A Dolls House Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

A Dolls House - Research Paper Example â€Å"A Doll’s House† which is a scintillating play, was written by Henrik Ibsen during the period of the ‘Naturalism Movement’ and revolved around the women of the 19th century society. The basic premise of the play was the portraying of women in different gender roles and how they looked after their families by staying at home. In sharp contrast to Ibsen’s poem is Larkin’s poem ‘Home is so sad’. In this poem, the poet expresses the dark vision of home and of human solitude. In this essay an attempt is being made to find out how the poem ‘Home is so sad’ relates to the play ‘A Doll’s House.’ Body Most of Ibsen’s plays depict the struggle between individuals for an authentic identity of their own. This struggle rests against the backdrop of a tyrannical society, with the individual on one hand, and their families and society on the other. In ‘A Doll’s House’, Nora is the chief protagonist in the play and represents such struggling women, suppressed by society. Larkin’s poem on ‘Home is so sad’ also has a melancholic atmosphere as he deals with some of the negative aspects of life such as loneliness and disappointment. Both these works though moody and pessimistic in approach never fail to engage its audiences because it helps them to identify themselves with its characters. The playwright and the poet have attempted to express their thoughts and ideas through the eyes of society. Women in the 19th century were expected to be the typical stereotype subservient housewife, but one would be surprised at the turn of events in Henrik Ibsen’s play. Women in those days were hardly educated and hence were very easily relegated into a corner and never came forward to voice their opinion. Nora was one such stereo type who was controlled by her husband Torvald Helmer, who was very controlling and he looked upon Nora as one of his resp onsibilities. In the beginning of the play, Nora accepts her doll-like existence, with no identity to call her own. In fact , Nora seemed to like being treated like a child and used this technique to get what she wanted. According to Shaw "She has learnt to coax her husband into giving her what she asks for, by appealing to his affection for her: that is, by playing all sorts of pretty tricks until he is wheeled into an amorous humor" (Shaw, 226) However, according to Clement Scott "Helmer's attitude towards his child-wife is natural but unreasonable" (Scot, 222).   While pinching her ear he calls her using pet names like squirrel and mouse, but he clearly understands that she is a â€Å"positive hindrance to his ambition† (Scot, 221) This clearly reflects the attitudes of ancient society filled with suppression. In Phillip Larkin’s poem, ‘Home is so sad’ we find the same gloomy atmosphere of existence depicted by the loneliness that is experienced. We s ee this sadness in the following lines of the poem. bereft Of anyone to please, it withers so, Having no heart to put aside the theft (Phillip Larkinn, Home is so sad,) www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/16659 The inhabitants of the house have left and all that remained was loneliness and memories that brought remembrance of the times shared there. In the same manner, in the play ‘A Dolls House’ Nora goes about her duties as a good mother despite the emptiness she feels in her existence, and agrees to do whatever Torvald asks her to. â€Å"Yes, whatever you say Torvald† (Ibsen, 872) However, when she finally decided to leave, she bravely confronts him saying, â€Å"I’ve lived by doing the tricks for you Torvald.† (Ibsen, 919) She understands that her life with Torvald was like a dolls house and they had been lying to each other about their love, which was no more than a facade.

Development of Children and Young People Between Birth to 19 Essay Example for Free

Development of Children and Young People Between Birth to 19 Essay From six months onwards a child learns to sit up using support until they can manage without any support and eventually learning to crawl or shuffling on their bottoms. They are able to rollover from their tummies on to their backs and vice versa. They start to hold on to furniture learning how to walk along or by using the aid of a baby walker, up until they gain the confidence to walk alone. Their hand and eye coordination improves as they learn to pass an object from one hand to another, and begin to show preference for one hand. They learn to play with bricks. Firstly banging them together to being able to build towers, eventually building larger towers. By the age of two children will have learnt how to sit, walk, feed themselves and they will have moved from eating soft mashed food to eating solids, as sign of their teeth will be clearly visible. They will have learnt to kick and throw a ball. They will be able to grasp a pencil to make scribble on paper. From three to seven a child is more independent. Learning how to jump, climb, catch and walk up and down stairs confidently. They learn to pedal and eventually ride a bike without support. Using their fine motor skills to hold and use a pair of scissors, able to gain control of a pencil. Increasing in their writing skill. Can also fasten and undo buttons and shoe laces. From the age seven to twelve years a child will progress in running, jumping skipping and enjoying playing games as a team, even though they may misjudge their ability until the age of nine. Between twelve and nineteen a child goes from childhood into adulthood. This is referred to the adolescences stage. This starts from the age of 11 up until the age of 19 or 20. It’s the stage that teenagers learn to detach from their parents and become more independent. Every child rate of growth is different. Boys normally begin adolescence around the age of 14 year, which is later than girls, even though by the end they are usually bigger than girls. They will develop body hair as their body shape changes, their muscles begin to grow, increasing their strength. Their voice will change and become deeper. In the early stages to mid stages of puberty testicles and scrotum will begin to grow. Penis growth starts later but continues for longer. Girl’s breasts start to swell from around the age of 10. They will also develop hair in the pubic region that will become dark and curly. Their body shape will change. Some girls may be physically mature by the age of 13. This is dependent on the age at which she begins puberty, which varies, ranging from 8 until late teens. The average age for girls of menstruation is around 13. Social and emotional development. From birth to about one year old a child mainly communicates through facial expressions such as smiling at familiar faces. A child of this is very dependant and requires comfort from an adult. They recognise familiar faces and get distressed when separated from a parent. They enjoy interacting and playing games such as peek-a-boo and they gradually develop a sense of identity and want to do things for them self. They easily get jealous when attention is not given to them and try to please adults. Temper tantrums start when not being given what they want or not wanting to share toys. From three to four years a child is more self-motivated and is able to cope with unfamiliar settings and adults. They know how to share, becoming considerate and caring of other feelings. They enjoy playing with other children. Between four and seven a child is able to make friends but still finds it difficult to take turns and needs help resolving problems. By this age a child should have a stable environment and routine, they need to have limits set. By the age of seven a child becomes less dependant. Starting to enjoy playing with other children. They become aware of their gender and develop understanding between right and wrong. By the age of eight they develop a close friendship and enjoy playing with the same sex. By twelve they can start to show arrogance and bossiness and are uncertain sometimes. By the time a child reaches the teenage years they are very self-conscious. As their body shape is changing and odours make occur, acne may develop due to oily skin. They begin to follow peer groups in the way they dress having labelled clothing, collecting the same things playing the same games. They turn to their friend and not to their parents for approval. They begin to question certain aspects of life such as parental and community values and beliefs. Intellectual development A child between the ages of birth to three is more confident but still needs an adults support. They enjoy copying others and trying out different ways of behaviour in play. They realise that others are spate people from themselves. From three to four a child learns to understand two or three simple tasks that they are given to do such as pick up the toys put them in back in the box and put the box where it belongs. They begin to realise the difference between objects, size and type and are able to group these together. From five to seven they learn to understand that there is differences and sameness in various aspects in life and that differences can co exist side by side and are able look at things from different perspectives. By the age of seven, children are able to read to themselves and will take a lively interest in certain subject by the age of nine. During the adolescence stage the mind is maturing as young people begin to develop a sense of responsibility for their thoughts, words and actions. They begin to plan about their future and what line of work they want to be in? If they want to get married and have children? They gain the ability to make a link between different pieces of knowledge and the ability to make links of these with the world from their perspective. This stage depends on the guidance given to young people in respects to helping the brain. A young person learns to take the responsibility for his or her own fiances, accommodation, employment and personal realationshops. This reaches completion as the responsibility from parent transfers to the young person. Language development From the early stages in life a child is able to make a lot different sounds. They begin to babble. Laughing and squealing when they are happy and cry to show emotion. They respond to music and sounds. Trying to imitate a parents face especially the mouth. Between one and two years a child learns to use single words to joining them up to make phrases. They begin to understand parents and try and copy them. By the age of two a child’s vocabulary can be anything from 30 to 150 words. By the time they are three a child can use words to form a sentence and begin to ask questions. They are able to memorise rhymes and songs and are able to join in and are able to scribble on paper. From three to four a child starts to use past tense and is able to use a different pitch or tone of voice. Their vocabulary extends between 1000 to 1500 word. From five upwards their questions become more complex as they use language to communicate their ideas. The pencil control improves. As they copy shapes and letters. By the age of seven they are able to speak fluently and make up stories. They begin to understand letters and link them to sounds. A child of twelve years is able to describe complicated scenarios. They need help in tackling complex spellings and learning the different tense of grammar. They are able read out aloud. From twelve on to nineteen years a young person begins to use sarcasm, joking and mockery as it is new and sophisticated language for them. They are maturing and enjoy using their thought to debate whether it is formal or informal.

