Sonia Sotomayor US Supreme Court Justice

Known for:  the first* Hispanic justice on the United States Supreme CourtDates: June 25, 1954 -Occupation: lawyer, judge Sonia Sotomayor Biography Sonia Sotomayor, raised in poverty, was nominated on May 26, 2009, for the United States Supreme Court by President Barack Obama. After contentious confirmation hearings, Sonia Sotomayor became the first Hispanic Justice and third woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court. Sonia Sotomayor was raised in the Bronx in a housing project. Her parents were born in Puerto Rico and came to New York during World War II. Childhood Sonia Sotomayor was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes (Type I) when she was 8. She spoke mostly Spanish until the death of her father, a tool and die maker, when she was 9. Her mother, Celina, worked for a methadone clinic as a nurse, and sent her two children, Juan (now a physician) and Sonia, to private Catholic schools. College Sonia Sotomayor excelled in school and finished her undergraduate study at Princeton with honors including membership in Phi Beta Kappa and the M. Taylor Pyne Prize, the highest honor given to undergraduates at Princeton. She earned a law degree from Yale Law School in 1979. At Yale, she had the distinction of being the editor in 1979 of the Yale University Law Review and managing editor of the Yale Studies in World Public Order. Prosecutor and Private Practice She served as a prosecutor in New York County District Attorneys Office from 1979 to 1984, an assistant to Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgentha. Sotomayor was in private practice in New York City from 1984 to 1992 as an associate and partner at Pavia and Harcourt in New York City. Federal Judge Sonia Sotomayor was nominated by George H. W. Bush on November 27, 1991, to serve as a federal judge, and she was confirmed by the Senate on August 11 of 1992. She was nominated on June 25, 1997, for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, by President William J. Clinton, and was confirmed by the Senate on October 2, 1998, after a long delay by Senate Republicans. President Barack Obama nominated her as a justice on the United States Supreme Court in May 2009, for the seat held by Justice David Souter. She was confirmed by the Senate in August, 2009, after strong criticism from Republicans, especially focused around her statement from about 2001 that I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasnt lived that life. Other Legal Work Sonia Sotomayor has also served as an adjunct professor at the NYU School of Law, 1998 to 2007, and a lecturer at Columbia Law School beginning in 1999. Sonia Sotomayors legal practice included general civil litigation, trademark, and copyright. Education Cardinal Spellman High School, Bronx, NYPrinceton University, B.A. 1976, summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa, M. Taylor Pyne PrizeYale Law School, J.D. 1979Yale Law School, L.L.D. 1999, Family Father: (tool and die maker, died when she was nine)Mother: Celina (nurse at a methadone clinic)Brother: Juan, a physicianhusband: Kevin Edward Noonan (married Aug. 14, 1976, divorced 1983) Organizations: American Bar Association, Association of Hispanic Judges, Hispanic Bar Association, New York Womens Bar Association, American Philosophical Society *Note: Benjamin Cardozo, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court from 1932 to 1938, was of Portuguese (Sephardic Jewish) descent, but did not identify with Hispanic culture in the current sense of that term. His ancestors were in America before the American  Revolution  and had left Portugal during the Inquisition. Emma Lazarus, the poet, was his cousin.

A Clean, Well-Lighted Place Essay - 1482 Words

â€Å" A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† by Ernest Hemingway is a simplistic short story in which he narrates a scene in a Cafe, where the main characters are two waiters and an old man. In the story, Hemingway hardly created a background for his characters, but this was part of his minimalist writing style. He wanted to create a story that was straightforward to the reader, and in which the reader could easily understand his attitude. His purpose for writing the story was to expose his feelings on society, politics, and the individual at the time. These feelings could be characterized by three main words: desperation, disillusionment, and loneliness. Through all of the characters in his story, the reader was able to obtain one of these feelings.†¦show more content†¦For example, in the original story Hemingway uses the waiters to indirectly give some background on the old man by creating dialogue between them such as, He was in despair., or Hes drunk every night., but th ere is no more depth to his character, just inferences made by the waiters (Hemingway 201-202). In my story the old man explains why he is in despair: â€Å"All my life I spent wasting my money in pleasure and luxury. I never had anyone teach me the value of it. I never learned to look beyond the material lifestyle, and never learned the meaning of love† (Mesa 1). By the old man explaining this, the reader can relate more to him. In my scene I also assure the reader that the rumor about the old man trying to commit suicide is true, and create an explanation for the attempt. While in the original story, the waiters only have comments from what they have heard from other people such as, Last week he tried to commit suicide, and He hung himself with a rope in my scene the old man himself explains what really happened (Hemingway 201-202). He states: Last week I tried to hang myself in the basement of my house, but my niece got just in time to cut me off and save me. No one unde rstands why I did it. Since I have money, they must think I am a lunatic for trying to kill myself, that I must have a wonderful life and I do not appreciate it, but what they do not understand isShow MoreRelatedA Clean Well Lighted Place1202 Words   |  5 PagesCameron Craig Craig 1 Lancaster English 1302.68 25 March 2015 â€Å"A Clean Well-Lighted Place† In â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place†, Hemingway uses themes of depression and life as nothingness by using symbols, and imagery. Two waiters in a Spanish cafà © are waiting late one night for their last customer to leave. As they wait, they talk about the old, deaf man sitting at the bar. It is revealed that he has recently attempted suicide. The younger waiter in the cafà © is very agitated and wantsRead MoreA Clean Well Lighted Place1545 Words   |  7 PagesErnest Miller Hemingway, in 1933 transcribed a story called A Clean Well-Lighted Place in a Spanish Cafà ©. Ernest focused on two waiters and a patron that frequents the cafà © nightly. One late night this the same old man was getting drunk as usual, and wasn’t ready to leave. The young waiter was getting upset, because he wanted him to leave because he was ready to go home. The older waiter was telling him, to calm down it isn’t that serious, we have to wait until the last customer goes home. Re ad MoreA Clean, Well Lighted Place895 Words   |  4 Pages A clean, well-lighted place may be needed more by some than others on dark, lonely nights. The clean, well-lighted cafà © in Hemingway’s â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† represents a safe place in which one can escape their troubles and loneliness that lurk in night’s darkness. In the story the characters of the older waiter and younger waiter differ substantially. They debate over the old man’s being in the cafà ©, which is an over-stayed visit to the younger waiter. The younger waiter longed for theRead MoreA Clean Well Lighted Place1886 Words   |  8 PagesFocalization of the Narrator in Ernest Hemmingway’s A Clean-Well-Lighted Place Written by the author Ernest Hemmingway, the notable short story A Clean-Well-Lighted Place conveys the experiences of three central characters by depicting the lenses through which they observe, and reflect upon their personal lives within a storyworld setting, that looks like the real world. The story portrays a late night situation in a cafà © at the hour of half-past two in the morning, within the country of Spain. TheRead MoreA Clean Well Lighted Place Analysis815 Words   |  4 PagesErnest Hemingway did not write a happy, inspiring story. His story â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place† uses a famous code of behavior to dictate what his characters say and how they act. The story is depressing, dreary, and distressing but it gets the philosophical premises across. He demonstrates to not make trouble for other people, to contain one’s despair and self-pity by sheer will power, and to not judge others and view the unenlightened with pity. Hemingway uses his story to propose that peopleRead MoreA Clean, Well-Lighted Place Essay1138 Words   |  5 Pagesforever. While all the somethings are dying and fading, nothing is still there. Sure, one can search for meaning and think happy thoughts, but throughout the struggle everyone is alone and slowly spiraling down the path to despair. In â€Å"A Clean, Well-Lighted Place,† Hemingway uses the concept of nada, characterization, and the setting to emphasize the idea of human life being full of nothing. To understand the story, one must understand that nothing is actually something (Benson 24). HemingwayRead MoreA Clean Well-Lighted Place 11111 Words   |  5 PagesA Clean Well-Lighted Place In the short story â€Å"A Clean Well-lighted Place† by Ernest Hemingway the setting is very important. The story takes place in a Spanish speaking country in a cafà ©, but more so than the actual place the time is what makes the setting so crucial to the story. The story takes place at night Hemingway uses this in contrast to the well-lighted cafe with its artificial light. The contrast between dark and light is the main idea of the story and it is best expressed through theRead MoreEssay on A clean well-lighted Place521 Words   |  3 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Hemingways short story, quot;A Clean Well-lighted Placequot;, takes place at a cafe very late at night. Two waiters are watching their last, lingering customer, an old man, who is by now very drunk. The younger waiters impatience and the older waiters understanding toward the old man carry out the theme of the story: quot;It [life] was all a nothing and a man was a nothing too.quot;(114) Man must consequently find something to distract himself from his horribleRead MoreA Clean Well Lighted Place Analysis986 Words   |  4 PagesShort stories put forth a desire. A need for more information from the reader to help them further understand the story from what little information they do receive. In a short story, written by Ernest Hemingway, A Clean, Well-Lighted Place, tells the life of an elder man who spends his nights in the light. The unusual setting, the use of diction and the dialogue, creates that short story desire from the reader. It is the elder man’s quiet presence in the story, that allowed Hemingway to set theRead More A Clean Well-Lighted Place Essay1680 Words   |  7 PagesA Clean Well-Lighted Place A Clean, Well-Lighted Place by Ernest Hemingway looks at age from the viewpoint of an inexperienced and experienced individual, with the aid of an old man to emphasize the difference between the two. This story takes place late one night in a caf. The caf is clean, pleasant, and well lighted, which brings some kind of comfort to the atmosphere. Here in the caf sits a deaf, lonely, older man, who although is deaf can feel the difference that the night brings to the

