations and implementing procurement plans. Bi-lens needs finance for both start up and continuation. The company will have to prepare five-year forecasted figures of its financial statements like cash flow and profit an d loss. The significance of preparing the cash flow forecast is to be able to ascertain the operations that would bring in cash to the company and those that would take cash out. Cash flow forecasts should show periodic cash balances and cash flow patterns for the intended period. It is from the forecasted cash flow that the business evaluates whether its operations would provide enough working capital for survival. Cash flow forecast enables the company to ascertain periods of peaks and troughs in the cash balance trend thus use the knowledge to plan borrowing. The best source of a start up capital for the company is equity shares. The advantage of shares is that it is long term and is last to be paid in the event of liquidation. Borrowing would be another preferred source of finance suitable for expansion purposes. Debt financing has different terms and conditions because unlike equity finance, it requires security. Potential lenders would require security just in case the company defaults on its obligations to repay the loan when due. The lenders would want a quick look at the company’ s operations activities to ascertain whether it is capable of generating enough cash to facilitate the payment of interests and ultimately, the principle amount. This information would be obtained from the cash flow forecasts. It would also be advisable for the company to prepare five-year profit and loss forecast to ascertain the level of profitability or loss. This information is needed to evaluate whether the company’s activities are beneficial or not. Lastly, another cheaper and easily accessible source of finance is retained earnings. The business could use that source to finance its operations without incurring any cost (John Allen, 1998). Michael Porter’s five forces The company faces stiff competition from five other companies in the same industry. Competition would bring a business down if not handled carefully. Within the industry that Bi-lens operates, sources of competition are rival firms producing similar products. Rival firms are a competitive threat because they make strategies that are intended at countering those of Bi-lens. In that case, Bi-lens can only be successful if it implements strategies that would provide a competitive advantage over the plans of the competitors. For instance, implementing better employee remuneration plans than the rival firms. The company should be keen on noticing any changes in the strategies used by the rival firms in order to implement a counter strategy. Potential entry of new competitors It is considered a threat if new firms would easily enter into the industry. The new entry would cause an increase in the competition among firms because the new entrant sometimes introduces higher quality products at lower prices compared to those of the existing firm. The new entrants also come along with a substantial amount of marketing resources thus conquers the market faster. Bi-lens shoul d therefore identify the new competitors entering the industry and keenly monitor their strategy in order to develop appropriate counter strategies. For instance, developing a barrier to entry or a counter strategy would consist of building a strong brand preference and develop a strong customer loyalty through consistent provision of quality products that meet customers’ needs. Potential development of substitute products Bi-lens faces a strong competition from other firms that produce substitute products. Just for the sake of showing how it is a problem source, substitute products are those that can replace Bi-lens’ products. Therefore, if customers like substitute products, Bi-lens would lose customers to its competitors. Bi-lens should monitor features of the substitute products and thereafter, produce those with better features in order to counter substitute products. The bargaining power of suppliers Bargaining power of suppliers influences the intensity of compe tition in an industry. Suppliers prefer firms that offer good prices for their supplies. For the sake of sustainable competition, Bi-lens should develop a loyal relationship with its suppliers by agreeing on a desirable supply price. The bargaining power of consumers It influences the level of competition in an industry. Bi-lens should offer other services like extended warranties and other special services to gain customer loyalty thus competitive advantage (John Allen, 1998). References Glo-bus: Developing winning competitive strategies. (2013). Web. John, R., Allen, M. (1998). Global business strategy. London [u.a.]: Thomson. Tielmann, V. (2010). Market Entry Strategies: International Marketing Management. München: GRIN Verlag GmbH. This case study on Bi-lens was written and submitted by user Tomas Carlson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Moral Cowerdice

Moral Cowerdice Moral cowardice Humans are natural followers, following others through right and wrong. The cause of this natural human characteristic is Moral cowardice. Moral cowardice is the fear of going against morals or unwritten laws, in other words scared of going against what a society believes even though you think it is wrong. Instead you follow the crowd do as others do. Mark Twain said that there are not enough morally brave men in the world. This is proven many different situations that happen in the world today. The lack of moral bravery is the cause of many violent incidents. We do have some moral brave men and women out there but world needs more.English: Dr. Martin Luther King giving his "I Have...Humans are definitely lacking moral bravery .The lack this bravery can cause many violent incidents. As it happens in many countries incidents like school shootings and young gangs. A good example would be the Trench Coat Mafia. It was started by six people and now the gang was spread all over America. They are recruited through the Internet. Such things start because on person starts this hatred in him or her. His (her) friend follow because they seem to believe that it is a betrayal to go against ones friends. Another name for these types of incidents is pear pressure.Martin Luther King jr. was a great man. He is one of the world's morally brave men and women. Though he knew that blacks where at the bottom of society, unlike other blacks, he fought for his rights. He fought to give blacks a higher place in society. He lead the March of Washington Street , and was part of the civil rights movement. If the world could take this man as an example and stand up, stand up and be morally brave then this...

Mythology compare Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mythology compare - Research Paper Example Social insights are much more prevalent as each culture is able to pull out those elements of a story that has specific meaning within that culture. In relaying important cultural and societal ideologies, myths are also useful learning tools for the young people of society as they begin to learn what is expected of them individually and the consequences if they fail to behave according to plan. These differences in social and individual outcomes are often due to the differences in religion and environment in the region in which the myth originated. These ideas can be best understood when comparing myths from two different cultures, such as the myth of creation found among the Iroquois people of the North American continent as compared to the Judeo-Christian creation myth we are more familiar with today. The Judeo-Christian creation myth is presented to us in the Book of Genesis in the Bible, which is purported to be the actual word of God given to us through the hand of man. In this myth, there is a divine being that exists in some kind of void. Tired of this existence, He decides to make something, which turns out to be the land as it is separated from the sky, the sun and the moon; then as it is separated from the sea and then as it is covered in plants and made to be teeming with life of various different forms. All of these things were created by this Divine Being, God, as He called them forward out of the nothingness during a period of five days. On the sixth day, He created people, one man and one woman, gave them the entire Earth to live on with one area in particular, the Garden of Eden, being the most perfect place for them to live as long as they didn’t eat from a specific tree. Of course, the people did eat from this tree and so they were banned from the garden an d forced to work for their welfare and to raise children to populate the earth. In Iroquois legend, the world was formed as a

Battered women Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Battered women - Research Paper Example A report published in the year 2008 showed that the number of women who suffered injuries at the hands of their intimate partners was 2 million ( The Facts). These statistics show how serious and life threatening the problem of domestic violence is for a woman. Steps like implementing laws against violence, victim support programs, teaching the youngsters the wrongness of violence etc., have been taken to reduce the domestic violence ( The Facts). However, many a times, even after providing social and legal support, a woman chooses not to report violence against her. This is because the women who are battered are victim not only of the violence at the hands of their intimate partners, but also are victims of the psychological pattern, social structure, emotional attachment to the family and the behavior pattern of learned helplessness that they are subconsciously trained to follow. The solution to the domestic violence lies not only in the financial independence of women but also in their emotional and psychological independence. The question as to why a woman stays in a violent relationship is not easy to answer. There are many psychological aspects, both conscious and subconscious, that make a woman to tolerate the violence at the hands of a husband or a boyfriend. When Bandura (1973) studied the history of the women who were the victim of the domestic violence, he found that these women had experienced aggressive behavior and responses to aggressive behavior in their childhood (Walker 2000, p.104). The childhood experience had ‘trained’ the women suffering from domestic violence to psychologically and emotionally cope with the violence they were suffering. Also, Walker (1979) found that what made