Essay on Jealousy in Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, and Winters Tale

Jealousy in Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, and Winter's Tale    The common thread of jealousy ties together the main plots in Much Ado About Nothing, Othello, and The Winter's Tale. In each of these plays, the main conflict is centered around some form of jealousy. While jealousy is the mutual, most prominent cause for turmoil in these plays, its effects on the characters, and ultimately the plots, is different in each case. This difference has much to do with the way in which the concept of jealousy is woven into each play, and what it is intended to accomplish. In Othello, the jealousy factor is deliberately introduced by Iago, with the precise intention of destroying those whom he feels have wronged him. Since it is intentionally used with malicious intent, it has catastrophic results. Iago himself is jealous of Cassio; he feels that he should have been appointed to Cassio's position by Othello, and since he wasn't he hates both Othello and Cassio. Iago channels the jealousy that Othello and Cassio have made him feel, and uses it against them in a hateful plan. Iago starts the process by planting the seeds of jealousy in Othello's mind, telling him Desdemona has been unfaithful. He then proceeds to cultivate the growing jealousy by feeding it with more lies, and twisting innocent events into situations which would serve his needs (his telling Othello that Cassio and Desdemona met in secret, and convincing him that Desdemona vied for Cassio's reinstatement as lieutenant because she loved him, for example). When the seeds had flourished, and Iago had succeeded in driving Othello mad with jealousy, Iago harvested his crop and convinced Othello to kill Desdemona. Othello's killing Desdemona would both rid Iago of Desde... ...l effects, and when the mistake of jealousy was revealed the problem was solved and every one could be happy. In each of these plays, jealousy is used as a means of producing a conflict and creating trouble in the lives of the characters. The jealousy in each play, although it is introduced in a different way, always involves a man being jealous of his wife (or fiancà ©e, in Hero's case) being unfaithful with another man. Whether he misinterpret something he sees, or believe slanderous lies, the man's jealousy builds until it forces him to do something to punish his unfaithful woman. At the end of each play, the man is made to realize his mistake, but sometimes the damage can not be undone. Jealousy is the main crisis in each type of play - tragedy, trage-comedy, and comedy - but its results lie strictly in the way it is introduced, and the intended severity.   

Subculture Essay -- Punk Subcultures England Essays

Subculture There is something about the ideology of a subculture that sparks an interest in me. Maybe it is intriguing due to its members’ originality, courage to stand up for beliefs, or freely expressing their own self- identity. A subculture forms by individuals taking a risk, separating themselves from the mainstream, and forming their own distinctive norms, not caring what the â€Å"normal† members of the mainstream society think of them. Or do they care? Maybe that is the exact statement a subculture is making. Maybe these individuals are forming these groups so that people will care. Maybe their rebellious attitude is a final, somewhat desperate approach to getting that response. The images being portrayed in most subcultures are indeed attention- getting. Perhaps then, attention- seeking is the main goal of these groups. In analyzing the specific subculture of â€Å"punk†, these questions seem to fall towards the greater issue of â€Å"external vs. internal† . External indicates that this subculture is making a statement, merely through an image culminated on the exterior. Internal suggests a deeper, often political, and vigorously bold statement, such as protesting for citizens’ rights, rebelling against class structure, or publicly claiming a self- identity. Also, was punk a movement that said what it wanted to, and is now only a historical memory of the past? Or is America carrying out the motives of what England’s punk culture did at the time? The subculture defined as â€Å"punk† originated in England in 1976, with its end in 1981. There were several reasons for the emergence of such a radical movement. Its popularity grew day by day, with millions of kids who could identify with these people. Millions of kids, not only from the... ...culture today falls directly onto the external, with little substance holding it up. Punk has allowed it to become a community of elitists, and has become as restrictive as the mainstream culture they once so strongly opposed (Chamberlain). In the end we can only ask, although the official era of punk was over in England in1981, is punk really dead? Or has it simply evolved from an internal, deeper movement into an external, superficial image? Perhaps throughout the last three decades, the image taken from the initial punk has evolved into a style that is merely external. Maybe that is all that original punks would want. Works Cited The Quintessential Punk†. Bryn Chamberlain. Dec. 1995. 2 April 2004. . Wells, Steven. Punk: Young, Loud, and Snotty.† Thunder’s Mouth Press NY, NY. 2004. Subculture Essay -- Punk Subcultures England Essays Subculture There is something about the ideology of a subculture that sparks an interest in me. Maybe it is intriguing due to its members’ originality, courage to stand up for beliefs, or freely expressing their own self- identity. A subculture forms by individuals taking a risk, separating themselves from the mainstream, and forming their own distinctive norms, not caring what the â€Å"normal† members of the mainstream society think of them. Or do they care? Maybe that is the exact statement a subculture is making. Maybe these individuals are forming these groups so that people will care. Maybe their rebellious attitude is a final, somewhat desperate approach to getting that response. The images being portrayed in most subcultures are indeed attention- getting. Perhaps then, attention- seeking is the main goal of these groups. In analyzing the specific subculture of â€Å"punk†, these questions seem to fall towards the greater issue of â€Å"external vs. internal† . External indicates that this subculture is making a statement, merely through an image culminated on the exterior. Internal suggests a deeper, often political, and vigorously bold statement, such as protesting for citizens’ rights, rebelling against class structure, or publicly claiming a self- identity. Also, was punk a movement that said what it wanted to, and is now only a historical memory of the past? Or is America carrying out the motives of what England’s punk culture did at the time? The subculture defined as â€Å"punk† originated in England in 1976, with its end in 1981. There were several reasons for the emergence of such a radical movement. Its popularity grew day by day, with millions of kids who could identify with these people. Millions of kids, not only from the... ...culture today falls directly onto the external, with little substance holding it up. Punk has allowed it to become a community of elitists, and has become as restrictive as the mainstream culture they once so strongly opposed (Chamberlain). In the end we can only ask, although the official era of punk was over in England in1981, is punk really dead? Or has it simply evolved from an internal, deeper movement into an external, superficial image? Perhaps throughout the last three decades, the image taken from the initial punk has evolved into a style that is merely external. Maybe that is all that original punks would want. Works Cited The Quintessential Punk†. Bryn Chamberlain. Dec. 1995. 2 April 2004. . Wells, Steven. Punk: Young, Loud, and Snotty.† Thunder’s Mouth Press NY, NY. 2004.

Ethics of care Essay

Introduction †¢ Care ethics [The ethics of care] originated among feminists who maintained, on the basis of Carol Gilligan’s work, A Different Voice , that women and girls approach moral issues with a strong concern for empathy and caring in interpersonal relationships. Care and Virtues †¢ Care ethics focuses on virtues associated with care as a moral sentiment and response in the context of particular relationships. †¢ The emphasis is on such traits as empathy, sympathy, compassion, loyalty, discernment and love in intimate relationships, rather than the abstract principles and rights of deontological and libertarian ethics. †¢ Like communitarian ethics, care ethics stresses the interdependence of persons and the importance of particular relationships, especially within the family and other communities Care Ethics †¢ Care ethics encourages altruism, which entails concern for others, their feelings and needs, but does not neglect care for oneself. †¢ Care ethics requires the moral agent to balance care of the self with care for others. Photo by Katerha Gilligan’s Ethics of Care †¢ Gilligan identifies levels and transition periods in the development of the ethics of care. †¢ (1) â€Å"From Selfishness to Responsibility† the conflict between what one would do vs. what one ought to do within their attachments and connections to others. Photo by Derek Bruff Ethics of Care †¢ (2) â€Å"Goodness as Self-Sacrifice† – concern for others, their feelings and the need to not inflict harm are major concerns. †¢ (3) â€Å"From Goodness to Truth† – the morality of care must include a care of the self as well as others, to be honest and real with oneself, an increased responsibility to one’s responsibility to the self, as well as others. †¢ Gilligan defines this as â€Å"mature care†. Photo by Ed Yourdon Ethics of Care †¢ (4) â€Å"The Morality of Nonviolence† – a moral equality between the self and others is achieved by applying an injunction against hurting; care becomes a universal obligation[1]. Harvard Educational Review: 481-517 Repr. 1986 as â€Å"A Different Voice†, In Pearsall, Women and Values: 309-339 [1] Gilligan, Carol 1977, â€Å"Concepts of the Self and of Morality† †¢ â€Å"Care ethics is based on [or â€Å"justified by† ] â€Å"lived experience,† especially that of women with intimate relations, trust and commitment. †¢ â€Å"Lived experience† is the accumulated subjective experience of individuals (2). Care Ethics Photo by Mary Ellen Mark †¢ (2) Pettersen, T. 2008. Comprehending Care . United Kingdom: Lexington Books:23 Care Ethics †¢ Care ethics appears most appropriate to intimate relations, but its advocates seek to extend it to communities, institutions and nation states Care ethics is intended to guide conduct and to provide an aspirational ideal of the virtuous life Photo by geek2nurse Affective and Cognitive Care Caring has both affective and cognitive dimensions. †¢ Cognition is necessary to understand the other’s needs, feelings and circumstances. But caring also involves a range of feelings associated with empathy, sympathy, compassion, and love. Care Ethics and Normative Ethics †¢ Care ethics provides normative guidance, but it does not prescribe specific actions by applying a set of abstract principles, rights and rules (found in normative ethics). †¢ With universalizing principles (normative ethics), the public domain has superiority over private-personal domains. . Emotion and Understanding †¢ In caring, moral thoughts are not separated from feelings as they are in many Western ethical philosophies from Plato to Kant. †¢ Gilligan challenges the idea that moral reasoning should be divorced from feelings and contexts. Emotion and Understanding †¢ Knowledge is gained through human connection to others when we try to take the perspectives of others in deciding morality and justice. Photo by rexquisite Co-Feeling and Empathy †¢ Caring involves understanding another’s feelings that seeks to go beyond mere understanding (empathy) to actually feeling what others experience. †¢ Petersen defines this as co-feeling which is more than empathy. †¢ Caring originates from the experience of caring for others. †¢ In caring for particular individuals, we learn to recognize the needs and vulnerabilities of human others everywhere; and to avoid harming them. Co-feeling and Empathy Co-feeling in care ethics comes from experiencing the complexities of a particular individual’s situation. A deep, detailed appreciation for the lives of others enriches our own self-understanding. Photo by Neys †¢ Co-feeling is one ability in mature care; how one should act and what actions constitute care. †¢ Caring involves participating in another’s feelings on his/her terms with an attitude of engagement, not of disinterested observation or judgment. †¢ It is an act of affective imagination. Photo by Quinn Anya Care Ethics and Moral Autonomy †¢ For care ethics, moral autonomy is construed as relational autonomy. †¢ In contrast with Kant’s isolated individual who rationally formulates universal principles by himself or herself, the relational autonomous agent takes account of her interdependence with others. †¢ Gilligan promotes a more nuanced and complex concept of moral autonomy with space for holding self-determination with consideration, reason with emotion, and independency with connectedness. Friend Wheel by Unlisted Sightings †¢ Care ethics replaces the detached respect for the autonomous decisions of others that is the legacy of principle-based ethics with attentiveness to the plight, special needs, and vulnerabilities of individuals, who might need help is deciding what to do †¢ Tensions continue to exist within care ethics between contextual sensitivity in moral decisionmaking and respect for principles that direct us to treat people equally, with justice and respect for autonomous choices. Justice and Moral Conflicts – Care Ethics †¢ Moral conflicts are still those that involve individuals with differing philosophies. They involve loyalty conflicts or divergent responsibilities and interests for individual professionals. Agents have different ideas of what is ethically relevant. Photo by xeeliz Steps to Convergence on Ethics of Care and Principle-based Ethics †¢ What actions are right or wrong according to some relevant norms or principles, fairness in particular. What is the effect of these principles on those involved – will they hurt individuals? †¢ Care ethics questions the over-reliance on principles and rules in ethics. †¢ Are we choosing to be detached and numb to feeling the impacts of the principle of justice on individuals and our relationship to them? Photo by Svenska Cellulosa Aktibolaget A THIRD WAY †¢ Care ethics encourages the moral agent to balance respect for individual autonomy with caring for individuals in relationships. †¢ A balance between relations and autonomy, between connection and integrity would create convergence of principles with care. †¢ An intermediate position between too much and too little would be needed. A THIRD WAY †¢ Care ethics requires morally mature agents to weight and balance principles with caring for individuals. †¢ In these moral conflicts, â€Å"listening† to others, is essential to decision-making. †¢ Interdependent leadership and communication may open up new possibilities – a third way. . References Beauchamp T. and J. Childress. 2009. Principles of Biomedical Ethics, New York: Oxford University Press, 6th ed Gilligan, Carol 1977, â€Å"Concepts of the Self and of Morality† Harvard Educational Review: 481-517 Repr. 1986 as â€Å"A Different Voice†, In Pearsall, Women and Values: 309-339 Munson, R. 2004. Intervention and Reflection: Basic Issues in Medical Ethics, 8th Ed Australia ; Belmont, CA : Thomson/Wadsworth, Pettersen’s T. 2008. , Comprehending Care . United Kingdom: Lexington Books:

