Saturday, August 31, 2019

Current Market Condition Analysis

Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Karon Kanadjian ECO/365 April 10, 2013 Current Market Conditions Competitive Analysis Apple is probably one of the most recognized companies in the world when it comes the designing, development, and marketing of cutting edge technology with products that everyone wishes to own. Apple Inc. (Apple) was founded and incorporated in 1977 by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniack, making headlines with the release of the apple I computer.According to â€Å"Reuters Edition U. S. † (2013), â€Å" The Company's products and services include iPhone, iPad, Mac, iPod, Apple TV, a portfolio of consumer and professional software applications, the iOS and OS X operating systems, iCloud, and a variety of accessory, service and support offerings† (para. 1). With two decades of predominantly manufacturing personal computers, including the Apple II, Macintosh, and Power Mac Lines, the company began facing rocky sales and low market share.With a combi nation of low sales, high pressure demands on the staff, and continued struggles regarding the company’s direction between Jobs and Sculley his CEO, Jobs surprisingly was ousted from the company in 1985. Siegel (  2011), â€Å"A power struggle erupted between Sculley and Jobs. In the spring of 1985 Apple's board sided with the CEO, removing Jobs from his command of the Macintosh group† (para. 1).He however returned with the greatest comeback in 1996 after the procurement of NeXT by Apple. Steve Jobs shortly was appointed interim CEO where he inspired a new corporate philosophy of recognizable products and simple designs. Today Apple has established itself as a leader in the consumer electronic and media sales industries and has surpassed Google and Microsoft combined in sales with $156 billion in 2012 (Edstrom & Holt, 2012) .In an extremely competitive trade, companies are trying to invent continually ways to retain their current customers and continue to have an edg e to appeal to the new growing market of customers, especially in these very tough times economically, where people face even tougher decision making choices about the phone they purchase and the type of service they select. With the transition from 3G’s to 4G’s, companies are staging a bid to their existing customers as well as the new customers promising excellent service and plenty of extras bonuses to lure them into their clutches.They recognize customer loyalty is a thing of the past with the longevity of merely two years for an average customers contract before making a switch to another provider. This accelerating trend has become a main factor in companies raising the bar in quality while dropping their prices especially for smartphones. With the rise in blogging, a potential customer can obtain reviews of cell phones and the differences of the product features. They can determine the advantage or disadvantage of a particular phone offered as a bonus with a con tract commitment.Even You Tube has search sites that allow you to watch various video reviews (â€Å"Effects Of The Emerging Competition Of Cellular Phone Companies,†Ã‚  2012). As mobile phones become a vital, and integral part of most individuals everyday living, cellular phone companies have had to continue to target the demands of this implausible market. Many telecommunication companies give cell phones as a bonus to their packages, but the unrelenting predicament they face is, which phone do they offer that will beat out the competitors, take a larger share of the market, and still manage to be profitable.With this fierce competition among the cell phone providers, some companies have turned to consolidation with other providers. Merging together has offered their talents to pool and offer top-notch phones and services. For example, Google purchased Motorolla in 2011 enabling them to compete significantly with Apple in both the software and hardware division. The same go es for Microsoft, who partnered with Nokia in producing the Windows Smartphone (â€Å"Effects Of The Emerging Competition Of Cellular Phone Companies,†Ã‚  2012).If the predictions hold true, the next few years will see more mergers allowing companies to remain in the game. One issue affecting Apple is the competiveness from other cell phone companies such as Samsung having somewhat identical features on some of their products at a lower price. Apple simply faces a vastly improving competitive threat with game changing capability. The advantage of other companies is the ability to cover a whole variety of products – phones, smartphones, tablets, TVs, and domestic goods like fridges (Shaughnessy, 013). Through the years Apple has created expensive devices that customers are willing to pay over $600 for a phone, but they need to create a market in the lower price categories of smartphones to compete with some of their competitor’s like Samsung who has created a cla mor for quality products at a relatively inexpensive price range that fulfills customer requirements and requests, and thereby potentially overlook an expensive Apple device for a Samsung product (Shaughnessy, 2013).On the contrary, Louie Partners, and a former member of TiVo’s board, says â€Å"Apple is the one company in the world that’s powerful enough to take on monopolies and force them to change. † Apple products have created their own following of customers who will wait outside their stores in the rain to get the newest product and their items demand is considered relatively elastic. Either way it is examined, it could imply Apple shows a potential for both demand elasticity and demand inelasticity (s3hrlich, 2012) (Murray, 2012).The costs to stay in the game are staggering. Apple has variable costs such as raw material costs, packaging, and labor, which are directly involved in the company’s manufacturing process of phones. The â€Å"A Tale Of A pple, The IPhone, And Overseas Manufacturing†Ã‚  (2012) website  gives an unsettling look at Apple and offers an exhaustive report by Keith Bradsher and Charles Duhigg of the New York Times. The report based upon numerous interviews with current Apple employees as well as former employees concerns the iPhone production and the practice of abroad manufacturing.It also includes excessive, oppressive, and illegal overtime hours, hazardous conditions, inappropriate, and sometimes forced labor of 16-18 year-old student â€Å"interns† on night shifts with wages so low that 64 % of workers claim their pay does not cover their basic needs (Eisenbrey, 2012). American’s are quick to criticize Apple for its facility in China employing 230,000 people, six days a work week, 12- hour shifts, and many of the workers earn $17 per day or less. More than one fourth of the employees live in dormitories considered deplorable to American standards.Through the efforts of the manufac turing plant in China, Apple can stay ahead of the game. An example given was concerning the CEO Steve Jobs in 2007, shy of a month before the new scheduled iPhone was to show up in stores. Jobs was furious with the prototype he was carrying in his pocket a few weeks prior along with his keys, as the front glass screen was majorly marred. He gave them only one solution, to use glass that was unscratchable, and he wanted it perfect in six weeks!With an assembly line overhauled in a Chinese factory and new screens arriving shortly at the manufacturing facility, before midnight a supervisor woke up 8,000 workers at their company’s dormitories and within an hour they began a 12-hour shift fitting the new glass into the devices. According to  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Tale Of Apple, The Iphone, And Overseas Manufacturing†Ã‚  (2012),  Ã¢â‚¬  Within 96 hours, the plant was producing more than 10,000 iPhones a day a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. †Ã‚  (para. 1-3). If Apple needed 3,000 people overnight, it was accomplished in the factories of China.Could you see 3,000 people in a U. S. plant being hired overnight? With cheap labor and production speed as shown, it is a big incentive for Apple. According to  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Tale Of Apple, The IPhone, And Overseas Manufacturing†Ã‚  (2012),  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The entire supply chain is in China now,† the article quotes a former high-ranking Apple executive as saying. â€Å"You need a thousand rubber gaskets? That's the factory next door. You need a million screws? That factory is a block away. You need that screw made a little bit different? It will take three hours† (para. 1-3). The U. S. ould not compete with the speed of a company in China taking 15 days to assemble 8,700 industrial engineers to oversee employees amassing the iPhone. The average U. S. company would take as long as nine months to be ready to commence work. This depicts a vibrant picture of how companies in China wo rk versus companies in the U. S. The cost structure for the iPhone is divided as 15 dollars to manufacturing cost, $207 to major components, $89 to other costs, making a profit of $319. Apple’s profit per phone is more than 20 times the labor cost, according to Ross Eisenbrey.Apple has changed the world with its technological innovations being responsible for nearly 50,000 American jobs, but it is not enough. It needs to rebuild American manufacturing of the past where employees worked reasonable hours and a decent wage was the standard. Most of the phone components are assembled in China or Asia however, on the bright side, the glass for the iPhone manufactured in Kentucky is reviving a Corning factory. It has grown to more than $700 million a year, employing close to 1,000 Americans supporting the emerging market.As the market has continued to expand so has the glass manufacturing plants extending to Japan, and Taiwan. Most of Corning’s customers are in Taiwan, Korea , Japan and China, making it profitable to build and produce their glass factories next door to the assembly factories overseas (London,  2012). A major factor affecting cellular phones in the current market conditions are fixed cost. Some major providers are offering consumers a flat monthly rate to ensure they sign their current mobile contract, but mid-way through the contract, the carriers are silently raising the prices customers are currently paying.Of the four major networks, three have reportedly either raised their rates or discontinued their current monthly deals. The planned hike in prices help the networks counterbalance the high costs of the mobile Web, the delivering of apps, and mobile video. The demand for faster networks and upgrades are estimated to cost the industry a whopping $50 billion a year (â€Å"Cnn Money†,   2011). During 2012, Apple fell short of being the top brand for cell phones although Samsung’s sales soared (Muller, 2012). However, Apple continues to improve their products as people tend to want the latest upgraded phone to have minimal problems. Apple will increase its U. S. smartphone share and possibly increase its profit margin per phone as well with its new iPhone 4S, according to multiple industry analysts† (Palenchar, 2011, para. 1). Possessing more shares available gives Apple more room to grow and make changes to their product. The Apple app store alone has 500,000 apps while the Android store carries 45,000 (Warren, 2011). A large amount of the profit comes from the app store. The Apple app store has thousands more apps than the Android market. Developers should continue creating apps for Apple to help increase profits.Apple is a very popular cell phone. To increase their profits they should decrease their price making their supply and the demand increase for their brand. With technology so advance, maybe the next big thing for Apple is a built in mind reader in out cellular device! References Muller, R. (2012). Mobile phone sales. My broad brand. Retrieved from: http://mybroadband. co. za/news/gadgets/64760-most-popular-cellphone-brands-in-the-world. html/attachment/mobile-phone-sales Palenchar, J. (20111). Apple Seen Raising Share, Maximizing Profits With iPhone 4S. Twice. Retrieved

