Thursday, October 31, 2019
Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 15
Summary - Essay Example She has termed the bigger dams a recipe of disaster that impacts the masses in a direct manner. She expresses her concern in the context of the price being paid by the ordinary citizen. The author of the â€Å"Greater Common Good†Arundhati Roy derives her repute and recognition from skills and pedigree in number of domains. Her notable works are â€Å"The God of Small Things (1997) ( Roy, 2002)†. Other notable works of Arundhati Roy include the â€Å"In Which Annie Gives it Those Ones†(Roy, ,2003) â€Å"Electronic Moon (1992)†along with the more talked about movie â€Å"The Great Indian Rape Trick†which was more significant on the account of tracing the life events of Polen Devi. Sardar Sarovar Dam being part of the Narmada Valley is an example of the same pattern where big dam is on the lines of development and construction and this in turn is bringing about all the challenges that are stated above. Arundhati Roy has taken up the case of Narmada River dams with regard to its facilitation, its terrain, impact on the people and other associated factors. The grey areas in case of dams’ construction come in form of the development line. The people do receive compensations and other packages but that is not like the actual case and feature. Little concern and consideration is given to the area of their rehabilitation in the context of mental disturbance and overall social stratification that takes place and hits back in a negative manner. According to Roy, the conventional mindset would for big dams based on the conventional stats and facts that they would serve as repository of water and other resources of natural life; however this would in actual stand as rhetoric only. The other side of the story and the page is given little regard and value. One of the common beliefs that is prevailing against the establishment of the reservoirs is that of the carbon dioxide repository and emission from these sources which further leads to imbalance in the
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
The importance brunttland report conncetion with tourism and travel Research Paper
The importance brunttland report conncetion with tourism and travel agency - Research Paper Example The report on the world tourism analysis of 2007 shows the number of international travelers had to increase enormously from 25 million in 1950 to 800 million currently. Brundtland report provides some analysis and recommendations for the sustainability of developments within the societies. This paper, therefore, will be highlighting the importance of the Brundtland report in connection with the tourism and travel agency (McChesney 43). Several governments have had to meet and approve Agenda 21 and the Rio declaration. The agenda 21 had to offer some blueprint on the sustainable development, while, on the other hand, the Rio Declaration had to articulate the vital principles for the sustainable development in the 21st century. The two documents enable the governments, organizations, and industries to work towards attaining the highest levels of sustainability as the Brundtland report defines that the development meeting the needs of the present without conciliating the ability of the coming generations to meet their own needs. However, the challenge is finding the balance between the sustenance, prosperity, and the people’s desire to be stable in financial, material well being with the underlying need for community, identity, home, and religion. Tourism and travel agencies, hence, plays a significant role in bringing some balance in these forces. Tourism and travel provides the livelihoods for the urban and the rural communities. It also enhance the community relations and make up the bridges of understanding and peace between countries, in which case it is possible when there is proper planning development and management (Sigala et. al. 43). The Brundtland Report considers the tourism and travel sector as the largest in contribution of the economy in the whole world. The report reiterates the main qualitative trends that one observes in the industry through the forms of increased market segmentation, development of new forms of tourism and the influenci ng of traditional package tours. Therefore, tourism and travel sectors have had to increase the market demand in various ways, in which case it has had to contribute the social, environmental and the economic sustainability. This has been possible by proper planning and management of the pressures from growth. The preservation of the tourism product, hence, helps in securing the future for many people. Many companies have had even to create stable responsible behavior. This is by ensuring they use their product and services to educate and inform their customers. This is in response to the need to safeguarding the natural resources (Sharpley 15). Tourism and travel, if utilized effectively, will go along the way in bringing a growth and economic success in the countries, both developing and developed. There is the potential that the markets enhance lives in a sustainable structure via providing the wealth creation, innovation, competition, and choice among others. The tourism and tra vel sector have these and other elements, in which case it enables it to be a vibrant market force for the future sustainability. The sector has the probability to increase exports, boost the economies GDP, bring in capital investment, and create employments. Tourism and travel creates jobs throughout the economy, both in organizations that get to involve directly in business and in the associated supplier industries,
Sunday, October 27, 2019
Multifunctional Porous Organics Synthesis