Phoebus Apollos Partners, Progeny, and Family

Phoebus Apollo's Partners, Progeny, and Family Apollo  is the only principal god who has  the same name in Greek and  Roman  mythology.  He is portrayed as  a blend of physical superiority and moral virtue  and rules over a long list of objects and pursuits, ranging from  the  sun  and light, music and poetry, and healing and plagues to prophecy and knowledge, order and beauty, and archery and agriculture. He would seem to be busy, but he has had time to mate or attempt to mate with a long list of women and some men, siring many children along the way, mostly males. Apollos Women Marpessa: daughter of Euenos. Their offspring was Kleopatra, wife of Meleager, although her father may have been Idas.Chione: daughter of Daedalion. Their son was Philammon, sometimes said to be the son of Philonis.Koronis: daughter of AzanDaphne: daughter of GaiaArsinoe: daughter of Leukippos. Their son was Asklepios (Asclepius).Kassandra (Cassandra)Kyrene: Their son was AristaiosMelia: an Oceanid. Their child was Teneros.Eudne: daughter of Poseidon. Their son was Iamos.Thero: daughter of Phylas. Their child was ChaironPsamathe: daughter of Krotopos. Their son, Linos, was killed by dogs.Philonis: daughter of Deion. Their son, Philammon, was the first man to train choruses of young women, though sometimes his mother is given as Chione.Chrysothemis: Their child, Parthenos, was Apollos only daughter,  who became the constellation Virgo after an early death. Apollos Men Hyakinthos: attested in Ovid Met. 10.162-219Kyparissos: attested in Ovid Met. 10.106-42 The Ones Who Got Away Apollos most famous love was Daphne, a nymph who was vowed to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt and chastity, that she would remain eternally innocent. But Apollo fell for her and stalked her until Daphne could take it no more. She asked her father, the river god Peneus, to transform her into something else, and he made her a laurel tree. Apollo swore he would love her forever and from that day he has worn a laurel wreath as a token of his love. In an attempt to seduce the Trojan princess Cassandra, Apollo gave her  the gift of prophecy, but she eventually bailed out. Apollo  wasn’t allowed to recall his gift, but he found a way to spoil it: He took away her  powers of persuasion. So, even though her prophecies are always right, nobody believes her. More About Apollo The meaning of the name Apollo  is debated. Candidates for translations include  destroyer,† â€Å"redemptory,† â€Å"purifier,† â€Å"assembler,† and â€Å"stony.† Most scholars link his  name to the Greek word  apella,  meaning â€Å"a sheepfold† and suggesting that Apollo might originally have been merely a protector of flocks and herds instead of the many-faceted god he became. Apollo is the son of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods,  and Leto, one of Zeus many lovers.  She  incurred the wrath of Hera,  Zeus wife, who sent the dragon Python  after her rival. Apollo is considered the most perfectly developed male.  Beardless and athletically built, he is often depicted with the laurel crown on his head and either a bow and arrow or a lyre in his hands. Resources and Further Reading Gantz, Timothy. Early Greek Myth: A Guide to Literary and Artistic Sources. Johns Hopkins University, 1996.â€Å"Apollo, Greek God of the Sun and Light.† GreekMythology.com, 2019.