Friday, August 30, 2019

Body Shop

Anita Roddick, OBE, and The body Shop International Plc FEDBACK FOR QUESTION WEEK 3 for week commencing 19. 03. 12 1. Evaluate the Financial Position of the Company (at the time of the case study) and comment upon the apparent success or otherwise of its strategy, based on your findings. Introduction We may consider a company’s strategy from a number of aspects, but generally we are interested in answering the question: How well is the company’s present strategy working? To understand and analyse success in terms of strategy, we must begin by understanding what the strategy is.From Thompson, Strickland and Gamble (2012) we might examine the following areas * Identify competitive approach * Low-cost leadership? * Differentiation? * Best-cost provider? * Focus on a particular market niche? * Determine competitive scope * Broad or narrow geographic market coverage? * In how many stages of industry’s production/distribution chain does the company operate? * Examine r ecent strategic moves * Identify functional strategies We can also assess performance in terms of both quantitative measures (financial and strategic achievements against budget, plans, etc. and look to see if its performance is above or below the industry average. We can also look at qualitative measures (such as brand awareness /status, consumer attitudes to the company, and so on). There is only limited information in the case regarding some of these areas, but I will attempt to look first at the strategy followed by Body Shop, then at the financial ratios based on its figures, non-financial measures and then finally draw conclusions that attempt to answer the question.Strategy being followed by Body Shop Porter’s Generic strategies, as amended by Hitt, Ireland and Hoskisson (2002) are shown below. If we consider first, their competitive approach, there is no evidence in the case study that Body Shop has any concern about Cost Leadership, and in fact we know from the Tradi ng Charter and Mission (case, page 539) that the firm pays above market rates for goods it buys from suppliers in poorer countries, where it can, which is not something a cost-leadership company would normally do.We also have plentiful evidence from the case that Body Shop occupies a unique position in the cosmetics retailing industry, as it takes a highly principled stance on many issues, as indicated in my earlier answer to question 2, and shown in the firm’s mission statement, which mentions many areas of Corporate Social Responsibility – ecological and ‘green’ issues, human and civil rights, against animal testing of cosmetics, and so on. The company must therefore be following a Differentiation strategy.The question then is whether this is broad or narrow in focus, as suggested by Thompson, Strickland and Gamble, as mentioned earlier – their competitive scope. The decision here rests on how one defines the market: Body Shop is a retailer that a lso manufactures, within the cosmetics industry. It is a specialist retailer, not selling anything apart from its own products and is not configured and structured like bigger retailers such as – in the UK – House of Fraser, Debenhams, Boots, Marks and Spencer or Tesco, all of whom retail cosmetics amongst many other product ranges.I therefore conclude that Body Shop is a Focused Differentiator. Firms that seek differentiation, according to Porter, seek higher profit margins through finding something unique about themselves, which consumers value more than the offerings of competitors. In the case of Body Shop we might see this as being their highly visible and principled ethical stance, and the range of products which they sell, being organic, fair trade and ethically produced and traded, so their competitive approach and scope is Focus Differentiation, as such a stance is not likely to appeal to all shoppers.Similarly, some, at least would be indifferent to the organ ic/fair trade/human rights etc appeal of the stores and others might consider the range of products to be relatively limited and not of sufficiently high brand status, as the products in Body Shop stores fit in price and value terms between the low-cost products offered in stores like Sainsbury and Tesco, and the high-end cosmetics of Helena Rubenstein, Elizabeth Arden etc, sold via stores such as House of Fraser and Debenhams.In terms of recent strategic moves, we can see from the case only that the firm has expanded reasonably quickly, via franchising mostly; from the case it seems that about 80% of stores are franchised out. In terms of functional strategies, we can see the small amount of vertical integration mentioned in the case, whereby the largest part of the business is involved in running the owned shops and franchise, and a small amount of manufacturing in terms of soap products, etc.It is important to note that for the next section, examining Body Shop’s finances, the franchising approach is important, as it has a major impact on revenues – however successful a store is, the majority of revenues will go to the franchisee, not the Body Shop. According to Cavusgil, Knight and Reisenberger (Called CKR in future – from p 246), the initial revenue to Body Shop will be from the franchising fee, but then they will get regular revenues from product sales to the stores and from the royalty fees. This is likely to amount to about 30% of revenue in total (25% from product charges and 5% royalty fee).Body Shop’s Financial Position We are asked to evaluate the firm’s financial position. Briefly, Body shop is a retailer that sells in around 45 countries and uses a mixed mode of Franchising and FDI though investing in owned retail stores. So far as I can tell, about 80% of the 1,208 stores are franchised. Franchising is a particular form of retail expansion, where, according to Cavusgil, Knight and Reisenberger, an entrepreneur buys into an established brand system. The best known franchise is probably McDonalds, but Body Shop is a medium-sized international franchise, given its range of countries and umber of stores (much smaller than McDonalds, which has over 33,000 restaurants worldwide, and annual revenues (2010) of about ? 15 billion. I will come back to this more modern data later in my answer. When examining the financial basis of a business, there are – according to Thompson Strickland and Gamble – five areas which can be studied – 1. Profitability (the profits made by the business on its activities), 2. Liquidity (the ability of a business to pay its debts [creditors] and collect money from customers [debtors]), 3.Leverage (the amount of money invested in the business by shareholder – v – the amounts borrowed from financial institutions, to fund the business and invest in its future), 4. Business Activities (amounts of stock held in the business, how quickly it t urns over, and so on), and 5. Stockholder Interests (the amount of money paid in dividends, value changes in share prices, etc. ) * According to the lecture notes in week 10, Ratio analysis can be used to: * Compare the performance of a company over a period of time. Compare the performance of your own company with that of one of your competitors or the industry sector. * Detect weaknesses in aspects of your operations, e. g. debt management, stock levels etc. which you can improve. * Assess a company's exposure to short term risk through its liquidity (ability to meet debts). * Determine a company's profitability. Much of this data is useful only when considered against the performance of other firms and we have no data from the case to illustrate any of this. However, I have approached the financial situation analysis in two ways.First I look at the basic ratios for the firm and comment on them; second, I have compared the latest data for Body shop, with a number of its contempora ries, both in retail and in franchising, in order to make some valid comparisons. Profitability the commonest ratios are Profit before Interest payments on loans, Taxation, Depreciation and other fixed costs like mortgage payments. Often referred to as operating profit or EBITDA; for Body Shop in 1995 I have calculated this as Profit for the year/turnover*100 (from figures, case pp553/4), this is 33. 5/219. 7*100 = 15. 24%.Calculated in the same way, net profit would be 21. 8/219. 7*100 = 9. 9%. Liquidity the commonest ratio here would be the Current Ratio, which measures balance of current assets against current liabilities, which for Body Shop yields a ratio of 2. 29:1. Similarly the Quick Ratio, which is a similar calculation but ignoring inventory or stock, would yield a ratio of 0. 83:1. This indicates that the business is not perfectly liquid and would struggle a little to pay off all of its debts (a ratio of 1:1 indicating perfection here) – but this is not seen as a p roblem when the ratio is over 0. . Without any share price data it is impossible to calculate meaningful ratios for stockholders, so we can only note that the dividend paid to shareholder appears high, at ? 11. 50 per share for 1995 (case, p. 554). A major measure for stockholders, however, might be Return on Shareholders equity, as this is the best comparison to the return that the investor might make if he or she had invested their money in a bank Savings account. For Body Shop I calculate this as: Net profit/Total Equity*100 or 21. /110. 6*100 = 19. 7%. However, these numbers by themselves, tell us only that the business is profitable and is a sound going concern, with a decent profit margin and a fair coverage against its debts. For shareholder it is making a very good return on invested amounts of nearly 20% – at a time when savings accounts would maybe have yielded 6%) and is paying a handsome dividend. We might conclude that the business is financially sound, therefore .Moreover, using Franchising as a way to expand internationally is a relatively low cost and low-risk method, according to CKR, as the franchisee pays for the initial setting up of the store; the stock; staff recruitment and training; and advertising and promotion. They also pay – in this case – to Body Shop PLC for the stock they must subsequently sell in their store and the franchise royalties on turnover. This is a very effective business model and allows a strategy of international expansion to take place reasonably quickly and at reasonably low risk. Conclusions General comments about the success of the strategy and body Shop’s financesBased on this evidence, it is possible to state that Body Shop’s financial position is clearly comfortable and they appear to have a sensible strategy for international expansion, which is sustainable, in that they have transferred the majority of risk for their expansion to the franchisee. The group should be able to comfortably expand its foreign operations in this manner, for a number of years. However, at the moment, as I indicated in my answer to question 1, the company at present has a very simple structure and this may have to change as the number of stores, and the number of countries in which they operate, continues to grow.We also know, from my answer to question 2, that in terms of what we might call non-financial measures, Body Shop is highly regarded as an excellent example of an Ethical and Corporately Responsible company. We might therefore conclude that both the financial and non-financial evidence as presented supports the view that B0dy Shop is a well-run business and has a sensible strategy that will allow it to expand. Comments updating Body Shop’s Position Without comparative data, however, it is impossible to make much more of an analysis or draw conclusions from the business.We know that the case ends in 1995/6 and that about ten years after this, the firm was sold t o L’Oreal, a very large, French-based cosmetics producer. This caused some controversy as it was not clear if L’Oreal still tested products on animals (they do) and if so, how such a principled owner as Anita Roddick could sell out to a large corporate that seemed to embody many of the things she had supposedly dedicated both her personal and professional life to fighting. However, the sale went ahead and the business has been part of the French company now for 7 years.Today (2011) it has expanded to 2,748 stores, of which 1,639 (59%) are franchised. This is interesting as it tells us that the proportion of franchised stores has fallen since 1995, even though the number of stores has more than doubled in 16 years. This would indicate a change in strategy, but it is not clear whether this was pre or post the L’Oreal takeover. Finally, in order to look at Body Shop in comparative terms, I prepared data for them and a number of rivals, which is presented below. | | Revenue ? billion| EBITDA ? million| EBITDA %| Net profit? million| Net Profit %| House of Fraser| | 0. 596| 36. 8| 6. 7| 8. 2| 1. 3| Debenhams| | 2. 112| 189. 7| 8. 98| 97. 0| 4. 6| Boots| | 23. 330| 1,444. 0| 6. 17| 221. 0| 0. 9| Marks and Spencer| | 9. 50| 852. 0| 9. 00| 523. 0| 5. 5| Tesco| | 60. 93| 3,810. 0| 6. 25| 2,670. 0| 4. 4| Body Shop| | 1. 01| 144. 4| 14. 2| 41. 2| 4. 1| McDonalds| | 15. 06| 4,670. 6| 31. 0| 3,093. 1| 20. 5| I chose data for several large retailers, like Tesco and M&S who sell at least comparative products to Body Shop, House of Fraser and Debenhams because they sell higher level products and McDonalds as the most obvious franchiser example.Regarding the large retailers, although Body Shop remains a small business, internationally speaking (just about ? 1 billion in turnover), its net profit margins are at the top end of those of its retailing rivals, but fall well short of its main franchise rival. My conclusion which I made at the end of question 2â €™s answer – that I am sure the impact of the ethical stance affects the performance of the company – is thus thrown into some doubt, but it would need much more research into the comparative financial data in order to prove or disprove this view.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Festivals in Davao Region Essay

