Oligopoly in the Beer Industry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oligopoly in the Beer Industry - Essay Example The U.S. beer industry is dominated by three major brewers: Anheuser-Busch, the makers of Budweiser and Michelob, SAB Miller, and Morson Coors. These three account for over 80% of total beer production and are large breweries with annual shipments of over 15 million barrels (31 gallons per barrel) nationwide and abroad. Most of these breweries are located in Texas, Colorado, Wisconsin, and New York State (Tremblay and Tremblay, 2005). Regional breweries produce between 15,000 and 15 million barrels a year, with brews distributed in specific regions. Most regional breweries are privately held such as Pabst and Latrobe. Regional breweries account for approximately 15% of total U.S. beer shipments. Most of these breweries are located in Pennsylvania, Oregon, Wisconsin, and California (Goldammer, 2005). At the bottom of the industry pyramid are microbreweries and brewpubs, "craft brewers" that produce specialty niche products. They ship less than 15,000 barrels of beer each year and began growing in numbers in the late 1970s. Brewpubs are restaurant-breweries that sell its beer on-premise, a common practice of European producers, and rarely exceed 5,000 barrels in annual output (Goldammer, 2005). The industry is highly compet... These were developed after the "price wars" in the last three decades, giving consumers the impression of choice in price, taste, and image, and giving microbreweries and importers the opportunity to enter the market in the 1990s (Tremblay and Tremblay, 2005). Other factors, such as the growing size of the Hispanic market, an expanding economy, consumer interest in higher-priced beers, and the wave of market consolidation where the large breweries began buying regional and small breweries led to industry growth. However, sales in recent years have remained flat (Anheuser-Busch grew by only 0.7% in 2005) due to the health effects of beer and competition from beverages such as wine seen to be healthier. Characteristic of the competition is the recent decision by InBev (of Belgium) to sell regional brewer Rolling Rock to Anheuser-Busch (U.S.) and of SAB (South Africa) to buy Miller in 2002. InBev's decision was made after realizing that though it is the biggest brewer in the world - it bottles premium brands Beck's and Stella Artois - it prefers not to compete with Anheuser-Busch in the locally-brewed segment, limiting itself instead to selling its high margin, imported premium brands (Hannaford, 2006). The U.S. beer market is therefore full of breweries of all sizes, all with a domestic and some even with an international presence, and foreign brands making inroads into the higher margin specialty brands where the larger, more established brewers are competing with small regional and microbreweries and brewpubs. The nature of the competition, however, is such that larger breweries, which include InBev and SAB which established its presence through its purchase of Miller, can resort