Vygotsky Scaffolding What It Is and How to Use It

Vygotsky Scaffolding What It Is and How to Use It SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re an educator or have a student in school, you may have heard of the concept Vygotsky scaffolding. It may sound like a construction term, but Vygotsky scaffolding and the related concept of the zone of proximal development are teaching methods that can help students learn much more information much more quickly than they would with traditional instruction. However, Vygotsky scaffolding is only effective if you know how to properly implement it; otherwise it can actually hinder a student’s learning.Read this guide to learn what scaffolding and the zone of proximal development are, what the scaffolding psychology is, if studies have found these teaching methods to be effective, and how you can use these methods in the classroom to promote learning. What Is Instructional Scaffolding? Instructional scaffolding, also known as â€Å"Vygotsky scaffolding† or just â€Å"scaffolding,† is a teaching method that helps students learn more by working with a teacher or a more advanced student to achieve their learning goals. The theory behind instructional scaffolding is that, compared to learning independently, students learn more when collaborating with others who have a wider range of skills and knowledge than the student currently does.These instructors or peers are the â€Å"scaffolding† who help the student expand her learning boundaries and learn more than she would be able to on her own. Vygotsky scaffolding is part of the education concept â€Å"zone of proximal development† or ZPD.The ZPD is the set of skills or knowledge a student can’t do on her own but can do with the help or guidance of someone else. It’s the skill level just above where the student currently is. ZPD is often depicted as a series of concentric circles. The smallest circle is the set of skills a student can learn on her own, without any help. Next is the ZPD, or skills a student wouldn’t be able to do on her own, but can do with a teacher or peer helping her. Beyond that are skills the student can’t do yet, even with help. For example, say there is a kindergartner who is learning how to read and write. He knows all the letters of the alphabet, but he can’t yet read or write words. No matter how much guidance he was given, he could never read a novel on his own at this point, but with a teacher’s help, he can learn how to read and write short words like â€Å"at,† â€Å"boy† and â€Å"dog† because this skill is within is ZPD. It would have taken him much longer to learn this skill on his own, but it’s still simple enough that he can understand it if he has someone to explain it to him.The student’s ZPD is reading and writing short words, and the teacher who helps him learn them is the scaffolding. Proponents of ZPD and instructional scaffolding believe they are highly effective ways to maximize a student’s learning. Scaffolding can be used to help a person of any age learn something new, but in the classroom it is most often used with younger students (preschool and elementary school) since they are learning new skills and concepts they haven't been exposed to before most frequently. What’s the History Behind Vygotsky Scaffolding? Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934) was a Soviet psychologist who coined the term â€Å"zone of proximal development† and conducted many studies that led to instructional scaffolding. This is why the concept is often referred to as â€Å"Vygotsky scaffolding.† Vygotsky focused his work on developmental psychology, and it was in the 1920s and early 1930s, towards the end of his career, that he developed the concept of ZPD. Vygotsky believed that educators should help students learn within their ZPD so that they can increase their skills and knowledge without becoming frustrated by things that are currently too difficult for them to accomplish. Vygotsky came up with the idea of ZPD after extensive studying of how young children learn and the effectiveness of different teaching methods. He found that individual knowledge-based tests are often an inaccurate way to measure a young student’s intelligence since children need to interact with others who are more intelligent than they currently are in order to learn. He cited many examples of cultures where young children are taught new skills and knowledge passed down by older generations. For example, when infants are learning how to walk, they often start by holding onto the clothes or hands of an adult or older child, who guides them. The infant will continue to do this until they have enough skills and strength to walk on their own. This way they’re able to learn to walk much faster than if they were expected to learn without being able to hold onto anything. Vygotsky instead believed that the proper way to test young students was to test their ability to solve problems both independently and with the help of an adult.Dr. Maria Montessori, who established the Montessori education philosophy, also published similar research several decades before Vygotsky.Vygotsky died in 1934, less than a decade after he introduced the idea of ZPD, and after his death research on his ideas greatly decreased. In the 1960s, Vygotsky’s work was revived by a new group of psychologists studying developmental psychology. Dr. Jerome Bruner coined the term â€Å"scaffolding† and connected it to Vygotsky’s work. Dr. Bruner and other psychologists began studying the use of ZPD in different educational contexts, and they found that encouraging students to tackle the most difficult tasks within their ZPD leads to the most learning. Today scaffolding continues to be studied and used in schools, and much recent research has focused on how to use scaffolding to make classes (including online classes) more effective. Does Vygotsky Scaffolding Work? Over the past several decades, numerous studies have been conducted to study the effectiveness of using ZPD and scaffolding as teaching methods. Overall, research has shown that these methods can often help students learn more than they would compared to traditional teaching methods, but they require the instructor to have a good grasp of the student’s ZPD so they can adapt the teaching method to them. An early study from 1975 found that four-year-olds whose mother’s interacted with them and gave them advice were able to build significantly more complicated block towers than those who worked alone. The children who were most successful were those whose mothers adapted their strategy based on how well their child was completing the task. They made different comments based on whether the child was doing well or was struggling. A 1990 study found similar results when children were asked to put dollhouse furniture into the correct room. Children whose mothers gave them guidance were significantly more successful than those who completed the task on their own. A study published in 2000 that focused on a teacher using ZPD and scaffolding to teach a Farsi speaker English found that these methods can be an effective way to teach someone a new language. As the student improved his English skills, his teacher went from teaching individual words and phrases, to asking yes/no questions, to asking questions that required more in-depth responses. This gradual increase in difficulty helped the student improve his English skills while reducing feelings of frustration from attempting language skills beyond his current level. A similar scaffolding psychology study published in 2014 found that, in a group of 30 Australian language students, those who had tutors that used scaffolding techniques made significantly more progress in their writing quality and strategy application. Two studies, one from 2003 and one from 2010, found that ZPD and scaffolding can be effective, but if the instructor doesn’t know how to implement them correctly, she is at risk of helping students too much which turns them into passive learners and hinders their growth. Tips for Using Vygotsky Scaffolding in the Classroom From the studies discussed above, we know that instructional scaffolding can be an effective teaching tool, but only if the instructor understands how to use it. Below are four tips for using scaffolding in the classroom. Know Each Student’s ZPD In order to use ZPD and scaffolding techniques successfully, it’s critical to know your students’ current level of knowledge. Without this information, you won’t be able to teach them in their ZPD or provide effective scaffolding support. Before you begin a lesson with ZPD or Vygotsky scaffolding, find their baseline knowledge by giving a short quiz or having an introductory discussion on the topic where you ask students questions to figure out what they already know. Also remember that each student will have a different ZPD for each topic you teach. If a class has widely varying ZPDs for a specific topic, it can be more effective to have them work in groups or individually while you walk around the classroom and provide guidance so that you can tailor your techniques to each student’s ZPD. Encourage Group Work Group work can be a very effective way of using scaffolding principles in the classroom because students can learn from each other while working together on a project. More advanced students can help others learn while improving their own skills by explaining their thought process.Try to create groups that contain students with different skill sets and learning levels to maximize the amount students learn from each other. Make sure each student in the group is actively participating. If you see one student doing most of the work, have her ask the other students for their opinions, and emphasize the importance of everyone contributing. Don’t Offer Too Much Help A potential drawback of Vygotsky scaffolding is the possibility of providing too much help. This causes the student to be a passive, instead of active, learner and actually reduces the amount the student learns. If you’re using scaffolding techniques, don’t jump in right away and start offering advice. Let each student work on their own first.When they begin to struggle, first start by asking them questions about what they’ve done and what they think they should do next. As much as possible, ask open-ended questions that encourage them to find a solution on their own, as opposed to just telling them the next step. For example, if a student is trying to build a block tower, it’s much more helpful to say things like â€Å"How do you think you can make this tower stronger?† or â€Å"Why do you think the tower fell down?† than â€Å"You need to make the base bigger.† If after you’ve had the student think through the problem, then you can begin offering concrete advice for what to do next, but be sure to continue to ask questions to help increase the student’s understanding. For example, after giving advice on how to improve the block tower, you can ask â€Å"Why do you think making the base bigger helps the tower stay up?† Have Students Think Aloud Having students discuss their thought process is one of the best ways to figure out where their current skills are (and thus determine their ZPD) and make sure they’re actively learning.As a student is working on a project, have her talk about why she’s making certain decisions, what she thinks she should do next, and what she’s unsure about.When you give advice, make sure you also explain your own thought process so students can understand why you’re making the decisions you did. Summary:Vygotsky Scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development Vygotsky scaffolding is a teaching method that uses instructors and more advanced peers to help students learn. The Vygotsky theory of cognitive development states that students will learn more when they receive guidance from someone with more skills in the subject they’re learning than they would if they were tackling the subject on their own. Vygotsky scaffolding is part of the education theory the zone of proximal development. The zone of proximal development states that each student, for each subject, has three levels of learning: things the student can accomplish on her own, things she can accomplish with help from someone else (the zone of proximal development) and things she can’t accomplish no matter how much help she has. The ZPD and Vygotsky scaffolding theory is that students learn the most when they’re in their ZPD. Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky developed the ZPD and the Vygotsky theory of cognitive development, while Jerome Bruner developed scaffolding psychology several decades later.Studies have shown that scaffolding can be a very effective teaching method, as long as the teacher understands the concepts behind it and doesn’t provide too much guidance. If using scaffolding and the zone of proximal development in the classroom, remember to know each student’s ZPD, encourage group work, don’t offer too much help, and have students explain their thought process out loud. What's Next? Are you a teacher writing recommendations for your students? Read all about how to write an outstanding recommendation letter for your students, along with what not to include. When do colleges start looking at a student's grades? Do colleges look at middle school grades? Read our guide to learn how middle school grades are important for college admissions. Writing a research paper for school but not sure what to write about?Our guide to research paper topics has over 100 topics in ten categories so you can be sure to find the perfect topic for you.

Suppose U Stood Facing A Wall Of Photographs Essays - Photograph

Suppose U Stood Facing A Wall Of Photographs Essays - Photograph Suppose U Stood Facing A Wall Of Photographs Suppose you stood facing a wall of photograph from your unlived life and make the suggestion that the wall will look much better if your accomplishments weren't neglected. A photo of you with love, a photo with you without love, time shifting through memories never lived, yet a remembrance of the forgotten peculiar. The pictures arranged perfectly, and the wall beautifully set, the glassy reflection returning an image and a shadow through daylight you are unaware of. Then would you be determined? Would it come to mind to live your life differently? Seeing yourself in a state of existence is an honor to change what hasn't been done. Suppose the very last photograph hasn't been taken. Would you paint it yourself, telling a story of predictions, or leave it clear of thought, making true the unlived life now left to be boring. Natalie Roman Copyright 2000 Natalie Roman Bibliography Just a little something I decided to write in my creative writing class . No plagiarism remember . Everything is copyrighted here!!! :-)

Just what is that makes America culture so wrong-yet so appealing How Essay

Just what is that makes America culture so wrong-yet so appealing How have cultural theorists viewed America mass culture and why, for so many people, is America culture still a 'promblem' - Essay Example From a historical standpoint, what made this possible and is this a positive thing for the rest of the world? Just what is it that makes the American culture so wrong yet so appealing? Why for many people is American culture still a problem? Seeking to address these questions and many more with respect to American cultural hegemony and the world today, this essay will provide an in-depth exploration of American culture today. Addressing charges of cultural imperialism and the role of the United States in cultivating a mass market â€Å"world culture†, the following will begin with a concise overview of the history of American cultural imperialism looking at its roots in the social revolution of the 1960s. We then turn to an analysis of the commercialization and later globalization of the world through the spread of American economic culture. Finally, we turn to American military might and the unilateralist turn in US foreign relations. This is an important cultural component of the United States of America as its military is both emulated, envied and feared the world over. By looking at American cultural imperialism through a social, economic and political/military lens, this essay aims to provide a three-pronged approach to exploring an issue which remains incredibly timely and topical. The globalization of American values began in the post-World War II period following the near universal physical, economic and social devastation of the European continent. A social revolution paved the way for the export of American values and ideas across the world. For the United States, the social revolution of the 1960s was also a cultural revolution. In fact, the â€Å"rise of a specific, and extraordinarily powerful youth culture indicated a profound change in the relation between generations† (Hobsbawm 1994). Leading this Cultural Revolution were the young: teenagers started wearing jeans – prior to that

Interwar Period Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Interwar Period - Dissertation Example The women of Russia were beginning to ask for equality, they wanted the government to appreciate them, and by 1921 women in Russia were once again demanding the government provide them with more bread, as times continued to be rough during the transitional period. However, regardless of whether all of the ideas regarding women were fully realized, the ideas themselves still proved to be radical and influential. Throughout 1917 to 1920, Lenin proclaimed that he sought to provide women with the equality they deserved from the efforts they made during the October revolution. He made his opinion known that, through socialism, the classes would become equal and, as a result, the sexes would as well. Although there were small steps made in creating the equality of women that he spoke about, there were large leaps made in ideology that presented a view of gender equality that remains revolutionary for the time and a model for women’s rights movements.