Held annually in the city of Tagum, Davao del Norte during February 21-27, Musikahan Festival also known as Musikahan sa Tagum, is a distinct cultural event celebrating Filipino excellence in music through composition, performance and production, providing the youth with more opportunities in the music industry as its goal. Local government of Tagum provides musical instruments to public schools aiming to amplify music appreciation and enhance the skills in performance of the youth in the field of music and prepare them for a bright future in music career. Also, Tagum City facilitates the participation of local barangay units in various music competitons not only to enrich cultural literacy but also as an opportunity to gain support in the development projects of local communities. Musikahan Festival is a weeklong musical celebration that also aims to promote Tagum City as the Music Capital of Mindanao and have now finally made a mark in the music scene as Department of Tourism have officially included the event as one of the country’s pride festivals .Already earning popularism, the city of Tagum plans to bid for a Guinness Record for the longest nonstop live concert in the world. Current holder of the title is Japan with a record of 184 hours. About 5,000 members of contingents from the cities of Cagayan de Oro, Malaybalay, Marawi, Cotabato, Butuan, and Davao, of participants alone not including the visitors, compete in various musical contests which is expected to triple the income of business establishments in Tagum City. Musikahan Festival also aims to provide employment and livelihood for the townspeople. The City of Tagum claims that visitors who would take part in the celebration will be the cause for the city to have substantial multiplier effect to its businesses for they are sure to buy goods in the markets. Revelers can avail food at reasonable prices as booths are scattered in almost every part of the venue during the Musikahan Festival. Holding of the event is also an opportunity for tourism investments for hotels and malls, which is continously flourishing along with the city’s development. Among the festival’s highlights are the Battle of the Bands which divided into three categories: Folksong / Acoustic / Bossa Nova, Reggae / Ska / Emo, and Pop / Rock / Alternative category, the Drum and Bugle Corps / Chorale Competition category, and the Marching Brass Band Competition. Kadayawan Festival From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search The Kadayawan Festival is an annual festival in the city of Davao in the Philippines. Its name derives from the friendly greeting â€Å"Madayaw†, from the Dabawenyo word â€Å"dayaw†, meaning good, valuable, superior or beautiful. The festival is a celebration of life, a thanksgiving for the gifts of nature, the wealth of culture, the bounties of harvest and serenity of living. Indak-indak sa Kadalanan. Indak-indak sa Kadalanan. Kadayawan Festival 2012 Kadayawan Festival 2012 Kadayawan Festival 2012 Davao Events and Festivals Davao, Philippines offers visitors a rich array of events and festivals throughout the year that highlight its unique cultural identity and history. HotelTravel.com highlights the key events and festivals in Davao from month to month, providing visitors with a huge choice of possible choice to play that once in a lifetime holiday around. Each one brings to life why Davao is so representative of people from Philippines. Click the events and festival links below for further information. Davao has a busy calendar of events which includes both holidays that are celebrated by the entire nation and a variety of celebrations that are exclusive to the region. Religion plays a big part in local festivities, with the largest events generally revolving around Roman Catholicism. Below are the most popular festivals enjoyed across the Davao region. January New Years Day: Davao’s residents celebrate the arrival of the New Year with a day off work and the chance to relax and enjoy get-togethers with friends and family. Araw ng mga Natibo: otherwise known as the Day of the Natives, this distinctly regional event sees members of the Tagacaolos, B’laans and Manobo tribes come together to celebrate their respective cultures through performances of ethnic singing and dancing, and the unusual spectacle of horse fighting. February People Power Day: Davao’s residents join the nation in enjoying a public holiday in remembrance of the 1986 People Power Revolt. March Araw ng Dabaw: Davao City celebrates the historic event when the city received an official charter. For a week, the locals enjoy a variety of festivities including horse fighting, ethnic rituals, a beauty contest and grand parade. April Easter: Locals are predominantly Catholic and so attend Holy Week services, culminating in Mass on Easter Sunday followed by celebrations with family and friends. Bataan Day: Davao locals enjoy this national holiday in remembrance of those who gave their lives in battles against the Japanese for control of the Bataan peninsular at the start of WWII. May Summer Island Festival: the third week of the month sees this popular event based at Samal Island in Davao. Locals and visitors assemble to enjoy cultural performances, banca racing and water sports competitions. June Santacruzan: locals don brightly coloured outfits and re-enact St Helene’s discovery of the cross of Christ. The event takes place in the residential areas of Belisario Heights and Lanang, which can be found a short distance north of Davao City. Tabanogan Festival: the feast of St Peter is celebrated in Davao with a number of festivities, among the most notable being the kite flying competition in which locals showcase their talents in this age-old activity. Independence Day: the 12th of June is a national holiday and sees residents of Davao enjoy a day off work to celebrate the country’s anniversary of the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain. July Araw ng Davao del Sur, Davao del Norte, Davao Oriental: this is the annual celebration of Davao’s division into the three independent provinces of del Sur, del Norte and Oriental. A variety of festivities are enjoyed including horse fighting displays, beauty pageants and tribal dance performances. Filipino-American Friendship Day: the formal Declaration of Independence from the United States is celebrated across the country on the 4th of July. Davao residents enjoy a day off work. August Araw ng mga Bayani: otherwise known as National Heroes’ Day, this is a public holiday enjoyed by all on the 26th of August. Kadayawan sa Dabaw: in the second week of August, this festival is enjoyed by locals with a variety of events including a beauty pageant, ethnic performances, a fruit and flower show and more. September Osmeà ±a Day: this national holiday commemorates the now deceased fourth President of the Philippines, Sergio Osmeà ±a. October Ramadan: a small percentage of Davao’s residents are Muslim and therefore celebrate the Islamic month of abstinence called Ramadan. Locals eat sparingly and avoid indulgences of any kind for the duration of the period. November Eid ul-Fitr: the Muslim residents of Davao mark the end of the Ramadan period with get-togethers and family feasts. Bonifacio Day: the birth date of Filipino revolutionary leader Andres Bonifacio is celebrated by residents of the Davao region. December Lopez Jaena Day: the life of Graciano Là ³pez Jaena, one of the country’s most significant historic figures, is celebrated on the 18th of December. Christmas: beginning on the 15th of the month and lasting until the 31st, Paskuhan sa Dabaw is the country’s official Christmas season. The period is marked by a variety of festive events. New Years Eve (Bisperas ng Bagong Taon): is the official end of year celebration and sees a variety of festivities enjoyed across the Davao region. Davao City is particularly lively, holding various parties and putting on fireworks displays in a number of locations.

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Live Face Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Live Face - Assignment Example Discovery process entails gathering information about perspectives and experiences about the brand by the internal and external customers of the organization. Additionally, a company can improve its brand dynamics by looking at its historical information on branding as part of the discovery stage. The outcome of the discovery process is referred to as a core brand analysis which enables the entity to know what the brand symbolizes and the intended audience (Gregory, 2004). The Blue Team Focus Company should as a next step develops a strategy to communicate what the brand intends to achieve, express brand personality and stakeholder expectations about the company. For Blue Team Focus, a brand strategy should emphasize the expected customer experience through interaction with the company from using the Live Face product. After developing the brand strategy, Blue Team Focus should engage in corporate brand communication which involves marketing, promotion, and advertising and creating awareness about the brand through public relations. Given that Blue Team Company has an already established customer base through Sony and Verizon FIOS; it has a less job to do in terms of brand communication. Finally, Blue Team should invest in brand management that involves keeping the brand alive and ensuring its growth using the appropriate company resources (Gregory, 2004). According to Westwood (2002), contingency planning is done through a SWOT analysis when all information and opinions are collected from marketing research. Blue Team Focus Company should evaluate its strengths in relation to its weaknesses considering available opportunities and potential threats in the marketplace. The company shall leverage its strengths from advantages related to proprietary technology mainly from Sony and Verizon FIOS.  