Multifunctional Porous Organics Synthesis TITLE OF WORK The synthesis and characterisation of functionalized porous organics Abstract Lophine based radicals have been studied for many years due to their photochromic nature, recent literature has seen attempts to connect two radicals to carbon based backbones. In this report we will discuss attaching six lophine molecules to a single backbone which is a phosphazene ring. Cyclophosphazene rings have a unique conformation allowing for supramolecular architectures to be formed by varying the substituents, these architectures range from 0-2D structures. The hexalophine molecule exhibits 1D channels due its unique conformation which leads to the formation of a porous material. Porous organics are of high interest in recent literature due to them being a cheaper, less toxic alternative to MOFs as well as having the ability to be modified and tailored easily due to the simple starting materials. In this report we shall state synthetic pathways from simple molecular building blocks to hexalophine (32%) and two derivatives, compound 4 (46%) and 5 (15%). These two derivatives have the potential to increase pore stability. This report will also include the oxidation of hexalophine to its radical species which were found to display photochromic properties and it is also believed that this material could contain light gated pores which are closed in the dimer form of the product but then open upon irradiation of UV of 365nm. 1. INTRODUCTION 1.0 Properties and potential uses of Lophine This report will feature chemistry based upon the triphenylimidazolyl based radicals (TPIRs) as well as the dimer form hexaarylbiimidazole (HABI). Lophine (2,4,5-triphenyl-1H-imidazole) is a heterocyclic imidazole derivative where three phenyl rings are attached to the imidazole ring (figure 1), these imidazole derivatives are an area of importance due to the many interesting properties it possesses. Lophine has been of interest to researchers for many years with its chemiluminescent properties being first discovered in 1877 by Radziszewski.1 The oxidation of the lophine molecule follows the reaction scheme below, where lophine is oxidised to the TPIR radical state via addion of base and treatment with Fe forming one of six dimers both in solution and the solid state (figure 2). These materials display photochromic, thermochromic and piezochromic properties. The mechanism of photochromism of the lophine dimer is the homolytic cleavage of the 2C-1N bond of the dimer by irradiation wit h light, forming two lophine radicals.2 The fast colour change associated with this dimer opening means there is a potential use in display screens or as the basis for molecular switches, where irradiation with light opens the dimer forming the radical in turn switching the external component On/Off. These possible applications have caused a focus on creating methods to manipulate and control the colour of these materials and as well as to increase the rate of switching.3 The colour of the radical form is dependent upon the substituents on the ring, the more conjugated the system the further toward the red side of the spectrum the colour.4 Lophine displays piezochromic properties in its solid state, upon applying pressure lophine crystals the colour change of yellow to blue/green has been observed, this occurs via the radical dissociation of the 1N-1N dimer bond.5 Other more unusual modes have been of dimerization such as the 2C-2C have now also been isolated, this mode features a u nusually long C-C bond.3 Figure 1 The structure of Lophine (2,4,5-triphenyl-1H-imidazole) Another interesting lophyl radical derivative is the 1,8-TPID-naphthalene radical which consists of 2 lophine radicals connected by a naphthalene ring. 1,8-TPID-naphthalene has been characterised in the solid state by Abe et al; who studied the photoreactivity of the compound. 1,8-TPID-naphthalene allowed the group to fix two radicals onto a backbone meaning that the radicals were in close proximity and could dimerise easily as opposed to two radicals not connected via a backbone which first need to find eachother in order for dimerization to occur (figure 3). They found that the dimer could be cleaved photochemically giving the diradical and then could be thermally converted back to the dimer.6 They also found that the formation of a peroxide bridge was much more common than previous literature had accounted for. This bridging occurred when the 1,8-TPID-naphthalene radical was placed under an O2 atmosphere.7 This peroxide bridge formation is very important as when oxygen quenches th e spin to form the closed shell peroxide it does so irreversibly meaning the material is no longer photochromic. It was then shown that this peroxide degradation pathway can be generalised for the chromic dimers of TPIR materials, with non-tethered TPIRs forming similar peroxide bridges.8 A recent development by the same research group has also shown how a thiophene substituted phenoxyl-imidazole radical complex (PIC) can generate two non-equivalent radical upon irradiation with UV light. The colour change can be fine-tuned from tens of seconds to nanoseconds, however a sensitivity to lower wavelengths of light meant that applications were limited. This problem was rectified by adding a phenyl group to the 5 position of the thiophene ring.9 Figure 2 The six potential dimerization modes of two lophyl radicals.3 Figure 3 Illustrates the reversible conversion of 1,8-TPID-naphthalene between its radical and dimer forms. 1.1 Hexa-substituted Phophazene Rings, Tectons and Crystal Engineering A key component of this project was the exploitation of the Phosphazene ring as soft tecton; a tecton is a molecular building block that interacts with sticky sites, formally known as supramolecular synthons, via spatial arrangements to induce the formation of supramolecular aggregates. The search for new tectons is a hot area of research due to the constantly growing field of crystal engineering where the aim is to produce functional single crystal materials using intermolecular interactions. The arrangement of molecules in solid state structures is largely dependent on striking a fine balance between intramolecular forces and packing interactions, knowledge of these forces is key to the field of crystal engineering.10 In general, hard tectons interact via more robust synthons than soft tectons and therefore usually crystallise with unambiguous geometries. Whereas soft tectons and less robust synthons allow for the formation of supramolecular isomers (figure 4).11 These tectons allo w for many functional materials to be formed in a one pot synthesis, they also have the ability to be carefully adjusted to alter and improve upon their functionality.12 Cyclophosphazenes are extremely soft tectons that interact with soft synthons to give a large variety of supramolecular architectures in the solid state. The conformation of the cyclophosphazenes is also very interesting as three substituents reside above the plane of the ring and three below (figure 5). It was found that small modifications to the substituents attached to the ring gave supramolecular architectures ranging from 0D to 2D structures (figure 6) such as include monomer, dimer, cyclic hexamer, zigzag chain, linear chain, double chain, graphite-type sheet, rectangular grid and hexagonal close-packed sheet. Such variety of structures came from the easy rotation about the exocyclic P-N bonds, which allowed variable directionalities for all of the N-H bonds. 