Hamlets Contradicting Traits Essay Example for Free

Hamlets Contradicting Traits Essay William Shakespeare created many complex characters in his play Hamlet. One of these complex characters being the protagonist, Prince Hamlet. Hamlet has many contradictory traits, two of them being that Hamlet sometimes thinks rationally, and that being overcome by the command left by the ghost of his belligerent father, King Hamlet, he tends to make irrational decisions. When Hamlet is first introduced to the ghost’s commands in scene one, act 5, they begin to consume him with thoughts of vengeance, to murder Claudius, his father’s murderer. Throughout the play, Hamlet acts in such a way to provide evidence supporting both traits. Conflicted by these two opposing traits, Prince Hamlet has a war of two spirits in his mind, deciding which side is right. During the length of the play, Hamlet frequently argues with himself. Many of his soliloquies are debates between Hamlet and the warring side of his mind that believes he should listen to the vengeful plan of his father’s ghost. At the beginning of the play, Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, is a rational scholar from Wittenberg. When he returns from Wittenberg, his mother, Queen Gertrude confronts him concerning his melancholy. He replies â€Å"Seems, madam? Nay it is. I know not ‘seems’† (1. 2. 76) He is very straightforward with her and speaks in a sensible and rational manner. This conversation happened before Hamlet encountered the ghost; therefor the militant and vengeful spirit has not yet influenced him. When Hamlet is preparing to rig the play to gage a reaction from Claudius to prove he is guilty of murdering his father, he is thinking rationally. Ill have these players/Play something like the murder of my father/Before mine uncle: Ill observe his looks; /Ill tent him to the quick: if he but blench, /I know my course. † (2. 2. 601-605) it takes and intelligent, sensible, and rational person to develop such a precise and functioning plan, therefor proving Hamlet is able to think rationally. Once Hamlet has met and been influenced to his father’s ghost, he becomes consumed with the thought of avenging his father. Hamlet is not a violent person; therefor the thought of murdering Claudius causes a lot of internal conflict for Hamlet. As Hamlet and Laertes fight in Ophelia’s grave, Hamlet says to Laertes â€Å"For, though I am not splenitive and rash, /Yet have I something in me dangerous, /Which let thy wiseness fear† (5. 1. 265-267). This quote proves that Hamlet is aware that though he is not generally a violent person, he now possesses something dangerous in him due to his dead father’s command. Later, Hamlet claims to Laertes that he is mad. â€Å"Roughly awake, I here proclaim was madness. /†¦ Who does it, then? His madness: ift be so, /Hamlet is of the faction that is wrongd; /His madness is poor Hamlets enemy† (5. . 224-233) according to Hamlet it was not him who killed Polonius it was his madness. Again, Hamlet is aware that avenging his father has driven him to be something he is not, and to do irrational things such as murdering Polonius. Hamlet had stabbed Polonius through a curtain simply because there was a slight chance it would have been Claudius hiding. Before chec king, he quickly stabbed Polonius, this is completely irrational and risky on Hamlet’s part. This dramatic turn of events caused negative repercussions towards Hamlet. By killing Polonius, Hamlet pushed Laertes to decide to avenge his own father and in the end, he murders Hamlet. The overwhelming urge to avenge his father caused Hamlet to act without thinking, putting Hamlet in a dangerous situation. Due to Hamlet’s strongly contradicting traits, he frequently argues with himself, usually in his soliloquies. Hamlet’s soliloquy â€Å"To be or not to be† is a literal debate between scholarly, rational Hamlet and Prince Hamlet as the soldier-son, seeking revenge for his pugnacious father. In this soliloquy, Hamlet questions his motives and morals. To be, or not to be: that is the question:/Whether tis nobler in the mind to suffer/The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, /Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, /And by opposing end them? † (3. 1. 56-60) he is debating with himself on whether or not it is worth it to avenge his father. This way of making a decision is a rational and logical thought process in which Hamlet is evaluating all of his options and their repercussions. However, had Hamlet not had irrational thoughts to begin with, he would not have to go through with this process. Eventually Hamlet`s irrational urge to avenge his father consumes him. Most of his rationality has vanished and all of his thoughts concern revenge, or are not fully thought through. In his â€Å"My thoughts be bloody†¦Ã¢â‚¬  soliloquy, the irrational part of Hamlet`s divided soul is convincing him that if he does not avenge his father essentially he has no purpose â€Å"What is a man,/If his chief good and market of his time /Be but to sleep and feed? a beast, no more† (4. 4. 36-38) Hamlet says if he has no purpose, he is nothing. At the end of the soliloquy Hamlet decides â€Å"My thoughts be bloody, or be nothing worth! (4. 4. 68) this is him saying that if his thoughts are not concerning violent actions towards Claudius, they are worthless. These thoughts are completely irrational, and the benefits and downfalls of this decision have not been taken into consideration. Later when Hamlet is asked whether he would prefer to battle Laertes now, or give himself some tim e to prepare, he quickly responds that he will fight him now, leading to Hamlet’s death. Again, Hamlet has irrationally made a decision without considering each side of the argument. The command left by the ghost of his father has completely overcome his mind leaving him not thinking logically or rationally as he was at the beginning of the play. Hamlet is an irrational rationalist. Before the ghost confronts him, Hamlet is a rational scholar from Wittenberg, however afterwards, the ghost’s vengeful thoughts consumes him, giving Hamlet an irrational and violent mindset. During the play, these two combative traits are warring in his mind, and expressed through soliloquies. Many of Hamlet’s soliloquies are debates between these two opposing traits. Eventually, the vengeful thoughts consume Hamlet and he becomes highly irrational. He does not plan or think anything through as he did at the beginning of the play. Hamlet’s irrationality is potentially the cause of his madness, and death. Had Hamlet not been so irrational whilst making decisions and allowing the vengeful thoughts left by his father to consume him, Claudius would not be seeking to murder him. Though Hamlet is genuinely a rationalist, his need to avenge his father’s death consumes him, causing him to make irrational and illogical decisions.