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Film review-Pressure(Horace Ove 1975) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Film review-Pressure(Horace Ove 1975) - Essay Example I believe that one of the major themes of the movie is that the main character is disillusioned with regard to his perception of the contemporary society. Unlike the older generations he is not willing to give in, but ultimately results that nothing can be done with the help of legitimate measures. There is no doubt that it is something that many people of that time can relate to. All this makes the movie in question some kind of a mirror that the public can take a close look at and analyze its fundamental problems. It is particularly important that a black director was able to make such a film (Bourne 198). Another important point that is made is that when it comes to social injustice, colors do not matter. The main character concludes that some white people suffer as mush as blacks. This means that all the population should unite against social inequality and build a society where everyone will be enjoying his or her state of

Negative effects of living an unhealthy lifestyle Essay

Negative effects of living an unhealthy lifestyle - Essay Example A nutritious diet supplies the body with adequate nutrients needed for growth and prevention of diseases. A diet that lacks adequate quantities of nutrients such as potassium, calcium and fiber is considered unhealthy and poses significant risks to the wellbeing of a person. Unhealthy diets that lack adequate nutrients and are high in sugar, salt and fat may lead to the development of chronic conditions. In many cases, diets that lack vegetables and fruits may exposà © one to heart diseases, kidney failure and stroke. In addition, diseases such as diabetes, cancer and hypertension have been found to be caused by poor dietary habits. Second, weight gain is another challenge associated with unhealthy diets. This is usually caused by consuming processed foods that contain large quantities of sugar and fat. Continued consumption of such foods leads to excessive weight gain, and eventually, obesity. Lack of physical activity further makes the problems of weight gain and obesity worse. Ob ese people are prone to health problems such as heart attacks and diabetes. Furthermore, an obese person might find it difficult to undertake daily routines and activities, and this may impact his productivity and general way of life. As a result, such people find it difficult to fit into the larger society, and thus may leave one feeling isolated and neglected. Third, unhealthy diets may lead to mental health problems. Naturally, the brain requires certain minerals and nutrients to function properly.

Monday, August 26, 2019

Competitive Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Competitive Strategy - Essay Example The offshoot is that film companies or online retail sites such as Amazon.com can afford to analyze each consumer data and provide specific services and product characteristics that meet his profile requirements. The processes involved take a few seconds to finish due to the sheer speed of today's broadband technology. The data generated by Internet technology allows movie distributors to tailor their offerings according to several variables such as the demand, the availability, popularity, and other factors that are revealed in the individual client data. It has become easier, hence, for film companies to introduce price formation, price differentiation and price bundling (Meier and Stormer 2009, 21). The efficacy of the Internet as a film-selling platform is underscored by the research that found about 121 million Internet users per month streamed or downloaded video in the United States back in 2007 and that this was expected to swell to 165 million by 2011 (Plunkett 2009). Anothe r important dimension to e-commerce is the benefit brought about by the digitalization of films. As films are compressed into digital files, Internet users can download them easily besides buying hard copies such as those in DVD and Blu-ray formats. As a result film distributors can now offer different products and could package films either for sale, for rent or for subscription (OPEC 2009, 45).

Sunday, August 25, 2019

In the past 15 years, the United Kingdom & the European Union have Essay

In the past 15 years, the United Kingdom & the European Union have created a legal and regulatory system that encourages the ad - Essay Example For the first time in history, contracts can be routinely entered by parties who have never met, who have had no prior relationship, who do not know each other and who may often be located in different legal jurisdictions. When internet shopping was first introduced in the mid-90’s, these facts represented major hurdles to consumer confidence towards online retailers. Indeed, in a traditional shopping experience, the consumer is located on the premises of the retailer, can see the goods and services provided to others and can interact with staff and other shoppers during the process of making a shopping decision. Moreover, in the event of a problem with the goods or services purchased, the consumer can return to the premises and interact with the service desk, or even alert friends, family, the local authorities or perhaps the media in the event of unresolved issues. This level of extensive horizontal interaction and recourses is not only required to make the retailer more per sonable to the shopper and thereby secure, establish and propagate the business’s goodwill, it was also the key ingredient missing from online shopping in it’s early years, some of which is addressed by the United Kingdom’s e-commerce laws. The requirement for online businesses to provide their geographical address, contact information, business registration information and supervising regulatory or professional bodies (Business Link, n.d.) addresses many of these concerns, but above all gives the consumer i) the possibility to recognize, report and avoid recidivist fraudulent businesses, ii) the peace of mind that not only are the regulatory authorities watching, but iii) fraudulent businesses can be found out and prosecuted if needed. All these benefits synergize to bolster consumer confidence. As rapid technological advancements over the past decade have made powerful and versatile electronic devices accessible to the general public, the computer and electron ic gadget culture has secured a foothold in all spheres of society. An extensive online culture has developed with social media, virtual friends, digital media and electronic hobbies of all kinds, and every single one of these phenomena has almost completely replaced their offline counterpart (CBC, 2011), especially in the younger generations that have grown-up with ready access to this culture. It was inevitable that this cultural shift would also transform other aspects of daily life, from becoming one of the leading causes of motor vehicle collisions to being able to do all banking, shopping and business meetings in the palm of one’s hand, wherever a wireless internet connection is available. As a direct result of consumer confidence bolstered by the regulatory framework, the United Kingdom has become one of the leading electronic economies of the world, both in terms of proportion of retail sales and amount spent per capita (Robinson, 2010). Just as the younger generation in the 80’s was a force pushing home entertainment systems and gaming consoles into every home and the younger generation in the 90’s pushed personal computers, high-speed internet and digital media into every household, the current

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Natural Environment and the Urban Centres Essay

Natural Environment and the Urban Centres - Essay Example Sao Paulo was not a highly developed and industrialised city with a population of 65,000 in 1890 compared to Rio de Janiero of almost half a million. With the development of manufacturing enterprise in Sao Paulo, the population increased by 240, 000 in 1900s because of immigration. Sao Paulo constantly evolves into a productive city, which becomes the centre of manufacturing business that is the source of Brazil’s total industrial product. The Metropolitan of Sao Paulo has population of 16.4 million that implies of the need to extend the area from the centre, which accounts for 8,051 km (Cohen, 2006, p.38). Thus, as the population grows, the there is the larger need for space or area to accommodate residents. Cohen (2006) indicates that adjacent to the development is the transformation of the physical and social structure of a city. The attraction of huge investments to construct airports, manufacturing plants, and wide office space transferred to ‘urban fringe.’ The urban centre of Sao Paulo became the command area that dispersed in the regional or global operation, for example, telecommunications, law office, banking, information services, and management.Due to the development in Sao Paulo, it faces many environmental and ecological concerns such as sanitation, traffic congestion, and pollution. These signs are the effects of urban sprawl.   Pohanka (2004, p.242) defines urban sprawl as the ratio of agricultural lands converted to residential areas to shelter the growing population.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Effect and Influence of Social Factor on Business Essay

Effect and Influence of Social Factor on Business - Essay Example This essay focuses on the significance of the social aspect in the PEST analysis in regards to a business from apparel manufacturing industry. Environmental analysis is a marketing function which includes study of all external factors that may determine the success or failure of a business. Relatively qualitative in nature, this analysis involves identifying of environmental variables, scanning them, analyzing and finally forecasting of business situation. Environmental analysis is significant for a business to survive and grow. This analysis helps in identifying the probable opportunities and threats to a business. It opens new avenues for business activity expansion and also provides opportunities for discovering and exploitation of business. PEST analysis is an acronym for â€Å"political, economic, social and technological.† Its purpose is to conduct analysis and identify various external factors that might affect business and also to help in market research.Social aspect of PEST analysis includes factors such as age distribution, income level, education, diet and nutrition, religion, population growth, consumerism, social class, and expectation of society from business. It also includes buying trends, change in lifestyle, cultural aspects, ethics, publicity factors, advertising, media, career attitudes, health consciousness and emphasis on safety. Social trends to a great extent affect demand for a product The social factor from PEST analysis creates various opportunities at a global, national and international level. ... It enables business and organizations to understand future problems and face them boldly. This analysis helps organizations in expanding their business while contributing towards social groups and causes. Environmental analysis keeps guiding the organizations from time to time about changes in socio economic conditions at the same time enabling them to take benefit of technological developments, government policies etc. Apart from providing various opportunities environmental analysis also helps business in identifying threats from competitor and other sources. Threats are uncontrollable and can put survival of organization or business at stake. Environmental analysis overcome organization’s threat and also helps in identifying competencies of business. Identification of one PEST factor PEST analysis is an acronym for â€Å"political, economic, social and technological.† Its purpose is to conduct analysis and identify various external factors that might affect business and also to help in market research. Out of all the factors from PEST analysis I am considering Social factor for discussion about how it affects business. Social aspect of PEST analysis includes factors such as age distribution, income level, education, diet and nutrition, religion, population growth, consumerism, social class, and expectation of society from business. It also includes buying trends, change in lifestyle, cultural aspects, ethics, publicity factors, advertising, media, career attitudes, health consciousness and emphasis on safety. Social trends to a great extent affect demand for a product (Miller 1992). Industry considered Considering apparel manufacturing industry for

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Black People and Civil War Essay Example for Free