11                          3a)                                                                  3b) Figure 4a) Shows benzene-1,4-dicarboxylic acid a classic example of a hard tecton. 4b) shows a silanetriol a classic soft tecton. Figure 5 Conformation of a Hexa-substituted Phosphazene Ring. Figure 6 Schematic representations of aggregation patterns of (RNH)6P3N3 in the solid state.11 1.2 Magnetism and Magnetic Frustration The materials we aim to make during this project once appropriately oxidised should go on to form dimers which when irradiated with UV light form discrete radicals containing unpaired electrons thus giving each radical an associated magnetic moment. Neutral organic radicals tend to be paramagnetic and exhibit Curie- Weiss behaviour, where the spin vectors of the unpaired electrons are randomly aligned above the Curie temperature (Tc), which is the critical temperature below which the long ordered state is established, unless a magnetic field is applied. If spin vectors are parallel to each other below the Curie temperature then the material is ferromagnetic, if the spin vectors are aligned antiparallel to one another the material is antiferromagnetic.13 Due to the geometry of the phosphazene ring (three substituents pointing up above the plane of the ring and three below) there is the possibility of forming a 2D triangular lattice of spins if the substituents are organic radicals. This could possibly lead to geometric magnetic frustration due to the fact that the two nearest neighbours to a spin are themselves nearest neighbours and therefore antiferromagnetic couplings cannot be satisfied (figure 7).14 This can lead to very interesting magnetic properties. Most solid state examples of this geometric frustration tend to be transition metal oxides, however, studies have been done on organic systems that also distribute geometric frustration.13 One example of this is m-MPYNNP+ which is a spin  ½ organic radical that upon dimerization forms a 2D triangular lattice which demonstrates the aforementioned geometric frustration.14 The issue of spin frustration has been around for a long time as Quantum spin liquids (QSL) were first theoretically proposed by Anderson many years ago which are now a hot topic of research due to the realisation of these QSLs in organic materials such as k-(ET)2-CH2(CN)3, which has a near perfect triangular lattice with angles very close to 120 °.15 A QSL is an exotic ground state where interacting spins continuously fluctuate with no formation of low range magnetic order even at sufficiently low temperatures.16 Figure 7 Antiferromagnetic coupling cannot be fulfilled causing geometric magnetic frustration. 1.3 Porous Materials Porous materials are as important as ever due to their wide spread use in several fields such as catalysis and gas absorption,17 meaning they can play a critical role in the route to solving our growing energy shortage problems. Porous materials are instantly associated with materials such as zeolites, metal organic framework (MOF) and organic polymers. MOFs are characterised by their tuneable pores and inherent flexibility which more classical carbon or oxide based structures do not possess, this gives a wide range of applications for MOFs such as gas storage, separation, drug delivery or catalysis.18 Porous organics have been discovered in nature but are largely created synthetically and approaches often need to be coupled with knowledge of crystal engineering. These materials are often held together by directional forces which form extended frameworks of noncovalent interactions such as À- À interactions, hydrogen bonding or coordinate bonding (figure 8).17 Like zeolites a nd MOFs porous organics have the ability to selectively absorb atoms and molecules in the gas phase.19 There are many positives to these porous organics, they are often cheaper to synthesise and less toxic as well as being far less dense than metal containing MOFs. Figure 8 One example of a Porous Organic by Sozzani et al. 1.4 P3N3 Hexalophine The chemistry of P3N3 Hexalophine incorporates much of the chemistry discussed above and has many interesting properties. The P3N3 Hexalophine molecule consists of six lophine substituents attached to the phosphazene ring via a P-O bond (figure 9). Previous work in the Robertson group found that the solid state structure of Hexalophine consisted of a pseudo hexagonal motif giving rise to 1D channels that run parallel to the stacking axis (figure 10). The molecule maintained its D3 symmetry in the solid state. The phenyl rings twist to maximise pi-stacking interaction and the 3 imidazole nitrogen atoms form hydrogen bonds to a central water molecule. There are 4 pi-pi interactions that stabilise this structure, the molecules are in a slipped conformation allowing the phenyl and imidazole to rings overlap. Other non-covalent interactions such as van der Waals interactions also help to stabilise the structure. The high symmetry of the structure which comes from the hexa substituted phos phazene ring (three above the plane of the ring and three below) gives an equal distribution of intermolecular forces giving a high probability of forming a stable porous structure. IGA measurements with CO2 loading at 195K shows a Type I isotherm with absorption reaching 8cm3g-1 at a pressure of 700mmHg confirming the materials microporosity. However only a small fraction of the void space contained CO2. Figure 9 The structure of Hexalophine. Figure 10 The crystal structure of Hexalophine, illustrating the 1D channels. 