Strategies to Test for Rheumatic Heart Disease

Strategies to Test for Rheumatic Heart Disease Rheumatic heart disease remains a major public health problem in many parts of the world. While the incidence and prevalence of ARF and RHD have been decreasing in developed countries since the early twentieth century, they continue to be major causes of morbidity and mortality among young people in developing nations. It is estimated that there are more than 15 million cases of RHD worldwide, with 282,000 new cases and 233,000 deaths annually[1]. Globally, India contributes nearly 25%-50% of newly diagnosed cases, deaths, hospitalizations and burden of RHD.The earliest reporting of RHD was done in 1910. Even during the 1980s, hospital admission data suggested that RF and RHD accounted for nearly one-half to one-third of the total cardiac admissions at various teaching hospitals all over India. A more recent survey across various tertiary care hospitals found that hospital admission rates of RHD had declined (5%-26% of cardiac admissions). Population-based epidemiological data to ascertain the prevalence of RHD and their impact on community in India are lacking. A properly planned population study in 1993 reported a prevalence of 0.09% for RHD. Most of the epidemiological studies are school-based surveys. The reported prevalence of RHD varied from 1.8 to 11/ 1000 schoolchildren (average 6/1000) during the 1970s and 1980s, and 1-3.9/1000 during the 1990s.Studies using echocardiographic validation of clinical diagnoses show a much lower prevalence of RHD. The surveys conducted by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) also indicate a decline in the prevalence of RHD over decades. The epidemiology of rheumatic heart disease in India is of special interest as it may help to understand the effects of economic transition on this particular enigmatic disease. Critical appraisal of the published literature suggests the possibility of a real decline in the occurrence of the disease in some parts of the country, but a continuing onslaught in several other regions. The rate of decline seems to correlate more with improved public health facilities than with economic growth alone. However, the cumulative burden of the disease remains high, and sustained efforts for the prevention of rheumatic heart disease needs special attention [2]. Rheumatic fever is the most common cause of mitral stenosis. Other less common etiologies of obstruction to left atrial outflow include congenital mitral valve stenosis, , mitral annular calcification with extension onto the leaflets, cor triatriatum, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, left atrial myxoma, and infective endocarditis with large vegetations. Pure or predominant MS occurs in approximately 40% of all patients with rheumatic heart disease and a past history of rheumatic fever. In other patients with rheumatic heart disease, lesser degrees of MS may accompany mitral regurgitation (MR) and aortic valve disease. In temperate climates and developed countries, the incidence of MS has declined considerably over the past few decades due to reductions in the incidence of acute rheumatic fever. However, it remains a major problem in developing nations, especially in tropical and semitropical climates[3]. In normal cardiac physiology, the mitral valve opens during left ventricular diastole, to allow blood to flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle. This flow direction will be maintained as long as the pressure in the left ventricle is lower than the pressure in the left atrium and the blood flows down the pressure gradient. Mitral stenosis (MS) is a mechanical obstruction during blood flow from the left atrium to the left ventricle. Obstruction happens due to thickening and immobility of the leaflets, thickening and fusion of the chorda tendinae or mitral annular and commissural calcification[4]. In rheumatic MS, the valve leaflets are diffusely thickened by fibrous tissue and/or calcific deposits. The mitral commissures fuse, the chordae tendineae fuse and shorten, the valvular cusps become rigid, and these changes, in turn, lead to narrowing at the apex of the funnel-shaped (fish-mouth) valve. Although the initial insult to the mitral valve is rheumatic, the later changes may be a nonspecific process resulting from trauma to the valve caused by altered flow patterns due to the initial deformity. Calcification of the stenotic mitral valve immobilizes the leaflets and narrows the orifice further. Thrombus formation and arterial embolization may arise from the calcific valve itself, but in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF), thrombi arise more frequently from the dilated left atrium (LA), particularly from within the left atrial appendage. In normal adults, the area of the mitral valve orifice is 4-6 cm2. In the presence of significant obstruction, i.e., when the orifice area is reduced to To asscess the severity of obstruction hemodynamically, both the transvalvular pressure gradient and the flow rate must be measured. The latter depends not only on the CO but also on the heart rate. Increase in heart rate causes shortening of diastole proportionately more than systole and diminishes the time available for flow across the mitral valve. Therefore, at any given level of CO, tachycardia, including that associated with rapid AF, augments the transvalvular pressure gradient and elevates further the LA pressure. The LV diastolic pressure and ejection fraction (EF) are normal in isolated MS. In MS and sinus rhythm, the elevated LA and PA wedge pressures exhibit a prominent atrial contraction pattern (a wave) and a gradual pressure decline after the v wave and mitral valve opening (y descent). In severe MS and whenever pulmonary vascular resistance is significantly increased, the pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) is elevated at rest and rises further during exercise, often causing secondary elevations of right ventricular (RV) end-diastolic pressure and volume. In temperate climates, the latent period between the initial attack of rheumatic carditis and the development of symptoms due to MS is generally about two decades; most patients begin to experience disability in the fourth decade of life. Studies carried out before the development of mitral valvotomy revealed that once a patient with MS became seriously symptomatic, the disease progressed continuously to death within 2-5 years. In patients whose mitral orifices are large enough to accommodate a normal blood flow with only mild elevations of LA pressure, marked elevations of this pressure leading to dyspnea and cough may be precipitated by sudden changes in the heart rate, volume status, or CO, as, for example, with excitement, severe exertion, fever, severe anemia, paroxysmal AF and other tachycardias, sexual intercourse, pregnancy, and thyrotoxicosis. As MS progresses, lesser degrees of stress precipitate dyspnea, the patient becomes limited in daily activities, and orthopnea and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea develop. The development of permanent AF often marks a turning point in the patients course and is generally associated with acceleration of the rate at which symptoms progress. Hemoptysis results from rupture of pulmonary-bronchial venous connections secondary to pulmonary venous hypertension. It occurs most frequently in patients who have elevated LA pressures without markedly elevated pulmonary vascular resistances and is rarely fatal. Recurrent pulmonary emboli, sometimes with infarction, are an important cause of morbidity and mortality rates late in the course of MS. Pulmonary infections, i.e., bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, and lobar pneumonia, commonly complicate untreated MS, especially during the winter months[3]. Mitral valve assessment with echocardiography should include the pattern of valve involvement and calcification, severity of stenosis, associated mitral regurgitation and other co-existent valve lesions and atrial chamber dilatation and function. Mitral stenosis can be assessed in parasternal, apical or subcostal views. As with any stenotic valve the main diagnostic feature in the parasternal long axis view. As in rheumatic MS, the anterior mitral leaflet (AMVL) shows diastolic doming or hockey-stick shape and the posterior mitral leaflet (PMVL) has restricted motion or is totally immobile. This doming is due to the reduced mobility of the valve tips compared to the base of the leaflets. Echocardiography can also adequately assess the Subvalvular apparatus changes such as thickening, shortening, fusion of chordal calcification. Color Doppler in this view with diastolic turbulence across the mitral valve confirms the diagnosis. On the other hand, Parasternal short axis view of the mit ral valve is used for assessing the leaflets thickening, fusion and calcification of commissures. The parasternal short axis view is also used to assess the mitral valve orifice area by planimetry of the mitral leaflets at the level of tips. The Following are different means of measurements by echocardiography to ascess the severity of MS. Planimetry of mitral valve at the level of the leaflets tips is done in parasternal short axis view. This method is a very familiar technique by 2D echocardiography but the same method can also be used in 3D echocardiography en-face view of mitral valve. However, newly developed QLAB software in 3D echo is now available for calculation of mitral valve orifice area which requires further validation. Calculation of mitral valve area (MVA) by pressure half-time (P1/2t) should be done in an apical four chamber view using continuous wave. Doppler Pressure half-time method is not valid immediately after percutaneous balloon mitral the Doppler curve. The gradient can be measured by tracing the dense outline of mitral diastolic inflow and the mean pressure gradient is automatically calculated. The severity can be assessed as mild (10) [4]. Both qualitative and quantitative evaluation of valvular heart disease can be improved by 3D echocardiography. Anyplane and paraplane analysis of a stenotic valve allows an accurate planimetry of the smallest orifice area. Zamorano et al demonstrated that 3DTTE is a feasible, accurate and highly reproducible technique for assessing the mitral valve area in patients with rheumatic MV stenosis. In a consecutive series of 80 patients, MV area was assessed by conventional echo Doppler methods and by 3DTTE, and results were compared with those obtained invasively.Compared with all other echo-Doppler methods, 3DTTE had the best agreement with the invasively determined MV area, and intra- and inter-observer variability of the method was very good. Zamorano et al also studied 29 patients undergoing percutaneous balloon mitral valvuloplasty. 3DTTE had the best agreement with the invasively determined MV area, particularly in the immediate post procedural period; therefore, the method could be proposed as an ideal one throughout this procedure and could make invasive evaluation unnecessary in this setting. As part of these very important quantitative data, 3DTTE can be integrated with 2D evaluation in the qualitative morphology assessment of the MV. Commissures, leaflets, annulus calcifications and subvalvular structures can be visualized from different and unique planes facilitating the understanding of this complex apparatus. Vegetations, commissural diseases, subvalvular pathologies (tip of the leaflets/chordae/papillary muscles), clefts can be accurately diagnosed. So assessment of the severity of mitral valve stenosis requires accurate measurements of the Mitral valve orifice area (MVA). Direct measurement of the MVA can be performed by planimetry using two-dimensional echocardiography (2-D echo). Mitral valve area determined by planimetry reflects the anatomic orifice area and is largely independent of hemodynamic variables, left ventricular compliance and concomitant valvular disease. However, planimetry by 2-D echo requires significant experience and operator skill to define the correct image plane that displays the true mitral valve orifice. In addition, planimetry requires a parasternal short axis view of the mitral valve and is therefore limited to patients with favorable image quality from a parasternal window. To bypass the difficulty of a parasternal short axis view, Doppler traces of the diastolic transmitral flow is obtained from a four-chamber apical view and the mitral valve area is estimated using the pressure half-time (PHT). Ho wever PHT is influenced by hemodynamic variables, left ventricular compliance and concomitant valvular disease. Real-time three-dimensional echocardiography (3-D echo) is a novel imaging technique that is expected to enhance the ability to perform planimetry of the mitral valve. 3D echo utilizes a matrix array echo probe to scan a pyramidal volume in real time. A precise cross-section of mitral valve orifice at the tips of the leaflets with correct plane orientation may provide more accurate assessment of MS severity than two-dimensional echocardiography. Thus it can eliminate one of the principle limitations of 2DE in determining MVA by planimetry. There is less inter- and intra-observer variation also during MVA calculation. Therefore, real-time 3D echo can be used as a practical and accurate method for planimetry of mitral valve areas. This study will be performed to evaluate the feasibility, reproducibility and accuracy of 3-D echo for the assessment of MVA over conventional 2D planimetry Doppler PHT methods.

Art Evaluation

Art Evaluation Looking around the hallways, I found many interesting paintings. But, I found that a particular painting was more interesting than the rest. The piece of art that I have chosen to talk about is an artwork that is hanging on the wall in the hallway of JJC. The artwork is painted by a girl named Nicole Marie Wilkin in 2007. She titled her work, â€Å"Endless Miles. † The materials that she chose to use were Oil on Canvas. After looking over the painting, I notice many formal elements. The formal elements that are presented in this work are: color, line, space, texture, and motion.The painting is very well balanced; therefore, my attention isn’t focused on a certain part of the painting. The texture of the painting looks smooth. The multiple uses of contrasting colors are what I believe attracted my eyes to this painting. I feel that this formal element is what is most dominant in the picture. Another formal element that caught my eye was the use of motion. The endless amount of swirls and wavy lines make the painting look as if it is moving. I think that this gives the work a cool effect when looking at it.Using the elements, color and motion together, as Nicole did, was a good idea and works well for drawing attention to her work. The use of these two keep me wondering what the artist was actually thinking when painting this picture. There are also a few principles of composition that I see in this painting. I find that the work has no specific place that is weighted in the painting; therefore, the painting has an all over composition. The painting is asymmetrical because it cannot be split into two parts and mirror each other.I feel that this painting does evoke thoughts and emotions. When I look at this painting I feel a sense of freedom. I feel that this artwork represents freedom because of the numerous amounts of implied lines that lead to other implied lines. I feel as if the painting is leading my eyes on never-ending maze. Th e freedom that I feel is because there is no exact focal point of this painting and my eyes are free to follow whichever implied line they choose. I believe that this idea may lead into why this particular artist may have named her art, â€Å"Endless Miles. I think that the formal elements that make this work so free are the use of motion and line together. I feel that the media and materials used in this art make a strong impact. The use of oil on canvas helps to make the painting look smooth and flowing. I feel that since the artist used oil, she was able to blend her colors well and add shading to her colors. Oil is easily blended since the colors dry very slowly. This is why I think that the use of oil was a good choice for her.

Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages

Case Study: Competition in Energy Drinks, Sports Drinks, and Vitamin-Enhanced Beverages ————————————————- [email  protected] com 1. What are the strategically relevant components of the global and U. S. beverage industry macro-environment? How do the economic characteristics of the alternative beverage segment of the industry differ from that of other beverage categories? Explain. Demographics: The total sale for beverages in 2009 in the US was about 458. 3 billion gallons and it is one of the largest markets with dollar value of 1,581. billion in 2009 and with a forecast of $1,775. 3 billion for 2014. 48. 2 percent of industry sales were from carbonated soft drinks and 29. 2 percent of bottle water industry sales. In 2009,The Alternative beverage industry included sports drinks, flavored or enhanced water and energy drinks made up 4%, 1. 6%, and 1. 2% of industry sales r espectively. The global market for alternative beverages in 2009 was $40. 2 billion, while it was $17 billion for alternative beverages in US market. It was $ 12. 7 billion and $9. billion for Asia pacific and European markets respectively. Market growth: The market growth has huge potential with the dollar value of the global market for alternative beverages grew at a 9. 8% annually between 2005 and 2009, but was expected to slow down to 5. 7% annually between 2010 and 2014. US is the country which has strongest growth internationally in term of alternative beverage sales with an annual growth rate of 16. 6% between 2005 and 2009 and a forecasted growth rate of 6. 7% between 2010 and 2014.Europe and Asia-Pacific grew at annual rates of 5. 3% and 5. 6% between 2005 and 2009 and were expected to grow at a rate of 4. 4% and 5. 1% respectively between 2010 and 2014. However poor economic conditions in the US in 2008 and 2009 led to a 12. 3% decline in sports drink sales and a 12. 5% de cline in flavored and vitamin waters sales. It was also the reason why energy drinks sales increased only 0. 2% between those years. Rivalry between competitors: Coca Cola, Pepsico and Redbull are the three big players that made the industry rivalry become global.However, there were hundreds of brands like Otsuko which were specialty yet regional brands that did not have a foot print internationally but were doing well in their own terms. Beverage producers had made various attempts at increasing the size of the market for alternative beverages by extending existing product lines and developing altogether new products. Social Forces: * Global beverage companies such as Coca Cola and PepsiCo had relied on such beverages to sustain in volume growth in mature markets where consumers were reducing their consumption of carbonated soft drinks. Expanding the market for alternatives beverages and increasing sales and market share, beverage producers also were forced to content with criticis m from some that energy drinks, energy shots, and relaxation drinks presented health risks for consumers and that some producers’ strategies promoted reckless behavior, the primary concern of most producers of energy drinks, sports drinks, and vitamin-enhanced beverages was how to best improve their competitive standing in the market place. Driving Forces for this industry: * Expanding Market share Desire to reach out to Consumer needs and meet the demand * Personalization of the Market Segments* Branding * Market Size * Maximization of Growth Potential General Economic Conditions: * Global growth is projected to grow at 3. 5 percent in 2012, then accelerate somewhat to 3. 6 percent from 2013-2014. In 2012 It is expected that emerging economies will be slow in growth by 0. 7 percentage points on average, going from 6. 3 percent growth in 2011 to 5. 6 percent in 2012, partly as a result of slower export growth and partly because several of them have been growing above trend an d the GDP Growth for the world is predicted to be at 3. . Things look a little slow but are picking up slowly and there is no recession in sight so far. This could really help the industries like Food, Beverages, Health surge ahead like they already are into the market with more percentage of market share and consumer usage based on the increasing numbers in the trend. Impact of Economic Factors: * Demand on beverages and alternative beverages should remain incremental or stable * Branded alternative beverages with national and international presence should do well * Business opportunities should be encouraged with fair and encouraging interest rates 2.What is competition like in the alternative beverage industry? Which of the five competitive forces is strongest? Which is weakest? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness and the potential profitability of new entrants? The Beverage industry is highly competitive and the segments that come into picture when it comes to competition are Distribution, Shelf management, Licenses, Brand name and Image, Pricing, Labeling and Packaging, Marketing and Advertising, Quality and taste, Trade and Consumer promotions and Branding. Competition with non-alcoholic beverages * Competition with Carbonated beverages * Competition with regional beverage producers and private label soft drink suppliers * Competition in maintenance of distribution network * Competition on quality and pricing* Competition on Branding, Labeling, Marketing, Packaging and Promotions. Bargaining power of Buyers: Strong * Convenience store, grocery store, and wholesale buyers had considerable leverage in negotiating pricing and slotting fees with alternative beverage producers because of their bulk purchases. New entrants with comparatively lower market shares are most affected with this like how it is mentioned in the case where the shelf space is limited to top brands like Coke, PepsiCo and Red bull for that p articular market segment. The larger brands like coke and Pepsi also already have spaces worked out with them for their other products and this makes it easier for the bigger brands to get their newer products in the shelf’s too. * Delis and restaurants have low switching costs to other brands but they have less volumes compared to stores and less space, shelfs etc. nd also will not have the same bargaining power that a store enjoys. * Demand is highly dynamic Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Weak * Suppliers for alternative beverages do exist in huge numbers and the competition is high * The producers of alternative beverages are important customers of suppliers and buy in large quantities. * Packaging is readily available Threat of Substitutes: Medium* Many substitutes like tea, bottled water, juices, nutrition water etc. have surfaced but the market is not as big as alternative beverages and this customer preference had weakened the competitive power of substitute beverages. Many substitutes that can quench the thirst of the consumers * Price point of substitutes is less compared to alternative beverages Threat of New entrants: Weak * Brand leaders already exist in the industry with competitive prices and well established distribution system * Convenience stores and Shelves across the stores are already in partnership with existing big-wigs * Customer loyalty towards branded products is high * Need for large financial resources and funds * High Brand equity for already existing and successful brands Threat of Rivalry: Strong Competition centers among major brands based on brand image, appealing taste, packaging, R&D, Marketing and Distribution capabilities * Attempts by all the brands to increase the number and types of products in their product line * Low switching costs for the consumers of the industry * Strong marketing campaigns by each brand to gain customer loyalty The Bargaining power of consumers and rivalry that exists between the competi tions in this industry contributes to the attractiveness of the industry.The numbers are promising, the industry is dynamic and increase in demand each year. The factors that affect the potential profitability of the new entrants are the Brand image, Distribution network and Product line breadth. 3) How is the market for energy drinks, sports drinks and vitamin-enhanced beverages changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those forces individually or collectively make the industry more or less attractive? * Driving forces of the alternative everage industry are dependent on the creating/sustaining market demand, dynamics of the growth rate and product innovation. * Industry leaders established: Segments within the alternative beverage industry have consolidated as markets have matured and leaders have been established. Red Bull GmbH and Hansen Natural Corporation remained independent in 2010, Coca-Cola controlled such brands as Powerade sports drink, Fuze vita min-enhanced beverages, glaceau vitamin water and NOS.In addition, Coca-Cola distributed Hansen’s Monster energy drink in parts of the United States, Canada, and six European countries. * Changes in Long term Growth Rate: The recession had an impact on sales of sports drinks and flavored or enhanced water and has stalled growth in the market for energy drinks; there was also growing market maturity for most categories of alternative beverages. The annual rate of growth for the dollar value of the global market for alternative beverages was forecasted to decline from the 9. percent annual rate occurring between 2005 and 2009 to an anticipated annual rate of 5. 7 percent for 2010 through 2014. While dollar value growth rates were expected to decline only slightly in Europe and Asia-Pacific, the annual rate of growth in the U. S. was projected to decline from 16. 6 percent during 2005 – 2009 to 6. 7 percent between 2010 and 2014 * Product Innovation: The industry is conti nuing to evolve with introduction of new products that enable rise of new category of products.The recent introduction of energy shots is an example of how an innovation that has given rise to an altogether new sub-segment in the industry. * The creation of new product segments, the increasing positive trends in growth rate and increasing market share for each product are a good indication and good drivers of change that increase the attractiveness of the market for an emergent industry. 4) What does your strategic group map of the energy drink, sports drink, and vitamin-enhanced beverage industry look like?Which strategic groups do you think are in the best positions? The worst positions? The strategic group maps show the industry participants competing with axes of Geographic foot print and Brand. The Map shows that Industry giants like Coke and Pepsico are positioned strongest in the industry due to already existing contracts, supply chain, distribution network and shelf spaces i n retail spaces. * Red Bull is seeing a successful brand in Europe and the U. S. Hansen's Monster is also doing good standing up to the other market giants with distribution partnership with coke giving it the required space and opportunity to grab the market and hence can be considered at a favorable position. * Rock star has also been at a favorable position due to the same reason of distribution network partnership with PepsiCo* Companies with a single brand and regional distribution like Otsuko, Vitamin water etc. appeared to be at an unfavorable place with chances of competition gulping the market share of the small players very soon. ) What key factors determine the success of alternative beverage producers? The Key success factors for Alternative Beverage producers are * Constant Product Innovation: A company must be able to identify what a consumer is looking for and also maintain the ability to adapt with the changing market trends. They must be able to keep up and not lag behind. * Price: Price is always a factors in many cases and in this case consumers with a low brand preference will buy a product based on its competitive pricing * Brand Loyalty: Consumers are particular about what brand they purchase and they stick to it in most of the cases.This stresses for a superior brand image and quality * Distribution system: Probably one of the most important, Effective distribution channels will not only help reduce costs but also helps a company remain competitive. * Size and Scale: Successful alternative beverage producers were required to have sufficient sales volumes to keep marketing expenses at an acceptable cost per unit basis. 6) What recommendations would you make to Coca-Cola to improve its competitiveness in the global alternative beverage industry? To PepsiCo? To Red Bull GmbH? Recommendations to Pepsi Pepsico have to launch a major image building campaign for the most promising products it has. * Pepsico also needs to develop its own energy shot brand try to convince Rockstar to add an energy shot to its distribution agreement. * In addition, Pepsi should negotiate for distribution rights to European and Asia-Pacific market with Rockstar or launch its energy drink brands in attractive international markets. * PepsiCo can expand its foot print and focus on other international markets in energy drinks for more international presence and to utilize the demand of a branded and standard product.Red Bull is currently the number in the energy drinks category and they should really take advantage of that and come up with more product line extensions and more products so people can identify with that brand and try other products too. They should focus more on product innovation and product line extensions. Recommendations to Coca Cola * Coca cola should improve its product by innovating and building up good image to recapture the market share it lost in energy drinks category. * Coca cola should also try to create more rapid gr owth in vitamin-enhanced beverages and energy shots product. Coke should focus on products and Branding efforts to gain market and regain lost market share in energy drinks * It should build up its strength in term of alternative beverage sales in by pursuing acquisitions and focus on building its strength of sales in Asia and react quickly to solve the problem of lacking competitiveness in the European market for alternative beverages. * Coca cola can use a combination of new flavors and formulations, brands, line extensions, improved image building, and distribution capabilities to increase sales of alternative beverages internationally.Recommendations to Red Bull GmbH * Redbull should improve the performance of its recently introduced energy shots and continue to expand into rapidly growing country markets for energy drinks. * It is necessary for the company to maintain its lead in the U. S. and European energy drink market with additional product line extensions based upon produ ct innovation. * It should develop sports drinks or vitamin-enhanced beverages that can further exploit the appeal of the Red Bull brand 7. Using the data in Ex. 11, 12, 13 compare Pepsi, Coke, and Hansen.Who has been the most profitable? Who has better managed their expenses? Which business has shown the most growth? Which of the three would you give the strongest grade for their performance? * Using the data from Exhibit 11,12 and 13 for Coke, Pepsi and Hansen, Hansen seems to be the most profitable so far as it became the largest seller of energy drink in the US by leading most of alternative beverage categories. PepsiCo’s global market share in 2009 was 26. 5 percent, overcome by 11. 5 percent to Coca-Cola.The Coca Cola has better managed their expenses it was the third-largest seller of alternative beverage and in the top five best-selling non-alcoholic beverages worldwide in 2009. But they have lot of catching up to do. I would give the strongest grade for performance t o Hansen for its market share, range of products, product innovation and distribution strategies. Hansen also managed to have higher revenue growth and higher cash flow growth. Net Revenue| 2007| 2008| 2009| CAGR| Pepsi| 39374| 43251| 43232| 3. 17%| Coca Cola| 28857| 31944| 30990| 3. 40%| Hansen| 904465| 1033780| 1143299| 4. 50%| | | | | | | | | | Net Income| 2007| 2008| 2009| CAGR| Pepsi  5674| 5166| 5979| 1. 76%| Coca Cola| 5981| 5807| 6824| 4. 49%| Hansen| 149,406| 108032| 208716| 11. 70%| | | | | | | | | | | Operating profit| 2007| 2008| 2009| CAGR| Pepsi| 7182| 6959| 8044| 3. 85%| Coca Cola| 18451| 20570| 19902| 2. 55%| Hansen| 230986| 163591| 337309| 13. 40%| The company growth rate analysis of the three companies in terms of revenue, income and profit show that Hansen has higher percentage of growth rate well above the industry average. Hansen has greater revenues in the industry segment and higher customer demand and financial success.