Black People and Civil War Essay ?Introduction: In this essay I am going to compose a piece of text which will involve the tension of Segregation. In the 1930s, although 50% of the population of Southern towns were black, they had no vote and could not marry whites. Also in the 1930’s, many black people lived in the southern states. During that time, racism reached its highest point. For instance, the whites treated the blacks very poorly because they thought that the blacks were lower than them. Therefore, the blacks had to fight for the right to be treated equally. As a result, black people had to face the Jim Crow Laws and the Ku Klux Klan. In my own opinion I think that the 1930 was a turbulent time for race relations in America. Paragraph 1: The first racism incident that I have spotted out and chosen to write about in my essay is when the Wallace’s’ poured kerosene over Mr Berry and his nephews and lit them on fire. One of the nephews died, the other one is alive but has the same condition as Mr Berry. The reason why the Wallace’s poured kerosene over the Berry’s was because they caught them flirting with a white woman which wasn’t allowed back then. In fact, it was not even true! The Berry’s didn’t even flirt with her. They lied about it. The quote that goes with this event was when mama (Cassies’ mum) said to her kids, â€Å"The Wallaces did that, children. They poured kerosene over Mr Berry and his nephews and lit them afire. † â€Å"Everyone knows they did it, and the Wallaces even laugh about it, but nothing was ever done. † At this right moment I feel disgusted and baffled that people could actually do this in the 1930s. The sympathy for the Wallace’s has decreased because setting fire to someone is arson and that makes Mr Wallace and his clique an arsonist. Also it makes us feel that the Wallaces are black-hearted and atrocious people, because who would want to set a person on fire? Then laugh about it. The sympathy for the Berrys has definitely increased because of what happened to both Mr Berry and his two nephews is utterly excruciating and the fact that there is no reason behind why the Wallaces did it, makes the reader feel more sorrowful for them. On the other hand in the book it says, â€Å"Disfigured man lying in the darkness† In that quote you can see how dreadful his injuries were. He was even camouflaging with the darkness; see that is real bad? Paragraph 2: The second racism incident that I found very crucial was when Cassie bumped into Lillian Jean Simms by accident but Lillian Jean still DEMANDED for a sorry and for Cassie to get on her knees instantly. As well as this was racism, it was also bullying in some kind of way because Cassie didn’t want to get on her Knees but she still got forced. â€Å"Kicking at the sidewalk, my head bowed. It was then that I bumped into Lillian Jean Simms. † Cassie really didn’t mean to bump into Lillian Jean at all but she took it over the top reacted to the bump by saying, â€Å"why don’t you watch were you’re going? † â€Å"Well apologize† â€Å"That ain’t enough. Get down in the road† This right here is what you call racism. Cassie didn’t intend to bump into Lillian Jean, it was just an accident but because Cassie is black they didn’t care at all. Cassie even got pushed around by Mr Simms. Mr Simms was even sticking up for his daughter even though she was in the wrong. Lillian Jeans’ father was saying to Cassie that when Lillian tells you that you should get off the sidewalk, you get off it. The sympathy towards Lillian Jean Simms has totally decreased because what she did was just too dramatic and it was just a ‘bump’. In my opinion Cassie did not have to go on her knees because she didn’t deliberately bump into her; all that should have been done was an apology to Lillian. My sympathy towards Cassie has increased more. The reason why I said this was because she was intimidated and forced to get on her knees even though she had already shed a tear; they didn’t care, they just wanted an apology from her. Conclusion: To sum up I think that Racism is totally unacceptable and utterly inglorious. In this novel I think that Taylor was trying to put across the fact of what the black people had to go through in the 1930s every day of their lives, and how their wouldn’t even be an us our even a peaceful world if racism was still occurring. I also think that Taylor is trying to compare today’s life to the 1930s and too see how much the black people suffered.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

View on Death Essay Example for Free

View on Death Essay Victor Cicirelli filled in the research gap between the areas of gerontology, thanatology, and psychology by conducting a research on the older persons view on death and dying. He published the results of his research in the books titled Older Adults’ Views on Death for the readers to be enlightened and to understand how older adults’ perceptions of death affect their end-of-life decisions. The research gap based from his review of related studies was in the field of thanatology, a branch of learning concerned with death and its dimensions, meanings, and associations. His area of research focused on the thoughts, feelings, and attitudes of older persons in relation to death. Cicirelli conducted an empirical study of 109 adults of ages 70 years and older in a community in central Indiana. The population sample was composed of more white people than the African-American citizens in Indiana. Sixteen of the participants were male and the remaining were women. This group was further categorized into five age groups, and by education, socioeconomic status, marital status, employment, and occupational level. He also subdivided the white participants into high and low socioeconomic status groups in order to identify a group similar in education and occupational level to the African-Americans participating in the study. The goal of the research was to identify the variables that affected their views in death. The first phase of Cicirelli’s data gathering used validated instruments and quantitative analysis to relate results to demographic and contextual variables. To get more insights from the older adults, open-ended interviews were conducted. The data analysis using qualitative techniques used to identify research themes and further relate them to the gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status of the sample population. Using a creative mix of quantitative interviews with structured response categories as well as open-ended qualitative 32476179_View on Death Page 2 interviews, which allowed the respondents to speak in their own words, Cicirelli forms a web of data, which strengthens his study and adds considerable flesh to the findings. Cicirelli adapted the available and present scales, or developed ones based used in the review of related studies, and quantified the three groups of notions as the foci of the study. First, apprehension and worry of passing away, is ‘‘the anxiety experienced in daily life caused by the anticipation of the state in which one is dead’’ (Cicirelli, 2002). Four dimensions utilized this impression: fear of the dying process, worry of being destroyed, fear of the unknown, and fear for considerable others. Second, contemplations of the dying process scrutinize matters ‘‘that a person in the last stages of a terminal illness might have’’ (Cicirelli, 2002), particularly the feelings of dying they would be expecting to experience if they were in the infirmary with terminal cancer and had five more days to live. Third, the individual adults’ connotation of bereavement ‘‘are primarily cognitive interpretations of objects and events in the environment and occur prior to and serve as stimuli for emotional reactions’’ (Cicirelli, 2002). These hypotheses include 4 multi-item subordinate scales (death as afterlife, as legacy, as extinction, and as motivator). In his first and second major concern in Older Adults’ Views on Death, Cicirelli found a wide range of attitudes toward fear of death, including having little fear of death and dying, to having considerable fear. Most of the citizens have experienced anxiety and worry about their end. People were also worried about the pain, process, dependence, and the unknown dimension death may bring. The fear of death is the inescapable factor in life. Most of the populace feared death and the dying process because they were anticipating the end-of-life. As a consequence, it brings anxiety to a person. Another factor that contributed to the two notions of Cicirelli was the age variations of the participants. On the contrary, the research 32476179_View on Death Page 3 showed that the fear of death and dying process may hit the highest point in the early 80s and the potential greater chances of the acceptance of death in an older person approaches 90 years of age. Unexpectedly, the research participants did not account particular fears of the dying process itself. Many people in this study seem to see death as a quick, painless process, although it is not unusual for these same persons to have knowledge and experience of deaths of close persons whose dying was likely to have been prolonged and painful. The older persons preferred to view the dying process as a metaphor â€Å"sleep,† that leads to a denial of the process itself. Cicirelli also speculated that their refutation is a process older adults’ may employ in foreseeing death. There appeared to be inadequately existing thought given to planning and preparations for the dying process itself. Cicirelli deduced his first and second assumptions that the research participants seemed unrealistic in regards to death and dying process. However, what was more realistic was their worry of being destroyed and the fear of the considerate others. The notion was reinforced when the research participants said they do not want others with them when they die. Family relationships and close friendships remain meaningful to the end of life, and feelings of closeness to living family members, and the number of family members preceding an individual in death seem to be important factors related to older adults’ views of death. They do not want these important people in their lives to see how they die. He comments that older adults may need to be educated about the dying process so that they develop more realistic plans. The third notion of Cicirelli focused on the meanings of death on older people. The author touched on the meanings of different types of death, such as that caused by war, murder, accidents, catastrophes, assisted suicide, euthanasia, and disease. Open-ended 32476179_View on Death Page 4 interviews and sentence completion tasks was developed in which personal meanings for death could include (1) death as legacy, (2) as afterlife, (3) as extinction, and (4) as a motivator. All four of these meanings for death were affirmed in varying degrees, and while some differences by age category were found in the strength of the results, the idea of death as relating to an afterlife and contemporary life was confirmed. The derivation of personal meanings involved questions about lifespan expectations, what a person would do given more time than expected, whether they would want to live forever given perfect health and freedom from financial pressures, and whether they thought about death as it came nearer. Cicirelli construed that most people do not desire infinite life, and death as an afterlife was the most meaningful of the four factors explored in the qualitative instrument he developed. Death as meaning a loss of physical function, loss of personal relationships, and offering release from life’s troubles were concepts also found to be meaningful. Aside from his major foci in the book, Cicirelli has suggested quite a few areas for future research that are compelling: religion and people’s attachment to God, and the financial concerns and terminal care. What are extremely clear from Cicirelli’s Older Adults’ Views on Death is that older adults’ perceptions of death, the dying process, and their fears of death are highly variable and influenced by many factors such as human relationships, happenings in life, and age. The wealth of data the book it provided the readers generated different feelings and thoughts as to death and the valuation of life. The personal goals, expectations, and the meaning of the future in the context of Cicirelli became the sources of reactions and sentiments to the timing of death and how to live life to the fullest. 32476179_View on Death Page 5 Fear creates various strings of feelings that were attached to the community. They express fear of pain, fear of sorrow, fear of disease flare-ups, fear of death or disfigurement, fear of different drugs and their side effects afterwards, and other fears that kept on creeping in the veins. Fear is a normative action in response to life’s ups and downs. It is a component that completes the existence of human beings as a part of the community. In effect, the branches of fear that connects us to one another regardless of the different age groups played a vital role in the views of elder people on death. Not only older people are affected by the fear of death and the dying process but also the younger age groups in the community. The awful fear of death comes to every person and haunts the society until the end-of-life happens. The sudden removal of fear especially the fear of death and the dying process in the research participants was a surprise and created an uncomfortable feeling. People think that fear of death is absent because it rarely shows its true face. It is concealed in the faith an individual has—may it be a faith in God or a faith in destiny. The fear of death is a normal circumstance in life. Yet, the research participants were not bothered and overpowered by the fear itself coming to their lives. The astonishment with the strong faith these people have in the midst of uncertainty, and of the unknown became a concealment of the human nature. On the other hand, what was there to fear about if dying was a normal incident in life? Anxiety is linked with the satisfaction and the perception of life. The thought of death as an unavoidable event in our existence created a lighter feeling of joy. The fear of death enslaved the mind that can deteriorate the quality of life a person can have. The fear of death is worst than death itself. It molded a restricted world full of worries and tension. The elimination of anxieties due to the fear of death and the dying process gives a light of hope to continue 32476179_View on Death Page 6 living life to the fullest. The positive outlook of the research participants transformed the negative astonishment and uncomfortable emotion into a favorable and joyous feeling. Hence, the good things in life would be more cherished without the interference of sorrow and fear that abridge pleasures and memorable experiences. However, the moment of joy was tainted with a feeling of disappointment regarding the view of death. It arose when the person’s view of death became was anchored on the encounters and happenings in life. People sometimes have an unrealistic view of death, thinking that whatever happened to a friend or a family member would also happen to them. Some salient aspects of the context referred to the past experiences’ potential to affect the attitudes and perceptions towards their own death and dying. The experience may vary from the loss of dignity in death to the inevitable decay of the bodily material that was imprinted on the memory. People come short of realizing that there are numerous causes of deaths. It does not follow and guarantee an individual that what happened to your friend or parent would also happen to you. It is frustrating to know that people compare their own lives with others, even in the process of death. It is not the fear of death that was dreaded but the loss of life and the opportunities that come with it. The book consisted of refreshing ideas that generated the impression of leaving your fears behind and cherishing every moment in your life. Even as a young adult, the book inspired the readers not to be too consumed on the thought of death. There are many things to enjoy and to contemplate about death. Every person has different and unique encounters. Life must not be preempted and expected as how other people experience life incidences. 32476179_View on Death Page 7 It may be that fleeting or sporadic thoughts of dying and death have the power to maximize the value of life. Acceptance of death may be associated with increased meaning and satisfactions with living . To be adamantly discerning on the mortality of persons is to present an unsettling challenge to completely understand human nature. Thus, the book was not only about death but also the prevailing transitory of human nature and their way of life: people were too much consumed of repression, comparison, and expectations on death that they failed to understand the human existence. Reference: Cicirelli, V. G. (2002). Older Adults views on death. New York: Springer Publishing.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Effects of Education Context on Curriculum