1.5 Aim of Project The aim of this project is to combine our knowledge of the chemistry of both lophine radical systems and cyclophosphazene rings to find elegant synthetic routes which will improve upon the porous properties of hexalophine. This will be done by varying the ring substituents to increase stability of the pores and to improve its gas absorption properties. Three lophine derivatives have been identified as plausible candidates for thid are where two of the phenyl groups on the lophine will be replaced by two thiophene rings and two pyridine rings respectively, with the position of the nitrogen in the pyridine ring being varied depending upon the synthetic pathway (figure 11). We wish to synthesise and fully characterise these derivatives including growing single crystals for structural studies via X-ray crystallography. Also a stoichiometric controlled oxidation of the hexalophine material to its neutral radical/dimer pair is required in order to further investigate the properties of hexa lophine such as the possibility of creating a photochromic material that has light gated pores that open on irradiation with UV light. R=                 or       or Figure 11 the synthetic targets of this project. 2. Results and discussion 2.0 Hexa-benzaldehyde Synthesis The first step in this synthetic project involved attaching six benzaldehyde units to the phosphazene ring via a P-O oxygen bond. This was achieved by reacting the phosphonitrillic chloride trimer along with 6 equivalents of 4-hydroxybenzaldehyde, potassium carbonate in dry THF (figure 12). The reaction was monitored with 31P NMR which showed completion when only a singlet was present in the spectra indicating full substitution. This produced the compound 1 which was the precursor for many of the subsequent reactions. The reaction gave the desired product in a fairly low yield (45%). Whilst the yield was slightly low the FT-IR showed all of the characteristic absorptions such as C=O (1697cm-1) and CAr-CAr (1585cm-1). 31P NMR was conducted and showed a sharp singlet at 7.08ppm which indicated full substitution on the phosphazene ring as all of the environments are equivalent. 1H NMR was also conducted and show a singlet at 9.87ppm with an integration of 6Hs which was as expected for t he 6 aldehyde protons, two doublets were found in the aromatic region and integrated to 12Hs each which was correct for the number of protons expected. The CHN analysis was almost perfect with less than 0.2% difference from the calculated values, this indicated that the product was of high purity. Mass spectometry also indicated that the desired product had been synthesized as a [M+Na]+ peak was detected at 884. Figure 12 The reaction scheme for the synthesis of 1. 2.1 Synthesis of Hexalophine and Hexalophine derivatives 2.1.0 Using Diketones The synthesis of hexalophine and hexalophine derivatives is important due to their porous properties which can be of great importance in fields such as gas storage and catalysis. The method for attaching six lophine units to the ring was a ring condensation of 1 on the six benzaldehyde units attached to the phosphazene ring using a synthesis based upon Radziszewskis synthesis.1 The product 2 was achieved by reacting 1 along with six equivalents of benzil, ammonium acetate in excess in glacial acetic acid (figure 13). The yield for 2 was quite poor (32%), the FT-IR showed all of the characteristic peaks such as CAr-H (3055cm-1), C=N (1604cm-1) and CAr=CAr (1538cm-1) indicating the desired product had been formed. This was further confirmed by both the 31P and 1H NMR, the 31P NMR showed a singlet at 8.36ppm which indicates full substitution on the phosphazene ring. The 1H NMR showed a singlet at 12.65ppm which had an integration equal to 6Hs which is representative of the 6 imidazole N -Hs, it also showed multiplets in the aromatic region with an integration of 84Hs which is exactly the number of aromatic hydrogens in the desired product. CHN analysis of the product correlated well with the desired structure, especially when three molecules of water were factored into the calculation. It is unsurprising that this compound also contained water due to its porous nature.                                    NH4OAc                                 Acetic acid (6eq.) Figure 13 The reaction scheme for the synthesis of 2. Another reaction designed based upon the ring condensation reaction was the synthesis of 4. This synthesis builds upon the diketone functionality as above, however, in this reaction the R groups of the diketone thenil were thiophene rings as opposed to the phenyl rings of benzil. Thenil like benzil was reacted with 1 and ammonium acetate in glacial acetic acid (figure 14). The yield for this compound, whilst better than 2, was still fairly low (46%). FT-IR showed the characteristic peaks such as CAr-H (3071cm-1), CAr=CAr (1643cm-1) and C=N (1607cm-1) indicating the target molecule had been synthesised. The 31P NMR showed a singlet at 8.26ppm again indicating full substitution. The 1H NMR showed a singlet 12.91ppm with an integration of 6Hs representative of the 6 imidazole N-H hydrogens, it also showed multiplets in the aromatic region with an integration of 60 which was again exactly what was required for the number of aromatic hydrogens, indicating the correct product had been synt hesised. The CHN analysis was close to the theorectical values required especially when four water molecules were factored in, again this is unsurprising as this material like 2 is also expected to be porous.                        NH4OAc                              Acetic acid (6eq.) Figure 14 The reaction scheme for the synthesis of 4. Like thenil and benzil, pyridil is also a diketone where the two R groups are heterocycles, in this case the two heterocycles are pyridine rings. Pyridil was used again with the classical Radziszewski based synthesis to synthesise the compound 5 (Figure 15). The yield for this compound was very low (15%) due to a lot of mass lost upon recrystallization and decomposition upon heating. The FT-IR showed the correct absorptions for the key functional groups such as C=N (1600cm-1) and P=N (1158cm-1) indicating that the target compound had been synthesised. However large OH absorption band (3349cm-1) was also present showing that the product contained a considerable amount of water or ethanol. CHN analysis of the compound showed a vast difference in carbon and nitrogen values when compared to the theoretical values indicating some impurities in the sample. The fact that the product contained considerable amounts solvent would also skew the result of the CHN analysis somewhat.                     NH4OAc                               Acetic acid (6eq.) Figure 15 The reaction scheme for the synthesis of 5. 