State or Federal Government Youth Policy Free-Samples for Students

Question: Critique a Particular State or Federal Government Youth Policy. Answer: Introduction This report has been designed to provide a better understanding of youth policy in Australia. A critical evaluation of the Federal government of Australia has been made regarding designing of youth policy. Adolescence is an imperative life period in human maturity. It includes a wide age range, with young people developing as children and moving through youth on their way to become free adults. It is a important period of developmentphysically, psychologically, mentally and socially. The report articulates the connection between government policy and a just society for youngsters. Also, the policy suggesting principles that should underpin government adolescence guidelines have been identified and analyzed. Our Youth-Our Future According to 2010 National Strategy for Young Australians, youths are those people who fall under the age group 12-24 years. For certain measurements, Youth has been divided into categories. For instance, the economic productivity of youth is considered in two groups which are, 15-19, and 20-24 years (Scarino, 2014). In this view, the Western government of Australia has made a commitment to the youth, named Our Youth-Our Future. This framework has been designed to direct youth programs and service planning in an integrated manner into the future. 'Our YouthOur Future' covers all the prevailing strategic approaches to provide services and programs to all the young people of the society. This framework attempts to create opportunities for youngsters and provide support in attaining their goals by developing their potential (Woodman, and Wyn, 2013). Moreover, it commits to recognize and value al the youth having diverse needs and ambitions. The youths are respected, who face tough challenges and undergone complex experiences to make their dream into reality. Link between government policy and a just society for young people in Australia The Australian government designed a National Volunteering Strategy for marking the tenth anniversary of the United Nations International Years of Volunteers. This government policy articulated the commitment made by the government in promoting wider involvement of youngsters in achieving the benefits for the individuals, local communities, and for the entire country (McGorry et al., 2013). An extensive effort was followed for developing a federal policy in Australia for the effective growth and development of the youth. However, over the past one year, the landscape of the nations federal policy has undergone through various changes due to the reallocation of subsides from the institutions, which openly or circuitously support youth volunteering. The goal of the youth policies and programs implemented by the Australian federal government is to make youngsters able to participate and volunteering in social life. This has been witnessed by the major growth in the number of youngsters, social agencies, and schools in the program from 2004 to 2007. This improvement in the involvement of youths in schools and educational corridors has led to the advanced and a just society (Osborne et al., 2017). The youth policies also aim to promote the skills and abilities of youths through learning activities which are not only enjoyable, and age-appropriate, but also challenging. The federal government of Australia wants to create a strong and valuable relationship among the youngsters, adults, and the whole society by making them working together and contribute in making a just society. In this view, community recognition has been noticed; a supportive and responsive team has been developed, and has celebrated the success of the policies and programs. Moreover, youth policies have resulted in numerous surprising changes in the youths of the country. These changes include enhanced confidence level, skills to handle problems connected with disability, increased understanding of diversity, improved leadership ability to accept new challenges (Phillips et al., 2016). However, the social entities, and other kinds of social improvement are unable to describe the different ways in which the youngsters of Australia do volunteering. Also, a number of youths are not familiar with the term volunteer, but according to the researchers, if these youths are asked, they will definitely participate in volunteering activities. They are also likely to develop a more optimistic perception regarding volunteering. It is driven by the top-down approach influenced by the policies at the level of institutions such as schools. Although there are several arguments over the benefits and effects of directive services like service learning but it does not seem s to be a powerful strategy for making youngsters to familiar with volunteering (Denny, and Churchill, 2016). The National Youth Strategy of Australia aims to have a happy, healthy, and safe youth and to generate equal opportunities and skills to make them learn, work, grow, and involve in social life and decisions that directly or indirectly affect them. Another commitment made by the federal government of Australia, along with the state and territory government, is the Compact with Youth Australians 2009. This aimed to educate and train youths under age twenty five. The prior condition for getting government benefits such as Youth Allowance or the Family Tax Benefit, the policy attempts to increase the qualification level of the individuals and retention rates through initiatives like National Youth Participation Requirement. Social and political theory and value framework that underpin or drive a current government policy In Australia, there is an effective body of frameworks involving social and political practices in making youngsters to participate in volunteering. Although there are a number of examples of volunteering structures which are diverse and typical. However, there is a lack of evidence informing about the best practice among all. On the basis of available evidences, four elements can be observed (Haynes, 2016). These are youth willingness of organizations which work among youth volunteers, the requirement for methods to be appropriate to context and socially complete the requirement for methods to generate useful opportunities for the youngsters, and to build effective measurements of success. According to the latest Australian report, voluntary institutes are required to be flexible in their expectations from youngsters. Since todays modern youths are bounded by many other commitments also, therefore they should be made to recognize positively the value of their contributions. Also, the interests and encouragements of youngsters have also been identified by the report via voluntary institution. The organizations are urged to utilize youngsters networks to reach them effectively. These networks commonly include online platforms and high education providers. In this regard, the most effective way to motivate more youths to volunteer, youth ambassador program has been launched (Allison et al., 2016). In order to obtain meaningful contributions, the aspirations of the youngsters are aligned with the needs of the institutions. In order to fulfill this purpose, the organizations are called by the government for monitoring the youths satisfaction level, and encourage their belonging by giving them title except volunteer. The title should provide a sense of ownership and ability to communicate with the institution in official as well as casual manner, such as board or social membership (Dean, 2016). The Commonwealth Secretariat launched national Commonwealth frameworks in Australia, in order to make the youths socially, politically, and economic powerful. Secretariat work included advocating for investment in youth ministries and programs. It also provided technical support for the development of policies and allowing atmospheres for the youngsters (Hall et al., 2016). Moreover, it promoted and shared directions and means for youth advancement and growth by introducing the first Youth Development Index in the world. Sri Lanka and Pakistan contributed additional budgetary resources under this new strategy for the Commonwealth Youth Council (CYC). While India and England funded for the Sport for Development and Peace mandate, Australia contributed funds for the implementation of youth projects. Moreover, Commonwealth Secretariat introduced the first global Youth Development Index (YDI), in 2013. It was helpful in tracking the level of development in youngsters throughout 170 nations. However, an expansion plan is still in progress, which will cover development of a methodology and toolkit to assist member governments for creating on the international YDI and to create national and sub-national level YDIs (Cumming, and Goldstein, 2016). The Secretariat and UN agencies became partners in June, 2014 and held a meeting with international experts on indicating youngsters and monitoring their Sustainable Development Goals. Considering that, the Commonwealth Secretariat collaborated with the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and organized a technical workshop for social policy and development. It was made on the evidence-based policies for Youth Development in Sub-Saharan Africa in Nairobi, and Kenya (Evers et al., 2013). The main aim of this workshop was to improve the capacity of the participants from government ministries, public institutions, and civil society by designing and executing evidence-based policies on youngsters using quantitative methods. In February, 2015, Africa Region Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting was called by the Secretariat, to urge senior officials and youngsters to work together for fulfilling their commitments and establish an atmosphere to allow youths to recognize and enhance their social, economic and political potential. Policy suggesting principles that should drive government youth policy The best policy suggesting principles in Australia state that any decision regarding youth policy should take into account the safety of youngsters from any sort of physic al or mental harm. The rights of the youngsters should also be protected and promoted for an effective youth development (Vromen et al., 2016). For this purpose, improvement in family relations should also be considered to provide greatest possible support to the family also, and in respect to Aboriginal child for motivating and safeguarding the cultural and spiritual existence and value and their value in the society. In this context, the government should also consider ethical codes of conducts while making youth policies across Australia (Wright, and McLeod, 2015). There are basically fourteen major principles that should drive or underpin the policy. These are as follows: Primary Client / Consideration Social Context / biological and Structural Influences Fairness, Non-Discrimination Anti-Oppressive Practice Self-Awareness Empowerment Duty of Care Precision Anti-Corruption Collaboration Limitations Information Self-Care Privacy Professional Awareness / Integrity These principles serve internationally as a strong indication of the common link that runs around the values and ethics foundation of Youth Work practice in Australia, and also throughout the globe. The Australian government should rely on the advisory committee structures, and traditional approaches should be utilized by well resourced youngsters who are the countrys future leaders within their societies. The procedure should cover all the highest achieving youngsters (Burns, and Birrell, 2014). Also, the federal government is required to identify relevant and expertise form of involvement for engaging refugees and migrant youths. The researchers also critique the prevalence of the youth development approach in the current youth participation programs with different youngsters. The aboriginal youngsters are at the verge of risk as they are treated very poorly in the country (Farrugia, 2014). The federal government should make policy to treat them equally and make agency over decisio n-making in their own lives. Moreover, Australia has a number of young people who belong from different backgrounds. The youth policy should target them and their participation type principles should drive participation strategies with other youngsters. The youth policy made by considering welfare of refugee and disadvantaged young people make them more empowered and independent (Hildebrand et al 2013). The youth development approach is different from the youth involvement approach as the former focuses more on prerequisite principles of equality and justice which ultimately becomes the basis for the effective youth development in the country. Conclusion From the above discussion, it can be concluded that in Australia, investing in youth is necessary to train Australia and its youth for the challenges of the future. Providing young Australians with the support they need to succeed is part of governing in the long-term national interest. The youth policies and strategies are a vital part of providing a youth viewpoint on the Governments broader program for building a stronger, just and healthier Australia. When it comes to participation, the youngsters should be cleared that their need lies in the school and work, not in politics. The government should develop a healthy youth policy to get engaged with young leaders of the future. References Allison, S., Bastiampillai, T. and Goldney, R., (2016) Australias national youth mental health initiative: Is headspace underachieving?.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry,50(2), pp.111-112. Burns, J. and Birrell, E., (2014) Enhancing early engagement with mental health services by young people.Psychology research and behavior management,7, p.303. Cumming, J. and Goldstein, H., (2016) Handling attrition and non-response in longitudinal data with an application to a study of Australian youth.Longitudinal and Life Course Studies,7(1), pp.53-63. Dean, J., (2016) Class diversity and youth volunteering in the United Kingdom: Applying Bourdieus habitus and cultural capital.Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly,45(1_suppl), pp.95S-113S. Denny, L. and Churchill, B., (2016) Youth employment in Australia: A comparative analysis of labour force participation by age group.Journal of Applied Youth Studies,1(2), p.5. Evers, C.W., Albury, K., Byron, P. and Crawford, K., (2013) Young people, social media, social network sites and sexual health communication in Australia:" This is funny, you should watch it".International Journal of Communication,7, p.18. Farrugia, D., (2014) Towards a spatialised youth sociology: The rural and the urban in times of change.Journal of Youth Studies,17(3), pp.293-307. Hall, W.D., Patton, G., Stockings, E., Weier, M., Lynskey, M., Morley, K.I. and Degenhardt, L., (2016) Why young people's substance use matters for global health.The Lancet Psychiatry,3(3), pp.265-279. Haynes, A., (2016) A reflection on policy and program changes in youth education.Fine Print,39(1), p.30. Hildebrand, J., Maycock, B., Howat, P., Burns, S., Allsop, S., Dhaliwal, S. and Lobo, R., (2013) Investigation of alcohol-related social norms among youth aged 1417 years in Perth, Western Australia: protocol for a respondent-driven sampling study.BMJ open,3(10), p.e003870. McGorry, P., Bates, T. and Birchwood, M., (2013) 'Designing youth mental health services for the 21st century: examples from Australia, Ireland and the UK.The British Journal of Psychiatry,202(s54), pp.s30-s35. Osborne, C., Baldwin, C., Thomsen, D. and Woolcock, G., (2017) The unheard voices of youth in urban planning: using social capital as a theoretical lens in Sunshine Coast, Australia.Children's Geographies,15(3), pp.349-361. Phillips, C., Fisher, M., Baum, F., MacDougall, C., Newman, L. and McDermott, D., (2016) To what extent do Australian child and youth health policies address the social determinants of health and health equity?: a document analysis study.BMC public health,16(1), p.512. Scarino, A., (2014) 'Situating the challenges in current languages education policy in Australiaunlearning monolingualism.International Journal of Multilingualism,11(3), pp.289-306. Vromen, A., Loader, B.D., Xenos, M.A. and Bailo, F., (2016) Everyday making through Facebook engagement: young citizens political interactions in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States.Political Studies,64(3), pp.513-533. Woodman, D. and Wyn, J., (2013) Youth policy and generations: Why youth policy needs to rethink youth.Social policy and Society,12(02), pp.265-275. Wright, K. and McLeod, J., (2015) Rethinking Youth Wellbeing.Critical Perspectives,1, pp.1-57.