Crime and Victimization

Crime and Victimization The data received as a result of the crime and victimization surveys state that the rates of crime and victimization in the United States are different depending on many factors which are the demographic factors, the size of the communities and population, the economic factors, and the role of federal, state, and local agencies to prevent and overcome crimes.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Crime and Victimization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More From this point, to understand the issue, it is necessary to study the theories of victimization and crimes with references to the real-world examples. Theories of victimization are developed to answer such questions as why some persons become the victims of crime more often than the other persons, why victims are often discussed as provoking the offenders’ behavior, and how the notions of ‘crime’ and ‘victim’ are correlated. The social proce ss or lifestyle theory is designed to answer these questions with references to the specifics of the victim’s position in the social structure, victim’s interactions with people, and victim’s lifestyle and behaviors. Following this theory’s assumptions, it is possible to state that the representatives of the low-income families who have problems in their interactions with the family, friends, and colleagues become the victims of crimes more often because of living in the threatening environments and because of the persons’ lifestyle. The example which can be used to support this theory is Robertson v. U.S. ex rel. Watson (May, 2010). The case is associated with domestic violence. In 1999, Wykenna Watson became the victim of assaulting caused by her then-boyfriend, John Robertson. Watson received the protective order prohibiting Robertson from approaching her in 100 feet. However, the order and a list of others were violated by Robertson (Robertson v. U.S. ex rel. Watson, 2010). That is why, the case was revised during several years.Advertising Looking for essay on criminology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The independent witnesses pay attention to the fact that the problem is in the behavior of Watson and Robertson who are inclined to interact aggressively, while violating social and legal norms, thus, the behavior of Watson as a victim can be analyzed with references to the social process or lifestyle theory (Robertson v. U.S. ex rel. Watson, 2010). One of the most shocking examples of criminal activities observed in Ohio is the kidnappings realized by Ariel Castro in Cleveland, Ohio. More than ten years ago, Ariel Castro kidnapped three girls Michelle Knight, Amanda Berry, and Georgina DeJesus who were hidden in the house by Ariel Castro. The man was arrested only in 2013. The case was discussed in the Municipal Court of Cleveland, Ohio, but the federal a nd state agencies also actively participated in the discussion of the case because of the necessity to resolve the case of kidnapping effectively and to propose the adequate sentence for Ariel Castro (Prosecutor: Ariel Castro could face death penalty, 2013). As a result of the prolonged legal process, Ariel Castro was sentenced to life in prison. The sentence was based on the discussion of kidnapping and rape as the most severe criminal activities according to the laws of the United States. However, Ariel Castro committed suicide after a month of being imprisoned. Such cases as Ariel Castro’s one should be discussed as a result of the effective cooperation between the local, state, and federal agencies because of the necessity to develop the strategies for preventing the similar cases in the future. The kidnapping and rape as the severe criminal activities should be punished accordingly, and the task of the courts and juries is to provide the most effective decisions in relat ion to such problematic cases. The recent incident of crime observed in Washington, DC, is the double homicide near the campus of the Howard University (D.C. police investigating double homicide near Howard University campus, 2014). On January 20, 2014, two persons were killed, and the investigation process is continuing. The incident terrified the public of Washington, DC, and made the police act more effectively in relation to preventing similar incidents in the future (D.C. police investigating double homicide near Howard University campus, 2014).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Crime and Victimization specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In order to make the community of Washington, DC, safer and to reduce the situations when people can become the victims of such a homicide, it is necessary to improve the work of the patrol services in the streets of Washington, DC. The improvements are necessary to change the appro ach to scheduling the work of policemen and to providing the policemen with the necessary resources. Much attention should be paid to the development of the services of immediate reactions to crimes. Thus, the changes should cover the work of 911 services in order to contribute to the positive results of the policemen’ work. Furthermore, the investigation process should be also improved because it is necessary to involve more people in working at the case in order to guarantee the better results. Crime and victimization as the controversial issues which should be actively discussed in the jurisdiction process in order to respond to the victimization theories and to develop the strategies for preventing and overcoming different types of criminal activities. References D.C. police investigating double homicide near Howard University campus. (2014). Web. Prosecutor: Ariel Castro could face death penalty. (2013). Web. Robertson v. U.S. ex rel. Watson. (2010). Web.