Censor Restrictions In Indian Cinema

Censor Restrictions In Indian Cinema The boundary within which artistic liberty swings has, historically, remained a debatable issue. Liberal democracies all over the world have recognised the need for reasonable restriction, though its boundaries are yet to be settled. In India cinema censorship appeared as an inevitable response to growing obscenity, restraint on the public morale being necessary for socio-cultural and political reasons. However, obscenity and lewdness having varying interpretations, censor decisions have remained a contentious issue. All efforts including judicial pronouncements, expert committee recommendations and periodic review of the censorship guidelines have fall short of settling the issue. The ongoing digital communication technology revolution has prompted a fresh debate on the relevance of cinema censorship in India. This paper attempts to review the legal and philosophical foundations of the concept to identify the reasonable limits of artistic expression in India, in the context of chang ing pubic moral and social patterns, and the ongoing digital communication technology revolutions. Introduction A gloss over the existing literature on cinema revels that censorship debate continues ever since cinemas emergence as a major mass entertainment industry, of course, the issue of contention keeps on changing. The battle over it is often fought as petty-bickering and yet at other times in terms of angry public furor at the overt or covert sexual obscenities. Though the polemics of Indian film censorship generally revolved round sleaze, sensuality, sexuality, nudity and permissiveness (Bhowmik, 2003:3148), excessive depiction of obscenity and lewdness is primarily seen as the reason for censorship becoming inevitable in India- restraint on the public moral being necessary for socio-cultural, political, national security reasons. But, obscenity being perceptual and having different nuances of meanings for different segments of age and populations, the CBFCs decisions were often questioned, making it a debatable issue. The era of censor restriction began in British India when the film Bhakta Vidura (1921) was banned because its protagonist bore a strong resemblance to Mahatma Gandhi. In 1978, the Central Board of Film Censor (renamed Central Board of Film Certification in 1982) referred to the political film KISSA KURSI KA(The Tale of a Chair), an innuendo about the politicians) to the Information Broadcasting Ministry for further clearance. This was eventually destroyed only to be remade and released latter. In 1981, the film MERI AWAZ SUNO (Please Listen to My Voice), about a policeman who infiltrates an underworld gang to discover its nexus with politicians, was first granted an A certificate, but subsequently suspended under the Cinematograph act, 1952 citing that the film depicted excessive violence. In 1994, the film BANDIT QUEEN, based on the life history of Phoolon Devi-a dalit woman turned bandit was recommended for 17 cuts by the Central Board of Film Certification(CBFC). The film was released with just one visual and one audio cut after court intervention. In the film KAMA SUTRA- A TALE of LOVE (1996), which sought to demonstrate the marriage of spirituality and sexuality through the story of a princess and her servant, was denied a certificate citing it pornographic; it was certified after two scenes of nudity were erased. The film FIRE (1998), which explicitly screened the relationship of two women, who found the poignant expression of their love in their lesbian relationship, was cleared for public exhibition by the Censor Board but, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting referred it back to the Censor Board for review due to violent protest against the film in parts of India. In 2002,the CBFC demanded several deletions from the anti-war and anti-nuclear documentar y film Jung-aur-aman (War and Peace) as a pre-condition for granting certificate, only to be certified without any deletion after the Bombay High Court directed the CBFC to do so (TOI,2003:April 26). As the censors claimed, the film suggested a bias against the Muslims minority when aid was distributed after the Gujrat earth quake 2001. The list of such films touched by censorship issues in India gets longer even as the country emerges as the most prolific film producing country in the world (TOI,2002: July 28). At times the issue is excessive violence (Aakrosh, 2003), at others it is kissing on screen (Khwaish), even at others it is smoking on screen (God Mother, 1999, Pyar -To-Hona Hi Tha). The era of protest against restriction on cinema is as old as the restriction itself. But the restriction continues and is expected to continue, of course, efforts have been made to ease the tensions out. The recent ICT revolutions, especially the wider availability of digital duplicating technologies and the wider scope for their circulation through the networked technologies have raised afresh questions on the relevance of the censor mechanism in India. But, despite the growing justifications against its continuation, the justifications for censorship is found in the argument that Indian society constitutes of people with a divergent social outlook and the response to cinema censorship must be defined by the divergent socio- political and cultural parameters of the country (Dayal, 1987). But, every new case of censorship dispute renews demands for abolition of the Censor Board and the practice of film censorship in India. The Indian Supreme Court and High Courts have adjudicated on the matter, expert committees have recommended solutions, the government has issued revised guidelines from time to time, but still the issue remains unsettled. Even public opinion on the issue is intricate and dichotomous. Despite the county having well formulated obscenity laws for over a century, the question still remains: is censorship necessary? This paper attempts to explore the philosophical foundations of the right to artistic expression and its reasonable limits with special reference to film censorship in India in the context of the ongoing digital communication technology revolution, emerging patterns of Indian society and the changing profile of Indian audiences. The specific objectives of the study are: To examine the legal and philosophical foundations of media freedom, to identify its limits and explore the grounds for censor restriction. To explore the impacts of films and the scope for their positive use for social transformation and development. To make an assessment of the role and functioning of the Censor Board with regard to public perception and expectation in the context of the emerging digital communication technology environment; and To analyze public perception to find out the potential to make the Indian cinema censorship practices more effective and acceptable. Background of the Study Historically, censorship as a term in English goes back to the office of the censor established in ancient Rome. The censor was one of two magistrates of early Rome who acted as the census authority, and inspectors of moral who regulated the morals of the citizens, (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2012). Merriam-Websters Collegiate Dictionary defines Censor, to be a person who is authorized to read publications or correspondence or to watch theatrical performances and suppress in whole or in part anything considered obscene or politically unacceptable. As a practice, censorship is the control of what people may say or hear, write or read, or see or do, and suppression of material considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the government or the citizen groups. The materials which are included within the scope of censorship commonly includes nudity, sexual activity, language, presentation of criminal acts, violence messages considered to be immoral in the context of a society. Traditionally censorship was associated with ideas about state oppression, intolerant governments or other powerful institutions controlling the minds of powerless citizens and societys dominated classes (Biltereyst, 2010). It was related to brutal strategies to limit freedom of speech, or to undermine artistic expression. It was even seen as part of a carefully orchestrated strategy of controlling or even silencing public debate in society. With the universal recognition of human rights and the right to communicate as a vital component, the exercise of film censorship in modern times is seen as violating the sanctity of the constitutionally granted freedom of speech and expression in liberal democracies (Kazmi,2001), and is mostly regarded as a relic of an unenlightened and much more oppressive age and hardly finds any favour among elite sections of a society. Daniel Biltereyst of the Centre for Cinema and Media Studies claim that censorship is more complex and constitutes more than simply banning, cutting and imposing restrictions from above by state institutions. This revelation is based on a broader definition of censorship and new theoretical underpinnings of the concept. New approaches argue that the state does not wield absolute power, and also that censorship institutions are not disconnected from society but are run by flesh-and-blood people with their own sensitivities, norms and values. This includes the existence of negotiations between the censors, the industry and film makers (Biltereyst, 2008). This new approach to censorship shifted the focus from the old institutionalized, interventionist censorship to a more culturalist notion of film censorship (Biltereyst, 2010). From this perspective, censorship was gradually accepted as a keen and sharp indicator of what a particular hegemonic group in society can tolerate at a particular moment. The wider social and cultural ideologies determining hegemonic groups activities present the framework for negotiation between industry, filmmakers, censors and their respective discourses, to achieve some form of consensus on the acceptability of certain images, scenes or films. This negotiation process makes it rather unlikely that film classification boards would take decisions going completely against societal sensitivities. The censor negotiations combine historical, sociological, aesthetic, and philosophical parameters and vacillate between the two extremes of the liberty of artistic expression and the moral responsibilities of audiovi sual representations. Reflecting the views of a section of the film industry Bhowmik claims that trends on censorship practice violates the sanctity of the constitutionally granted freedom of speech and expression Disagreeing with the popular notion of censorship as moral restraint, he argues that its true import lies in the propagation of political agendas, there being intricate interplay of policies of governance and strictures of censorship. It is claimed that bureaucratic manipulation, judicial laxity, vested interest and political or public pressure keep the institution of film censorship going in India (Bhowmik (2003:3149). Cinema can play a positive role in society in terms of providing entertainment, enhancing information and knowledge, sensitizing people about urgent issues of society, in creating sociability and offering catharsis (Bhakhry, 1995:71). Similarly, cinema can also play an equally negative role in teaching wrong values, generating social and sexual violence and crime, providing escape from reality into a dream world instead of facing up to the problems of life, encouraging adoption of destructive role models and in encouraging cynicism about social institutions (Bhakhry, 1995:71. It is these impacts of cinema on society which makes censorship an important issue and justifies the efforts put into this study. Genesis of Censor Restriction in Indian Cinema The institution of censorship in Indian cinema took roots soon after the birth of the indigenous film industry. The Indian Cinematograph Act of 1918 was enacted by the British government in India with the avowed aim of safety of the audiences, and the prevention of degrading of moral performances, though the real intentions, as was often alleged, were to pre-empt political issues perceived as threats to the British Raj in India (Bhowmik, 2003:3149).Regional Censor Boards were constituted at Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Rangoon, and Lahore in 1920, to put a check, as was claimed, on sensitive issues, objectionable subjects, and forbidden scenes in foreign films. The first instances of censorship took place soon after the setting up of these regional censor boards when the 1921 film Bhakta Vidura was banned alleging that its protagonist bore a strong resemblance to Mahatma Gandhi. Following Indian independence, the Indian Cinematograph Act of 1918 was carried forward by the Indian leadership essentially as an attempt to cleanse or control the harmful western influence through the medium of film entertainment. The Indian leadership publicly stated that the sanctity of the well received principles of morality and behaviour would be invoked in matters relating to exhibition of films in the country(Bhowmik,2003: July 26). They emphasized the need for improvement in the moral and ethical standards in films. In 1951, all regional censor boards were brought under the unified command of a Central Board of Film Censors. The Indian Cinematograph Act 1918 was replaced by the Indian Cinematograph Act 1952, which was amended in 1982 and new censorship guidelines were issued in 1983. The law provides for appointment of a Central Board of Film Certification to certify films for public exhibition in India which functions with headquarters at Mumbai assisted by nine regional offices at Bangalore, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Chennai, Thiruvananthpuram, New Delhi, Cuttack and Guwahati. The law and the guidelines provide for appointment of the Board, their functioning and the issues to be considered while certifying a cinema for public exhibition in India. A Film certification Appellate Tribunal was established in 1984 at Delhi to hear appeals against the decisions of the CBFC. In the years that followed Indian independence, film censorship continues to vacillate between the two extremes of the growing right to freedom of expression view and public decency defined by group perceptions and interests. The then minister of information and broadcasting R.R. Diwakar characterized the newly framed CBFC as a dignified effort to model an effective medium of healthy entertainment, national culture, and mass education (Hunnings, 1967:228). The main objectives of film censorship, as per the certification guidelines, have been to ensure that The medium of film remains responsible and responsive to the values and standards of society; Artistic expression and creative freedom are not unduly curbed; and Censorship is responsive to social changes. As provided in the Indian Cinematograph Act 1952 including its subsequent amendments , films are certified relying on the judgment of examining and revising committees and are issued any of the following four types of certificates -U, UL. A, and S, as has been provided under the Indian Cinemagraph Act.1952. U (unrestricted exhibition) certificate is issued to a cinema which, in the opinion of the CBFC, is suitable for unrestricted public exhibition. UA (unrestricted public exhibition subject to parental guidance for children below the age of 12) certification is issued to a film in respect of which the board is of the opinion that it is necessary to caution that the question as to whether any child below the age of 12 may be allowed to see such film should be considered by the parents or guardians of such child. A (public exhibition restricted to adults only) certificate is issued to a cinema if in the