Women Colleges Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Women Colleges - Coursework Example Originally steeped towards providing education in the liberal arts (Kiss, 2006), these colleges offer educational opportunities that equal that offered to boys in the men’s colleges. Women’s colleges, especially southern women colleges, were attended mostly by white women; however, black women’s colleges sprang up in the post-Civil War years that significantly contributed to the advancement of the educational opportunities of the black women (Guy-Sheftall, 1982). For instance, Bennett College, an originally co-ed institution, was converted into a liberal art college for black women. Unlike it precursors, the seminaries, which were restricted to women from the upper class, the mid- and late- 19 century women’s colleges were opened to women from the middle classes (Harwarth, Maline, & DeBra, 1999). Indeed, women from the middle class were able to afford a decorous education probably due to increase in philanthropic gestures from donors. The liberation of wom en from their traditional role in the post World War II years led to a corresponding increased in the role of women in the academia and in government (Harwarth, Maline, & DeBra, 1999).

Measuring Effectiveness of Customer Relationship Management Essay

Measuring Effectiveness of Customer Relationship Management - Essay Example Don’t waste time on background or definitions. Use this space to help the Senior VP deal with these diverse opinions and get on with the real work of helping customers who lose their cell phones and want Verizon to buy them new ones. Traditionally CRM (Customer Relationship Management) was mainly concerned with maintaining a close relationship with the customer. This was generally perceived as the relationship maintained by a small shopkeeper with his customers from the same street or locality. However, this was practically impossible for the larger corporations. With the advances in technology, CRM systems also grew, making it possible for companies to apply CRM techniques. According to VP Blue who emphasizes only on technology, the CRM system in place will ensure prompt response to the customers and they can utilize these systems to self- serve certain, if not, all services. A number of aspects of CRM which are otherwise impossible have been achieved with the help of technology. Techniques including, data mining, database warehousing and database marketing enable the firms to target specific group of customers. Mooney (2000) says that technology has been applied not only to sales support and marketing processe s but also to planning, trouble shooting, forecasting, campaign management etc. This helps in improving the efficiency of the poor performing processes. The service aspects and the customer interactions also play an important role in CRM, as positive interactions are the most important events in maintaining a positive relationship. It is interesting to note that lesser calls or complaints to the customer care center is not a good sign and is an indication that the company has to improve its service qualities and customer relations. The main reason is that 90 percent of customers do not lodge a complaint after a company delivers a defective product or a poor service (Farrington, 2009). They just ignore the service provider from then on, as they are

Business Ethics Learning Logs (1,2,3,4) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business Ethics Learning Logs (1,2,3,4) - Essay Example I came to the realization that ethics was important because I was aware that the recent financial crisis that rocked the world that made lives difficult for everybody was rooted in greed and lack of ethical practice in business. This explains why I was appreciative when I took the subject because I will have the opportunity to learn in details what really constitutes an ethical behaviour and to be able to discern the ethical behaviour from the unethical or undesirable one. I believed that this was important to learn especially when we are still in the academe and still in the process of equipping ourselves the necessary skills and knowledge so that it will be ingrained within us to become better professionals in the future. The lessons that we will learn would guide us when we make our choices in any ethical dilemma that we would confront, be it in business or in our daily activities. II. Second Entry – Evaluate The Theories Given the recent scandals that rocked the business a nd financial world, it now becomes an imperative that each individual entering into the corporate and financial industry must have a sound ethical foundation to avoid similar occurrences in the future. It should begin right in the academe where future professionals, employees or entrepreneurs are being trained and prepared. It is now important because the neglect and disregard for ethical practice in business has contributed to the recent financial and mortgage breakdown that stemmed from greed and lack of ethical practice that made life difficult for everybody. The high incidence of unethical practices in modern business has prompted a stream of organizational research about morality in business (Crane 1999). In fact, industry experts such as Ernst & Young has pointed out that unethical business practice is the main culprit that precipitated the recent economic crisis which caused a lot of jobs and homes to be lost that made life difficult for everybody which is why it is now an im perative not only to integrate but also to stress ethics beginning in the academe when future business professionals are being trained and prepared (Business Roudtable-Institute for Corporate Ethics 2009). The obvious disregard about business propriety is not surprising as Crane and Matten hypothesized that business in itself has been argued to be amoral that to put ethics in business is an oxymoron because they contradict each other (2010). Business in pursuit of its profit motive will invariably set aside ethics as it endeavour to make profit. Actions which may be considered unethical such as lying and deception may even become permissible in the business’ pursuit for profit (Carr 1998 qtd in Crane and Matten 2010). This is consistent with the consequential normative ethic theory that â€Å"holds that the moral rightness of acts, which holds that whether an act is morally right, depends only on the consequences of that act or of something related to that act, such as the m otive behind the act or a general rule requiring acts of the same kind† (Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy a 2011). In plain language, a business person may be prompted to choose a certain course of action or inaction based on the benefit or the avoidance of harm that may be derived from such action or inaction. In the case of business, it can chose to shun any propriety in conducting business with the idea that it is more expedient to make profit by disregarding

Measuring Effectiveness of Customer Relationship Management Essay

Measuring Effectiveness of Customer Relationship Management - Essay Example Don’t waste time on background or definitions. Use this space to help the Senior VP deal with these diverse opinions and get on with the real work of helping customers who lose their cell phones and want Verizon to buy them new ones. Traditionally CRM (Customer Relationship Management) was mainly concerned with maintaining a close relationship with the customer. This was generally perceived as the relationship maintained by a small shopkeeper with his customers from the same street or locality. However, this was practically impossible for the larger corporations. With the advances in technology, CRM systems also grew, making it possible for companies to apply CRM techniques. According to VP Blue who emphasizes only on technology, the CRM system in place will ensure prompt response to the customers and they can utilize these systems to self- serve certain, if not, all services. A number of aspects of CRM which are otherwise impossible have been achieved with the help of technology. Techniques including, data mining, database warehousing and database marketing enable the firms to target specific group of customers. Mooney (2000) says that technology has been applied not only to sales support and marketing processe s but also to planning, trouble shooting, forecasting, campaign management etc. This helps in improving the efficiency of the poor performing processes. The service aspects and the customer interactions also play an important role in CRM, as positive interactions are the most important events in maintaining a positive relationship. It is interesting to note that lesser calls or complaints to the customer care center is not a good sign and is an indication that the company has to improve its service qualities and customer relations. The main reason is that 90 percent of customers do not lodge a complaint after a company delivers a defective product or a poor service (Farrington, 2009). They just ignore the service provider from then on, as they are

Play Del Carmen Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Play Del Carmen - Assignment Example as diving and exploring the Cenotes reflects this style and classiness as an activity that requires high resource availability, shown in the activities occurring during the trip and the expensive hotels reserved for the group. Descriptive language such as brilliant and breathtaking by the narrator reflect this style common in this psychographic profile. It is not surprising that lifestyle and creativity in vacation selection played a part in the decision-making to explore the Cenotes, a vacation package well-suited for someone with enough self-esteem and confidence to explore. Those who fit the market profile of experiencers are those who are usually younger and rebellious, who maintain personality features that demand for thrill-seeking, are usually impulsive in decisions for consumption, and usually spend a great deal of their income on entertainment. This segment appreciates having cool stuff and enjoys taking risks. The photograph of this consumer on the posting website clearly shows a younger individual. There are many references to thrill-seeking activities which could have aided the decision to choose this particular type of vacation travel, with much appreciation for the diversity and risk factors that are part of the tours. That statements provided by the narrator such as â€Å"I was like a 4 year old at Christmas† and â€Å"he rocked!† shows the type of thinking of the experiencer profile. It would seem that largely for the thrill of adventure, this location was chosen as a destination. More evidence of a personality type that fits the experiencer is the impulse in decision-making that occurred during the trip. The group cancelled developed scheduled plans with an assigned diver guide in order to experience more enjoyable times with Cristobal, changing the entire scope of the day. The youths also fell asleep on more than once occasion, suggesting that the vacation was meant to be one that could be impulsive and free which all members of the group seemed

Play Production In The Greek & Elizabethan Eras Essay Example for Free

Play Production In The Greek Elizabethan Eras Essay The contemporary Greek play was an amalgamation of several artistic tools like pictures for example the one shown below which conveyed strong message to the audience. There were numerous other scenic elements used in the Greek theater. When a crane was used (called machina in Greek), it gave an impression of an airborne actor. A wheeled wagon was also common in the Greek playhouses and it made it possible for the audience to view dead characters. Openings in the ground, for example trap doors, were vital as they were used to elevate people onto the stage. Pictures like the one above, pinakes, were used to demonstrate a scenes backdrop. Satyr plays were very common in the Greek playhouses just as were the tragedies. Phallic props were used in such plays to symbolize fertility in of the Roman and the Greek god of wine- Dionysus. Elizabethan acting was not any near ‘naturalistic.’ The repertory of the Elizabethan era was extremely divergent from that of the present as was the demands on Elizabethan actors compared to the present day’s actors. Elizabethan theaters in two weeks could frequently present â€Å"eleven shows of ten dissimilar plays†. Playhouses would not show again the same play two days in a row. The Elizabethan Era was moment that reflected the atmosphere and values of the 16th century through the application of fashion. It was a phase where a lot of uniqueness and originality was manifest and was used to produce fresh styles of dress. The style in Elizabethan England at this time replicated the worth and principles of the era. The physical theatre spaces, sets, Costumes, Lights, Who would be in the audience Much may not be available to talk about the performance space for the Greek plays. This because all that is available for consultation is basically the works of literature. However, the Greek performances took place in theaters which could be subdivided into three: Athenian, Graeco-Roman and Hellenistic. In the Elizabethan era the theater consisted of theater not only as a form of art but also as a form of institution as well. There was originality then as evidenced in dressing styles and the costumes. However, the Elizabethan playhouse never made use of prolific or lavish scenery, but as an alternative the stage was left largely exposed with a few key props, the chief visual appeal on stage was in the costumes. Costumes were habitually brilliant in color and visually enchanting. Costumes were expensive, nonetheless, so generally players wore fashionable clothing in spite of the time interlude of the play. Intermittently, a lead character would be dressed in a conventionalized edition of more historically accurate apparel, but secondary characters would nevertheless remain in fashionable attire- (Bracewell, N. 1999). The Greek theaters were filled with Athenians who formed a majority of the judges (audience). There was an extremely large audience who were won by the playwrights through distribution of small gifts and flattery as well. Dealing with rowdy (in the strict sense of being extremely loud) was a challenge the playwrights had learned to deal with through performance of some outrageous and interesting act to draw the attention of the spectators. What might be the topic of a play in theater?   What was not acceptable as a topic for a play? The Greek plays circulated around tragedies, comedies or satyrs. This was also the case with Elizabethan era whose plays got much support fro the queen. In the Greek era women were forbidden from acting thus all the actors then were men. In terms of the experience, in relation to the Elizabethan era, the religiosity of the community or the individual played a major role. However, most of those who went to the theaters enjoyed dancing and playing other games like cards. In the Greek era, it was quite a motivating factor that every day of performance there had to be at least totally different issue or subject matter of performance. It would therefore motivate audience who crowded the Athenian theaters to have their full experience. In this era too, the experience of an individual was wholly or jointly dependent on the social class of the community or individual. The higher caste would have their best when it comedy while the lower class individuals were little more violent- (Ruben F. 2006).