Basketball Diaries essays

Basketball Diaries essays Culture is the complex whole which includes all habits acquired by man as a member of society, said Ruth Benedict in Patterns of Culture. I can think of no movie that proves that more than Director Scott Kalverts 1995 film, The Basketball Diaries. Based on the autobiography of rocker and former heroin addict Jimmy Caroll, the movie describes in horrific detail how the author passed in a few short months from being a Catholic high school basketball star to being a strung-out heroin addict who fantasizes about walking into school and blowing students and teachers away with a shot gun. The Basketball Diaries contains incredibly dark and vulgar imagery, which could possibly lead an impressionable youth into moral and value modification and dangerous decision-making skills. Teen violence, particularly in schools, and drug usage became widespread across the news in the 1990s. The Basketball Diaries seems to be an indication if not contributor to this statistic. People werent fully aware of the growth rate of teen violence until we had teen idol Leonardo DiCaprio in a long, black trench coat surrealistically blowing away classmates in The Basketball Diaries, and two students in black trench coats walking into their school and killing twelve fellow students and a teacher before turning the guns on themselves. But wait. That last one wasnt a movie. It took place at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado in 1999. Two real, living boys, steeped in graphic fantasy movies, including The Basketball Diaries, killed thirteen people and then themselves in a seemingly motiveless display of violence, the consequences of which the boys may not have understood. The sequence in the movie, which Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold seemed to replicate in the corridors of Columbine High, has been replayed on the news many times. In this scene you see Jimmys friends laughing hysterically as he shoots students one by ...

Operating Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Operating Systems - Essay Example Windows 10 Unix/Linux (Linux Kernel 4.1) MacOS (El Capitan) Scalability Windows 8 has the best scalability compared to the tow other version. It supports several hardware and components (1/3) A great number of hardware does not support it and this affects its scalability. This has greatly affected its application in some operating environments (3/3) Although it is an improvement of earlier versions, its scalability still falls below Windows (2/3) Ease of Use Out of the three operating systems, Windows 10 is the easiest to use (1/3) It is Complicated and many people may find it hard to use (3/ 3) The inclusion of several new features compromises its ease of use (2/3) Reliability Although improvements have been made in this version, it cannot match the reliability of Linux and MacOS (1/3) Linux is a kernel which can run for months and years without the need to reboot (2/3) It only run in Apple computers and is therefore prone to software and hardware crashing. (3/ 3)

Take a position...Are Animals Conscious Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Take a position...Are Animals Conscious - Essay Example Inanimate things and organisms such as plants have limited capability to demonstrate such control of actions since the absence of a brain in their makeup eliminates chance for knowingness. It is a difficult affair to demonstrate the various levels or consciousness as possessed by various animals since the emergence of the debate on whether there is consciousness in animals. However, it is agreeable across both sides of the debate that consciousness exists in human beings. Debate therefore appears to revolve around the issue on whether consciousness exists in animals, and up to which level of organism organization. Debate has since emerged about the possibility of animals possessing consciousness as would elevate them to the same status with human beings (Schà ¶nfeld, 1). This discourse addresses the standoff on paradigms, aware of the fact that earlier versions support consciousness in human beings alone while emergent thoughts support existence of consciousness in animals as well. The first section explores older schools of thought that restrict possession of consciousness in humans while the second section explores the paradigm shift occasioning the inclusion of animals among those creatures possessing consciousness. A personal reflection is contained in the ending of the discourse, giving a position on the debate. Making an account of animal consci ousness debate, it is clear that current thinking about animal consciousness is a mess as Dennett brands it. A comparison of the old and the new paradigms and scientific propositions on the consciousness debate affirms the view that there has been a generally perception that animals are not like human beings regarding several aspects. Among the aspects that seemingly existed without much questioning and doubt is the issue of animal consciousness. As it appears, Schà ¶nfeld holds the opinion that the there was a feeling that it was not scientifically indulge research into

The Iodine Number of an Oil or Fat Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Iodine Number of an Oil or Fat - Essay Example The fatty acids without carbon-carbon double bonds are classified as saturated, and those containing carbon-carbon double bonds are classified as unsaturated. Palmitic and stearic acids are the most common saturated fatty acids, and oleic and linoleic acids are the most common unsaturated fatty acids. A way to measure the relative degree of unsaturation of a fat or an oil is to determine its iodine number. The Iodine Number is defined as the number of grams of iodine taken up by 100g of fat. The amount of iodine consumed is determined by titrating the iodine released, after addition of excess potassium iodide with standard sodium thiosulphate solution and comparing with a blank in which the fat is omitted (Pocklington, 1990). In general, fats have lower iodine numbers than oils because oils have greater percentages of carbon-carbon bonds that are double bonds. For example, typical iodine numbers for butter are 25 to 40, and for corn oil, 115 to 130. The fat and oil samples with 0.3 g weight were placed inside a clean and dry conical flask. Chloroform (10 cm3) was then added into the reaction vessel. Using a burette, 25cm3 of Wijs solution was carefully added dropwise. The flask was kept in the dark for 30 - 45 minutes for the reaction to occur. After stirring the solution, a spatula of potassium iodide was added. The solution was mixed until the dissolution was complete. De-ionised water (100cm3) was then added into the solution. Titration was performed using the 0.1mol dm-3 solution of sodium thiosulphate provided until a pale straw colour was observed. After this, a starch indicator was added until the blue colour disappears. A blank was also prepared separately. The iodine numbers (I2 No) of the samples were computed using the Equation (1): where B and T are the respective blank and test values from titration (cm3), and W is the weight of the fat and oil (g). The B-T values represent the difference