opinion of the board its public exhibition is to be restricted to adults only. S'(public exhibition restricted to specialized audiences) certification of a cinema means the cinema is suitable for public exhibition restricted to members of a profession, for example Doctors. The CBFC is assisted in examination of films by members of Advisory Panels and Examining Committees, and issues certificates as suggested. The board examines films for certification in accordance with provisions contained in the Cinematograph Act, 1952, the Cinematography (Certification) Rules, 1983 and the guidelines issued in this regard by the government of India from time to time. While considering a cinema for certification as mentioned above, the CBFC may direct to delete or amend material that might be considered to be offensive by its audiences or may even refuse to allow a film to be screened commercially. The Film Certification Appellate Tribunal (FCAT) hears appeals against the decisions of the Censor Board in respect of certification of a film. The decisions of the tribunal are binding on the board and it disposes the matter in conformity with the order of the tribunal. Under the provisions of the Cinematograph Act, 1952 the Central Government is also empowered to send back a film for review by the Censor Board or to cancel or modify a certificate issued to a film under certain circumstances. Petitions can be filed in High Courts seeking a ban on screening of a film. IV. Artistic Freedom and its Limits Article 19(1) (a) of the Indian Constitution Guarantees to every citizen of India the right to freedom of speech and expression; also assures the freedom of media, though it is not separately stated there, unlike some other constitutions like that of the USA. The freedom of media is part of a larger right of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed to every citizen. The right to freedom of speech and expression includes within it, the right to collect and receive information from anywhere and through any legitimate means, the right to disseminate information and express opinion (Sawant, 1997). The freedom granted under 19(1) (a) is not absolute, and is subject to restrictions recognized by all liberal democracies as well as by international declarations and covenants. These restrictions are contained in Article 19(2) of the Indian Constitution, which states that freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by article 19(1)(a) shall not affect the operation of any existing law, or prevent the state from making any law, which imposes reasonable restrictions on the exercise of the freedom in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence. The restrictions have, of course to be reasonable meaning there by that; they must have a direct nexus with the ground on which they are imposed (Sawant, 1997). They should also not be in excess of the purpose sought to be achieved or supplant the freedom itself . Again, the media, when run as a business, is also subject to the restrictions, which may be imposed by the state on any business, under Article 19(6) of the constitution. The principles of the censorship set out in section 5-B of the Cinematograph (Amendment) Act, 1959 states: A film shall not be certified for public exhibition if, in the opinion of the authority competent to grant the certificate the film or any part of it against the interests of security of the state, public order, decency or morality, or involves defamation or contempt of court, or is likely to incite the commission of an offence. This sub section is in agreement with article 19(2) of the constitution. Sub-section (2) of section 5-B states, Subject to the conditions contained in sub-section -1, the central government may issue such directions as it may think fit, setting out the principles which shall guide the authority competent to grant certificate under this act in sanctioning films for public exhibition. In a celebrated Supreme Court judgment in 1970, in the case brought before it by K.A. Abbas, regarding his film A Tale of Four Cities declared that, censorship falls under constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech and expression and that while pre censorship of films does not contravene those guarantees per se, is still a justifiable issue and cannot be decided by a government official (Dayal, 1987). The Supreme Court has indicated that , Censorship in India (and pre-censorship is not different in quality) has full justification in the field of exhibition of cinema films and the censorship imposed on the making and exhibition of films is in the interest of the society. If the regulations venture into something, which goes beyond the legitimate opening to restrictions, they can be questioned on the ground that a legitimate power is being abused. We hold, therefore, that censorship of films, including prior restraint, is justified under our constitution (Vasudev, 1978). The enquiry committee on film censorship in 1968, known as the Khosla Committee, in its report submitted in 1969, said, in the case of films Censorship can be deemed to be reasonable restrictions on the right of freedom of expression. Provided that the nature and extent of this control or restriction is related to the maters mentioned in Article 19(2) of the Indian constitution. Censorship must be authorized by law, and must be confined within the limits permitted by law and the provisions of the constitution. To extend the scope of censorship to considerations of public taste and ban a mater which does not fall within the limits of the reasonable restrictions clause would not be legal(Vasudev,1979). As such, the legal boundaries of Artistic freedom and its limits are well settled. But, the issue beyond the legal framework, which comes into the fore in any discussion of the moral basis of cinema censorship, is its social impact. Social Impacts of Films Any discussion on films and society confronts a vital question dose cinemas have any impact on the society. There are two schools of thought on this issue among film makers. One line of thinking believe that films can never affect or reform the social body or the events taking place within it, but the other believes that the medium does have a direct or indirect impact on social streams, even though it may not be immediately perceptible. The former cites the example that just after a couple of excellent anti-war films were exhibited, the second world war engulfed humanity hence cinema cannot and should not offer any solutions for social problems raised by its writer and directors, by its content and style. The mere exposition of the problem is enough and there ends cinemas artistic obligation as well as compulsion. The later, however, stretches cinemas role further to promote a thought process and line of action where by the viewers are provoked into trying a change for the better. F ilms, which talked directly and movingly about the wrongs of society, go on to influence it and shape it along better lines. The most important contribution of cinema to society is that by sheer usage it has grown to be a standard reference for most kinds of questions and situations, where elementary knowledge and practice are needed (Rangoonwalla, 1995:7). The mass mind picks up such points largely and stores them in some mental corner, to be reactivated while seeking or giving answers and guidance. Some of the life patterns and conclusions propagated by them could be having social repercussions below the outer of everyday life. Violence, crime and sex are made to look easy and frivolous, without much of retribution to follow. The magic of cinema is virtually unfathomable. The very mention of cinema conjures up a rainbow of captivating images. A vital aspect of Indian cinema is its unifying character. The Indian films have been subtly albeit consistently promoting the ideas of national integration and communal harmony. A part of the socio-economic cultural transformation can be attributed to the cinema as films usually generate social mobility, fluidity and an overall sense of oneness among people of different backgrounds (Rangoonwalla, 1995:7).The society is ripe with cases of crimes and criminals being emulated from the screen and so also the attitude to suicide as a way of dejection, mostly in love. Fashion including smoking and drinking, in many cases, are inspired from cinema characters. The vast fan followings of stars like Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bachhan, Mithun Chatkrabothy are eloquent testimony to the social impacts of films. A study by Dr. Sativa Bhakry shows that Cinema can play both positive as well as negative roles in society. It can have positive impacts in terms of providing entertainment, enhancing information and knowledge, sensitizing people about urgent issues of society, in creating sociability and offering catharsis. It offers release from tensions of daily life. Cinema can also play an equally negative role in teaching wrong values, generating social and sexual violence and crime, providing escape from reality into a dream world of fantasy instead of facing up to the problems of life, encouraging adoption of destructive role models and in encouraging cynicism about social institutions (Bhakhry, 1995:71-76). VI. Philosophical Foundations of Cinema Censorship Platos polemics of art and artists urged strict censorship of the arts because of their influence on moulding peoples characters (Rufus, 2010). Using his theory of forms, Plato claimed that artists and poets couldnt usually explain their works; as they are seized by irrational inspiration, a sort of divine madness (Bruce, 1998). Much of his writings reflect the belief that the vital opinions of the community could be shaped by law and that men could be penalized for saying things that offended public sensibilities, undermined common morality, or subverted the institutions of the community (Jowett, 2010). Acclaimed film critic and a spiritual champion of the right to freedom of expression, Noel Burch (1973) approved the censorship mechanism when he claimed I doubt if anybody will advocate freedom from interference of the state machinery to be extended to the commercial exploitation of a powerful medium of expression and entertainment like cinema. One can imagine the results if an unbridled commercial cinema is allowed to cater to the lowest common denominator of popular taste, especially in a country which after two centuries of political domination , is still suffering from confusion and debasement of cultural values. Freedom of expression cannot, and should not be interpreted as a license for the cinemagnates to make money by pandering to and thereby propagating, shoddy and vulgar taste. While emphasizing the role of cinema as a vehicle of modernism, Indias first Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru has also advocated some amount of social control to ward off its bad effects (Vasudev, 1978:107). Nehrus response to a public petition urging him to curb the evil influences of films not only brought the citizenry within the domain of film censorship but also legitimised their exercise of power. Tanuja Chandra claims that the artists have every right to give expression to the work of art and viewers have an equal right to reject it, if they do not like it either in part or whole. Therefore, cinema like other potent media, such as press, drama and fiction should be left under the common law. The entertainment part of cinema, she argues is of much important than the emotional part. But, it seems, the Indian society has still miles to go before accepting this argument. Veteran actor turned Member of Parliament Satrughna Sinha claims that in a country like India films reach the widest possible and most diversified audience. As a medium of mass communication it can exercise the most tremendous and potent influence on the public. The rampant use of blatant sex and gruesome violence (as commodities for sale by the producers) can terribly shake a nation; the ruinous elements can easily shatter the society before the common law can give protection. As such censorship cannot be unreas onable, if it is within limits (TOI, 2006). Sinha disagrees with Tanuja Chandras suggestion that it should be left to the public to decide what to see and what not and says it cannot be left entirely to the public, this way even blue films could be fair game.(Thapar, 1998). Even he rejects former Censor Board chief Vijay Anands suggestion to replace the system of cuts with ratings and claims that replacing the present system of cuts with ratings will reduce our Technicolor cinema into blue films (Sengupta, 2002). John Dayal Claims that more and more people, especially the younger, look forward to watch the blatant display of sex and violence on the screen. If this virus is allowed to the artery of our national blood, the society will be infested with unruly elements with hardly any care for our social values and traditional tenets, which will eventually lead to chaos and anarchy in the society. Curbs are, therefore, necessary to protect the moral health of the nation and to ensure that cinema does not hurt the sensibilities or interests of the extraordinarily heterogeneous people that constitute the Indian nation (Dayal, 1987:61). Acclaimed film critic Nikhat Kazmi finds no harm in showing a couple kissing as a mark of love and affection, because rapes and murders are not caused only because of films; rather they are the prime instincts of belligerence and sex that are inherent in every human being. She claims that censorship is irrelevant in the present age when cyber space offers its unlimited frontiers at the click of a mouse (Kazmi, 2002). When satellite television brings it all unhindered into the bedroom itself, censorship has virtually nothing to do with the Indian Cinema. Responding to the demands of the digital era, many nations have, in fact, repealed their obscenity laws and have dropped legal barriers against pornography for adults. Supporting these arguments, Tanuja Chandra, an acclaimed film producer in India, terms the Indian censorship guidelines totally redundant. She says the censor rule book, a relic of British colonialism, is completely outdated, it sticks out like a priest who tries to cur b freedom of expression with a ruler in his hands(Kazmi,2002). Citing the censor board decisions as irrational and inconsistent, some film makers claim that at times the censors object to sex, at times to violence and at times even to something as ridiculous as a woman smoking a cigarette (Jha, 1999). Hinting at the vulnerability of the censors, veteran film actor, producer and director Dev Anand says that the Censor Boards limited authority and accountability to the central government, in fact, leads to its play-safe attitude. He opined that the censor board is a puppet in the hands of the central governmentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ guidelines seems to change every time a government changes (Jha, 1999). Opposing censorship in any form, he argue that every clipping in a film is condemnable and only rating is permissible as in the Hollywood film industry. These conflicting arguments and the apparent vertical split in the film industry shows our state of confusion and failure in taking a categorical position on the issue. Perhaps, the country has not yet reached a stage where censorship in cinema is to be scrapped altogether. The safest choice, therefore, is to take appropriate steps to make our censor mechanism more effective rather than attempting to abolish it. VII. Research Design and Methods Analysing a complex issue like film censorship demands a multidisciplinary approach. Constitutional and legal provisions, judgements of Supreme Court and High Courts, observations of various committees and commissions on limits of the rights