The Environmental Effects Of Drought Environmental Sciences Essay

The Environmental Effects Of Drought Environmental Sciences Essay Drought is a normal part of climatic conditions; extreme climatic events, often described as a natural hazard (Dept. of Agriculture and cooperation, 2009). Drought has long been recognized as one of the most dangerous causes of human misery. It has today the unfortunate distinction of being the natural disaster that annually claims the most victims. Its ability to cause widespread misery is actually increasing day by day. Drought differs from other natural disasters in its slowness of onset and its commonly lengthy duration. The severity of the drought depends upon its duration, the degree of moisture deficiency, and the size of the affected area. Drought is a hazard that requires many months to emerge and that may persist for many months or years thereafter. This type of hazard is known as a creeping hazard (Coppola, 2007). It is difficult to provide a precise and universally accepted definition of drought due to its varying characteristics, impacts, across the different regions of the world, such as rainfall pattern, human response and resilience and diverse academic perspectives (Dept. of Agriculture and cooperation, 2009). In general, drought is an insidious natural hazard that results from a departure of precipitation from expected or normal that, when extended over a season or longer period of time, is insufficient to meet the demands of human, plant and animal activities ( A Primer for parliamentarians, NDMD). In the literature, drought has been classified into four categories in terms of impact: Meteorological Drought Meteorological drought is defined as the deficiency of precipitation from expected or normal levels over an extended period of time. Meteorological drought usually precedes other kinds of drought. Meteorological drought is said to occur when the seasonal rainfall received over an area is less than 25% of its long term average value. Its further classified as a moderate drought if the rainfall deficit is 26-50% and severe drought when the deficit exceeds 50% of the normal. The following examples of meteorologic droughts from different countries at different times show why it is a poor idea to apply a definition of drought developed in one part of the world to another: United States (1942): less than one tenth inch of rainfall in 48 hours Great Britain (1936): fifteen consecutive days with daily precipitation totals of less than one hundredth of an inch Libya (1964): when annual rainfall is less than 7 inches India (1960): actual seasonal rainfall is deficient by more than twice the mean deviation Bali (1964): a period of six days without rain. (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 1998) Under any circumstances, meteorological measurements are the first indicators of drought. Agricultural Drought Agricultural drought, usually triggered by meteorological and hydrological droughts, occurs when soil moisture and rainfall are inadequate during the crop growing season causing extreme crop stress and wilting. Plant water demand depends on prevailing weather conditions, biological characteristics of the specific plant, its stage of growth and the physical and biological properties of the soil. Agriculture is usually the first economic sector to be affected by drought (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 1998). Hydrological Drought Hydrological drought refers to deficiencies in surface and subsurface water supplies. It is measured as stream flow, and as lake, reservoir and ground water levels. There is a time lag between lack of rain and less water in streams, rivers, lakes and reservoirs, so hydrological measurements are not the earliest indicators of drought. When precipitation is reduced or deficient over an extended period of time, this shortage will be reflected in declining surface and subsurface water levels (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 1998). Socioeconomic Drought Socioeconomic drought is what happens when physical water shortage starts to affect people, individually and collectively. Or, in more abstract terms, most socioeconomic definitions of drought associate it with the supply and demand of an economic good (Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, 1998). Drought in India Drought gas a serious problem for India, and it has affected many part of the country intermittently. Certain regions of the country identified to be drought-prone. Increased climate variability has made rainfall pattern more inconsistent and unpredictable in the country increasing the recurrence of drought or drought like situation. A deficiency of rainfall causes depletion of both surface and ground water levels and adversely affects agricultural operations. In India, around 68% of the country is prone to drought in varying degrees. Of the entire area, 35% of the area, which receives rainfall between 750 mm and 1,125 mm, is considered drought-prone, while another 33%, which receives less than 750 mm of rainfall, is called chronically drought-prone. A further classification of Indias regions into arid (19.6%), semi-arid (37%), and sub-humid areas (21%) has been dealing with geographical spread of drought (Dept. of Agriculture and cooperation, 2009). In India, the occurrence and conditions of drought are influenced by a number of factors. Rainfall and cropping patterns are different across many geographical regions. It is not just the deficiency of the rainfall, but also the uneven distribution of rainfall across the season, duration of rainfall deficiency and its impact on different regions of the country that characterize drought conditions. Even though India receives abundant rain as a whole, disparity in its distribution over different parts of the country is so great that some parts suffer from perennial dryness. In other parts, however the rainfall is so excessive that only a small fraction can be utilized. Around 33% of the cropped area in the country receives less than 750 mm rain annually making such areas as hotspots of drought. Impacts of Drought Drought produces wide ranging impacts that span many sectors of the country. Drought has both direct and indirect impacts. One of the sectors where the direct impact of drought felt is agriculture. With the increased intensity or extended duration of drought prevalence, a significant fall in food production is noticed. The drought not only affects the food production at the farm level but also the national economy and the overall food security as well. Other direct impacts includes: depleted water levels, deficit in ground water recharge, land degradation, and damage to wildlife and fish habits. When direct impacts have multiplier effects through the economy and society, they are referred to as indirect impacts. These include a reduction in agricultural production that may result in reduced income for farmers and agribusiness, increased prices for food and timber, unemployment, reduced purchasing capacity and demand for consumption, default on agricultural loans, rural unrest, and re duction in agricultural employment leading to migration and drought relief programmes. The impacts of drought are classified as economic, environmental, and social. Economic Impacts Economic impacts refer to production losses in agriculture and related sectors, especially forestry and fisheries, because these sectors rely on surface and subsurface water supplies. It causes a loss of income and purchasing power, particularly among farmers and rural population dependent on agriculture. All industries dependent upon the primary sector for their raw materials would suffer losses due to reduced supply or increased prices. Drought thus has a multiplier effect throughout the economy, which has a dampening impact on employment, flow of credit and tax collections. If the drought is countrywide, macroeconomic indicators at the national level are adversely impacted. (Dept. of Agriculture and cooperation, 2009) Environmental impacts Environmental impacts, such as lower water levels in reservoirs, lakes and ponds as well as reduced flows from springs and streams would reduce the availability of feed and drinking water and adversely affect fish and wildlife habitat. It may also cause loss of forest cover, migration of wildlife and their greater mortality due to increased contact with agricultural producers as animals seek food from farms and producers are less tolerant of the intrusion. A prolonged drought may also result in increased stress among endangered species and cause loss of biodiversity. Reduced stream flow and loss of wetlands may cause changes in the levels of salinity. Increased groundwater depletion, land subsidence, and reduced recharge may damage aquifers and adversely affect the quality of water (e.g., salt concentration, increased water temperature, acidity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity). The degradation of landscape quality, including increased soil erosion, may lead to a more permanent loss of biological productivity of the landscape (Dept. of Agriculture and cooperation, 2009). Social impacts Social impacts arise from lack of income causing out migration of the population from the drought-affected areas. People in India seek to cope with drought in several ways which affect their sense of well-being: they withdraw their children from schools, postpone daughters marriages, and sell their assets such as land or cattle. In addition to economic hardships, it causes a loss of social status and dignity, which people find hard to accept. Inadequate food intake may lead to malnutrition, and in some extreme cases, cause starvation. Access and use of scarce water resources generate situations of conflict, which could be socially very disruptive. Inequities in the distribution of drought impacts and relief may exacerbate these social tensions further. (Dept. of Agriculture and cooperation, 2009) Drought in Kerala Drought in Palakkad The Palakkad district of Kerala State is the land of paddy fields and palmyrahs. It is considered as one of the rice bowls of the State.