The Sky Is Gray--A Review Essays - , Term Papers

The Sky Is Gray--A Review The story The Sky is Gray was a very interesting and somewhat sad story for me to read. I was very interseted in James and his plight as a young colored boy in the south. I was very impressed with the courage and fortitude in young James. He tried his best to act like an example for his younger siblings. He thought that he was the role model and he acted like it. James never cried in front of his younger brother, and he never did shed a tear. Also, I was sadened by the familys economical status. They could barely afford the journey to town let alone having a dentist remove a tooth. Nevertheless, James mother found a way and off they went. The mother seemed to be a very proud and hard-working person, as she would not accept any hand-outs or help of any sort. I wasnt exactly sure of the significance of the book-reading character in the dentist office. He was an educated person, and so I thouhgt he would have enough wealth to go the other better dentist in town. [emailprotected] English Essays

American Psychological Association. Just The Fact Essays - Gender

American Psychological Association. "Just The Facts About Sexual Orientation And Youth" APA Psychiatry . March 2010 In 1975, the American Psychological Association has called on psychologists to take the lead in removing the stigma of mental illness that has long been associated with lesbian, gay and bisexual orientations. The discipline of psychology is concerned with the well-being of people and groups and therefore with threats to that well-being. The prejudice and discrimination that people who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual regularly experience have been shown to have negative psychological effects. I believe that the American Psychological Association leaves out any biased background in all factors do to them not viewing sexual orientation as a mental illness and more as you are born the way you are. The American Psychological Association published in the state of Washington in 2010 and has their added and updated the article up to 2017 which I believe that it helps with their credential's do to them keeping the article updated. The American Psychological Association intended the artic le for college students and the youth making their information easy to read and understand by using general terms. How this adds to my research would be is that they view homosexuality as sexual classifications one of them being inherent and the cultural orientation. How their trying covey the reader is the learning of gender through social factors such as schooling, the media and family.By buying all blue or pink, making sure the boy will have trucks and army men, and only dolls or tiny kitchens for the girl they are starting the gender role socialization process right away. Therefore, I ask myself to what extent am I defined by my gender? Gender roles start at such a young age and are present throughout a person's life. This idea is prevalent not only by their family and friends, but also in the media, workplace, and politics. How this compares with my other article is that how Dr. Elizabeth Morgan is trying to convey to the reader is by a research that she did in 2010 she gathere d a group of men and women form all different types of race, culture, religion and countries and her studies concluded that no matter what man and women are affected by so many different aspects of social standards regarding what's right and wrong.

Pros and cons of Lithuanias integration to the EU Essay Example

Pros and cons of Lithuanias integration to the EU Essay Example Pros and cons of Lithuanias integration to the EU Essay Pros and cons of Lithuanias integration to the EU Essay thus the door to the EU, one of the most powerful political and economical unions, was opened. Although Lithuania strives to join the EU structures and the markets of the West economy, controversies surrounding the necessity of Lithuanias integration to the EU have reached its peak of debates. This question can be solved considering the main economical problems of Lithuania and the ways to solve them. They can be defined as relations with Russia, problematic situation in agricultural sector , fear to be inadequate to compete with the West. The first problem of Lithuania is relations with Russia. In spite of increased integration with the EU, Russia remains Lithuanias main trading partner. The crisis could therefore worsen the trade balance and slow down growth in the industrial sectors exporting to Russia. Even if political aspects of these relations the imperialist ambitions of Russia, the fluctuation of democracy and political stability could be denied, Lithuania still should admit that the crisis of Russia proved how it is ruinous to have affairs with such unforeseen partner. So, in comparison with Russia, the EU remains progressive and successful economical union that guarantees for each member their place in European market. The second reason of integrations to the EU enmity is problematic situation in agricultural sector. In fact, the majority of farmers are still incapable to compete, their labour productivity is low, the cost price is high. Lithuania still cannot implement and enforce the Community veterinary and sanitary requirements and upgrade the establishments to meet Community standarts. In addition, little progress is made in land reform and privatisation. Delays in land titling have seriously constrained the development of a proper land market. Further restructuring is needed for a more efficient and viable farming sector. On the other hand, if Lithuania does not join the EU, the number of farmers will have to decrease anyway. However, Lithuania will have to solve the problems of farmers employment and competition. So, in this case the question , whether Lithuania is able to solve it with its own means and to cope with all problems alone, can be derived. The EU allies claim that the EU subsidies more means than Lithuania will have to contribute to the EU budget. In conclusion, despite the EU promises to solve such problems of its future members, the agricultural sector remains the key area, which Lithuania has to improve itself. The third and final problem of Lithuania to join the EU is inadequacy to compete with the West. Some interest groups have already felt problems that are waiting after Lithuanias integration to the EU. The enterprises that at the moment get the financial support of the state, will incur losses. The enterprises trading with Russia also will incur losses , because the import barriers will increase. On the other hand, the barriers joining the common EU interior market will be abolished. According to some of the EU allies, although Lithuanias participation in the common EU market will increase competition, this will induce business and enterprises to reformation, cause the maintenance of Lithuanias economy and increase the level of livelihood. The best thing that the membership can offer to Lithuania is the restriction of bureaucracy in business sector and the concession of more freedoms and opportunities for initiative businessmen. In conclusion, despite the fact that the future membership to the EU will cause for Lithuania competitive pressure and it will condemn Lithuania to reform and revive its industry and agriculture, but in the long period the membership to the EU should guarantee for Lithuania both economical and financial stability. Summing all pros and cons in controversies surrounding Lithuanias integration to the EU, it is useful to remind that Lithuanias integration is delayed, because such state as Lithuania presents many problems. The most important of them are difficult relations with Russia, problems in agricultural sector and inadequacy to compete with the West. To decide whether such state as Lithuania has to join the EU, is a very debatable question. Indeed, the fact that integration causes not only positive, but also negative effect propose a conclusion that Lithuania, in comparison with other stronger states, still should wait.