Mothers & Daughters Essays -- essays research papers

Mothers and daughters have been written about, criticized, publicized, condemned, and praised for a long time. As more and more material becomes available on mother-daughter relationships, it becomes apparent that being a mother and being a daughter means different things to different people depending on race, economics, social status and blood type. This paper will explore the meaning of being a mother and being a daughter by combining all of these independent variables. A definition of motherhood and daughterhood will be clearer, however, as experience will tell us, not everyone can be categorized, or even explained. In "Choosing Consciousness", Elizabeth Minnich describes mothers as: ".The people who take day-by-day care of children, the ones whose lives are intricately involved with their children, the ones who keep the children safe, who wrestle with their souls and fight with them and love them and try to heal them and give up on them and give in to them" (Minnich, 195). In her opinion, as well as many other authors we have read, a mother does not need to be blood related. She only needs to care for her child, be there for her child, and love her child. She is the dominant woman force in her child's life, influencing, teaching and setting an example for her child. This idea is reflected in other cultures as well. In black communities, especially, a mother is not necessarily one who gave birth to her daughter. She is the person who sets examples for the daughter and is there to help coach the daughter through the trials and tribulations of life. "Biological mothers or bloodmothers are expected to care for their children. But African and African-American communities have also recognized that vesting one person with full responsibility for mothering a child may not be wise if possible" (Collins, 47). Collins believes that in order to be a mother, you only need to care for a child, and this idea has been central to African and African-American motherhood. Community outreach and the caring of adjacent women have been very important to the raising of daughters in black communities. Although being a caring and nurturing force in a daughter's life is central to becoming a mother, other pieces we have read have supported the idea that a mother needs to teach her child to grow, and then let her go to off to find her... ...g, ethical, etc." (Flax, 68). Our "eurocentric" perspectives on black mothers have debilitated society from seeing what motherhood really is in African-American communities. As Collins put it, "Adhering to these standards brings the danger of the lowered self-esteem of internalized oppression, one that, if passed on from mother to daughter, provides a powerful mechanism for controlling African-American Communities" (Collins, 45). In all that we have read, I have expanded my knowledge about the mother/daughter relationship into realms that I never knew existed. Considering my close relationship with my mother, I was unaware that other relationships like mine existed and that relationships so different from mine were possible. I have enjoyed to opportunity to research into the lives and minds of so many scholars. Viewing these relationships from other perspectives, other cultures and other races has shown me what a mother means to different people with different experiences. The only thing that remains central is the idea that mothers and daughters should nurture each other, comfort each other and, most importantly, learn and grow with each other.