Differences Between Male and Female Orientated Magazine Articles Essay

Investigating the Difference Between Male and Female Orientated Magazine Articles For my investigation I decided to take stories sent in by readers to the magazines FHM and Cosmopolitan. FHM is aimed at men aged around 16 to 30, while Cosmopolitan is aimed at women of the same age. I thought it would be interesting to look at the differences between the two formats because I read FHM quite a lot, and some female friends of mine read Cosmopolitan, and I have often wondered what and how many differences and indeed similarities there are between the two magazines. I was also interested in the different ways similar topics were portrayed for the two different sexes. It helps me understand some of the language and gender issues I dealt with last year in English Language, and that is why I chose a stories page, it tells me more about the people who actually read the magazines than the people who write them. The stories I hoped would reflect the people who wrote them, and therefore the people who bought and read the magazines. It is also interesting for me because I want to become a magazine journalist when I leave university. Doing this investigation allows me to take a more in-depth look at what kind of people enjoy these kinds of magazines, and also it gives me a chance to look at the way these types of articles are presented in magazines, looking at things such as layout. I aim to find differences between the subject matter of the letters, the lexis used by the writers, the differences in grammar, the layout of the letters pages in the magazines and the general tenor of the stories. I also aim to reach a conclusion as to what... ... and "freezing my arse off". These slangy informal descriptions are very suitable for the FHM stories but hardly sensible for the Cosmopolitan story. Overall the articles conform closely with my hypothesis. The variances in the tenor were often and obvious. The male stories also conformed to my hypothesis in that they were competing as an incentive to win a prize, whereas the woman was not. The subject matters also matched my hypothesis. The male stories use mostly a different style of writing to the female articles, and indeed these contribute to them having very different effects on the reader. I think that my investigation has been a success. I have proved many of my hypotheses and my aim has been met. There is a large difference in male and female orientated magazine articles, in both style and substance.

Domestic versus Foreign Poverty :: essays research papers

Personally, I mostly disagree with this statement although there are a few points in its favour. The bible provides the basis for Christian beliefs and values. The Catechism States: "Created in the image of the one God and equally endowed with rational souls, all men have the same nature and the same origin. Redeemed by the sacrifice of Christ, all are called to participate in the same divine beatitude: all therefore enjoy an equal dignity." This means that all men are equal in the eyes of God, and should be equal in each others. This means that we should treat each others as equal without considering race, nationality, sex or religion. ?All of you are Christ?s Body and each one is a part of it? (1 Corinthians 12:27). Therefore to ignore one man?s suffering is to ignore the body?s suffering as, ?If one part of the body suffers, all the other parts suffer with it? (1 Corinthians 12:26). To ignore one part of the body?s suffering causes the rest of the body to suffer. You cannot be a true Christian if you leave someone in poverty, as, if everyone is part of Christ?s body and all parts suffer if one does, then you are causing suffering to spread worldwide unchecked and even if you remove it from your community it still exists, so all still suffer. We should demonstrate the qualities set out by Jesus, to love thy neighbour, when we are dealing with anyone. Another important example, the parable of the Sheep and Goats shows the way that Good Christians should treat their fellow men. It says how Jesus ?will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats? (Matthew 21:32-33) This means that he will separate the righteous from the unrighteous. He will put those blessed by God at his right and those who have done wrong against God or their fellow man on his left. In this way does the shepherd separate the sheep from the goats. Jesus is a shepherd of men. He will always protect his flock. This parable shows that we will be judged on the Day of Judgement for our actions on Earth. We must repent of our wrongdoings and help all others.

Siberin Tigers

Panthera tigris altaica, better know as the Siberian or the Amur tiger lives primarily in eastern Russia, and a few are found in northeastern China and northern North Korea. It is estimated that 150 to 200 tigers exist today in the wild. There are roughly 490 Siberian tigers that are managed in zoos world wide, and an unknown number as to how many exist privately. In this century alone, the Siberian tiger has managed to survive four wars, two revolutions, and now the brutal slaughter on their forests. Wild tigers exist in Asian countries China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal, By this IUCN status this animal is considered to be Critical, its numbers in the wild have fluctuated from an incredibly low 24 tigers in the 1940s to what IUCN now estimates is 150 to 200 in 1994. There are only three protected areas for these tigers in Russia-the Sikhote-Alin (3,470 km2), Lazovsky (1,165 km2), and Kedrovaya Pad (178 km2) Reserves-inland from the Sea of Japan in the Russian Far East. There have been sightings of these magnificent animals in Changbaishan, near the Chinese border, were it was reported in a Chinese newspaper in 1990, and some are still found along the Russian border. The Cat Specialist Group suggests that there are probably fewer than 50 Siberian tigers in China. It is widely believed that the tigers in Russia will define the future of the species. The other sites are too small to harbor tiger populations large enough for the survival of the species. The Law of the Russian Federation on Environmental Protection and Management of 1992 gave the Siberian tiger legal protection that they deserved. Despite the law of protection, poaching has received a considerable amount of attention in the press today. Authorities say that the killing of tigers is a new enterprise. One reason for the poaching is traditional Chinese medicine. The captive program for Siberian tigers is the largest and longest managed program for any of the subspecies. The Siberian tiger is one of the models for the creation of scientifically managed programs for species in captivity. This program takes place globally in zoos and aquariums. According to the 1994 International Tiger Studbook there are about 490 Siberian tigers managed in zoos 226 of them in Europe, 151 in North America, 93 in Japan, and about 20 more scattered among Asian zoos. This captive population is descended from 83 wild-caught founders. For the most part, the Siberian tiger is considered secure in captivity. With the large genetically diverse gene pool that exists, these animals are considered to be a stable population. The Siberian tigers are the heaviest subspecies, the larger tigers weighting at 500 and more or 225-kg. With the males being heavier than the females, like many other species. The lightest subspecies is the Sumatran; these males weigh at about 250 pounds or 110 kg and the females at around 200 pounds or 90 kg. In order to obtain and maintain this weight these cats have to eat large masses of food, every day. A wild tiger can eat over 60 pounds of meat at one siting. . Despite the tiger†s great power and accurate senses, it dedicates a lot of time to hunting, because only one in ten hunting are calculated to be successful. It mainly preys on deer or wild pig, and fish providing it can catch them. Depending on the subspecies, the head-body length of these tigers is about 41/2 to 9 feet or 1.4-2.8 m. the length of the tail is 3 to 4 feet or 90-120 cm. The footpads vary in size with the age of the animal. This leads to inaccurate estimates when used it in counting the animals in wild populations. This magnificent animal carries the Chinese mark of Wang or king on the forehead. Tigers have round pupils and yellow irises, excluding the blue eyes of white tigers. The tigers have evolved to better vision at night. Due to a retinal adaptation that reflects light back to the retina. This provides to be useful when hunting at night. Tigers have excellent Binocular and color vision. At night, the tiger can see well over 6 times better than humans. The length of a Tigers tail is 3 to 4 feet long, about half as long as its body. They use their tails for balance when running through fast turns. Tigers also use their tails to communicate with other tigers. Like domestic cats, tiger claws are retractable. Like many other animals tigers mark there territory. Tigers mark their territories by spraying bushes and trees with a mixture of urine and scent gland secretions. They will also leave scratch marks on trees. The size of a tiger's territory depends on the amount of food available, and usually ranges from about 10 to 30 square miles or 26-78 sq. km. Siberian tigers sometimes have unusually large territories, this can be as large as 120 square miles. Although tigers usually live alone, their territories can overlap. A male tiger's territory usually overlaps those of several female tigers. No one knows exactly why tigers have striped, but some scientists think that the stripes act as camouflage, and aid in tiger†s hunt from their prey. The Sumatran tiger has the most stripes of all the tiger subspecies, and the Siberian tiger has the fewest stripes. Tiger stripes are much like human fingerprints; no two tigers have the same pattern of stripes. Tiger cubs are born blind and weigh only about 2 to 3 pounds or 1 kg, respective to the subspecies. They live on their mother†s milk for 6-8 weeks before the female begins taking them hunting to eat. Tigers fully developed canines in about 16 months of age, but they do not begin making their own kills until about 18 months of age. Young tigers live with their mother until they are two to three years old, then they find their own territories to occupy. The average life span of tigers in the wild is thought to be about 10 years. Tigers that are brought up in zoos can live twice as long or longer. Unlike some other large cats, adult tigers prefer to live their lives in solitude. Except for mother†s tigers who take care of their cubs. This is partly due to the fact a single tiger has a better chance sneaking up and bouncing its prey, more efficiently than a large group of tigers could. These animals and many other animals like them should be reserved. No other living creature surpasses their beauty. As this picture illustrates these animals were truly the masters of their domain. Before humans came and destroyed their homes. This cat is one of the most powerful cats in the world. Weighting in at 500 and change this animal can tear though it†s prey, like a hot knife though butter.