Normative ethics Essay Example for Free

Normative ethics Essay Metaethics talks about the nature of ethics and moral reasoning. Discussions about whether ethics is relative and whether we always act from self-interest are examples of meta-ethical discussions. In fact, drawing the conceptual distinction between Metaethics, Normative Ethics, and Applied Ethics is itself a metaethical analysis. Normative ethics is interested in determining the content of our moral behavior. Normative ethical theories seek to provide action-guides; procedures for answering the Practical Question (What ought I to do? ). The moral theories of Kant and Bentham are examples of normative theories that seek to provide guidelines for determining a specific course of moral action. Think of the Categorical Imperative in the case of the former and the Principle of Utility in the case of the latter. Applied Ethics attempts to deal with specific realms of human action and to craft criteria for discussing issues that might arise within those realms. The contemporary field of Applied Ethics arouse in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Today, it is a thriving part of the field of ethics. Numerous books and web-sites are devoted to topics such as Business Ethics, Computer Ethics, and Engineering Ethics. Ethical Relativism Distinctions within Relativism There is a distinction between morals and mores. The latter can be defined as harmless customs (e. g. , tea at 4); the former as treatment of others (e. g. , the practice of Apartheid). In discussing Relativism, we are concerned only with moral practices. The Problem of Relativism: What one society considers Right, another Society considers Wrong. Therefore, RIGHT AND WRONG are RELATIVE to a PARTICULAR SOCIETY. Here we need to be aware of two things: (1) Confusing harmless conventions (The British drive on the left side of the road) with harmful practices (Clitorectomy is customary among the Somali). (2) Even if moralities may differ from society to society, it need not follow that Morality Itself is relative for there is a further distinction between CULTURAL (descriptive) RELATIVISM and NORMATIVE (Ethical) RELATIVISM. Cultural (descriptive) Relativism: The descriptive relativist simply notes certain sociological FACTS: (a) Factual Claims: x is considered right in Society y at time t and x is considered wrong in Society z at time t. (b) Empirical Conclusion: Moralities are relative [Note that the claims of Cultural Relativism are either true or false. ] Normative (ethical) Relativism The normative relativist goes BEYOND any sociological facts. (a) Normative Claim: What is considered right in Society x at time t IS right for that Society. (b) Theoretical (metaethical) Claim: Morality Itself is Relative. Note that ethical relativism does not logically follow from any truths uncovered by descriptive relativism. Note also that the ethical relativist has a hard time explaining how radical moral change can occur within a certain society (as with slavery or womens suffrage in the United States). Ethical Egoism Psychological and Ethical Egoism. As a metaethical theory of motivation, psychological egoism asserts the descriptive claim that all of our actions can be reduced to self-interest: Whenever people do something, it is only because they think something desirable for themselves will result from it. The claim is descriptive and thus open to counterexamples, and it is broad, stating a reductionistic thesis regarding all of our actions. (Contrast psychological egoism with the psychological state of sympathy, where the weal and woe of the other becomes the motive for our action.) Ethical egoism is a normative theory that states that our actions ought to be done from the perspective of self-interest. One of the problems with this position is that it might not be in ones self-interest to have eveyone act from the perspective of self-interest. This state of nature would not be desirable (in Hobbes terms, life would be beastly, brutal, and short) and so it might ultimately be in ones self-interest to enter into a contract with others that would place restraints upon self-interested actions. Utilitarian Theories Utilitarianism Utilitarianism is a normative ethical theory that places the locus of right and wrong solely on the outcomes (consequences) of choosing one action/policy over other actions/policies. As such, it moves beyond the scope of ones own interests and takes into account the interests of others. Bentham’s Utility Principle: (1) Recognizes the fundamental role of pain and pleasure in human life, (2) approves or disapproves of an action on the basis of the amount of pain or pleasure brought about i.e, consequences, (3) equates good with pleasure and evil with pain, and (4) asserts that pleasure and pain are capable of quantification (and hence measure). In measuring pleasure and pain, Bentham introduces the following criteria: INTENSITY, DURATION, CERTAINTY (or UNCERTAINTY), and its NEARNESS (or FARNESS). He also includes its fecundity (will more of the same follow? ) and its purity (its pleasure wont be followed by pain vice versa). In considering actions that affect numbers of people, we must also account for its EXTENT. John Stuart Mill adjusted the more hedonistic tendencies in Benthams philosophy by emphasizing (1) It is not the quantity of pleasure, but the quality of happiness that is central to utilitarianism, (2) the calculus is unreasonable qualities cannot be quantified (there is a distinction between higher and lower pleasures), and (3) utilitarianism refers to the Greatest Happiness Principle it seeks to promote the capability of achieving happiness (higher pleasures) for the most amount of people (this is its extent). Act and Rule Utilitarianism. We can apply the principle of utility to either PARTICULAR ACTIONS or GENERAL RULES. The former is called act-utilitarianism and the latter is called rule-utilitarianism. Act-utilitarianism The principle of utility is applied directly to each alternative act in a situation of choice. The right act is then defined as the one which brings about the best results (or the least amount of bad results). * Criticisms of this view point to the difficulty of attaining a full knowledge and certainly of the consequences of our actions. * It is possible to justify immoral acts using AU: Suppose you could end a regional war by torturing children whose fathers are enemy soliders, thus revealing the hide outs of the fathers. Rule-utilitarianism The principle of utility is used to determine the validity of rules of conduct (moral principles). A rule like promise-keeping is established by looking at the consequences of a world in which people broke promises at will and a world in which promises were binding. Right and wrong are then defined as following or breaking those rules. * Some criticisms of this position point out that if the Rules take into account more and more exceptions, RU collapses into AU. * More genearl criticisms of this view argue that it is possible to generate unjust rules according to the principle of utility. For example, slavery in Greece might be right if it led to an overall achievement of cultivated happiness at the expense of some mistreated individuals. Deontological Theories Acting from Duty Deontological normative ethical theories place the locus of right and wrong in autonomous adherence to moral laws or duties. Monistic deontology Kants Categorical Imperative (Act only on that maxim whereby thou canst at the same time will that it should become a universal law) provides the source of right action. Its first formulation states Act as if the maxim of your action were to secure through your will a universal law of nature; its second formulation states Always act so as to treat humanity, whether in your own person or that of another, as an end in itself, never as a means only. Actions that conform to these imperatives (i. e., right actions) and are, furthermore, done from a sense of duty, are the epitome of morally praiseworthy actions. Critics of Kants approach claim that his Categorical Imperative does not contain within it a way to resolve conflicts of duties. Lying is wrong can be interpreted as Never lie and thus Universal Principles can harden into Absolute Principles. Pluralistic deontology For the 20th Century philosopher W. D. Ross, there are a number of duties that reflection reveals and these form a group of prima facie obligations. The phrase prima facie (all things being equal) refers to the fact that these duties do not bind us absolutely, but rather that they generally hold absent any further considerations. Two key duties are nonmaleficence (dont harm others) and beneficence (help others). Other prima facie duties include dont lie, dont kill, keep promises, etc. When conflicts occur between duties, our actual duty becomes that which intuitive judgment discerns as the right thing to do (e. g. , lying to save the life of an innocent person). Critics are cautious about referring to intuition as the criterion for determining our actual course of action. Stephen Toulmin suggested that we weigh up, as well as we can, the risks involved in ignoring either, and choose the lesser of two evils. Thus, while the principles may be deontic in nature, a resolution of conflicts of principles could appeal to probable consequences. Virtue Ethics Historical Perspective There is a long tradition in ethics that places great importance on the kind of person one is. We not only want those around us to tell the truth (for example, according to the Categorical Imperative), but also to be honest. Both Aristotle (arete) and Aquinas (virtu) emphasized this aspect of ethics by highlighting the role of what we would today call character in their discussions of ethics (and the classic virtues of courage, justice, and moderation). David Hume also gave virtue and personal merit a key role in his ethical theory. The recent revival of interest in virtue ethics can be traced back to Philippa Foot. She writes that a person’s virtue may be judged by his innermost desires as well as by his intentions; and this fits with our idea that a virtue such as generosity lies as much in someone’s attitudes as in his actions . The Moral Concept of Virtue We should distinguish the virtues found in a particular society or culture (e. g. , chastity) from those virtues that can be supported by moral reasoning (e. g. , honesty). A virtue is a trait of character that is socially valued, and a moral virtue is a trait that is morally valued†¦Moral reasons must support a claim†¦of moral virtue . By emphasizing the priority of character in discussions of ethics, virtue theorists can say: †¦rather than using rules and government regulations to protect subjects in research, some claim that the most reliable protection is the presence of an ‘informed, conscientious, compassionate, responsible researcher’. The underlying view here is that character is more important than conformity to rules and that virtues should be inculcated and cultivated over time through educational interactions, role models, etc. A practical consequence of this view is that the education of, for example medical doctors, should include the cultivation of virtues such as compassion, discernment, trustworthiness, integrity, conscientiousness as well as benevolence (desire to help) and nonmalevolence (desire to avoid harm). Critical Evaluation of Virtue Ethics Often times we encounter morality between strangers (as when one enters an Emergency Room after a car accident). At these times, it’s not the person’s character, but his/her need to follow rules and procedures that seem to come to the forefront (Virtue is not enough). Furthermore, persons of ‘good character’ can certainly formulate ‘bad policy’ or make a ‘poor choice’ and we need to evaluate those policies and choices according to moral principles. Constructive Evaluation of Virtue Ethics Yet †¦ethical theory is more complete if the virtues are included†¦motives deserve to be at center stage in a way that some leading traditional theories have inadequately appreciated †¦ To look at acts without also looking at the moral appropriateness and desirability of feelings, attitudes, forms of sympathy, and the like is to miss a large area of the moral picture (BC, 4th Ed., 69) Liberal Rights and Communitarian Theories Today we often find moral problems framed by perspectives derived from political philosophy. Issues like euthanasia, stem cell research