Should Gays be Allowed to Adopt Children Research Paper

Should Gays be Allowed to Adopt Children - Research Paper Example They study. They work, and pay their taxes just as the heterosexuals do. There is no distinct quality that a heterosexual has that one would find missing in either a gay man or a lesbian. Gays and lesbians exhibit all the qualities that society feels should be observed. Qualities such as responsibility, ability to love, and trustworthiness et cetera. These are the qualities one should look at when deciding who is capable and who is not capable to adopt a child (Brodzinsky 165). Looking at sexuality is the same as looking at a person’s religion or political affiliation in order to determine their ability to adopt. It is wrong. The public should accept that apart from their sexual orientation the gays and lesbians are equal in every way to heterosexuals. There is no reason to deny them their adoption rights. If, the society does deny them this right, it would blatantly be exhibiting discrimination to sexuality which would lead to a rise in discrimination (Jackson 84). This discr imination would be against race, religion, gender et cetera. These are the exact vices the society has been trying all along to eradicate. In the United States alone, as of today only few states permit full legal adoption by the gays and lesbians with also a few states totally making it illegal for them to adopt. The other states are in a gray area. This is because the issue of adoption gets handled by the state courts which give their rulings also based on the state laws and depending on the judges and clerks. Some judges are liberal and permit these kinds of adoption whereas others are conservative hence do not allow for such adoptions to take place. States that permit gay and lesbian adoptions include Indiana, New York, California, Maine, Illinois, Connecticut, Oregon and Arkansas. This adoption is illegal in states like Louisiana and Arkansas. Others like Utah allow for a single person to adopt. At the same time prohibiting adoption by people who are cohabiting i.e., not in a le gally binding marriage. Since it does not allow gay marriages, it is practically making gay adoption hard to be successful (Brodzinsky 177). The antagonists view to laws that permit gay and lesbian adoption has little basis of argument to their case. The group believes that a child would benefit more growing up with a father and mother figure both involved in their upbringing. The group goes ahead to claim to allow such adoptions to occur undermines the balanced way of child rearing. On the other hand, protagonists to this ideology believe that a child does not need a distinct male and female parent as their role models when growing up. They argue reiterate that what the child needs is love, care and compassion from both parents. Some studies have shown that a child who gets raised by gay and lesbian parents on issues that society cares about nowadays such as school performance, self-esteem, social adjustment et cetera seem to statistically indistinguishable from those children rais ed by married heterosexual couples (Brodzinsky 123). The protagonists argue that promotion of the set up of a nuclear family should be avoided. This is because the world today is changing. This fact should encourage society not to cling onto the traditional family models of the past. The ideology of a nuclear family with a married father and mother is no longer the sole acceptable alternative. The reason countries are beginning to award legal rights to such couples is because they

Relation between Race and Social Inequality in the United States Assignment

Relation between Race and Social Inequality in the United States - Assignment Example The original grouping of people into races was valid as a taxonomy concept. There were different races such as Negroid, Caucasians, Asiatic, Polynesians, Xanthochroi and so on (Lewis, 1990). The term Ethnicity refers to the imaginary, informal and formal groupings that are made to club people with certain common features such as geographic location, language, religion and so on. Accordingly, we have people from different ethnicities such as Arabs, Jews, Whites, Hispanic, African Americans, Asians and so on. An ethnic group may have people from different races, religions and physical features (Omni, 1986). The terms race and ethnicity by themselves are innocuous and can be regarded as medical and sociological terms. However, unfortunately, dominant whites in USA started using these terms in a derogatory and insulting manner in the early 17th century, leading to the beginning of social inequalities. The white settlers of USA began treating the native Indians as mentally and socially inferior who were not worthy of being considered as human. This was a deliberate attempt to grab the lands of the native Indians by branding them as worthless and socially inferior to the whites. Later when the plantations came up, Africans were brought into the country as slaves. The dominant whites then usurped the rights of their slaves, calling them racially inferior beings that were fit to work only as slaves. Social inequality is more archaic since it allows the dominant race members to practice discrimination against people of their own race and ethnicity. Therefore, it can be expected that a rich wh ite would discriminate against a poor white, but not with as much severity as he would discriminate against a poor African American (Oliver, 1997). The proliferation of race and ethnicity has unfortunately given rise to racism, racial stereotyping and other ills. African Americans or blacks are regarded as

Amercian History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Amercian History - Essay Example And, of course, as there are with any widespread political movement, there were economic reasons why the Revolutionary vanguard declared independence. Legislation passed by the British Empire made it increasingly difficult to operate apart from the state itself. Taken together, all of these factors comprised what Americans now characterized as â€Å"tyranny†, as it is phrased in the Declaration of Independence, put to the pen of Thomas Jefferson in 1776. Any account of the American Revolution will inevitably say there was no one true cause, or reason, for the Declaration; instead, a broad array of social, economic, ideological, and philosophical reasons can be described as contributing factors to what led to the creation of the United States. In the years leading up to the American Revolution, sentiments against Great Britain seemed to center on ideological and philosophical shifts away from desires to remain attached with the mother state. But in the decades before the Declaration, shifts seemed to occur on the political and even economic level. The Seven Years War drained the financial reserves of the British Empire, and the Navigation Acts, designed to alleviate this pressure, caused resentment among the American Colonies. Additional political and economic burdens on the colonies by the financially downtrodden Empire, such as the Sugar Act, Currency Act, Stamp Act, and Revenue Act between the years 1764 and 1766, led to a rift in political interests. Stories like that of Ebenezer Macintosh, and his protests against the British Parliament’s passage of the Stamp Act, illustrates for historians and students of history alike what direction American feelings for British were going in, even a decade before the Americ an Revolution officially began. Today, American historians look back as far as 1763 to see the earliest examples of strong Parliamentary interference in the