Portfolio Managemnt Essay

Overview KBIM Investment Inc. is a leading investment company incorporated in Barbados and licensed under the Companies Act cap 308 of the laws of Barbados. Founded in the year 2000, the company seeks to provide its investors with risk-adjusted returns in a management structure that closely aligns the  interests of investors and managers. Further, KBIM has continued to evolve from a dedicated private equity investment firm to a diversified management company. The fund buys US and Canadian stocks from the New York Stock Exchange as well as from the Toronto market. The fund has been equally divided among the following four industries; financials, technology, pharmaceuticals and energy. To assure that efficiency is maintained, the net assets are calculated weekly at the end of each week (Friday) of all stock market transactions. Global Economic and Market Outlook The global economy is in a dangerous new phase. Global activity has weakened and become more uneven, confidence has fallen sharply recently, and downside risks are growing. Against a backdrop of unresolved structural fragilities, a barrage of shocks hit the international economy this year. Japan was struck by the devastating Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami, and unrest swelled in some oil-producing countries. At the same time, the handover from public to private demand in the U.S. economy stalled, the euro area encountered major financial turbulence, global markets suffered a major sell-off of risky assets, and there are growing signs of spillovers to the real economy. The structural problems facing the crisis-hit advanced economies have proven even more intractable than expected, and the process of devising and implementing reforms even more complicated. The outlook for these economies is thus for a continuing, but weak and bumpy, expansion. Prospects for emerging market economies have become more uncertain again, although growth is expected to remain fairly robust, especially in economies that can counter the effect on output of weaker foreign demand with less policy tightening. World Economic Outlook (WEO) projections indicate that global growth will moderate to about 4 percent through 2012 from over 5 percent in 2010. Real GDP in the advanced economies is projected to expand at an anemic pace of about 1 ½ percent in 2011 and 2 percent in 2012, helped by a gradual unwinding of the temporary forces that have held back activity during much of the second quarter of 2011. However, this assumes that European policymakers contain the crisis in the euro area periphery, that U.S. policymakers strike a judicious balance between support for the economy  and medium-term fiscal consolidation, and that volatility in global financial markets does not escalate. Moreover, the removal of monetary accommodation in advanced economies is now expected to pause. Under such a scenario, emerging capacity constraints and policy tightening, much of which has already happened, would lower growth rates in emerging and developing economies to a still very solid pace of about 6 percent in 2012. Strategic Objectives KBIM Investment Inc endeavours to provide an above average, long-term total return fund by investing in small capitalization stocks listed from within the US stock exchanges. The fund’s investment style of small capitalization values the investment objective of growth funds. A growth fund seeks to find companies that are expected to show rapid future growth in earnings, even if current earnings are poor, or possibly non-existent. The latter is directed towards more aggressive investors seeking good performance in an expected market rise. KBIM Investment Inc places heavy emphasis on asset allocation which is a very important decision for any investor in terms of portfolio construction. Fund managers have decided based on strategy and policy of the fund to utilize tactical asset allocation. This approach is performed routinely as part of the ongoing process of asset management. Using this approach, market risk is insulated, where exposure to a particular market is increased when its performance is expected to be good. On the other hand there is decrease exposure to the market when performance is expected to be poor. An investor’s fate is basically determined by having allocated funds to asset classes. Risk, expected return, market expectations, risk tolerance and goals of the fund is reflected in the allocation of weights The following characteristics should be present for companies in which the fund invests: 1. The company’s share price is depressed after a period of negative growth 2. An acceptable level of financial strength, efficient control and effective management of business assets should be exhibited by the said Company. KBIM Investments Inc reserves the right to rebalance the portfolio after decisions have been made from review of the portfolio ever quarter. Rebalancing reduces the risks of sharp losses and is less volatile than a portfolio not rebalanced. At any time where the fund liquidates or suitable equity investments are absence, KBIM investments Inc will seek investments in short term debt securities or money market instruments. Risk KBIM investment equity fund is specifically for an investor who seeks to attain high returns and by doing this is willing to tolerate high risk to receive the maximum benefit from their investment. Investors must take into consideration that investments in only one portion of the economy may offer greater risk than a highly diversified fund. In addition to the above, a fund that invests in well-established companies may be less risky than one that favors start-up companies. Limitations Investors must take into consideration the impact of taxes on the portfolio. Further, changing tax laws imposed can become bothersome in terms of forecasting future tax rates. Investors must also abide by regulation requirements imposed by state and federal agencies. The latter specifies the actions an investor should take in terms of achieving objectives, given the preference of the investor and any constraints imposed. Benchmark To evaluate portfolio performance, the following questions should be answered; the first being whether or not the return on the portfolio was adequate after all expenses was taken care of? Next the amount of risk taken by the investor or portfolio manager in creating and managing the portfolio should be assessed. Finally what return should have been earned on the portfolio, given the risk taken and the alternative returns available to be earned from investments over the same period. KBIM will be benchmarked against the S&P 500 small cap index. The stocks for the fund were selected based on the following criterion: ROE > 10 Market cap > 1,000,000,000 Six month return >0 P/E < 15 Competitive Advantage The fund managers of KBIM, are committed to offering returns above average of similar portfolios. Through our investment strategic policies, we hope to attract investors who are seeking to hedge funds. Here at KBIM we also value enhancement services such as risk management, insurance reviews, consulting and corporate governance. The firm’s comprehensive offerings provide private equity clients with numerous competitive advantages throughout the private equity life cycle, including fund development, portfolio growth and divestiture. Fee Details Annual charges: Annual Management charges: 1.65% of net asset value Fund Administrative charges: 0.05% Registrar charges: 0.13% Fund expenses: 0.2% Commission: Sales charge of 1.85% will be charged on amounts invested into the fund. During the first week of investing, KBIM Investment Fund grew by 3.5%, as U.S stocks rose, driving the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to its longest winning streak since February, amid optimism Europe’s leaders would announce a plan to contain the debt crisis and after McDonald’s Corp. (MCD) joined companies beating profit estimates. Financial shares in the S&P 500 added 3.9 percent as European finance ministers began negotiations to prevent a Greek default and shield banks. The S&P 500 climbed 1.1 percent to 1,238.25, the highest since Aug. 3, and had risen three straight weeks. It had surged 13 percent since Oct. 3, when it closed within 1 percent of a bear market, or 20 percent plunge, from its high in April. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also rose a fourth straight week, gaining 164.30 points, or 1.4 percent, to 11,808.79. Equities rose as European finance ministers approved a 5.8 billion Euro loan to Greece, and France retreated in a clash with Germany over expanding the bailout fund. Talks are to continue through Oct. 26. The S&P 500 also gained after 74 percent of companies that reported quarterly results topped the average analyst  projection. During the second week of investing, KBIM Investment Fund grew by 4.54% amidst a week which ended with most U.S. stocks falling, as data on consumer confidence and spending failed to boost equities a day after European leaders expanded the region’s bailout plan. Stocks pared losses in the final minutes of trading on Friday, with the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index erasing a decline as it completed a fourth straight weekly advance, the longest streak since January. About four stocks declined for every three that rose on U.S. exchanges at 4 p.m. New York time on Friday. The S&P 500 rose less than 0.1 percent to 1,285.09, after rallying 3.4 percent on Thursday. It was up 3.8 percent since Oct. 21. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 22.56 points, or 0.2 percent, to 12,231.11. The Russell 2000 Index of small companies retreated 0.6 percent. U.S. equity options expired Friday. Stocks rose Thursday, extending the best monthly rally since 1974 for the S&P 500, as European leaders agreed to expand a bailout fund and U.S. economic growth accelerated. Earlier this month, the index came within 1 percent of extending a drop from its peak in April to 20 percent, the common definition of a bear market. Since then, it has risen 17 percent. The S&P 500 rallied above the average strategist forecast for its closing level on Dec. 31, the third straight year that stocks ran ahead of projections. The index closed above the year-end forecast on Nov. 4 in 2010 and on June 2 in 2009, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the debt crisis won’t be over â€Å"in a year.† Italy’s borrowing costs rose to a euro-era record at a sale of three-year bonds, driving yields higher amid concern that efforts to contain the sovereign crisis won’t be enough to safeguard the region’s third-largest economy. Fitch Ratings said part of the plan to contain debt turmoil amounts to a Greek default. European leaders may struggle to maintain the euphoria that drove the euro to its biggest one-day gain in more than a year as scrutiny deepens on their latest attempt to stem the region’s turmoil. During the third week of investing, KBIM Investment Fund fell by 3.28%. U.S. stocks fell, driving the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to its first weekly decline since September, as a disagreement on Europe’s resources to fight  the debt crisis offset a drop in the American unemployment rate. The S&P 500 dropped 0.6 percent to 1,253.23 as of 4 p.m on Friday, November 4, New York time, after falling as much as 1.8 percent earlier. The gauge was down 2.5 percent this week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 61.23 points, or 0.5 percent, to 11,983.24. Benchmark gauges tumbled earlier this week as Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou announced on October 31 a parliamentary confidence vote and his desire to hold a referendum on a European Union aid package needed to avert default. Equities rebounded on Thursday as Greece abandoned the referendum, moving closer to accepting the bailout. Global stocks slumped on Friday as the Group of 20 nations failed to agree on increasing the International Monetary Fund’s resources to fight Europe’s debt crisis. Ruling party lawmakers urged Papandreou to step aside and allow the formation of a new government that can approve the bailout plan for Greece. The unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to a six-month low of 9 percent from 9.1 percent, even as the labor force expanded. The 80,000 increase in payrolls followed gains in the prior two months that were revised up by 102,000. Financial stocks had the biggest decline in the S&P 500 among 10 industries, falling 1.4 percent as a group. During the fourth week of investing, KBIM Investment Fund rose by 1.17%. U.S. stocks rose this week, restoring the year-to-date gain for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index, as improving economic data and leadership changes in Greece and Italy bolstered investor optimism. The S&P 500 rose 0.9 percent to 1,263.85, overcoming a 3.7 percent decline on Nov. 9 that was the largest one-day loss since Aug. 18. The Dow advanced 170.44 points, or 1.4 percent, to 12,153.68 this week. Stocks resumed the rally that drove the S&P 500 up as much as 20 percent since the first week of October. Equities gained after U.S. consumer confidence improved and Italy’s Senate approved debt-reduction measures, paving the way for a new government led by former European Union Competition Commissioner Mario Monti. Greece swore in Lucas Papademos to head a unity government. The S&P 500 has rebounded 15 percent from a 13-month low on Oct. 3 as the Citigroup Economic Surprise Index for the U.S., which gauges whether reports are beating or trailing estimates, climbed to a seven-month high. The benchmark measure of U.S. equities rose 2 percent on Thursday, preventing a second weekly drop, after  a gauge of consumer sentiment topped estimates in November and reached the highest level since June. The Labor Department said on Nov. 10 that the number of Americans filing applications for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in seven months. Stocks tumbled on Nov. 9 as yields on Italian government bonds surged, fueling concern European leaders will struggle to fund bailouts. During the fifth week of investing, KBIM Investment Fund fell by 3.71%. U.S. stocks fell, sending the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to its worst weekly loss in two months, as Spanish, French and Italian bond yields rose and Fitch Ratings said Europe’s debt crisis poses a threat to American banks. The S&P 500 decreased 3.8 percent, the most since the week ended Sept. 23, to 1,215.65. The index closed at the lowest level since Oct. 20. The Dow fell 357.52 points, or 2.9 percent, to 11,796.16. Equities slumped this week as higher government bond yields in Spain, France and Italy spurred concern the European debt crisis is intensifying outside Greece. The S&P Financials Index slumped 5.6 percent this week, the biggest drop among 10 industries, after the Fitch report spurred speculation the European crisis poses a threat to earnings. The S&P 500 advanced one day this week, on Nov. 15, amid speculation Mario Monti would succeed in forming a new Italian government to battle the debt crisis, while growth in retail sales bolstered optimism in the economy. Yesterday, he won a final parliamentary confidence vote, granting full power to his new government after pledging to spur growth and reduce debt in the euro-region’s third-largest economy. The benchmark measure of U.S. stocks erased gains yesterday after Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported that Germany’s Foreign Ministry said the nation was considering the possibility of â€Å"orderly defaults† beyond Greece. The index had rallied after a measure of leading U.S. indicators signaled the world’s biggest economy will keep growing in 2012. During the sixth week of investing, KBIM Investment Fund fell by 4.07%. The euro touched a seven-week low against the dollar, falling for a fourth week, as Italian borrowing costs jumped to the highest level since 1997, adding to speculation Europe’s sovereign-debt crisis is spreading. U.S. stocks tumbled in the worst Thanksgiving-week loss for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index  since 1932 as concern grew that Europe’s debt crisis will spread and American policy makers failed to reach agreement on reducing the federal budget. The S&P 500 slid 4.7 percent to 1,158.67, closing at the lowest level since Oct. 7. The Dow fell 564.38 points, or 4.8 percent, to 11,231.78 this week. The S&P 500 has fallen for seven days, the longest streak in four months, and has tumbled 7.6 percent so far in November. U.S. equities erased an early advance on the final session of the week as S&P lowered Belgium’s credit rating and Reuters reported that Greece is demanding private investors accept larger losses on their debt. The cost of insuring European sovereign bonds against default rose to a record this week as Germany failed to find buyers for 35 percent of the bonds offered at an auction. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said market turbulence sparked by the euro region’s sovereign-debt crisis will last for â€Å"a few months.† Congress’s special debt-reduction committee failed to reach an agreement this week, setting the stage for $1.2 trillion in automatic spending cuts and fueling concern that economic- stimulus measures that are set to expire will not be renewed. Still, S&P reaffirmed it would keep the U.S.’s credit rating at AA+ after stripping the government of its top AAA grade on Aug. 5. Stocks fell Nov. 22 as revised Commerce Department figures showed that gross domestic product climbed at a 2 percent annual rate from July through September, less than projected and down from a 2.5 percent prior estimate. U.S. stock exchanges were shut Nov. 24 for Thanksgiving and closed three hours early on Nov. 25. Evaluation of Fund KBIM FUND PERFORMANCE WEEK 1-6 Initially, the first two weeks of the portfolio’s performance did exceptionally well. Due to extreme market conditions in Europe (European Debt Crisis), the fund was affected. The weaknesses of Europe’s common currency area, ranging from its design to a persisting dearth of bank funding and anemic economic growth, weren’t properly addressed in the measures revealed on to stem investor panic. Consumer confidence unexpectedly rose in October from the previous month, indicating the biggest part of the economy will help keep the U.S. recovery intact.  Performance fell in week 3 but stabilized in week 4 due to improving economic conditions in Europe (leadership changes in Greece and Italy), thus restoring confidence in the market. Week 4 and 5 dropped to record lows in the S&P 500. This was due to the negative result of the sale of government bonds in Germany, as investors lacked the confidence it once had in what is arguably the strongest economy in Europe. The fact that the German economy was unable to raise the money it expected to with the sale spoke volumes, as it was the one country in Europe which seemed to be stable and assisted in the bailout of its struggling member countries (Greece, Italy and Spain). This also led to a huge dip in the value of the Euro currency. Overall, the fund’s performance was below expectations. There was, however, directly related to unexpected market conditions, which affected the global market adversely. Invariably, that was passed down to the portfolio. During the six week period KBIM started out with $999,984.84 and ended with $977,853.00, thus making a loss of $22,131.82. Total return was then a negative return of 2.21%. The decision was taken to hold of the selling of equities with the portfolio. Instead, the strategy opted was one of riding the storm out, and in some instances, even buying more stock, as the markets were down and the share prices down as well. This would allow for the fund to make substantial profits when the market recovered or improved, as it could only improve from this point. Bibliography Jones, Charles P. Investment Analysis and Management, Eleventh Edition John Wiley and Sons 2010 http://www.bloomberg.com http://www.imf.com