Effects of Education Context on Curriculum 1a How can the curriculum offer and delivery vary according to the education and training context or purpose? The education and training context in this instance varies according to community outreach venues, specifically chosen to reach the parents of children needing ESOL teaching, who have low levels of first language literacy and so require potentially different means of supporting language learning. Different approaches to curriculum design are going to influence how the teacher develops the syllabus or the scheme of work, because this will affect how they select each topic to be taught, how sequence topics and themes, language stages, based on whether this is a process or product based syllabus, notional/functional syllabus, Communicative Syllabus, Top-based syllabus.[1] For example, a content-based syllabus, based maybe on grammatical structure, would be organised according to sequencing structures, while a communicative syllabus might be more functional or based on identified needs. Syllabus design is one of the means by which teachers can approach the process of facilitating language learning[2]. However, in language teaching, syllabus design has been largely neglected. Curricula are ways of organising learning, indicating lesson content and learning progress, while syllabuses are much more concerned with what actually goes on in the classroom, forming part of ongoing development, review and refinement of the syllabus[3] to meet the needs of the learner while satisfying the requirements of the institution or awarding body. Syllabus design is the selection and grading of content, and is argued to also relate to the selection of tasks and materials[4]. Because of the complexity of language learning, selection of tasks and selection of content may be different than in other types of learning.[5] â€Å"Lesson planning involves reinforcement with frequent feedback on learning, delayed feedback, allowing trial and error, and praise, marks and prizes.†[6] All o f these means of ordering learning are focused on what and how the ESOL student will learn.[7] In this context, the focus is on ESOL Keeping up with the Children – Family Learning, and so the curriculum is designed with this in mind, but the needs of learners in ESOL can vary, including a more academic approach, such as ESOL in FE[8], or intensive ESOL training for Job Search, or Vocational ESOL (eg ESOL embedded in something else, like Catering). This would then require a more functional syllabus which would be focused much more on vocabulary, and schemes of work would take this into account, practicing key elements of communication rather than simply grammar. Dynamic language learning is more complex than simply the repetition of sounds, words and sentence structures, and so the communicative approach may be much better suited.[9] However, all of these approaches could also potentially serve to help ESOL students integrate into the social world as well.[10] However, the syllabus design and development in this case is also constructed within the requirements of the awarding body, thus requiring that students learn sufficient and in the right manner to meet the assessment requirements, and develop a general English vocabulary which covers personal details and experiences, work, education training, housing, family and friends, health, transport, weather, buying goods, leisure, UK society. The scope of such learning is significant, and cannot all be developed in one term, but the provision of vocabulary lists, and the implementation of constructive methods of learning can be built into the syllabus to allow for ongoing linguistic development which builds upon learning session by session.[11],[12] 1b  How might the different approaches to curriculum design you have outlined influence the outcomes for individuals and groups? The kinds of outcomes which relate to the curriculum here include looking at what skills, vocabulary and language structures will have been learnt in the different educational settings or contexts[13]. For example, the work or occupational based ESOL courses will be limited to the kinds of vocabulary which relate to work activities and practices, and will be quite specialised, while the kinds of programmes which are to do with family learning are likely to relate more strongly to more practical language which can be used in the home and in key scenarios such as learning how to communicate with school teachers and other people about the child. But over-defined objectives can limit learning, rather than support the dynamic forms of learning which are often more suited to ESOL.[14] One of the problems is that the primary contexts for learning, particularly if they are very specialised, such as the occupational learning context, or even learning English as a tourist, can lead to bad habi ts, because language learning is a process of developing attitudes and habits.[15] Thus the habits that have been developed in one context, may benefit or hinder the use of language and the learning and development of further language skills in another setting. However, supporting a degree of learning awareness and self-direction in learning is important, and depending on whether the curriculum is didactic or communicative, this could be more easily achieved or else become more difficult. A communicative approach is much more focused on the needs of the learner, and so is more dynamic, and more likely to foster self-direction in language learning. [16] Self-direction and the identification of structural regularities in language, such as learning applied grammar, can be enhanced by more directed learning approaches, or by a mixture of content-focused syllabi and communicative approaches[17], which has been the author’s experience in their current context. Despite the strengths of different approaches, the context of learning is very significant in how and how well students learn.[18],[19] However, language learning curricula, and the impacts of different approaches to teaching and learning, are still relatively poorly researched, and it would be useful to have more, diverse research and case studies which identify what kinds of approaches have been proven best in which settings.[20], [21] References Armitage, A., Bryant, R., Dunhill, R., Hammersley, M., Hayes, D., Hudson, A., Lawes, S. (1999) Teaching and Training in Post-Compulsory Education, Open University Press. Brillinger, K. (2003) From Theory to Practice: Creating Intermediate ESL Reading Materials Based on Current SLA Research and Theories, Newsletter of the Association of Teachers of English as a Second Language of Ontario, 29(3), 1-6 Burns, A. (2006) Surveying landscapes in adult ESOL research, Linguistics and Education, 17, 97–105 Curzon, L. B. (1997), Teaching in Further Education: an Outline of Principles and Practice, (5th ed.). London: Cassell. Dagenais, D. Beynon, J. and Mathis, N. (2008) Intersections of Social Cohesion, Education, and Identity in Teachers, Discourses, and Practices Pedagogies: An International Journal 3 (2) 85 – 108. Ewald, J.D. (2004) A classroom forum on small group work: L2 learners see, and change, themselves. Language Awareness 13 (3) 163-179. Ferris, D.R. (1994) Lexical and syntactic features of ESL writing by students at different levels of L2 proficiency. TESOL Quarterly 28 (2) 414-420. Lochtman, K. (2002) Oral corrective feedback in the foreign language classroom: how it affects interaction in analytic foreign language teaching International Journal of Educational Research 37 (3-4) 271-283. Long, M. (1996) The role of the linguistic environment in second language acquisition. In Ritchie, W. and Bhatia, T. (eds) Handbook of Second Language Acquisition (413-468) San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Morgan, B. (1997) Identity and intonation: linking dynamic processes in an ESL classroom. TESOL Quarterly 31 (3) 431-450. Morrice, L. (2007) Lifelong learning and the social integration of refugees in the UK: the significance of social capital, International Journal of Lifelong Education, 26(2), 155-172 Reece, I. and Walker, S. (2000). Teaching, Training and Learning: a practical guide. Sunderland: Business Education Publishers. Roberts, C. Baynham, M. (2006) Introduction to the special issue: Research in adult ESOL, Linguistics and Education, 17, 1-5 Rogers, A. (1996), Teaching Adults, 2nd edition, Buckingham: Open University Press. Widodo, H.P. (2006) Approaches and procedures for teaching grammar. English Teaching: Practice and Critique. 5 (1) 122-141. Zamel, V. and Spack, R. (2006) Teaching Multilingual Learners across the Curriculum: Beyond the ESOL Classroom and Back Again. Journal of Basic Writing (CUNY), 25 (2) 126-152. 1 Footnotes [1] Nunan, D. (1988) [2] Nunan (ibid) [3] Nunan (ibid) [4] Nunan (ibid) [5] Zamel, V. and Spack, R. (2006) [6] Reece, I. and Walker, S. (2000). P 106 [7] Armitage, A., Bryant, R., Dunhill, R., Hammersley, M., Hayes, D., Hudson, A., Lawes, S. (1999) [8] Curzon, L. B. (1997), [9] [10] Morrice, L. (2007) [11] Morgan, B. (1997) [12] Lochtman, K. (2002) [13] Burns, A. (2006) [14] Reece and Walker (ibid) [15] Reece and Walker (ibid) [16] Rogers, A. (1996), [17] Widodo, H.P. (2006) [18] Long, M. (1996) [19] Ewald, J.D. (2004) [20] Roberts, C. Baynham, M. (2006) [21] Brillinger, K. (2003)