Theories of Consumer Decision Making

Theories of Consumer Decision Making The concept of consumer buying behaviour is not new, it has been discovered ages ago .The current marketing strategies focuses on consumers buying behaviour. The marketing aim is to grow and make best use of their market share. Consumers decision making process is highly sensitive and is based on their learning and experience. The paper explains about the consumers psychological factor particularly learning and its effect on buying pattern. Learning has been explained with the help of theories, using black box and stimuli response theory. The black box explains the consumers decision making process and factors that affect buying decision. In addition this model also highlights the market stimuli, market environment, buyers stimuli and the buyers response. These internal and external factors aim to influence the purchasing pattern of every single consumer. Buyers are highly sensitive while making decisions and marketing stimuli provide necessary information and knowledge about the product or service. Consumers are also influenced by social and psychological elements like society, family, personal, motivation and learning. In practical consumer use personal thinking or experience to response repetitive buying. The self learning helps to reduce the buying options and narrow down the substitutes available in the market. Today modern companies have adopted the customized marketing techniques to understand the thinking and decision making standards. The cognitive learning helps the buyer to remember the previous purchase each time when similar arise buyer will use own experience to make decision. Satisfied consumer will not go for information search which comes after problem recognition and others steps in decision making. Marketers can influence post purchase decision by positive learning. Provided examples indicate the importance of buying behaviour and fortune 500 companies have used these elements to increase their retention rate. E.g; Dettol marketing explains the buyers response and trust which they have developed by using psychological marketing and positive cognitive learning. To enhance the learning process Marketer used education and awareness program to develop the learning of every single consumer. E.g. Toyota Lexus on other hand also focus experience as their marketing strategy. By understanding the need and market trust they introduced Lexus (Premium product) which leads the market from decades. Marketing techniques plus additional value added service enable them to enhance the customer experience. Toyota consumers were happy and satisfied with original band. By constructive experience Toyota succeeded to develop new market for luxury automobiles. While exploring consumer learning it was observed that customer retention has a direct relation with positive learning. It is also suggested that marketers must use buyer behaviour and need as the primary research of market study. Financial products and services require more understanding of consumers. It also needs to develop conceptual framework together with service marketing to deal with individual consumer. As explained its become more challenging for the marketers to understand, satisfy and influence the consumer to use financial services. By focusing customer experience, strong perception, service quality and trust marketers can influence the decision making and supplier choice. Parasuramans, A., Zeithaml, V.A. and Berry, L.L. (1985) says that its very difficult for a consumer to choose financial products and supplier because of the intangibility of product, and supplier reputation. Together with Ansoffs model and focus existing product and existing market marketers can increase buyer behaviour through target marketing. Outcome suggests that companies must emphasize on the elements that impinge on the buyers behaviour together with decision making. Learning can be deployed to evaluate individual response which has been proved by examples in the literature. Significantly, the end result suggests that learning can be use as communication and interaction tactic to view individual response especially financial products. Table of contents 1.0 Introduction Business success can be obtained through the appropriate study of consumer behavior. Consumer buying behavior is a multi step process, which involves buying, paying, using and reconsidering the same product over again. To understand the buying pattern or actions is very imperative as it directly influence the business success. As mentioned by Caslione, John A, (2009) the marketing strategies must meet consumer preferences in recession time in order to gain competitive edge. Most commonly buying activities reflects the strategy use by the companies for marketing and fulfilling the market needs. So consumers are considers to be the entry and exit to a successful business. To understand the consumers decision making it is important to understand the cognitive factors affecting their needs, choice, preference and final and post purchase experience or learning (5 Ws of marketing). Research done on buyer behavior helps to understand the deciding process in two ways i.e. collectively and individually. Both individual and collective buying process is affected by other factors like demographics, environment and perception. (Foxall, Gordon R, 1987) mentioned through the behavioral research companies can forecast the buying frequency and product preferences. Theory of Consumer behaviour and decision making The decision making theory was examined and modified by Nicholas Bernoulli and Oskar Morgenstern but it originate about 300 years ago. The theory was based on the expectation of decision outcomes which was a cognitive process. Later the theory was modified with the addition of value and satisfaction. In addition Allen Shocker explains the complexity and steps which involve in decision making. (Michael Richarme, 2005) Degree of involvement is another important factor while looking and making decision. Researchers also proved that the marketing activities have huge impact on consumers psychology which helps to take decision. Consumer behaviour is a psychological function which involves the customer to undergo the identification of their needs, searching methods to fulfill the needs and make purchase decisions accordingly. The process can also be described as collecting, interpreting, making plans and executing it for successfully buying the desired product (Lars Perner, 2008). The behavioral approach of the consumer is highly dominated by their psychology. The first model of consumer decision of making process was developed in 1963 by Howard and later edited in 1969 which has become the current theory of consumer behavior. The updated model provides an integration among the several psychological, social, and market pressure on the buyers choice and information (Howard and Sheth, 1969). Source: http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/10107/1/Consumer_Behaviour_Theory_ _Approaches_%26_Models.pdf) 1.2 Consumer Decision Making Process Consumers cannot make their decision alone, rather they need to interact and look up for the information from various sources like their own concept, reference groups, environment, other buyers and sellers etc. (Source: http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/10107/1/Consumer_Behaviour_Theory_ _Approaches_%26_Models.pdf) The consumer decision making process is interaction between the stimulus for the purchase, the characteristics or need of the consumer and their corresponding response. The stimuli can either be intra or inter personal from the consumer. This can further be explained by the BLACK BOX MODEL which emphasizes on the connection between the response and the stimulus of the buyer. (Cindy Dietrich, 2010) The companies plan and process their marketing stimuli, whereas on the other hand social factors like political, economic and cultural, impact the environmental stimuli. Fig# 5 the Black Box Model (Source:http://marketing5.net/Buying-behaviour-and-decision-making-criteria-of-Base-of-the download-w11405.pdf) The box encloses the characteristics of buyer and their decision making process which helps the buyer to decide and response. Internal and external factors have been represented in the model as buyer characteristics and environmental stimuli respectively. These factors together influence the decision process and buyer response as described in the figure above. From the identification of problem till the post evaluation of the decision each step is very critical for the buyer which directly affects the marketing strategies. Positive learning reduce the steps in decision making where consumer narrow down the choice, information search, alternative, here consumer behaviour to buy the specific product. All these process relate to buyer psychological factors, motivation, learning, personality etc. on the basis of information gathered the buyer tries to select the best available option while making the purchase. (A) How the selected factor affects the behaviour theoretically? Origination and influence of learning on buyers behaviour The cognitive method is the greater part of mental psychology which founded by early Marketers back (360 B.C). The memory or learning theory was developed by Aristotle who linked learning and knowledge as a mental process. In 1950 Hubb developed a model called Stimlus- organism- response which was dominated by behaviorism approach. (Hope J. Hartman,2001) Consumer decisions are influenced by individual uniqueness like age, life style, self concept, personality, occupation and economic condition. The purchase decision also influenced by individual learning and past experience. (Kotler, 2006) Learning refers to actions performed or information received. It arises from experience and interplay of wants, stimuli, response and reinforcement. Once the consumer has learned from their experience they try to discriminate and recognize the difference between similar buying stimuli and adjust their response to it consequently. Learning theories are also important to marketers in order to create the demand for a product using the buyers knowledge, motivating reasons for purchase and also backing them up with positive reinforcement (Frans Giele, 2009). Learning evolves over a period of time and helps the consumer to improve their knowledge. There is a continuous impact on the behavior of the consumer and their purchasing activities in future. The information gathered using different learning processes help the consumers to create a guide and mental framework for their purchasing pattern, behavior and decision. Learning is also closely to perception as it serves to be the raw input for the consumer knowledge which they have gained from previous buying occasions. (Mario Glowik, Slawomir Smyczek, 2011). Perception can better be explained as a process which the consumer uses to select, organize, receive and interpret their buying need and enrich their learning for a better purchase decision. (William j. Mcguire, 1976) said that perception is more important and has high influence than other stimulus. In this way the consumer evaluates the various brands and products which come to their mind. Often the compared aspect of the product relates largely to the psychological and functional benefits offered by the products or brands. (Thomas M. Aslin, Michael L. Rothschild, 1987) Marketers must understand the importance of learning/ experience as first impression is the last impression and it is important for the company to retain the existing customer as it is always cheaper and consecutively make new loyal customers. Other market factor like service quality and sellers eminence are also a part of human cognitive process which directly affects the buying pattern. (Kau, Daleen and Serene, 1995) New marketing strategies should focus to enrich customers experience by enhancing their learning/ experience and benchmarking those processes to increase market segment and share. Mental learning determines that for how long does particular information retains in human mind. This process involves different activities that a consumer relates while buying the particular product or service and then this information becomes the knowledge for future reference. Consumer retrieves the information from the memory if the same or similar product or service is observed. Effective marketing strategies and tools help to create a lasting impact on the cognitive learning of the consumers. (Mark D. Uncles, Grahame R. Dowling, Kathy Hammond and Angelo Manaresi, 1998) Marketers can use behavioral learning to enhance the consumers experience associated to their products as a large market segment loves to follow the current market trend and feel satisfied with their decision. Example 1: Dettol antiseptic has excellent advertisement which has made a lasting impact on consumers mind by using their marketing slogan of Be 100% sure. This advertisement has created a long and positive image on consumers mind since ages. Even after the launch of other brands of antiseptic liquids like Savlon by JJ, consumers still look for Dettol as their first choice while making a purchase decision as Dettol has made a strong brand image. Example 2: Allen bought Mercedes Benz S-class and told his boss and the boss admired the comfort, safety and power while driving, he will be happy to hear positive response and feel satisfied with the buying decision and feel proud to associate with the brand. Service products require more concentrated and customized service and experience. As they affect each customer in different manner and individually. Consumers level of involvement influences their buying behavior decisions which can be classified into three categories: Repetitive/routine buying, limited and extensive decision. Level of satisfactions/learning is also important to decide the nature of buying behaviour in future. Consumers keep their learning experiences as a catalogue and categories them as positive or negative which they use for future reference. Example 3: A Toyota customer will remain loyal to the brand if he has a good experience with his previous purchase of its models and associated services. So when the company introduces new car segment like Lexus which belongs to niche market, the customer will not hesitate to buy the product since his experience is affirmative. 