Personal Philosophy of Nursing Essay

Belief is the reflection of values that guides one to plan and set goals in their personal and professional Life. With this in mind, and that caring is the essence of nursing practice, my career path goals were outlined and focused on concept of education , health and care. My perspectives and beliefs about nursing as a profession have been gradually developed throughout the years by the influence of many, mentorship, education and by long years of clinical experience. Beliefs Nursing. Nurses help and care for the sick or well, and promote health with skills, expertise and knowledge. The American Nurses Association (ANA) defines nursing as â€Å"the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and abilities, prevention of illness and injury, alleviation of suffering through the diagnosis and treatment of human response, and advocacy in the care of individuals, families, communities, and populations.† We nurses are focused and educated to provide the most holistic care to individuals and family with actual and/or potential health problem. (ANA, 2009). Our commitment is to assist individuals/clients efforts to reach their optimal health potential. Client. Client can be the individual, family, group, organization or communities that have innate abilities, resources, experiences and values that guide decision-making regarding health issues.† (University of Kansas School of Nursing, 2001). Kings’ theory emphasizes the importance of clie nt participation in the decision-making and deal with choices, alternatives and outcomes of care (cited by Parker, 2006). Nurses need to understand how individual/clients choose and accept responsibility when they are their health decision-maker. Health. Health is the client optimal state of wellness. The World Health Organization defines health as â€Å"a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.† Leininger defined health as â€Å"state of well-being that is culturally defined, valued, and practiced and reflects the ability of individuals or groups to perform their daily role activities in culturally expressed, beneficial and patterned ways (cited by Parker, 2006). The individual/ client health is intrinsic interacted with his/her environment. Environment. Newman defines environment as â€Å"all internal and external factors or influences surrounding the identified client or client system (cited by Parker, 2006).† Martha Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings proposed that the client and their environment are integral with one another in a continuous process (Blais et al, 2002). When nurses apply Rogers’ theory in their practice, they holistic focus on the person as a whole and promote and integrate care between the client and his/her environment. It is my belief that environment greatly influences a client’s health and her/his perception of health and it is in continuous and creative changes. My career goals were outlined in the perspective of changes and advancement of my profession and a more competent professional nurse. Goals Short-term. My immediate short- term goals as soon as school is over, is to be oriented as day House Supervisor in the facility where I work. It will be a cross-training position, since I am not planning to leave the clinical area anytime soon. This new position will be parallel to my actual position as telemetry charge nurse. My second goal is to finish St David HCA academy leadership classes by the end of this year. I believe that these short-term goals will pave my career path and give me the foundation to accomplish my long-term goals Long-term. I have two long-term goals that I am planning to accomplish by 2012. First, I am planning to be Austin Community College Nurse School’s clinical instructor assistant to start in January of 2010. Also, next year, I would like to apply and be accepted in a â€Å"Developmental Teaching Program† that the University Of Texas (UT), with the collaboration of St David HCA and Seton Hospital, organized to help and assist employees who are interested in advancing their education into a master’s program and be involved with teaching. Each hospital accepts fifteen qualified employees per semester and the program consists of three teaching classes at master level. Planning my career and setting up goals beyond being a bedside nurse was not an easy step. It was finalized/ concreted by the influence and support of friends and my family Critical Analysis Beliefs. My beliefs about nursing were influenced especially by my husband and by one of my lifetime friends. Both taught me that nursing is a profession that one never stops learning and learning is the only way to acquire knowledge to improve and excel as a professional. I also have an enthusiastic mentor that instructs and encourages me to expand my knowledge in other areas of nursing rather than just being a bedside nurse. My beliefs in my career, also, have been greatly influenced by my mother who continuously reminds me to always put myself in the patient’s place before any decision or judgment is done. Through it, she taught me what compassion and true care means. Besides the people mentioned above, there are many others that in one way or another influenced and shaped my beliefs about nursing. Career Choice. Nursing has been my only profession. I got my ADN diploma through Florence Nightingale Nursing School, the only England Nurse School in my country. So, once in the U.S, I went back to nursing school and got my ADN. My career choice happened long before I even finished high school. My father was very sick for a long time and very often I would go with him to the hospital for doctors’ appointments or just to the emergency room. During those times my heart would go to those sick people lying down on the ground outside the hospital waiting for an available doctor or a nurse to see them, and, most of the time it would not happen so soon. Some of these people would stay for a day or two in the heat, hungry, thirsty, dirty and in pain. Against my mother orders, (because we did not have much), I started to bring food, and water to those people and I would apply butter to their wounds to keep them wet ( I had seen the old women in the farm doing it). When I really decided to go the nurse school, I was not sure about it. I told my mother that would try it because I did not want to be anything back then. Once I started nursing school, I was totally in love with it. Indirectly, my father led me to my current career path that I feel fulfilled me as a professional. Current Career Path. I have been a nurse for six years. Since my graduation, I have been working as a telemetry nurse/charge nurse. But through these years I have been working in all med/surg floors, step-down ICU and ER. I like cardiology the most. It is a fast pace unit and can be very challenging. In this unit I am able to advise and encourage patients on health maintenance and disease prevention, and that I work with a team that together provides optimal care to those with cardiac diseases. All these years as an ADN I was comfortable as it was until two years ago, when my husband and my mentor encouraged me to advance my education at least to the BSN level. And, I am glad that I did it. The RN-BSN bridge program was essential in expanding my knowledge and therefore improved my nurse practice. Impact of RN-BSN Program on Nursing and Career The Texas Tech University health Sciences Center School of Nursing program has had a great impact in my profession and career path. Through this program I have been learning more about evidence-based practice, theories and nursing practice than I did in all those years in the ADN schools. Now, for example, when I look at a medication(s), read or do a procedure on a patient , I am more aware of the importance of research and evidence-based practice and why I (we) do things in certain order or way. â€Å"By exploring concepts such as: evidence-based practice, professional development, life-long learning, community health, nursing theories, research, mentorship, current issues facing nursing and many more I now see nursing form a larger perspective (Harmon, 2009).† This program expanded my knowledge, enhanced my practice and thus, effectively improves my patient’s outcomes. Through this program I became a stronger and more complete nurse. It taught me the discipline of nursing practice is guided by theories and models that can be applied to my daily practice. Nurse Model Jean Watsons theory of caring has profound impact in the practice of nursing. Caring is central to nursing; it is the central focus of practice. Foster, 2008 states that †¦Ã¢â‚¬ caring is to preserve human dignity, is to preserve humanity in systems and in society, increasingly awakening in nurses and nursing to realize they have a critical role in sustaining human caring and humanity itself, especially in instances where it is threatened.† Caring in my daily nurse practice underlies human values and beliefs that are essential in an individual/client or/and family basic needs. â€Å"The nursing response is a specific expression of caring nurturance to sustain and enhance the ‘other’ as he or she lives caring and grows in caring in the situation of concern (Buldin, 2005).† Through the theory of caring, I am more sensitive to express feeling of care and allow my clients, family and/or coworkers to express their own feeling of care. â€Å"Nursing can expand its existing role, continuing to make contributions to health care within the modern model by developing its foundational caring healing and health strengths that have always been present on the margin (Cara, 2003).† Caring is not a momentum, but a personal response. Conclusion My beliefs regarding the nursing profession and my goals were paved by people that continue and will continue to greatly and positively influence my personal and professional values. Through this career patch, caring is my daily vision and my response to those that come to my care. References American Nurses Association, 2009. Considering Nursing? Retrieved March 28, 2009 from http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/StudentNurses.aspx American Nurses Association, 2009. What is Nursing? Retrieved March 28, 2009 from http://www.nursingworld.org/EspeciallyForYou/StudentNurses/WhatisNursing.aspx Blais, K.K., Hayes, S.J., Kozier,B. & Erb,G., 2002. Professional Nursing Practice: Concepts and Perspectives. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ. Cara, C., 2003.A pragmatic View of jean Watsons’s Caring Theory. International Journal for Human Caring Vol 7(3). Retrieved March 30, 2009 from http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy- ttuhsc.edu/ehost/pdf?vid=9&hid=5&sid=91639aaf-72f3-4082-a574‘6e5a3d0caaaa%40 Buldin, S., 2005. Nursing as Caring Theory: Living Caring in Practice. Retrieved march 30, 2009 From http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com.ezproxy.ttuhsc.edu/spb/ovidweb.cgi?&S=GOPEFPHIG GD DPCDNNCGLPHPLGBLCAA00&Link+Set=S.sh.15.16.46%7c12%7csl_10 Foster, L. R., 2007. Tribute to the Theorist. Retrieved March 30, 2009 from http://ovidsp.tx.ovid.com.ezproxy.ttuhsc.edu/spb/ovidweb.cgi?&S=GOPEFPHIG GDDPCDNNCGLPHPLGBLCAA00&Link+Set=S.sh.15.16.18%7c3%7csl_10 University of Kansas School of Nursing, 2001. Mission, Philosophy, Organizing Framework, and Curricular Threads. Retrieved March 28, 2009 from http://www2.kumc.edu/son/vorientation/concept.html Harmon, V., (2009, Spring). Baccalaureate Nursing practice Course Syllabus: Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Nursing Undergraduate Program Philosophy. Retrieved March 18, 2009 from http:webtc6.ttuhsc.edu

Debunking 10 Common Job Search Myths

Debunking 10 Common Job Search Myths Psst†¦if you don’t bring seven copies of your resume to the interview, printed on expensive paper, they won’t take you seriously. Oh, and if you don’t follow up with Human Resources once a day, every day after your interview, they’ll forget you exist. †¦Pass it on! The job hunt is one of those processes that is oddly regimented (when is the last time you saw a resume that wasn’t templated to within an inch of its life?), but also subject to old wives’ tales and everyone thinking they know best. (Except we do. Trust.) It can be hard to know what advice to rely on, and which to take with a grain of salt. In that spirit, let’s look at some of the most common bits of job hunt conventional wisdom, and see how it stacks up, reality-wise.Myth: You don’t need a cover letter anymore.This is a popular one in this age of digital job applications and faceless job engine sites. The phrase â€Å"cover letter† itself conveys a bygone era: you would wrap your resume in a paper-life substance covered with words about your intentions, your qualifications, and your eagerness to talk in depth about this opportunity, then place it in another paper cover, whereupon a civil servant would convey your package to a â€Å"mailbox.† Quaint, no?In reality, the cover letter does indeed serve a purpose, even if the entire process is handled online. It helps give context to your resume, and puts a voice to your stats. Your resume may be neutrally reviewed for key words by a robot inside a hamster wheel (that’s how those sites work, right?), but at some point your package will be viewed by a human looking to hire you. It’s good practice to write a cover letter to attach to your resume, regardless of how you send in your package.Myth: Never quit a job without having another job offer first.Ideally, sure, you’d have your next job lined up while you’re still working, and have a seamless tra nsition from one to the next. But you know what doesn’t always line up correctly? Life. Sometimes quitting your job is the right option, regardless of what you have coming up next. Not having a job lined up can make your job search more complicated, but this isn’t a black-and-white issue.Myth: Add HR people to your network for future opportunities.According to career expert Hannah Morgan, this is not the best use of your time or networking energy. Human Resources professionals are usually focused on filling specific roles at specific times. They may not know about future openings, or even think to mine their own networks for openings that have already come up. You’re better off networking with people in your target departments at specific companies.Myth: Enthusiasm and passion outweigh experience for reach positions.I wish this one were true! Unfortunately, the reality is that overcoming a lack of experience is a major challenge for people looking to level up, o r people trying to change careers. While it’s not an impossible challenge, especially if you’re committed, there’s no easy way around a lack of experience. Ideally, you’d be eager and passionate while actively working to get more experience. But while passion alone may get you spunkiness bonus points, it may not translate into a job offer. If you’re trying to show your dedication to the job, even when you don’t have the most experience, you can help yourself by tailoring your resume to emphasize skills over experience, and use the interview as a platform to talk about other ways you’re qualified for the position.Myth: You can’t change career paths after you choose one.Ever heard of famed newspaper editor Walt Disney? Or how about legendary bureaucrat Julia Child? No career decision is a permanent one, if you don’t want it to be. Sometimes we just outgrow old choices- and career decisions aren’t immune from that. O r maybe your career path isn’t what you thought it would be when you started. Or maybe you just feel ready for a change. Whatever the reason, you can always prepare to start over in a new field. There are challenges in making the switch- experience? Job opportunities? Skills?- but if you’re invested in this change and make plans to get the experience and skills you need (or are willing to start from the bottom), there’s nothing stopping you.Myth: All you need is a good resume.A good resume is the centerpiece of your job application package, that part is true. But it’s not the only thing, and you can’t count on it to get you from first look to job offer. You need to build the rest of your package around it. Even great resume might not be able to overcome a â€Å"meh† interview- or worse, and actively bad one.It’s important to be able to put your resume details (skills, experience, career highlights) in context, and to be able to talk a bout them coherently and confidently. You want your voice as an applicant to come through, and that comes via the interview, not just the bullet points on paper (or screen). Once you send off your resume, that’s your starting point for interview prep. Practice your handshake, come up with specific anecdotes that demonstrate your skills, and don’t forget to bring questions to ask.Myth: Hiring managers will be able to connect the dots on my qualifications for this job.Don’t leave anything to chance! If you want the company to know you’d be a good fit because of your communication and leadership skills, tell them! Don’t count on an HR rep or an interviewer to assume that based on your education, or past jobs, that you’d be a good fit for the position. Use the cover letter and the interview to your best advantage to make connections to the job description, and make sure you hit the points you want to hit.Myth: I’m clearly qualified, so th e automated application system will push me to the top.Remember what I just said about not taking things for granted? This goes double for computerized application processes. When you work on your resume for this application, make sure you’re using as many keywords from the job description as you can, as well as strategizing how to make your resume pop, even in robot eyes. Knowing how these automated engines process and spit out the data in your resume is an extremely helpful tool in actively trying to game the application system. [via Lifehacker]Myth: You should stay in constant contact with the hiring department so they know how engaged you are.Follow-up is great. A thank-you note is imperative. But after that, regularly checking in to see how the post-interview process is moving along is not a great strategy. For one thing, they may be seeing other candidates, or doing an internal review process. Hiring can have a lot of moving parts, and if someone is out on vacation for a few days or there are a number of qualified candidates, you may not get the instant job offer that you might hope to get.After you submit a resume, it’s best to wait until you hear from the company†¦reaching out at that stage won’t necessarily help get your resume seen or considered. After you have an interview, send your thank you on the same day, and then give them at least a week. At the one week mark, it’s okay to start checking in occasionally (but only occasionally). And there are other, less invasive ways to follow up after the interview, if you’re feeling especially anxious and don’t want to annoy the hiring manager or long-suffering HR rep.Myth: Your best job opportunities are found online.The interweb is one of the best, most inclusive tools you have in your job search arsenal. You can find companies and openings that you might never have thought to search for, and can have your resume in someone’s hands in the time it takes to send an email. But don’t count out offline methods, either.There’s something to be said for good, old-fashioned networking: most jobs are still filled by either internal candidates or by applicants directly referred by employees. (There’s a reason so many companies offer referral bonuses for employees who bring in new hires. And who doesn’t like the idea of earning cash for their friends?) So while job engines can broaden your job search, don’t rely on them exclusively to get that job offer in your hands.There’s so much career advice out there, and it can be hard to tell what’s true, what used to be true, and what just isn’t true. Taking the time to think through (and do some research) about which of our most cherished job search truisms and â€Å"facts† will make you a leaner, meaner candidate armed with the best information to make decisions for your own career and job hunt.