2.1.1 Using Aldehydes for an alternative preparation The idea of using aldehydes such as pyridine carboxyaldehyde and benzaldehyde as opposed to the diketones used above was born when questioning on how we could stabilise the pores in the materials we wished to synthesise as larger groups could be added to these aldehyde starting materials. An alternative synthesis of 2 using twelve equivalents of benzaldehyde is illustrated in figure 16. The reaction was left to reflux for 7 days however the 31P NMR showed a multiplet indicating that full substitution had not occurred or a mix of products was present. Unfortunately, this was a reoccurring theme as the failed synthesis of 3 using twelve equivalents of pyridine carboxyaldehyde (figure 17) also showed a multiplet in the 31P NMR. Benzaldehyde (12 eq.) Figure 16 The reaction scheme for and alternative preparation of 2. Carboxyaldehyde (12 eq.) Figure 17 The reaction scheme for compound 3. 2.2 Oxidation of Hexalophine and its derivatives The oxidation of hexalophine is of great interest due to the potential properties it may possess, such as it possessing photochromic properties which may lead to light gated pores. For this oxidation an excess of potassium hydroxide was used to create the anion before 50 equivalents of the classical oxidising agent potassium ferrocyanide (III) were used to perform a one electron oxidation to the radical species 6, a yellow to orange colour change is associated with the formation of the radical species. This radical species quickly dimerises and an orange to yellow colour change is associated with this. Upon irradiation with UV light (365nm) the dimer opens to form two radicals, the colour change associated with this was yellow to purple displaying the photochromic behaviour of this compound (figure 18). The radical species is stable for a number of hours in the solid state unless gentle heating is applied which induces dimerization again and the colour change of purple to yellow is a ssociated with this. FT-IR showed characteristic absorbances of CAr-H (2955cm-1), C-N (1301cm-1) and P=N (1198cm-1) which are present in the desired product. The thiophene hexalophine derivative 4 was also oxidised using the same classical oxidation conditions as above to form its radical species 7. Upon separation the system formed 3 layers, an organic layer, an aqueous layer and a solid substance formed which was soluble in neither. Both the organic layer and solid substance were irradiated with UV light to test for photochromic properties however neither displayed a colour change and thus further testing of this material via UV/Vis spectroscopy is required to determine its nature. Figure 18 A RBF containing the hexalophine dimer and radical, the purple is the radical species, the yellow is the dimer species. 3. Conclusions and further work The aim of this project was to synthesise and characterise functionalised porous organics based upon hexalophine as well as to perform oxidations to the radical species and study their properties such as photochromism. For the most part the aim of the project has been met as two derivatives of hexalophine (4 and 5) and hexalophine (2) itself have been synthesised from simple molecular building blocks and characterised using a range of spectroscopic techniques such as NMR, FT-IR and CHN analysis. The next step in the characterisation of these materials would be to gain crystal structures via x-ray crystallography to show the packing arrangement of these molecules and to prove the existence of pores with in the molecule created from the unique conformation of the phosphazene ring. Additionally, once crystal structures have been gained gas absorption test should be taken to test both the gas uptake properties and selectivity of certain gases. Yields for these experiments were quite low and the aldehyde reactions did not demonstrate full substitution onto the ring, one possible solution would be to try the reaction in a Parr pressure reactor. The oxidation of hexalophine was carried out with great success as the experiment demonstrated the proposed photochromic nature of the material, also the stability of this material with respect to air was very surprising. If possible crystal structures for this material should be obtained in order to investigate further the possibility of light gated pores which when the molecule is in the dimer form are closed but once in the radical form are open. 4. Experimental details 4.0 Ma
Friday, October 25, 2019
Asian Americans in the Classroom Essay -- Asia Education Stereotypes P
Asian Americans in the Classroom Asians are one of fastest growing minority groups in America today. During this century, various factors at home and abroad have caused people from Asia to immigrate to the United States for better or for worse. Due to these factors, Americans and American teachers, in particular, need to educate themselves and become aware of the Asian American students’ needs in terms of success and happiness. Before beginning my research, I felt I had an easy subject: studying Asian Americans in relation to their education in public schools. How simple! Everyone knows they are smart, hard working, driven to succeed in spite of their nerdish, geeky, non-athletic, broken-English stereotype. Of course they are successful and happy! Why wouldn’t they be? In this research paper, I hope to enlightened those who thought the I did. Like any other minority group, the Asian American has been stereotyped, discriminated, commercialised, propagandised, and packaged in a box with a pretty ribbon around it bearing the tag: Model Minority. Closely related to this concept is the Panethnic Identity. These two issues were indeed the strongest images of the Asian Americans today. How we came about it and how it is affecting student’s will be discussed in detail. A word of caution: It is neither simple nor pretty, as many of the reasons both a result of the Asian and American cultures. First some technicalities: Most of my research focused on the Japanese Americans and Japanese culture. There will be examples that are specific to this particular ethnic group and race. However, due to the lack of articles specifically on Japanese American students and the tendency to study Asian Americans as a group, I ... .... Japanese Americans: The Evolution of a Subculture, Prentice-Hall, 1969. 9. Lee, Robert G. Orientals: Asian Americans in Popular Culture, Temple University Press, 1999. 10. Okimoto, Daniel I. American In Disguise, John Weatherhill Inc, 1971. 11. Nakano, Mei T. Japanese American Women: Three Generations 1890-1990, Mina Press, 1990. 12. Spickard, Paul R. Japanese Americans: The Formation and Transformations of an Ethnic Group, Twayne, 1996. 13. Strong Jr., Edward K. Vocational Aptitudes of Second Generation Japanese in the United States, Stanford University Press, 1933. 14. Yanagisaka, Sylvia Junko Transforming the Past: Tradition and Kinship Among Japanese Americans, Stanford University Press, 1985. 15. Egami, Hatsuye The Evacuation Diary of Hatsuye Egami, Intentional Productions, 1995. 16. Lee, Gus China Boy, Plume, 1994.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