2.0 B: Why is customer experience important to marketers in explaining buyer behaviour? Consumer behaviour and decision making process has been one of the favorite research topic for marketers since ages. Authors like Sheth (1974) recommended that consumer decision making is largely influenced by their family, awareness, knowledge and power of their attitude for the brands available in the market. Consumers use detailed information and their past experience to minimize brand ambiguity. Therefore managers must ensure that each purchase experience leads them to higher satisfaction and positive learning about their product and brand. Allen m. Weiss, Nicholas h. Lurie, and Deborah j. Macinnis, (2008) mentioned in their paper that Marketers can play with the psychology of the consumer as consumers compare each product in their mind. Companies need to identify about the consumers, what they want and which products make them happy. Fortune 500 companies have chosen marketing activities like advertisement, pricing, packaging and labeling to attract their customers. Modern marketing practices have moved on to CRM, service quality which leads to strong brand image and name. Service quality has emerged as an influencing characteristic in consumers learning, as a goods service quality leads to positive learning and rewarding experience for the consumer. Example 4: Dell is famous for their products and after sales services. In case of any technical assistance needed, the company sends their team to solve the problem at the customers residence. So the customer is highly motivated to trust and buy their product. Dell used customer experience and feedback to improve their product and service quality. 2.1 Explanatory examples (Marketing and Managerial Implications) 2.1.1 Dettol (Reckitt Benckiser) Strong marketing and brand image is behind the success of Dettol. Marketers have carried extensive research, advertisement and learning campaigns. The company has focused to educate and make every single consumer aware about personal hygiene and germ free environment. The marketing slogan of Be 100% sure has created a positive image and brand in consumers mind. The cognitive learning has helped the company to influence the buying behaviour and decision making of the consumers. Dettol has used several marketing strategies which were designed to influence the learning of consumers to ensure that whenever they think of antiseptic liquid they must think of the only brand i.e. Dettol. Through the use of learning and awareness programs, the company has successfully expanded their business and product categories from personal care to total care. E.g.: They first launched their antiseptic liquid followed by toilet soap, hand wash, shower gels and bars, shaving creams etc. Dettol has used mar keting knowledge and communication to develop the need of the product which was supported by various marketing and advertisement programs. Sayantani Kar, (2009) mentioned that Consumers are highly influenced with learning approach adopted by Reckitt Benckiser hence they are loyal to the brand. Dettol marketers have chosen psychographic and behavioral segment to target the selected consumer and then penetrate by the use of marketing channels. Competitive marketing and advertisement is the powerful USP (unique selling proposition) which helped them to grow and develop strong image which directly influenced the buyer behaviour. By using cognitive and behavioral learning factor company is rapidly engaged in research and development to extend its product line. (Prerna Raturi, 2006) Several business rivals like PG, Unilever have tried to focus on consumer learning and succeeded to break the market to some extent but being a pioneer and strong brand, Dettol remains as their first preference. 2.1.2 Lexus (Toyota Motor Corporation) Being an automobile market leader the company has transformed itself into quality conscious company. Toyota is well known for its durability, performance, luxury and features. Consumers have learned the superior quality and performance by experiencing Toyota cars. Company has a wide segment market which starts from middle income to high income groups. Toyota has transformed high end market with clever marketing and using consumer experience. (Bill Vlasic, 2012) Through encouraging experience they have entered in to niche market where traditional rivals like, BMW, Benz and Volvo dominate the market. By understanding the need of their existing customers they took innovative steps and broke the market share and successfully launched LEXUS. Lexus is a premium car and also one of the largest selling brands in the world. Carl Howe (2007) mentioned that Lexus used direct and target marketing by which they targeted loyal customers who were happy with Toyota models, while they carried massive marketing plans to focus and educate the consumers that Lexus belongs to Toyota but it is a more value added product. They used words like same family but different child concept to introduce Lexus. The new concept was high value leading to high price which influenced buyers to experience the new product. Consumers have responded greatly to the new model which resulted in greater sale for the company, since the cognitive learning was affirmative which insisted them to try the new model Lexus hence upgraded their behavioral learning. Alan Ohnsman and Makiko Kitamura (2011) stated that the after sales service was one of the key marketing features together with the product that enabled the marketers to develop lasting impact on consumer psychology and they succeeded to influence buyers behaviour. (C) Best product category and its implications. 3.0 Financial Services (Banks) Financial services are the most discussed topic in todays economy. By narrowing to financial products like, Personal banking and Investment banking particularly, service marketing has introduced many models to understand and deal with the problems. Consumer behaviour is one of the biggest issues which differentiate these two markets (product, service). Services are different from goods because of their heterogeneity, inseparability, intangibility, perishability and customization which make it difficult for marketers to identify and practice the service standards. Major Banks and financial institutions have realized the importance of consumer psychology toward financial products which influence the final decision. (McKechnie, Sally, 1992) To make a purchase decision for a financial product the consumers are not completely aware of the utility and consequences, the learning is developed simultaneously with the product use and Therefore its highly critical for the marketers to acquaint with personality, consumer thinking, relationship, service quality etc. which directly affect the buyer preference. The financial services are not a one- time purchase but there are several two- way transactions for long time. These services need the trust, confidence and mutual rapport of the consumer in the financial institutions. Lunt, Peter, (2005) explains that Marketers invests plenty of time to facilitates and establish a mutual relationship to print positive image in the consumers cognitive learning which they consider to assess the creditability of the institution repeatedly. It also benefits the institution in long term business with individual consumer. Trials are not available for these products and services, most of consumers use their experience to make decision every time. So customer experience, trust and brand image are the main wisdom drivers which influences the buyer to select from available financial facilitators. 4.0 Conclusion The object to study the consumer behaviour and decision making is to examine the role of determinates that influence the final decision of consumer. The justifications and explanation was based on available consumer decision making theories, buying behaviour model and deep study of selected determinant learning. While exploring the determinants it was observed that marketing stimuli, an external and internal factor plays a critical role in consumer psychology which influence individual response. These elements affect the final purchase of every single product or service. Therefore its highly critical for the marketers to identify and effort to narrow down the difference between consumer and supplier interest. Study also indicates the major difference between product and service and also suggests addressing them with more focused marketing. As a service based product buyers are more conscious about the cost and outcome of the specific product because of intangibility of the product it is difficult to communicate with the consumer. Learning encourages the buyer to understand and provide a clear feedback of any particular product. If the consumer is happy with the product or service the feedback will be highly positive which also influence the buyer to straight rebuy without considering other options. In financial products consumers are always scare with the outcome of the decision and highly depend on their previous learning. Marketers have used this element to understand the needs and want to optimize the satisfaction level, which is actually developing positive attitude to rebuy the same product. Marketers can use modern methods to reduce the level of negative out come by spending more on developing consumer learning and experience. The right use of service quality, customer relation and satisfaction helps to create long term business with every customer which also reduces the brand switching. It is also observed that companies and marketers cannot solely depend on learning determinant. While investigating the determinants it is seen that marketing stimuli also affect the buyer behaviour. The choice of marketing mix product, place, price, promotion) significantly changes the taste and choice of buyer. Marketers must design the strategies to reduce the flaws and ensure that the right message is conveyed to the consumers. The primary aim of marketing is to develop the need, attract, educate and influence consumers to buy the product. Therefore proper market study, product design, segmentation and targeting should be ensured by the marketer. 5.0 Learning from the assignment Consumers involve in buying and decision making process every day. The learning and decision making affects every time one use the product or service. Being continuous process its crucial for the buyer and the marketer to understand the process behind the decision process and what factors affect the buyer on each purchase. Being a marketing student the assignment helps to understand the available theories in details. Exploratory assignment determinants of buying behaviour helps to comprehend the practical implication of each determinant like Marketing stimuli, external and internal factors. By using exploratory research on chosen factor it was observed that it is very critical for the company and the marketer to understand the consumer need, preference, satisfaction and loyalty. Companies cannot rely on each determinant which influences buyer decision because consumer keeps changing their buying decisions. Strong marketing is also one of the key successes for every company which involves more focused, targeted and innovative communicative tools to address the need of the consumer with offered solution. Assignment also facilitates to analyze the practical illustration from the world renowned companies. While exploring their marketing strategies particularly which helps to learn from their practices. Critical analysis help to understand the pros and cons of every option which the marketers use address the problem. The assignment also encourages self learning, theories and their implications. Being a future manager it is quite helpful to discuss and address the problem in details. The positive outcome is to address the problems with solutions which help to groom the thinking and brainstorming process being a decision maker and manager. Strong marketing is the key of todays competitive business, it was an opportunity to learn and evaluate the possible solutions while understanding consumer decision making process which will help to take positive decisions in future time. 6.0 Appendix Fig#1 Theory of customer buying behavior (Source : http://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/10107/1/Consumer_Behaviour_Theory_ _Approaches_%26_Models.pdf) Fig #2 Decision making through information search (Source: http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/cb_Decision_Making.html)