Using Pharma Bro and Other Pop-Culture Epithets

Using Pharma Bro and Other Pop-Culture Epithets Using Pharma Bro and Other Pop-Culture Epithets Using Pharma Bro and Other Pop-Culture Epithets By Mark Nichol Not long after Martin â€Å"Pharma Bro† Shkreli stepped out of the media spotlight, the notoriously greedy former pharmaceutical-company executive briefly popped back onto the popular-culture radar to helpfully illustrate how epithets have evolved (or devolved, as some may judge). Shkreli, at the time the CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, became for a time the most hated man in the United States, based on the antipathy he inspired on social media for price gouging: He jacked up the price of a drug used to kill parasites in AIDS and cancer patients to more than fifty times its original price of about $13.50 per pill. Schadenfreude struck when he was arrested for securities fraud, and he was quickly dubbed â€Å"Pharma Bro† for his cocky frat-boy attitude. Recently, during an interview, he essentially told the world, â€Å"Don’t call me Pharma Bro† (the actual quote was the bro-ish assertion â€Å"Im not a ‘pharma bro,’ right?†), saying that the photograph he posted on Twitter showing him mimicking a rapper’s posturing, which prompted the coinage, was meant as a joke, but the epithet will likely forever be attached to him. What is an epithet, anyway? A more detailed discussion of epithets is provided in this post, but briefly, an epithet is a sobriquet, or nickname, and such usage is nothing new in popular media- or in writing in general. A few years ago, we were subjected to the hideous sight of Tan Mom, a woman who routinely spent so much time in a tanning salon that her skin turned a grotesque leathery brown. Before that there was Octomom, who, though she already had six children conceived through in vitro fertilization, gave birth to octuplets thanks to the same procedure. In the world of entertainment, a trend that flourished some years ago but has all but disappeared is to create an epithet by combining the names of two celebrities in a romantic relationship, producing such portmanteau monikers as Brangelina (for Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie); the latest such appellation, Kimye, refers to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Before that, other famous people were dubbed, for example, Elvis â€Å"the King† Presley, Joe â€Å"the Yankee Clipper† DiMaggio, and John â€Å"the Great Profile† Barrymore. More recent epithets have included Kung Fu Panda (or simply Panda) for Major League Baseball player Pablo Sandoval. But as the ubiquity of social media makes it easy for anyone to become a subject of notoriety, if only for the proverbial fifteen minutes of fame, it’s likely that we will become accustomed to designations like Pharma Bro, Tan Mom, and Octomom, whether those who bear the labels like them or not. Should you, however, use such nomenclature in your professional writing? Certainly, if such usage is pertinent, whether you’re referring to one of these temporary celebrities directly or just alluding to them (perhaps describing an unfortunate sunbather who went overtime in UV exposure as â€Å"Tan Mom†). But consider your audience, as well as chronology, when name-dropping someone who has earned a derisive epithet. Pharma Bro has been in the news repeatedly for the past couple of months, so readers are likely to know who you’re talking about. But in an informational article, you might opt for a gloss, or a brief description; I provided an extensive explanation above, but it might suffice to refer to â€Å"Pharma Bro, the notorious former pharmaceutical executive arrested for price-gouging AIDS and cancer patients.† If you’re making a humorous allusion, however, as in the â€Å"Tan Mom† example in the previous paragraph, you’ll sink the joke if you weigh it down with an explanation. Either trust your readers to get the reference, or omit it as a distraction to your point. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Redundant Phrases to AvoidDisappointed + PrepositionOne Scissor?

Famous Inventors and Inventions - M Biographies

Famous Inventors and Inventions - M Biographies Paul MacCready Invented the first human-powered flying machine in history. Charles Macintosh Received a patent for a method for making waterproof garments by using rubber dissolved in coal-tar naphtha for cementing two pieces of cloth together. The mackintosh raincoat was named after Charles Macintosh. Cluny MacPherson Canadian, Cluny MacPherson invented the Macpherson gas mask and started the first St. Johns Ambulance Brigade. Akhil Madhani Honored with the Lemelson-MIT Award for his robotics invention. Theodore Harold Maiman Received a patent for the Ruby Laser System. Guglielmo Marconi In 1895, Marconi invented equipment that transmitted electrical signals through the air (part of telegraphy and radio transmission). Warren Marrison Developed the first quartz clock. Forrest Mars Forrest Mars invented the recipe for MMs chocolateb during the Spanish Civil War. Stanley Mason Invented a clothespin fishing lure, the first disposable contoured diapers, the squeezable ketchup bottle, the granola bar, a heated pizza box, plastic microwave cookingware, and a dental floss dispenser. Thomas Massie Invented the haptic computer interface, a computer interface system that enhances virtual reality. Sybilla Masters The first women ever recorded in history for inventing. However, women have been inventing since the dawn of time without the deserved recognition. John Mathews John Mathews has been called the Father of the American Soda Water industry. Jan Ernst Matzeliger Developed an automatic method for lasting shoes and made the mass-production of affordable shoes possible. John W Maunchly Co-invented the ENIAC computer. Robert D Maurer Invented fiber-optic communication innovations and co-invented fiber-optic wire. Hiram Maxim Inventor of the Maxim Machine Gun. James Clerk Maxwell One of the worlds greatest physicists. Stanley Mazor Received a patent for a computer microprocessor. Cyrus Hall McCormick A Chicago industrialist who invented the first commercially successful reaper, a horse-drawn machine that harvested wheat. Elijah McCoy McCoy is best known for inventing the automatic oil cup. During his life, he invented and sold 57 different kinds of devices and machine parts including an ironing board and a lawn sprinkler. See Also - Elijah McCoy - Patents James McLurkin Invented Robot Ants robots. Arthur Melin Co-invented the modern hula hoop. Gerardus Mercator The Mercator map projection was invented by Gerardus Mercator as a navigation tool. Ottmar Mergenthaler Invented the linotype-composing machine in 1886. George de Mestral Invented VELCRO and Mother Nature could not have made it better herself. Robert Metcalfe Introduced the world to network computing with the ethernet. Antonio Meucci American-Italian inventor. Microsoft Profile of American computing giant, Microsoft. Alexander Miles Invented an improved elevator. John A Miller The Thomas Edison of roller coasters. Irving Millman Co-invented a vaccine against viral hepatitis and developed a test that identified hepatitis B in blood samples. Dennis Moeller Co-invented improvements in computer architecture that allows IBM compatible PCs to share the same peripheral devices. Ann Moore Invented the Snugli baby carrier. Gordon E Moore The co-founder of the Intel Corporation and the author of Moores Law. Garrett A Morgan Invented a gas mask and received a patent for a traffic light. William G Morgan Invented volleyball in 1895, at a YMCA in Holyoke, MA. Krysta Morlan Invented a device that relieves the irritation caused by wearing a cast - the cast cooler. William Morrison - Walter Frederick Morrison A plastic version of the Frisbie. William Morrison Built a electric-powered six-passenger wagon in 1891. Samuel Morse Invented telegraph wires and Morse code, an electronic alphabet patented in 1840. The first telegraph read, What hath God wrought!. See Also - Timeline Andrew J Moyer Moyers patents were for the industrial production of penicillin. Louis Marius Moyroud Invented the first practical phototypesetting machine. K Alex Muller In 1986, Alex MÃ ¼ller and Johannes Georg Bednorz invented the first high-temperature superconductor. Kary Banks Mullis Invented PCR, the process for amplifying nucleic acids. Eadweard Muybridge Eadweard Muybridge conducted motion-sequence still photographic experiments and is often called the Father of the motion picture. Try Searching by Invention If you cannot find what you want, try searching by invention. Continue Alphabetically: N Starting Surnames