and abortion as well as distributive justice concerns such as social security and medicare, are likely to be seen along the liberal/conservative divide. Traditional moral theories need to take these frameworks into consideration. Will Kymlicka’s Introduction to Political Philosophy provides analyses of the philosophical ideas behind the â€Å"ideological debates† that now envelop many topics in moral philosophy. Of particular value is his discussion of liberal equality, libertarianism, and communitarianism. Liberal equality is often associated with the work on John Rawls in his Theory of Justice. It argues that we should rationally affirm two fundamental principles of justice designed to protect our political liberties and social opportunities. It can be directly contrasted with the libertarian ideas found in Robert Nozick’s Anarchy, State, and Utopia. Nozick challenges Rawls’s approach to social inequalities and argues for a minimalist state. But both authors (and their followers) conceive of individuals as ‘Socratic’ in nature, capable of reasoning about their life plan and questioning, in principle, the world around them. In this sense, they are both ‘liberals’ in the tradition of John Stuart Mill’s essay, â€Å"On Liberty. † â€Å"For liberals, the question about the good life requires us to make a judgment about what sort of a person we wish to be†. Thus liberals will emphasize the role of choice and freedom from government interference in private matters. For communitarians, on the other hand, individuals are not atomistic, ‘unencumbered selves’ individuals are situated within a community, embedded in the received wisdom of our human culture. Communal values are ‘authoritative horizons’ wherein we take our orientation toward life . The self is not prior to, but rather constituted by, its ends we cannot distinguish ‘me’ from ‘my ends’ [and] our selves are at least partly constituted by ends that we do not choose, but rather discover by virtue of our being embedded in some shared social context . Since self-determination does not occur in a vacuum, the government needs to support a social environment that is conducive to the development of what is best in all of us. For those communitarians who are social conservatives, this will often take the form of a promotion family values that can, for example, discourage changes in the institution of marriage. Broadly speaking, these two positions account for the divide between ‘liberals’ and ‘social conservatives’ in dealing with matters such as abortion and euthanasia. In these situations, liberals tend to become pro-choice and social conservatives tend to become pro-life. ***** As is to be expected in a modern, pluralistic democracy, many of these issues are addressed in the political realm and through the political process (including the courts). But the kinds of cases that arise within these areas should also be addressed within the framework of applied ethics as a way to get clearer about the nature of the problem and its potential for resolution. Indeed, we often see analyses found in applied ethics, such as the concept of a person in the morally significant sense or the distinction between killing and allowing to die, embedded in the political debate itself. Ethics of Care In the 1970s and 80s feminist writers began to question the assumptions behind many of the traditional ethical theories. Carol Gilligan’s work in moral psychology challenged justice-based approaches to moral discussion: men tend to embrace an ethic of rights using quasi-legal terminology and impartial principles †¦ women tend to affirm an ethic of care that centers on responsiveness in an interconnected network of needs, care, and prevention of harm. Taking care of others is the core notion. Annette Baier’s philosophical account of an ethics of care does not recommend that we discard categories of obligation, but that we make room for an ethic of love and trust, including an account of human bonding and friendship. In both of these accounts, there is a specific criticism of Traditional Liberal Theory and its emphasis on impartiality and universality: The impartiality and the ‘standpoint of detached fairness’ advocated by liberal theories of justice, overlook, for example, the moral role of attachment to those close to us. Speaking from the perspective of medical ethics, The care perspective is especially meaningful for roles such as parent, friend, physician, and nurse, in which contextual response, attentiveness to subtle clues, and the deepening of special relationships are likely to be more momentous morally than impartial treatment In articulating the challenge to universal principles, Beauchamp and Childress write: We can produce rough generalizations about how caring physicians and nurses respond to patients, for example, but these generalizations will not be subtle enough to give helpful guidance for the next patient. Each situation calls for a set of responses outside any generalization†¦. Proponents of an Ethics of Care emphasize the roles of Mutual Interdependence and Emotional Response that play an important part in our moral lives: †¦many human relationships involve persons who are vulnerable, dependent, ill, and frail †¦ [and] the desirable moral response is attached attentiveness to needs, not detached respect for rights (BC, 373) and The person who acts from rule-governed obligations without appropriately aligned feelings such as worry when a friend suffers seems to have a moral deficiency. In addition†¦insight into the needs of others and considerate alertness to their circumstances often come from the emotions more than reason. Thus the emotions seem to have a ‘cognitive role,’ allowing us to grasp a situation that may not be immediately available to one arguing solely from a ‘justice perspective. ’ Critical Evaluation of the Care Ethic The example of a nurse who personally wants to help a patient die, but who will not do so as it violates professional duty, shows that †¦the ethics of care must confront situations in which bona fide requirements of impartiality conflict with acting partially from care. Some feminists actually interpret the ‘care ethic’ as culturally determined by the male hierarchy. For example, a terminally ill grand mother may request to be allowed to die because she doesn’t want to be ‘a bother’ to her family. Here someone like Susan Sherwin sees a need to examine the social context of care as well as to establish limits to the ethics of care. Both enterprises would involve appeals to justice†¦ Constructive Evaluation of the Care Ethic Sensitivity and emotional response to particular situations (like family discussions with physicians) provide important guides to morally acceptable actions. A care ethic also seems to favor adopting procedures from Conflict Resolution and Dispute Mediation as alternative ways to approach an apparent ethical conflict. Hedonism The term â€Å"hedonism,† from the Greek word (hedone) for pleasure, refers to several related theories about what is good for us, how we should behave, and what motivates us to behave in the way that we do. All hedonistic theories identify pleasure and pain as the only important elements of whatever phenomena they are designed to describe. If hedonistic theories identified pleasure and pain as merely two important elements, instead of the only important elements of what they are describing, then they would call it Hedonism uld not be nearly as unpopular as they all are. However, the claim that pleasure and pain are the only things of ultimate importance is what makes hedonism distinctive and philosophically interesting. Philosophical hedonists tend to focus on hedonistic theories of value, and especially of well-being (the good life for the one living it). As a theory of value, hedonism states that all and only pleasure is intrinsically valuable and all and only pain is intrinsically not valuable. Hedonists usually define pleasure and pain broadly, such that both physical and mental phenomena are included. Thus, a gentle massage and recalling a fond memory are both considered to cause pleasure and stubbing a toe and hearing about the death of a loved one are both considered to cause pain. With pleasure and pain so defined, hedonism as a theory about what is valuable for us is intuitively appealing. Indeed, its appeal is evidenced by the fact that nearly all historical and contemporary treatments of well-being allocate at least some space for discussion of hedonism. Unfortunately for hedonism, the discussions rarely endorse it and some even deplore its focus on pleasure. This article begins by clarifying the different types of hedonistic theories and the labels they are often given. Then, hedonism’s ancient origins and its subsequent development are reviewed. The majority of this article is concerned with describing the important theoretical divisions within Prudential Hedonism and discussing the major criticisms of these approaches. The Origins of Hedonism . a. Aristippus and the Cyrenaics The Cyrenaics, founded by Artistippus were also sceptics and Hedonistic Egoists. Although the paucity of original texts makes it difficult to confidently state all of the justifications for the Cyrenaics’ positions, their overall stance is clear enough. The Cyrenaics believed pleasure was the ultimate good and everyone should pursue all immediate pleasures for themselves. They considered bodily pleasures better than mental pleasures, presumably because they were more vivid or trustworthy. The Cyrenaics also recommended pursuing immediate pleasures and avoiding immediate pains with scant or no regard for future consequences. Their reasoning for this is even less clear, but is most plausibly linked to their sceptical views – perhaps that what we can be most sure of in this uncertain existence is our current bodily pleasures. b. Epicurus Epicurus founder of Epicureanism, developed a Normative Hedonism in stark contrast to that of Aristippus. The Epicureanism of Epicurus is also quite the opposite to the common usage of Epicureanism; while we might like to go on a luxurious â€Å"Epicurean† holiday packed with fine dining and moderately excessive wining, Epicurus would warn us that we are only setting ourselves up for future pain. For Epicurus, happiness was the complete absence of bodily and especially mental pains, including fear of the Gods and desires for anything other than the bare necessities of life. Even with only the limited excesses of ancient Greece on offer, Epicurus advised his followers to avoid towns, and especially marketplaces, in order to limit the resulting desires for unnecessary things. Once we experience unnecessary pleasures, such as those from sex and rich food, we will then suffer from painful and hard to satisfy desires for more and better of the same. No matter how wealthy we might be, Epicurus would argue, our desires will eventually outstrip our means and interfere with our ability to live tranquil, happy lives. Epicureanism is generally egoistic, in that it encourages everyone to pursue happiness for themselves. However, Epicureans would be unlikely to commit any of the selfish acts we might expect from other egoists because Epicureans train themselves to desire only the very basics, which gives them very little reason to do anything to interfere with the affairs of others. c. The Oyster Example With the exception of a brief period discussed below, Hedonism has been generally unpopular ever since its ancient beginnings. Although criticisms of the ancient forms of hedonism were many and varied, one in particular was heavily cited. In Philebus, Plato’s Socrates and one of his many foils, Protarchus in this instance, are discussing the role of pleasure in the good life. Socrates asks Protarchus to imagine a life without much pleasure but full of the higher cognitive processes, such as knowledge, forethought and consciousness and to compare it with a life that is the opposite. Socrates describes this opposite life as having perfect pleasure but the mental life of an oyster, pointing out that the subject of such a life would not be able to appreciate any of the pleasure within it. The harrowing thought of living the pleasurable but unthinking life of an oyster causes Protarchus to abandon his hedonistic argument. The oyster example is now easily avoided by clarifying that pleasure is best understood as being a conscious experience, so any sensation that we are not consciously aware of cannot be pleasure.