United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland

Great Britain is made up of three countries, England, Scotland and Wales. It is an island off the coast of north–west of Europe. Britain is part of the United Kingdom of Britain and Northern Ireland. The capital is London. There are many different landscapes in Britain, from high mountains to rolling hill sand valleys. Places like Wales, the Lake District and northwest Scotland have high mountains and steep slopes made out of solid rocks. This landscape was made millions of years ago during the ice ages, when moving glaciers of ice made deep valleys, steep mountain slopes and long lakes. The southern and eastern parts of Britain are made up of smaller rocks that have weathered and become fertile farmland. The highest point is Ben Nevis – 1343 metres above sea level and the lowest point is Holme Fen – 3 metres below sea level. The population is 57,970,200 people, the population density at 239 people per square km. 92% of British people live in urban areas while only 8% live in rural areas. Great Britain is completely surrounded by sea, isolating it from the rest of Europe. No part of Britain is far from the sea, which is an important resource for fishing, tourism and ports. Britain†s rivers provide drinking water for towns, and irrigate farmers† crops. However rivers can cause floods. The northern and western portions are mountainous. The highlands – the Pennine Chain, forms the backbone of northern England. Rolling plains occupy most of central and eastern England. The western part of the central region is known as the Midlands. To the east lies The Fens, a marsh area. To the south, an elevated plateau slopes upward. The terrain of Scotland is mountainous but is divided into three regions, from north to south: the Highlands, the Central Lowlands, and the Southern Uplands. The Highlands occupy more than a half of Scotland, the most rugged region on the island of Great Britain. Wales has an irregular coastline and many bays; the biggest is Cardigan Bay. Except for narrow and low coastal areas, mainly in the south and west, Wales is mostly mountainous. Great Britain has quite cool summers and mild winters. The weather changes from day to day. The climate is temperate – the country does not have long periods when it is hot or cold. Western parts of Britain receive more rain and snow during the year than south and east. This is because southwesterly winds bring water from the Atlantic Ocean to the west, which falls as rain where it meets the mountains on land. There are large amounts of water in this area and a shortage in the south and the east. Britain†s climate is getting warmer. Average temperatures have risen 0.5 °c since 1850. This is enough to start the polar ice caps melting. If the ice caps continue to melt, large areas of southern and eastern England will be permanently flooded. The mean annual temperature ranges between 11.1 °c in the south and 8.9 °c in the northeast. Fogs, mists, and overcast skies are frequent, particularly in the inland regions. Like the climate of the rest of Great Britain, Scotland is influenced by the surrounding seas. As a result, extreme changes are rare and temperate winters and cool summers are the major climate features. Low temperatures are common in the winter season. Precipitation ranges from about 3810mm annually in the western Highlands to about 635mm annually in eastern areas. The climate of Wales, is a lot like England†s, it is mild and moist. Annual rainfall changes with elevation, ranging from about 762 mm in coastal regions to more than 2540 mm in the Snowdon massif. As a result of the relative warmth of the nearby seas, England has a moderate climate. Precipitation is heaviest during October, it averages about 760 mm annually in most of England. England has some agricultural and mineral resources but must rely on imports of both. Approximately two-fifths of the land area is arable, and the richest soils are found in the east. The soil is generally rocky and infertile, except for that of the Central Lowlands. Much of the soil of Wales is of infertile rocky or leached types. The most fertile soils are in the southeast and in a few coastal areas. Only about 8.5% of Britain land is forested, and half of this was planted forty years ago. Britain†s natural forest cover has been cut down over hundreds of years, especially in the 18th and 19th century. The most common species of trees indigenous to Scotland are oak and conifers mainly fir, pine, and larch. Large forested areas are rare, and woodlands are in the southern and eastern Highlands. Vegetation in the elevated regions consists largely of heather, ferns, mosses, and grasses. Practically all of the cultivated plants of Scotland were imported from America and Europe. More than 3/4 of the land is used for agriculture; farming and grazing occupy the same amount of land. The most important crops are wheat, oats, and potatoes. Other crops include barley, turnips, and fruit. Wales has ferns and mosses in low-lying, wet areas. Grasslands are mainly at higher elevations. Crops include barley, oats, potatoes, and hay. Less than 10% of the land is under cultivation, and about 40% are in grazing land. Forests cover only about 4% of the land, but government reforestation programs are increasing in the area. England used to be heavily forested, mainly oak and beech in the lowlands and pine and birch in the mountains. Woodlands now make-up less than 4% of the total land area. Many types of fruit trees grow in England, including the cherry, apple, and plum trees. Gorse is a common shrub. Many varieties of wildflowers also grow here. During the eighteenth century, Britain gained an empire by colonising parts of North America, Africa and Asia. By the nineteenth century, England was bringing back much wealth from these colonies. The trade in slaves and other goods from the colonies supplied the money to build the factories and the machines of Britain†s Industrial Revolution. The country developed heavy industries like coal mining, iron and steel manufacturing, engineering and shipbuilding. However in the twentieth century other countries revolutionised and began to compete with Britain in the overseas markets – so British exports declined. From the 1950†³s on, many former Britain colonies in Africa and Asia became independent and made their own industries, this affecting Britain†s imports and exports. All over Britain factories, mills etc closed. By the 1990†³s the worst of the decline had finished and Britain began to concentrate on new hi-tech and service industries. In the last 25 years, microelectronics has become one of the fastest growing sectors of Britain industry. It is a new phase of industrial growth which scientists call re-industrialisation. The future for Britain as a manufacturing nation looks good and it depends on whether it can develop and specialise in hi-tech industries such as aerospace, computers, electronics, telecommunications and biotechnology. The private car is the most popular form of transport for most British people. The British rail company is becoming more modernised – with new high-speed rail services. Air transport in Britain is also important and very popular. The British industry is now more efficient and competitive in the world markets because of the government†s actions of new industrial growth in depressed areas and growth of service industries – in financial, shopping and transport. Telecommunications are administered by British Telecom. 29.5 million telephones were in use in the mid-1980s, giving Britain one of the world's largest telecommunications systems. In the 1980s 15 commercial program companies gave the television on a basis; satellite-broadcasting services have also been introduced. Four television channels are broadcasted at the moment and soon a fifth. 50 commercial firms in the main cities run local radio stations. 124 daily and Sunday newspapers and more than 1000 weekly newspapers are published in Great Britain. 15 London newspapers circulate nationwide, and 6 of them have daily circulations of more than 1 million. Britain is a constitutional monarchy – the queen is the head of the state but politics is controlled by their parliament. There are two houses of Parliament – The House of Commons – who are elected by the public and The House of Lords – made up of peers. The main British political parties are Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat. There are also Welsh and Scottish parties who want to be separate from England. The political party system has existed since the 17th century. Several parties win seats in Commons, but Great Britain has worked as a two-party system for more than a century. The majority party forms His or Her Majesty's Government, and the second party is officially known as His or Her Majesty's Own Loyal Opposition. The opposition leader is paid a salary from public funds for that role. Britain has a long history as a great political and powerful country. Britain is trying to rebuild its economy by regaining its political importance. Great Britain is primarily an industrial and commercial nation. It has major industries like transportation, communications, steel, petroleum, coal, gas and electricity. It is a world leader in international trade, it imports foodstuffs and materialism, and exports finished and manufactured goods. Gross Domestic Product – $1,018,000,000,000 (US) Gross Domestic Product per capita – $17,690 (US) Money – pound sterling. One pound = 100 pence. Chief Economic Products – agriculture, fishing, mining, manufacturing. Employment Breakdown – 58% Trades and Services 2% Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing Education is very important to everyone in Britain. All children have to go to school once they turn five, and must attend till they turn sixteen. Two education systems exist – one is free and funded by the government and the other is private where parents pay school fees for children†s education. Students can continue their education at colleges at higher levels or universities – there are 46 universities. The government is trying to encourage more students to go into higher education. Religion – The Church of England has the most members, 54%, in Great Britain. Most members, however, live in England. The second biggest religion, is the Roman Catholic Church (13%). Catholics are spread throughout the country. Other religions include Protestantism (which includes the religions of Wales and Scotland), Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and Sikhism. Health – General physicians in Great Britain are part of the National Health Service, although some also have private patients. The service provides full, free medical care to all people. Family Life – Most British people live in houses and 15% live in flats. In the last five years many people have been moving out of towns and cities to live in the countryside because of the urban problems like crime, traffic and air pollution.

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The main person that has shaped my personality has been my mother. She has show n me how to conduct myself as a woman, a professional, and as a mother. She has always worker d and shown me and my sister the value of work. Her hard work Instilled In me the desire to succeed. My mother has always been my Inspiration. At a young age my mother came to the US, she had no knowledge of the language mum chi less of the way of life out here. Although the language barrier she managed to meet and ma r rye my dad.My mother quickly found out that America wasn't all It seemed. She married and the n struggled to provide for me and my father. He was a spoiled American kid, In my mothers word s, with opportunities only dreamed of by my mother. She stuck it out and had me and my sis term. Later she divorced from my dad and provided for us all by herself. She started working at South Chicago hospital as a housekeeper when I was only 6 wok s old. Since then she has held her Job and worked two, even thre e Jobs to provide for me an d my sister. The road has been long but she tells me she never regrets it.She has been sat bled and living proof that it can be done. My mother did it without any education and it was a f reign land to her. She now has bought and paid for her home and a condo in Florida, and has law yes helped and provided for me, my sister, and her grandchildren. My mother is my idol. I wish she could see the impact and structure she has instilled on my life. I am so proud to have such a dedicated and hard working mother. She inspires me to do the Impossible. If she can overcome all the odds then I can at least try to.

Gradeur of tang essays

Gradeur of tang essays Last Friday, I feel privileged to attend the concert named the Grandeur of Tang, performed by the Singapore Chinese Orchestra. This was held at the Esplanade concert hall and in attracted a huge crowd. Before we entered the hall, we could feel the impact when we saw a number of Chinese dressed in the traditional Chinese costumes for the formal occasion. The moment we entered the concert hall, we were excited to see the platform filled with many traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu and dizi and they were all organized in a systematic and neat order. On the platform, there were also impressive instruments such as the two large drums on both sides of the stage and more fascinating was the replica of the ancient bronze chime bells which was indeed an impressive backdrop. After the settling down, the much anticipated performance began with the piece The Rainbow Skirt and The Feathered Coat composed by Gao Weijie, who was inspired by a piece from the Tang dynasty. As most of us know, the Tang dynasty in China was widely regarded as the golden era of Chinese arts and culture. However, the dynamic piece of music was disrupted when the enthusiastic audience clapped at one point before the music ended. Therefore, the orchestra had to stop under the maestros order but they regained momentum shortly after. The performance was further enhanced by the recital of Tang poetry, which was accompanied by some music played by the orchestra to set the mood and tone. This benefited the audience greatly as it enabled them to relish the experience and helping them convey the appropriate mood of each poem. The poem was recited by two narrators, Yang Ou and Johnny Ng. Yang Ou recited the poem in a lively and clearer tone which made it full of expression and attracting the audience attention. The recitation of poems by Johnny Ng was less attractive as it was accompanied by loud pieces of music which easily en...