Foster Care: a Social Injustice Essay
The United States foster care system is classified as a social injustice in the following ways: * Once a child in foster care turns 18, they age out of the system. This means that they no longer receive help from Child Protective Services. (CPS) * Children in foster care are often treated unfairly because of their background and health problems. Many children end up in shelters or foster homes that don’t take care of them. * Biological parents of foster children cause many problems for their children. Severe emotional, behavioral, and developmental issues affect around 30% of these children. Such problems are another reason why people treat foster children differently. Children are placed in foster care after they are removed from their homes. They are removed for numerous reasons such as abuse, neglect, drug/alcohol abuse, or any other reason CPS finds to take a child. * There are about 10,000 currently in foster care just in Arizona alone. The case load has exceeded its limit by 62%. There aren’t enough homes to house all of these children. To help this social injustice, families volunteer to become certified foster families to foster children. The process is very long and takes time before they are allowed to foster. Organizations such as Casa de los Nià ±os, the Blake Foundation, and Children’s Advocacy Center work with CPS to help foster families take care of the children. Law enforcement, daycares, the Juvenile Court Center, transportation/supervision companies, and the Foster Care Review Board are also very involved in the foster care system. Based on the history of this failing system, I believe we study history to learn from our mistakes. With more knowledge, we should be able to better help the parents and keep their children from abuse, neglect, and death. In Arizona, 23 children were killed by their parents in 2010. Hopefully in the future we can have no child die while in foster care.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story Chapter 13~14
Chapter 13 To-Do List of the Fashionably Doomed When you know the future is grim, there is no need for speed. Tommy decided to walk to the financial district. He shuffled along with the hang-dog look of the cosmically fucked. He walked through Chinatown, spotted three of the Wongs buying lottery tickets at a liquor store, and headed up to the room to get his typewriter and clothes before they returned. His spirits lifted a little when he climbed down the narrow stairway for the last time, but Madame Natasha's words came back to dump on him again: â€Å"I don't see a woman in your near future.†It had been one of the reasons he had come to San Francisco – to find a girlfriend. Someone who would see him as an artist. Not like the girls back home, who saw him as a bookish freak. It was all part of the plan: live in the City, write stories, look at the bridge, ride cable cars, eat Rice-A-Roni, and have a girlfriend – someone he could tell his thoughts to, preferably after hours of godlike sex. He wasn't looking for perfection, just someone who made him feel secure enough to be insecure around. But not now. Now he was doomed. He looked up at the skyline and realized that he had navigated wrong, arriving in the financial district, several blocks from the Pyramid. He zigzagged from block to block, avoiding eye contact with the men and women in business suits, who avoided eye contact in turn by checking their watches every few steps. Sure, he thought, they can check their watches. They have a future. He arrived at the foot of the Pyramid a little breathless, his arms aching from carrying his belongings. He sat on a concrete bench at the edge of a fountain and watched people for a while. They were all so determined. They had places to go, people to see. Their hair was perfect. They smelled good. They wore nice shoes. He looked at his own worn leather sneakers. Fucked. Someone sat down next to him on the bench and he avoided looking up, thinking that it would just be another person who would make him feel inferior. He was staring at a spot on the concrete by his feet when a Boston terrier appeared on the spot and blew a jet stream of dog snot on his pant leg. â€Å"Bummer, that's rude,†the Emperor said. â€Å"Can't you see that our friend is sulking?†Tommy looked up into the face of the Emperor. â€Å"Your Highness. Hello.†The man had the wildest eyebrows Tommy had ever seen, as if two gray porcupines were perched on his brow. The Emperor tipped his crown, a fedora made of panels cut from beer cans and laced together with yellow yarn. â€Å"Did you get the job?†â€Å"Yes, they hired me that day. Thanks for the tip.†â€Å"It's honest work,†the Emperor said. â€Å"There's a certain grace in that. Not like this tragedy.†â€Å"What tragedy?†â€Å"These poor souls. These poor pathetic souls.†The Emperor gestured toward the passersby. â€Å"I don't understand,†Tommy said. â€Å"Their time has passed and they don't know what to do. They were told what they wanted and they believed it. They can only keep their dream alive by being with others like themselves who will mirror their illusions.†â€Å"They have really nice shoes,†Tommy said. â€Å"They have to look right or their peers will turn on them like starving dogs. They are the fallen gods. The new gods are producers, creators, doers. The new gods are the chinless techno-children who would rather eat white sugar and watch science-fiction films than worry about what shoes they wear. And these poor souls desperately push papers around hoping that a mystical message will appear to save them from the new, awkward, brilliant gods and their silicon-chip reality. Some of them will survive, of course, but most will fall. Uncreative thinking is done better by machines. Poor souls, you can almost hear them sweating.†Tommy looked at the well-dressed stream of business people, then at the Emperor's tattered overcoat, then at his own sneakers, then at the Emperor again. For some reason, he felt better than he had a few minutes before. â€Å"You really worry about these people, don't you?†â€Å"It is my lot.