Harley Davidson Essay -- essays research papers fc

The Harley-Davidson Motor Company had a small beginning, but has risen to unimaginable success. The road to success has not been simple and the company has been faced with many hardships. The support of outrageously loyal owners have allowed the company to struggle but maintain its composure. Harley’s top management has implemented plans to achieve prosperity, which has lasted throughout the years, and they are constantly looking forward.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To understand this company’s success it is important to know a brief history. H-D began meagerly in 1903 and is the brainchild of two men, William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson. Their first shop was a small wooden shed in their hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The shop was more of a hut, not much larger then a Moravian College dorm room. On the front door there was roughly carved sign that read, â€Å"The Harley-Davidson Motor Company.† From this tiny beginning H-D grew to become the ruler of the American motorcycle industry (Harley-Davidson.com).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Arthur’s brothers Walter, and William Davidson soon joined up and they began expanding the motorcycle industry. About this time H-D filed articles of corporation, and the stock was spilt four ways amongst the Harley’s and the Davidson’s. This begins a family tradition that still thrives today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  H-D rapidly expanded and grew in popularity. In 1953, following the demise of its last American competitor, Indian (Hendee Manufacturing), Harley-Davidson becomes the sole producer of motorcycles in the United States. Harley remains alone for forty-six years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After World War II, in which H-D produced 90,000 bikes for military use, Harley began to experience its newest and most competitive foe, foreign manufacturers.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The introduction of Japanese motorcycles into the United States drastically affected H-D. Japanese bikes were more efficient and cheaper. Also the Japanese marketed their bikes as clean and wholesome, and tried to pit Harley’s badboy image against them. Now Harley’s management faced a difficult situation, either to evolve or face elimination.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At this time, late 1960s, H-D was still a privately owned corporation, but to avoid takeover and also to gain financial backing H-D merged with the American Machin... ...f H-D motorcycles. Harley has endured strong Japanese competition, weak parent companies (AMF), and numerous production difficulties. Through all of their trials and tribulations H-D most valuable asset has been its enormous cult following of die-hard bikers. With such positive brand image and tremendous success in the stock market, I think it is safe to say that the patented sound of Harley-Davidson motorcycles will be heard for as long as this country stands. Bibliography Bartol, Kathryn M. and Martin, David C. Management. Bosto: McGraw-Hill. 1998. Eisenberg, Daniel. â€Å"Youth Must Be Revved,† Time August 13, 2001, Vol. 158 Issue 6, p47. Http://www.Harley-Davidson.com Jackson, Terry. â€Å"Designer Ford 2001 Pickups: Too Pretty to Haul Gravel,† Hispanic May 2001, Vol.14 Issue 5, p74. McLaughlin, Abraham. â€Å"The radical road that Harley took,† Christian Science Monitor November 29, 1999, Vol. 92 Issue 3, p1. Reid, Peter. Well Made in America: Lessons from Harley-Davidson on being the best. New York: McGraw-Hill. 1990.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Monday, August 19, 2019

A Background Of Argentina :: essays research papers

In the beginning of Argentina, we recall two major tribes; the Diaguita and the Gaurani who constituted the agricultural origins. During the 1500’s, Spain discovered Argentina, and quickly claimed it for its own. Spain reigned until the 1800’s when it was at war with Britain. In 1816 Argentina declared independence from Spain. After WWII there was a struggle for leadership of Argentina, eventually Juan Peron, a former dictator, was elected President. Peron represented himself as a leader for the common people, however his administration embezzled funds stole from the workers. With the help of his wife, Eva Peron, who became a spiritual symbol for the nation, he reigned over Argentina until his after her death and his government was overthrown by a military coup in 1955. He spent 18 years in exile, however, Perà ³n retained his labor support and influence in Argentine politics. He was finally allowed to return to Argentina in 1973 and was again elected president, with his third wife as vice president. He died in office on July 1, 1974. Democratic elections finally arrived in 1983, but the political environment is still shaky. Currently Argentina has a republican government that is very influenced by western nations. It is broken into 23 separate provinces and consists of three branches; judicial, legislative, and executive. President Carlos Saul Menem has been in office since 8 July 1989 and Vice President Carlos Ruckauf has been in office since 8 July 1995 although they also have 4 year terms. In Argentina the president is both the chief of state and head of government. Similar to many countries, Argentina is still trying to find a stable government. Argentina has a steady economy now, although when the republic began, Argentina was in heavy debt. Through the mass exports of oil, feed, and steel with major industries like food processing and agribusiness, they have a healthy, thriving system. Argentina‘s major trading partners consist of countries such as Brazil, the US, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Argentina is a relatively rich country; it has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of roughly US$283 billion, with about $6800 GDP per head. Argentina is 18th in world GDP ranking. Argentina is a wealthy country. There are many different types of people living in Argentina; 85% of European descent, 15% mestizo, with Indian and other minorities. Their religion is not as varied, 93% are Roman Catholic, 2.5% Protestant, 2% Jewish, 1. A Background Of Argentina :: essays research papers In the beginning of Argentina, we recall two major tribes; the Diaguita and the Gaurani who constituted the agricultural origins. During the 1500’s, Spain discovered Argentina, and quickly claimed it for its own. Spain reigned until the 1800’s when it was at war with Britain. In 1816 Argentina declared independence from Spain. After WWII there was a struggle for leadership of Argentina, eventually Juan Peron, a former dictator, was elected President. Peron represented himself as a leader for the common people, however his administration embezzled funds stole from the workers. With the help of his wife, Eva Peron, who became a spiritual symbol for the nation, he reigned over Argentina until his after her death and his government was overthrown by a military coup in 1955. He spent 18 years in exile, however, Perà ³n retained his labor support and influence in Argentine politics. He was finally allowed to return to Argentina in 1973 and was again elected president, with his third wife as vice president. He died in office on July 1, 1974. Democratic elections finally arrived in 1983, but the political environment is still shaky. Currently Argentina has a republican government that is very influenced by western nations. It is broken into 23 separate provinces and consists of three branches; judicial, legislative, and executive. President Carlos Saul Menem has been in office since 8 July 1989 and Vice President Carlos Ruckauf has been in office since 8 July 1995 although they also have 4 year terms. In Argentina the president is both the chief of state and head of government. Similar to many countries, Argentina is still trying to find a stable government. Argentina has a steady economy now, although when the republic began, Argentina was in heavy debt. Through the mass exports of oil, feed, and steel with major industries like food processing and agribusiness, they have a healthy, thriving system. Argentina‘s major trading partners consist of countries such as Brazil, the US, Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, and France. Argentina is a relatively rich country; it has a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of roughly US$283 billion, with about $6800 GDP per head. Argentina is 18th in world GDP ranking. Argentina is a wealthy country. There are many different types of people living in Argentina; 85% of European descent, 15% mestizo, with Indian and other minorities. Their religion is not as varied, 93% are Roman Catholic, 2.5% Protestant, 2% Jewish, 1.

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Telecommunication :: Communication Technology Media Essays

Telecommunication Abstract What is telecommunication? Although a considerable number of studies have been actually conducted on telecommunication, I have never had academic opportunity to examine what it is. While the word ?etelecommunication?f has been brought to public attention, how many of us can exactly define it? How many of us can explain it in cultural context as well as in technological context? In my opinion, the word ?etelecommunication?f seems to be going forward itself so that our consciousness cannot catch up with it. As a new graduate student of the department of telecommunication, I hope to comprehensively understand what telecommunication is, and organize present issues systematically through this article. According to the requirement, this article consists of the following: areas and issues in telecommunication; key questions that telecommunication tries to answer; methods for studying, researching, and creating in telecommunication; and my learning and career goals for my telecommunication M A. What is telecommunication? In order to answer a kind of vague question such as what telecommunication is, I would like to focus on the areas in telecommunication in the beginning. Carne (1995) proposed the following: Telecommunication means communication from afar; it is the action of communicating-at-distance. In the broadest sense, it can include several ways of communicating (letters, telegraphs, telephone, etc); however, it is customary to associate it only with electronic communication systems such as telephone, data communication, radio, and television. (p.5) From this viewpoint, one may say that telecommunication is literally one of the ways of communication to receive or send massages. The question I have to ask here is what communication is. We unconsciously use the word ?ecommunication?f in a daily life. Then, how can we define communication, whose categories seem to range widely? In 1985 Charp and Hines described communication as the method by which we exchange sounds, signals, pictures and languages between people and places (p.13). From this definition, I realize that discussion in a class, conversation with someone by phone, writing a letter, reading a newspaper, and watching television are all grouped into the same category named communication because we exchange something with somebody by them. The question is what differentiates one communication from the other at more detailed categories. The first thing I notice is that the way of communication is different from each other: in some cases, communication from one to many or many to many, in the others, however, communication in person. In addition, it seems to depend on whether it is mediated or not.