Biometric devices and applications Essays

Biometric devices and applications Essays Biometric devices and applications Paper Biometric devices and applications Paper Biometrics is a combination of two words. Bio means life and metry means something to measure. Biometrics is defined as the statistical measurement of biological observations. It means using the body as a password. Biometric technologies are used to verify person by using physical characteristics and personal traits. Biometric identification systems provide a computer system that allows authorized users to log. The system has many advantages as compared with systems that provide passwords. Biometric devices and applications have been growing worldwide. They are expected to be the way for accessing personal computer systems. According to research it is expected that biometric expenditure will reach $300 million in 2008.   Biometrics works on the principle that everyone in the world is different. This uniqueness can be used for computer security and identity verification (Blackburn, 2001). A person is first registered on the biometric system. The unique characteristics of the individual are accomplished by the biometric system. A mathematical algorithm converts these personal characteristics into digital representation. This digital representation is a profile and used to compare when the person authenticates. A biometric measurement is used for authentication. Real time biometric measurement is used to compare with the stored profile of the registered user. Authentication is based simply on the process that a match will allow the user to access the system. If the match fails than the user cannot access the system. System administrators can set the strictness of the biometric identification system depending upon the nature of the organization. Organizations like banks, government facilities, airports, etc will have a strict biometric identification system (Blackburn, 2001). Fingerprints, face, iris, voice, signature and hand geometry are the most common implemented biometrics. Other modalities are being researched and developed. There is no best biometric technology. A variety of factors are taken into consideration when implementing a biometric system. Each system has its own set of security risks. Location, how critical data is and numbers of users are some of the factors which are taken into consideration when implementing a biometric system. Sensors are used to collect biometrics. Data is collected by sensors for recognition and converted into digital form. Digital cameras and telephones are examples of sensors which are used to collect biometrics. A biometric template consists of digital data which is collected by sensors from biometric samples. They are compared in a biometric identification system. Several factors have inhibited the growth of biometric technologies. The huge cost of implementing them is one of the major factors that have hindered the growth of biometric technologies. However as hardware and software prices fall it is believed that the cost of biometric technologies will continue to fall. Newer biometric identification systems are more accurate and secure than previous systems. The internet has also pushed the growth of biometric identification systems. E-commerce websites have been implanting biometric identification systems to allow secure access and protect their consumers from fraud and theft of confidential information (Blackburn, 2001). Currently new technologies are being developed in the field of biometrics. Vein pattern identification is one of these technologies which use infrared light to produce a vein’s image. This technology works on veins which are difficult to erase or tamper with. Another technology is ear shape identification which measures ear geometry. Research is also being conducted on body odor identification. Another development is being undertaken in the design of systems that use body salinity identification. These systems use natural level of salt in the human body to identify people. DNA matching is a potential futuristic technology which could be the ultimate biometric technology. Research is being conducted in palm print identification and electronic nose identification systems (Blackburn, 2001). Biometrics is an evolving field which is being used in various industries and circumstances. Biometric technologies have been defined as automated methods of recognizing identities by using physiological and behavioral characteristics. Automated methods include mechanisms to scan images of personal characteristics. They can also include compressed images which are stored in databases. Finally these automated methods can also act as interfaces for applications (Blackburn, 2001). Another important factor in the design of biometric identification systems is the distinction between physiological and behavioral characteristics. Fingerprints, iris patterns and blood vessel patterns are examples of physiological characteristics. Behavioral traits include typing patterns, unique speaking ability and speech identification. Identification and verification are two different characteristics which are taken into consideration during the design of biometric technologies. Identification includes the process by which the brain performs identifications. Verification is the process to authenticate a person’s identity. Retinal scans are electronic scans of the eyeball’s wall. They remain stable and have accuracy. The disadvantage of such a system is that it requires close contact and might not be acceptable to the public. Another biometric system in use is iris recognition. It records iris by using video technology. It does not require close physical contact. However the system is relatively expensive to maintain and requires huge computer storage. Finger imaging is the most popular and common biometric system in use. It records fingerprints using an optical scanner. It is popular in law enforcement agencies. It is also a reliable biometric system. The disadvantages of the system are that it requires close physical contact. It can also cause recognition problems (Bowman, 2005).

American Railroads Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Railroads - Essay Example This essay discusses one of the most important historical transportations of the United States that helped to develop the modern and flourishing country that it is today. The essay discusses American railway system and it's railroads that had great impact on American history and culture. By linking the nation with a tight network of rail transport, the railroads placed America firmly at the forefront of the international trade, facilitating the cost effective transportation of production from mining and other big industries such as steel and agriculture. While the rail transportation in the modern United States of America is one of the most advanced in the world, such success can be attributed to those courageous and visionary people who saw railroads as a tool that would place the country at an economic advantage and as a driving forcer of the economic and social development of the nation. The researcher of the essay states that if not for the economic advantages and transport feasi bilities brought around by the railroads, America may not have been able to capitalised on its land resources to develop the mining and agricultural industries nor would it have been able to manage the spreading of population across all regions of the country. In conclusion, the researcher sums up his study on the railroads presented in the essay and suggests that it is fit to say that American Railroads had formed the backdrop for making the American dream of prosperity and development and reality.

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 2

Globalization - Essay Example Globalization we can is inevitable in this day and age. Now that it has taken place there is no turning back and no country that has been touched by globalization can reverse the process and survive and prosper. This is because today economies are more complex and complicated than ever and technology has shrunk the world to such an extent that all countries and economies are interdependent and cannot survive individually (Kustin, 1993, pp. 4-8). Long Term Befits of Globalization The benefits of globalization are many and while there are many short term benefits of globalization likewise we can also name many long term benefits of it. Some of the short term benefits of globalization have been the lower cost of goods and services that have been achieved by the use of comparative advantage and also economies of scale. For instance having goods produced in China has lowered the prices of many goods that are currently sold in the United States. Big retailers like Wal-Mart contract manufacturers in China to produce for them due to the cheap labor that is available that will give them a price advantage, which they will not be able to gain if the goods were produced elsewhere - where labor was more expensive. Likewise globalization has helped increase service levels like has been done in the health care industry in North America. The issues related to the acute dearth of radiologists in North America has been addressed by radiologists in India, based in India being hired to fill the vacancies, however unlike in the past they are not physically present North America but carry out their duties virtually with the help of modern day... The essay looks at the external forces that have to be encountered by organizations that are preparing to go global or are already global. In the next section the essay then investigates why some organizations choose to stay local or regional while others decide to go global and how the local and regionally focused organizations survive in this day and age. The impact of the internet and other technological innovations on globalization are closely evaluated in the next section. The article then goes further and looks at the broad gains and losses that have been made from globalization in the last decade or so. Next the paper goes on to look at the main reasons behind international expansion being key to the growth and survival needs of today’s multi-national companies. Last but not least the author gives his personal opinion on globalization and concludes by summarizing the main points covered in this essay. This paper makes a conclusion that globalization today is inevitable and no country nor economy that has been touched by globalization can turn back the clock and survive without globalization because all economies and countries are interdependent on each other for their survival and globalization is the thread that keeps them all connected. There have been many short and long term benefits of globalization such as lower priced goods being manufactured and individuals having access to products and services that they never had before. Likewise though, there have been many long and short term drawbacks due to globalization.

Illegal domestic workers and their legal options Essay

Illegal domestic workers and their legal options - Essay Example Undocumented workers and their plight. Undocumented workers are increasingly subjected to a variety of injustices. Included in this is the fact that the undocumented worker pays into social security and medicare, yet does not receive the benefits from these programs. According to Porter (2005), undocumented workers pay a variety of payroll taxes which contribute to the overall solvency of both the medicare and the social security benefits, but, since they are undocumented, they are not entitled to collect these benefits. One of the reasons why they contribute, yet cannot collect, is that they get a fake social security number, therefore the employer must withhold payroll taxes for these workers. However, since they have a fake social security number, they cannot collect these benefits. Moreover, Porter (2005) states that, even if these workers were aware of what their employers withhold from them, many of them are not aware of the reasons why these wages are withheld. ... This means that an illegal alien with the same education, work experience and language proficiency as a documented worker will make 22% less than that documented worker, if the worker is a male, and 36% less if the worker is a female. Moreover, Mehta (2002) found that the undocumented workers in his study are more liable to work in unsafe conditions than the documented workers in his study, and that the undocumented workers were less likely to have health insurance. Moreover, these workers also do not have access to medicare or medicaid, therefore they do not, by and large, have access to health care at all. As far as unsafe conditions go, undocumented workers are more likely to report that they operate machinery without proper training. They are also more likely, according to Mehta (2002), to report that they are working in unsanitary conditions, therefore they are more likely to get sick because they are working in these conditions. Mehta (2002) also states that undocumented worker s are more likely to slip and fall on the job. And, if these undocumented workers do get hurt on the job, they are less likely to obtain worker’s compensation benefits, and, even if they apply for worker’s compensation benefits, they are less likely, than documented workers, to actually obtain these benefits. Lee (2010) states that illegal immigrants are also the target of discriminatory laws. He cites federal laws which state that illegal immigrants cannot access federal benefits, and state laws which states that illegal immigrants cannot access public schooling, either secondary, elementary or post-secondary. There was even a law in Texas, pending, which states that the children of undocumented individuals in