†An attractive woman in a gray suit and heels approached the Emperor and handed him a five-dollar bill. She wore a silk camisole under her jacket and Tommy could make out the top of her lace bra when she bent over. He was mesmerized. â€Å"Your Highness,†she said, â€Å"there's a Chinese chicken salad on special at the Cafe Suisse today. I think Bummer and Lazarus would love it.†Lazarus wagged his tail. Bummer yapped at the mention of his name. â€Å"Very thoughtful of you, my child. The men will enjoy it.†â€Å"Have a good day,†she said, and walked away. Tommy watched her calves as she went. Two men who were passing by, embroiled in an argument about prices and earnings, stopped their conversation and nodded to the Emperor. â€Å"Go with God,†the Emperor said. He turned back to Tommy. â€Å"Are you still looking for a domicile, or just a woman now?†â€Å"I don't understand.†â€Å"You wear your loneliness like a badge.†Tommy felt as if his ego had just taken a right to the jaw. â€Å"Actually, I met a girl and I'm going to rent us a place this afternoon.†â€Å"My mistake,†the Emperor said. â€Å"I misread you.†â€Å"No, you didn't. I'm fucked.†â€Å"Pardon?†â€Å"A fortune-teller told me that there was no woman in my future.†â€Å"Madame Natasha?†â€Å"How did you know?†â€Å"You mustn't give too much credence to Madame Natasha's predictions. He's dying and it darkens his vision. The plague.†â€Å"I'm sorry,†Tommy said. In fact, he felt relieved, then guilty for the reason behind it. He had no right to feel sorry for himself. The Emperor had nothing except his dogs, yet his sympathy was all directed toward his fellowman. I'm scum, Tommy thought. He said, â€Å"Your Highness, I have a little money now, if you need†¦Ã¢â‚¬ The Emperor held up the bill the woman had given him. â€Å"We have all that we need, my son.†He stood and tugged on the ropes that held Bummer and Lazarus. â€Å"And I should be off before the men revolt from hunger.†â€Å"Me, too, I guess.†Tommy stood and made as if to shake hands, then bowed instead. â€Å"Thanks for the company.†The Emperor winked, spun on one heel, and started to lead his troops away, then stopped and turned back. â€Å"And, son, don't touch anything with an edge while you're in the building? Scissors, letter openers, anything.†â€Å"Why?†Tommy asked. â€Å"It's the shape of the building, a pyramid. They'd rather people not know about it, but they have a full-time employee who just goes around dulling the letter openers.†â€Å"You're kidding.†â€Å"Safety first,†the Emperor said. â€Å"Thanks.†Tommy took a deep breath and steeled himself for his assault on the Pyramid. As he walked out of the sun and under the massive concrete buttresses, he could feel a chill through his flannel shirt, as if the concrete had stored the damp cold of the night fog and was radiating it like a refrigerator coil. He was shivering by the time he reached the information desk. A guard eyed him suspiciously. â€Å"Can I help you?†â€Å"I'm looking for the Transamerica personnel department.†The guard made a face as if Tommy had been dipped in sewage. â€Å"Do you have an appointment?†â€Å"Yes.†Tommy waved Jody's papers under the guard's nose. The guard picked up a phone and was punching numbers when a second guard came up behind him and took the receiver. â€Å"He's fine,†the second guard said. â€Å"Send him up.†â€Å"But – â€Å" â€Å"He's a friend of the Emperor.†The first guard hung up the phone and said, â€Å"Twenty-first floor, sir.†He pointed to the elevators. Tommy took an elevator to the twenty-first floor, then followed the signs until he found the right department. An officious-looking older woman told him to have a seat in the reception room, she would be right with him. Then she took great pains to act as if he had been sucked off the planet. Tommy sat on a black leather sofa that sighed with his weight, chose a magazine from the black stone coffee table, and waited. During the next hour he read a household-hints column (â€Å"Coffee grounds in that cat box will fill your house with the delightful aroma of brewing espresso every time kitty heeds the call†); an article on computer junkies (â€Å"Bruce has been off the mouse for six months now, but he says he takes life one byte at a time†); and a review of the new musical Jonestown! (â€Å"Andrew Lloyd Webber's version of the Kool-Aid jingle is at once chilling and evocative. Donny Osmond is brilliant as Jim Jones.†) He borrowed some whiteout from the officious-looking woman and touched up the finish on his sneakers, then dried them under a halogen reading light that looked like a robot's arm holding the sun. When he started pulling cologne sample cards out of GQ and rubbing them on his socks, the woman told him he could go on in. He picked up his shoes and walked into the office in his stocking feet. Another officious-looking woman, who looked remarkably like the first officious-looking woman, down to the little chain on her reading glasses, had him sit down across from her while she looked at Jody's papers and ignored him. She consulted a computer screen, tapped on a few keys, then waited while the computer did something. Tommy put his shoes on and waited. She didn't look up. He cleared his throat. She tapped on the keys. He reached down, opened his suitcase, and took out his portable typewriter. She didn't look up. She tapped and looked at the screen. He opened the typewriter case, rolled a piece of paper in the machine, and tapped on a few keys. She looked up. He tapped a few more keys. â€Å"What are you doing?†she asked. Tommy tapped. He didn't look up. The woman raised her voice. â€Å"I said, what are you doing?†Tommy kept typing and looked up. â€Å"Pardon me, I was ignoring you. What did you say?†â€Å"What are you doing?†She repeated. â€Å"It's a note. Let me read it for you. ‘Couldn't anyone else see that they were all slaves of Satan? I had to cleanse the world of their evil. I am the hand of God. Why else would security have let me into the building with an assault rifle in my suitcase? I am a divine instrument. †Tommy paused and looked up. â€Å"That's all I have so far, but I'll guess I end it with an apology to my mom. What do you think?†She smiled as if hiding gas pains and handed him an envelope. â€Å"This is Jody's final paycheck. Give her our best. And you have a nice day now, young man.