Management and Organizational Theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management and Organizational Theory - Essay Example The paper tells that current critical management studies have criticized traditional management with creating scientific or objective knowledge which is nothing more than elitist thinking institutionalized as wisdom The result of this is the elitist groups have managed to maintain a status quo that deprives and exploits members lower down an organization due to their class, gender and ethnicity. Many of the simplistic views on management needs revision and rather than applied mechanically, critical management needs to take a broader 360 view encompassing politics and ethical perspectives. Today's organizations and workplaces are a melting pot of ethnic and multi-culturally diverse set of individuals. More foreigners are employed in western businesses than ever before; young and old work together. People form a diverse backgrounds and skill sets now coordinate their work in order to arrive at the best solution for complicated problems. The merger of companies, threat of downsizing, an d rapidly changing work environments have tended to create a sense of unease about job security. Even then, employees demand more from the organization they're employed in, high expectations in terms of workplace treatment, greater respect for their individuality irrespective of their ethnic, gender, racial or family background or sexual orientation. The challenge then for companies is to develop more inclusive policies and procedures to embrace a wide variety of people while respecting their individuality. This model has largely been ignored by organizations which use their employees mechanically, expecting them to only produce. Up until the mid 20th Century, the organization was seen as a machine with characteristics such as a central authority, a hierarchy of power, divisions of expertise and specialisations, categories of labour and distinct sections between staff, management from lower paid workers. With the economic boom and moves towards globalisation, the internal culture of organizations changed with greater emphasis placed on the people instead of on the inner machinery of the organization. There was more focus on delegation of authority, employee self-rule, open dialogue where concerns of workers were shared with the authority. Much of this resulted from the development of new technologies. At the workplace, this meant requirement of new skill sets and specializations utilized in order to achieve organizational goals. People with expertise in various disciplines were sought and recruitment became selective. With more power to the labour force, the hierarchy of authority was forced to develop a more cooperative model of management. This in addition to the changing markets and branch diversification required management to be more adaptive. The existing scientific management model had inadequate concepts to cope with the rapidly changing work environment and there was a move towards changing the industry and discarding forms of scientific management. A s society grew modern, people started to develop social etiquette and became more morally conscious. Things that were considered normal a century ago began to be questioned. Child labour for example was outlawed. Customers demanded better quality products and attitudes in society changed. This spilled over into the workplace. Dictatorial methods of authority were no longer tolerated and generally people expected proper treatment.

Evaluating an International Human Resource Strategy (Obb) Essay

Evaluating an International Human Resource Strategy (Obb) - Essay Example The report has been concluded along with certain recommendations that might prove to be effective for the company in the future context. The face of business has changed considerably over the last few decades owing to the advancement of technology and the aspect of globalisation that has shortened national and international barriers of business. Furthermore, the rise of competition in the global business scenario also worked towards the changing the nature of the business world altogether. These aspects further give rise to the need for companies to develop strategies to make a mark for themselves amid the potential customers and gain a competitive edge over the major competitors (Ivanko, 2013). There are various functions of any business that integrate together and form the foundation for conducting business in an effective and efficient manner altogether. Among the various functions that are associated with the operations of any business, the functions of human resource management are deemed to be quite vital. The human resource department of any business is directly responsible to deal with the various issues as w ell as operations that are relevant to human resource of the business. The role of an HR manager is deemed to be quite prominent with regard to modern day business operations and it is prevalent in every domain of the business (Martin, 2008). This particular report will mainly focus on evaluating a human resource strategy of an international organisation i.e. H&M. The report will primarily highlight the strategy of the company with regard to entering a new market through conducting joint venture with a particular company. The company that will be considered for joint venture in this report will be Cia Hering of Brazil. H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is one of the foremost companies, which is operating in the retail clothing sector

The German Nation and Martin Luther Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The German Nation and Martin Luther - Essay Example His theses were printed and distributed all over Europe in a span of three months. Among his biggest criticisms was the Pope’s role in raising money, an act that made him one of the richest men of his time. His argument was that the Pope should have used his wealth to help the needy in society. David’s unrelenting battle with the church got him exiled a few months after the formation of the Diet of Worms Council in 1521. A group of Martin Luther’s supporters who wanted to make him a martyr formed this council. Arthur states that in 1523, Martin Luther published the German version of the Pentateuch before producing an edition of the New Testament, in 1529 (254). This marked the beginning of the translation of the Bible into many languages and task that is still being practiced up to date. In addition to this, Luther wrote several hymns, hence marking the beginning of singing during congregational services. Presently, hymns are sung in Christian church services all over the world. His matrimony to a woman, who was herself an ex-nun, introduced the concept of marriage among Christian clergy. This act was unheard of among priests in his time. They had a large family and lived a simple life.

Education - Field Placement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Education - Field Placement - Essay Example Furthermore when theoretical lessons were taught, discussion between students was not allowed. The rules were not posted in the classroom but were an understanding between the teacher and the students. 3. Teacher Procedures The most common procedure for distributing materials used by the teacher is emailing these materials to students. Other than this method the teacher also prints class based materials and distributes them physically to all the students in class (Walberg, 2010). These physical materials generally include instructions. The materials in class are collected through email as the students email their work to the teacher. Classroom helpers are assigned by the teacher on a need basis that is when the teacher feels a requirement to do so. These helpers are designated by oral instructions of the teacher. Students can ask the teacher to go to the bathroom at anytime by raising their hand. Moreover the teacher has all the relevant teaching materials well organized before each lesson. 4. Instructional Activities The teacher grabs student attention by pedagogical design and through intervention. The instructions of the teacher are highly simplified to make them clear to all kinds of students in class. In order to refresh the attention spans of children the teacher allows for activities in between theoretical lessons and instructions. ... The students are encouraged to interact with the teacher and amongst themselves but in allocated time spaces. For example the students interact with the teacher at the end of instructions for clarifications. Similarly students are allowed to interact with each other when deemed necessary by the teacher and are allowed free discourse. As the students are working the teacher moves around the classroom in a bid to gauge their efforts at work and advises them for corrections where required. After the end of seat activity the teacher monitors students through effective feedback from the students themselves. 5. Monitoring Student Behavior Groups are formed based on the students’ performance in the last three tests. This method ensures that each group consists of children who perform well, average and poorly. Such group composition ensures that the poor performers learn from those doing better. When working individually the students are seated separate from each other at a specific d istance from each other such that they cannot peak at other’s work. Materials are distributed to students who further disperse them amongst themselves but talking is not allowed while the distribution of materials proceeds. The teacher actively ensures that materials are used safely and intervenes if felt necessary. Talk and movement is neither allowed nor encouraged during work unless absolutely necessary for some reason. The students can grab the teacher’s attention for queries or other reasons by simply raising one hand in the air after which the teacher addresses their concern. Similarly the teacher grabs student attention by either calling their name or pointing to them (Lovat, Toomey, & Clement, 2010). When students work in small groups they are seated together such

Discuss and critically analyse the perceptual factors that affect Essay

Discuss and critically analyse the perceptual factors that affect consumer decision making in 2010 - Essay Example December 9, 2006. April 4, 2011. 12 Beneke, Justin. Consumer perceptions of private label brands within the retail grocery sector of South Africa. African Journal of Business Management. 4.2. pp. 203-220.February, 2010. April 2, 2011 12 ConsumerReports.org. Chevrolet, Ford, and Subaru jump in brand perception Toyota is tops, according to new Consumer Reports survey. 2010. April 2,2011. 12 Introduction The different companies spread along a global scale are endeavoring to tap newer markets and gain large number of customers through the marketing of products and services on the online sphere. In fact, the development of the internet environment has helped in governing the purchase decisions of the consumers to a large extent. The development of marketing activities online has helped the consumers to gain access to a larger number of options for products and services from large number of companies. Moreover the customer also can conduct feasible product and service searches based on pri ce and quality parameters through the online environment which gives them a better edge in taking effective marketing decisions. The online marketing of goods and services conducted through the creation of attractive websites excites both the sight and sound stimulus of the consumers and compels them to go for the product. Websites are designed by the companies through the incorporation of multimedia textures like strong visual imagery and textual patterns along with superb sound effects. These factors help the companies in stealing the minds of the consumers easily and in compelling them to make the needed purchase. However considerable amount of research has confirmed that consumers tend to conduct purchases more effectively in a physical sphere than depending on the online environment. Thus companies tend to selectively represent some specific products in the online sphere while representing a plethora of different varieties in the retail outlets. (Chen & Quin, 122-123). Growth i n the Sales of Electronic Books An article published in the New York Times by Julie Bosman during 4th February, 2011 reflects the growth of sales of books in the online market during 2010. This also reflects the change in tastes of consumers which has again shifted to the literary end as a means of entertainment. The consumers reflect a shift of entertainment interest from viewing televisions to reading books. Surveys conducted shows that books which have mainly countered an increase in the digital sphere mainly belong to the category of children fictions. However certain publishers like Harper Collins also reported that books belonging to the adult fiction category also have sold like hot cakes. This rise in the online sales of the fiction books mainly started during the period of holidays where in the previous days the consumers were mainly stuck in the television front. The availability of large number of titles in the electronic