Analysis of Chocolat

Analysis of Chocolat In this extract from Chocolat by Joanne Harris, a mother and her young daughter, Anouk, have just arrived at Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, a small village in France. The story is told from the mother’s point of view in the first person. Only at the end of the scene – when a man asks â€Å"On holiday, Madame? † – we discover that the narrator is a woman. It is carnival time. The narrator describes the excitement of the participants using the senses. For example, the atmosphere is full of smells of foods which sound really good; â€Å"pancakes and sausages and powdery-sweet waffles† contrast with the cold of the winter.In the same way, the woman appeals to the sense of sight to describe the decorated carts which remind to some fairy tales; for instance, â€Å"a gingerbread house all icing and gilded cardboard† calls to mind Hansel and Gretel. Then, she compares the carnival with others that both she and her daughter have seen. â €Å"A procession of two hundred and fifty of the decorated chars in Paris last Mardi Gras, a hundred and eighty in New York, [†¦] drum majorettes with batons spinning and sparkling† tells us that the carnival itself is something typical of their lives.In this case, it can represent the new beginning in the new town. It also means that they have travelled a lot. Moreover, when Anouk asks her mother â€Å"Are we staying? † we understand that the child likes so much the new village that she wants to stay there. In contrast with the carts of the carnival, which are colourful and expressive, the houses of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes â€Å"leaning secretively together†. Only people have secrets, not the houses, so the author uses a metaphor to suggest something sinister about the place and probably to stimulate the interest of the readers.The small village looks apparently perfect. â€Å"There is no police station at Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, therefore no crime† means that people think that there are no crimes, but this does not convince the woman. â€Å"But for now everything is blurred†. There is also a strong presence of the church and of the religion in general. For example, the church is described as â€Å"aggressively whitewashed†; similarly, the priest is seen as â€Å"a black figure† who is compared to the Plague Doctor.The priest is also described with a â€Å"rigid stance† and â€Å"pale eyes† which confirms the idea of an unfriendly person. All the other residents are characterized in two different ways. On the one hand, there are the adults, who look suspiciously and with curiosity to the two protagonists. As the text says, â€Å"tourists are a rarity†. The sentence â€Å"I feel their eyes upon us† emphasizes the fact that the woman and her daughter are observed. On the other hand, the children transmit colour and vitality.For instance, the clothing of the adults are â€Å"brown, black or grey†; the children, instead, â€Å"flying colours of red and lime-green and yellow, seem like a different race†. The author uses a lot of adjectives, which add many details to the descriptions. For example, when the woman talks about her daughter, she says â€Å"her eyes, which are the blue-green of the Earth seen from a great height, shining†. This also helps us to understand the close relationship between the two characters.

Prepare for a job interview Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Prepare for a job interview - Essay Example It is best to show up in business attire. Colors should be light and decent. It is best to wear shades of white, black, blue and grey. The candidate should not consume a heavy meal prior to interview, though a light snack is obviously recommendable. The candidate should try to assess the field specific questions he may be asked, and have answers ready for them. Also, the candidate should do a bit of research on the company (All Business, 2011). This practice raises the confidence level of the candidate. During interview, the candidate should try not to speak wrong about a concept if the concept is unfamiliar. A â€Å"sorry† is better than saying something that does not make sense. The candidate’s confidence is extremely important for an interview, and that should be displayed anyway. Finally, the candidate should maintain a nice and decent tone throughout the interview. References: All Business. (2011). Ten Tips on Preparing for a Job Interview. Retrieved from http://ww w.allbusiness.com/human-resources/careers-job-interview/11120-1.html. Pollick, M. (2010). How can I Prepare for a Job Interview? Retrieved from http://www.wisegeek.com/how-can-i-prepare-for-a-job-interview.htm.

Research about social Impact of Flooding, Building regulation of Case Study

Research about social Impact of Flooding, Building regulation of flooding at King's Lynn in the UK - Case Study Example 17). As a result, Colonel John Armstrong surveyed the river in 1724 and suggested for the construction of drainage works. However, John Smeaton opposed this idea suggesting that it was important for banks to be moved inwards in order to create a narrower and fast-flowing channel. The eastern part of the England Region, which is among the largest English regions, has a population of about 5.5 million people. It stretches from the northern fringe of London to the northern part of Norfolk coast. The region is includes counties of Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridge shire, Hertford shire and Bedfordshire. The East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) has the primary responsibility for the spatial planning mainly at the regional level (Gardine & Matthews, 2002, p. 21). Housing development forms the main component of urban development as well as house allocation forecasts. The allocation forecasts are for local planning authorities and sub regions. The forecasts give an indication of areas that are likely to be hit by floods. These are likely to be constraint to growth but where there is large scale urban development, the floods are likely to cause an adverse effect. The coastal towns in Norfolk, Suffolk, Lincolnshire and Essex are battered when the sea waters surge into the streets. As a result, the floods cause devastating effects on people living in these areas. Emergency services always struggle to cope and many residents are displaced and forced to spend nights on rooftops as they await rescue. In addition, as the sea level rises, the lower part of Thames estuary is always at risk of flooding. Consequently, housing, industry and farmland are destroyed (Gardine & Matthews, 2002, p. 24). The floods have caused serious financial damage to people living in this are. Many houses and other property costing millions of euros are always destroyed in a single flood. For example, in the 2009 flood, it destroyed over a hundred buildings in Norfolk and Essex. These

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

Individual Report - Essay Example The analysis entails the resources and the organization’s performance in its external environments. This report describes the organizational paradigms and their impact on the process of strategic management. Introduction An organization defines its own ways of identifying its operations in its environment in order to guarantee profitable performance and customer satisfaction. This is achieved through the implementation of a given structure that determines the functions that warrant the objectives of the company. This is aligned to the key objective of a firm that is solely maximizing its profits. The organizational paradigms key issue assists in describing the structural design that is suitable to the accomplishment of the functional requirements (CARTER 2010). Therefore, organizational paradigms imply the fundamental presuppositions that unnoticeably define and shape an organizations structures, policies, and operations. Elements of Organizational Paradigms Organizational par adigms consist of four main elements according to its scientific description. The symbolic generalization is an element that gives ways that problems within the paradigm are posed and solved. The second element is the metaphysical assumptions (STRATI 2000). This element represents the taken-as-given beliefs about the issues that will be treated as real regarding the organizations operations and environment. The third element describes values that embody the fundamental priorities and alternatives of the problems pursued and the main objectives to adhere (DONALDSON 2001). Lastly, exemplars are an organizational paradigm’s element that deals with those worked-out methods and solutions that exhibit the whole world perception as a rational form. Rational Systems This is an organizational paradigm whose systems are highlighted by high specificity of formation, formalization, objectives, and a conscious purposeful synchronization among members in an effort to establish an efficient operated company. These characteristics of the objectives drive the mannerisms of the company’s members (HASSARD 1995). It also establishes boundaries through which the organization puts efforts to succeed in relation to the firms goals or community within which it seeks to aspire. In addition, the rational system is usually demonstrated by Taylor’s Scientific Management concept of methodical evaluation of an employee’s productivity seeking to set given standards of effectiveness and substitute the arbitrary decisions of front line managers (SCOTT 2003). Furthermore, the rational system addresses management effectiveness by establishing extensive administrative standards through concepts such as hierarchical organizational structures, unity-of-command, and departmentalization. Moreover, it ensures the homogeneity of operations to offer control and focus needed by a firm and its managerial service. The paradigm also offers a different viewpoint that demonstrates the model that companies need structures and procedures to serve and sustain their survival (SCOTT & DAVIS 2007). An example of an implemented rational system is the hierarchical centralized structure of the national security sector of our country. This entails the decision-making process that directs the sector. Each of the constituent part of the sector implements a good deal of the rational system concept. The disciplined forces services are usually affiliated with the

Scientific literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Scientific literacy - Essay Example 81). This paper explores some of the reasons why scientific literacy is not important in all subjects. My personal experience demonstrates that scientific literacy should not be incorporated in every subject of study, instead students should be allowed to study their areas of interest scientific or otherwise. For instance, I was hardly interested in the study of organic foods until I came across a recent feature on the news. The feature was scientific in nature and caught my attention owing to the fact that I found it interesting and educative. The feature focused on a Chinese based company known as "Bai Wei Yua" and specialized in agricultural trade. The company is involved in the sale of organic products and vegetables. However, recent reports have revealed that the company the company buys regular fruits and vegetables and packages them as organic products and sells them at inflated prices. This is ethically wrong as the company dupes the customers into thinking that they are buying organic products. "Bai Wei Yua" uses the appropriate procedures to produce and trade the organic products that is highly impressive. However, they are wrong in labeling regular foods as organic foods. I was stunned to realize that a legitimate company was packaging regular fruits and vegetables, packaging them as organic products, and selling them to the market at high prices. This issue aroused my curiosity in the topic of organic foods. I was more interested in government regulations and policies with regards to organic foods. This case study shows that individuals should be allowed to pursue the kind of scientific knowledge they are interested in pursuing. Mara, a thirty one year old woman who works as a technical worker holds a different view with regards problems of immunity. She has had a personal experience as she was a caregiver to a sick friend and all her college roommates died of AIDS. She was

Finish the part of "Market Structure and Competitive Analysis in Essay

Finish the part of "Market Structure and Competitive Analysis in Nigeria" (2 pages, need references) - Essay Example e market size for solar energy in Nigeria has been hampered by the high percentage of the Nigerian population who lack access to the nation’s power grid. In recent years, the figure has been placed at close to 55 %, which has greatly limited the growth of the solar energy industry in Nigeria. However, the 2010 governmental reforms on the country’s power sector have improved the use of solar power energy in a bid to increase the standard of living of millions of Nigerians. Mind you, the country is estimated to have a population of close to 175 million people. The biggest competitors of Amazing Solar Inc.’s product include BP Solar, Evergreen Solar, AEE Solar and General Electric. However, the low cost of operation associated with our company gives the product an added advantage making it affordable in the Nigerian market. In addition, once the installation and purchase costs have been covered, the consumer does not incur any additional costs, making the product easy to maintain. This means that advertising costs from the promotion of the product will not greatly affect the price of the product. Due to this fact, the product can be advertised via television commercials, email information cards, newspapers, magazines and through seminars conducted in major towns like Abuja and Lagos. Despite the numerous benefits that the company stands to accrue, there are few disadvantages that Amazing Solar Inc. and its product are bound to face in its penetration of the Nigerian solar energy market, chief of which pertains to the rampant corruption in Nigeria and the uncertainties that accompany penetrating new markets. In addition, the company faces stiff competition from local based companies that have a better understanding of the demographics involved, market structure, culture of the Nigerian people and the general political and socio-economic factors in the country. Another big disadvantage includes the fact that the country is ravaged by the Boko Haram menace, which