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Erickson’s Psychosocial Theory Essay

Erick Erickson is a well known theorist. He was a student of Freud and was greatly influenced by his work. Erikson’s theory is known as one of the best theories of personality in psychology. While he accepted Freud’s theory of psychosexual development, he felt that it was incomplete. It did not recognize social and cultural influences It did not recognize development changes beyond adolescence It did not put enough emphasis on ego development This theory focused primarily on development of neurotic and maladaptive behavior and did not give enough consideration to healthy development. Erikson believed that personality developed in a series of eight stages. He argues that development occurs across a whole lifespan. He developed his theory based on the basis that cognitive and social development occurs at the same time. Erickson believed that during development people go through a series of psychosocial crises. These crises identify a conflict between two personality conflicts. Erickson developed detailed definitions of these psychosocial stages and the crises associated with each one. Each stage builds on the preceding one and prepares the individual for the next (Martin & Fabes 2009). The 1st stage is trust versus mistrust (Main Question: â€Å"Is the world a trustworthy place?). This stage focuses on infants needs being met by parents. Infants depend on their guardians for food and comfort. Their understanding of society comes from their interactions with their guardian. If a child is exposed to consistent positive interactions, and dependable care, the infant will build trust. If the parents fail to provide and meet the basic needs the child will feel a sense of mistrust. Stage 2 is Autonomy vs. Shame & Doubt (Toddlers 2 to 3 years). Main Question: â€Å"Can I do things myself or must I always rely on others?† As children gain control over their body and motor skills they begin to claim possessions and develop a sense of independency. However, parents still provide a key role of  security from which the child can venture out to assert their will. When parents’ are patient and encouraging it helps promote autonomy. Otherwise, they are likely to impose the child with a sense of doubt which decreases their willingness to try new tasks. Stage 3 is Initiative vs. Guilt (Preschool, 3 to 6 years).Main Question: â€Å"Am I good or am I bad?† At this stag e, children want to begin and complete their own actions for a purpose. They are learning how well they can do things. They are also learning that, just because they are able to do things, does not mean it is a good idea to do it. Guilt is a new emotion at this time. Children are beginning to learn that some behaviors may make them feel unhappy about themselves. They are beginning to develop sense of right and wrong. Stage 4 is Industry vs. Inferiority (6-12). Main Question: Can I make it in this world? At this stage children begin to develop a sense of pride in their achievements. This is a crucial time for teachers because they play an increased role in the child’s development. When children are encouraged and reinforced for their initiative, they begin to feel industrious and their confidence is increased. If this initiative is not encouraged or controlled by parents or teacher, then the child will feel inferior and doubt their abilities. Stage 5 is Identity vs. Confusion (early teen). Main Question: Who am I? What can I? During this stage there is a transition from childhood to adulthood, which is very important. This is when the child becomes more independent, and begins to look at the future in terms of career, relationships, families, housing, etc. They explore and begin to form their own identity based on the outcome of their experiences. The sense of who they are can be hindered, which causes confusion about themselves and their place in the world. Stage 6 is Intimacy vs. Isolation. Main Question: Can I love? During this stage it is the period of early adulthood when people are exploring their personal relationships. Erikson believed it was important for people to develop close and committed relationships with others. Those who are successful at this stage will develop secure relationships. Erikson believed that a strong sense of personal identity was important to developing intimate relationships. Stage 7 is Generativity vs. Stagnation (middle adulthood). Main question: Can I make my life count? During establish this stage is when adults careers. They settle down within a relationship and begin to develop a family of their own. There is a sense of giving back to  society through raising children, working, and being involved in community activities and organizations. When adults fail to achieve these objectives, they lack self worth and feel unproductive. Stage 8 is Ego Integrity vs. Despair. Main question: Am I happy with the way that I have lived my life? This is the final stage of development in which adults grow older and become seniors. They tend to slow down in general. During this time they think about their accomplishments and are able to develop honesty about our achievements. This is when it is decided how productive one has been and if life goals have been accomplished (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erikson%27s_stages_of_psychosocial_development). Critique: Erickson was one of the first psychologists to become aware of the influence of culture on behavior. His theory focused on three key points: Body Mind Culture Erickson acknowledged cultural differences and contributed significantly to the study of adolescence and how they formed their identities. He felt that we should look at life in its entirety. He believed that development expanded through adulthood and that there were crises that adults encountered. His theory conflicts Freud’s in the fact that his emphasis was on the role of the ego rather than the id. This makes Erickson’s theory more positively oriented than Freud. Erickson’s theory is geared toward a positive outcome. However, many theorists doubted Erickson’s academic integrity. There is also very little research that has been conducted on childhood and adult psychosocial crises. It has been noted that many of Erickson’s theoretical propositions are difficult to test. Some were even impossible (Martin & Fabes, 2009). It has also been argued that Erickson’s theory is more applicable to boys rather than girls. â€Å"There is debate as to whether people only search for identity during the adolescent years or if one stage needs to happen before other stages can be completed† (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erikson%27s_stages_of_psychosocial_development). Reflection: Out of all theorists that I have studied, Erickson is by far my favorite. After exploring Erickson’s stages of development, I agree that his theory does describe the changes in one’s life. I do feel that we face a  crises/conflict in each stage. Although I cannot remember my early stages of development, I have experienced them with my children and as a teacher I have witnessed these crises. At this time I have a child in each stage of development. I know my infant depends on me and I feel that if I do not meet his needs he will develop a sense of mistrust. I also have a child that worries about fitting in and constantly worries about relationships with friends. I feel that I am currently in the middle adulthood stage. I have settled down. I have a family, and I have started a career. Erickson stages of development are especially useful for teachers. Teachers as do parents, play a key role in helping or hindering children in their personality development. Erickson viewed development as a reflection of relationships with parents and family within the broader context of society (Brewer, 2006 p.21). Teachers that follow Erickson’s belief will develop programs that allow children the opportunity to build trust and bonds. School age children are dealing with the demands of learning new skills, fitting in with their classmates and accomplishing goals (Morrison, 2007p. 125). I believe that Erickson’s stages of development will be beneficial in assisting teachers with observing and responding to their students needs. Resources: Morrison, G. (2007). Early childhood education today (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Merrill/Prentice Hall. Brewer, J. (2006). Introduction to Early Childhood Education: Preschool Through Primary Grades (6th ed.). Boston, New York: Pearson/Allyn & Bacon, Martin, C., & Fabes, R. (2009). Discovering child development (2nd ed.). Boston, NewYork: Houghton Mifflin Company. http://info.psu.edu.sa/psu/maths/Erikson%27s%20Theory%20of%20Psychosocial%20Development%20%282%29.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erikson%27s_stages_of_psychosocial_development

Friday, August 16, 2019

Because I Could Not Stop for Death Emily Dickenson

Miranda Jennifer Professor A. Tripp English 355 1, October 2012 Loss Is Nothing Else but Change Experiencing a loss raises overwhelming feelings that are difficult to cope with. The emotions that accompany any kind of loss can be intense and varied. There are stages of grief that everyone goes through. A sense of shock or denial usually come first followed by anger. Bargaining follows anger, then depression, and finally acceptance. In â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death,† by Emily Dickinson, the speaker is taken on an un expected journey that illuminates her path of mourning, which helps her come to an acceptance with her loss.The title: â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death,† states that the speaker could not begin to grieve the loss. The speaker knew it had to end but could not bear to end it on his of her own, thus â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death,/ He kindly stopped for me;†(Lines 1-2). Dickinson mentions the speaker’s outfit as a symbo lism of unpreparedness. â€Å"For only gossamer my gown/ my tippet only tulle,† (15-16). Dickinson’s word choice play a vital role throughout the poem. The term â€Å"immortality†(4) signifies that the journey would never end. The speaker is well aware that the journey embarked on was not a round trip.The speaker is taken on a journey filled with many experiences, all which he or she accepts and learns from. This journey illuminated the speaker’s perspective of grieving with the loss of something or someone. According to Oxford Dictionaries, the adjective illuminating can be defined as: â€Å"to help to clarify or explain† (Illuminate). Even though the journey was unexpected, it brought enlightenment to the speaker’s perspective of his or her loss. People feel pain when going through a loss, but in â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death,† the speaker accepts it with ease, â€Å"I had put away/ My labor, and my leisure too,/ For his civility†(6-8).The speaker is essentially relieved concerning the loss. He or she is finally able to forget about everything that worries him or her. Overall, the loss brought the speaker tranquility. In stanza three, the speaker takes a trip down memory lane. â€Å"We passed the school, where children strove At recess, in the ring; We passed the fields of gazing grain, We passed the setting sun. † Remembering past times is a typical thing to do when dealing with grief. The speaker of â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death,† accepted his or her loss, for it eventually led her to an immortally full of bliss.When losing someone or something, it is important to know that it will get better. Losing someone or something can be the most devastating thing for anyone, but it is important to understand that once you come to acceptance with the loss, there is light behind the tunnel. The speaker of the poem is well aware of this and he or she agrees to the journey, not knowing where his or her destination would be. After a long journey of mourning, the speaker is taken to a new home, where he or she can finally be at ease. â€Å"We paused before a house [†¦]/ The roof was scarcely visible,†(7,9).A new home signifies a new beginning. Over all the loss that the speaker is going through, has brought him or her to a new commencement in his or her life. â€Å"’Tis centuries, and yet each Feels shorter than the day I first surmised the horses’ heads Were toward eternity. † The best thing one can do when moving on from a loss is to take each passing moment as an opportunity to grow. The speaker was able to view his or her loss as an opportunity for emotional growth. Thus, the journey that the speaker in â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death† took illuminated his or her path towards the acceptance of his or her loss.Marcus Aurelius said, â€Å"Loss is nothing else but change, and change is Nature’s deligh t. † Works Cited Dickinson, Emily. â€Å"Because I Could Not Stop for Death. † The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 9th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 844. Print. â€Å"Illuminate. † Definition of Illuminate. Oxford Dictionaries, 2012. Web. 24 Sept. 2012. . Meyer, Michael. â€Å"A Study of Emily Dickinson. † Preface. The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 9th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2012. 819-28. Print.