†â€Å"You too,†Tommy said. He gathered up his stuff and left the office whistling. Fashionable SOMA looked to Tommy an awful lot like a light industrial area: two- and three-story buildings with steel roll-up doors and steel-framed windows. The bottom floors housed ethnic restaurants, underground dance clubs, auto-repair shops, and the occasional foundry. Tommy paused outside of one to watch two long-haired men pouring bronze into a mold. Artists, Tommy thought. He had never seen a real artist, and although these guys looked more like bikers, he wanted to talk to them. He took a tentative step through the doorway. â€Å"Hi,†he said. The men were wrestling with a huge ladle, the two of them gripping the long metal handle with asbestos gloves. One looked up. â€Å"Out!†he said. Tommy said, â€Å"Okay, I can see you guys are busy. ‘Bye.†He stood on the sidewalk and checked his map. He was supposed to meet the rental agent somewhere around here. He looked up and down the street. Except for a guy passed out on the corner, the street was empty. Tommy was thinking about waking the guy up and asking him if this was, indeed, the fashionable part of SOMA, when a green Jeep pulled up beside him and skidded to a stop. The driver, a woman in her forties with wild gray hair, rolled down the window. â€Å"Mr. Flood?†She said. Tommy nodded. â€Å"I'm Alicia DeVries. Let me park and I'll show you the loft.†She backed the Jeep into a spot that seemed too short for it by six inches, running the wheels up over the curb, then she jumped out, dragging after her a purse roughly the size of Tommy's suitcase. She wore sandals, a dashiki, and multicolored Guatemalan cotton pants. There were chopsticks stuck here and there in her hair, as if she were prepared at any minute to deal with an emergency stir-fry. She looked at Tommy's suitcase. â€Å"You look like you're ready to move in today. This way.†She breezed by Tommy to a fire door beside the foundry. Tommy could smell the patchouli in her wake. She said, â€Å"This area is just like Soho was twenty years ago. You're lucky to have a shot at one of these lofts now, before they go co-op and start selling for a million dollars.†She unlocked the door and started up the steps. â€Å"This place has incredible energy,†she said, without looking back. â€Å"I'd love to live here myself, except the market's down right now and I'd have to sell my place in the Heights.†Tommy dragged his suitcase up the steps after her. â€Å"Do you paint, Mr. Flood?†â€Å"I'm a writer.†â€Å"Oh, a writer! I do a little writing myself. I'd like to write a book myself some weekend, if I can find the time. Something about female circumcision, I think. Maybe something about marriage. But what's the difference, right?†She stopped at a landing at the top of the stairs and unlocked another fire door. â€Å"Here it is.†She threw the door open and gestured for Tommy to enter. â€Å"A nice work area and a bedroom in the back. There are two sculptors that work downstairs and a painter next door. A writer would really round the building out. What's your take on female circumcision, Mr. Flood?†Tommy was still about three topics behind her, so he stood on the landing while his brain caught up. People like Alicia were the reason God made decaf. â€Å"I think everyone should have a hobby,†he said, taking a shot in the dark. Alicia jammed like an overheated machine gun. She seemed to look at him for the first time, and did not seem to like what she saw. â€Å"You are aware that we'll need a significant security deposit, if your application is accepted?†â€Å"Okay,†Tommy said. He entered the loft, leaving her standing on the landing. The loft was roughly the size of a handball court. It had an island kitchen in the middle, and windows ran along one wall from floor to ceiling. There was an old rug, a futon, and a low plastic coffee table in the open area near the kitchen. The back wall was lined with empty bookshelves, broken only by a single door to the bedroom. The bookshelves did it. Tommy wanted to live here. He could see the shelves filled with Kerouac, and Kesey, and Hammett, and Ginsberg, and Twain, and London, and Bierce, and every other writer who had lived and written in the City. One shelf would be for the books he was going to write: hardbacks in thirty languages. There would be a bust of Beethoven on that shelf. He didn't really like Beethoven, but he thought he should have a bust of him. He resisted the urge to shout, â€Å"I'll take it!†It was Jody's money. He had to check the bedroom for windows. He opened the door and went in. The room was as dark as a cave. He flipped the light switch and track lighting along one wall came on. There was an old mattress and box springs on the floor. The walls were bare brick. No windows. Through another door was a bathroom with a freestanding sink and a huge claw-foot tub that was stained with rust and paint. No windows. He was so excited, he thought he would wet himself. He ran out into the main living area where Alicia was standing with her hand on her hip, mentally shoving him into the pigeonhole of abusive barbarism she had made for him. â€Å"I'll take it,†Tommy said. â€Å"You'll have to fill out an – â€Å" â€Å"I'll give you four thousand dollars in cash, right now.†He pulled the wad of bills out of his jeans. â€Å"How many keys will you need?†Chapter 14 Two Losts Do Not Make a Found Consciousness went off like a flashbulb of pain: a dull ache in her head, sharp daggers in her knees and her chin. Jody was slumped in the shower. The water was still running – had been running on her all day. She crawled out of the shower stall on her hands and knees and pulled towels out of the rack. She sat on the bathroom floor and dried herself, blotting away the water with rough terry cloth. Her skin felt tender, almost raw. The towels were damp from fourteen hours of steam. The ceiling dripped and the walls ran with condensation. She braced herself against the sink and climbed to her feet, then opened the door and stumbled through the room to the bed. Be careful what you ask for, she thought. All the regret about waking up a little too alert, coming out of sleep like a gunshot, came back on her. She hadn't thought about falling asleep in the same way. She must have been in the shower at sunup, dropped to the shower floor, and stayed there throughout the day. She sat up on the bed and gently touched her chin. Pain shot up her jaw. She must have hit it on the soap dish when she went out. Her knees were bruised as well. Bruised? Something was wrong. She jumped to her feet and went to the dresser. She turned on the light and leaned into the mirror, then yelped. Her chin was bruised blue, with a corona of yellow. Her hair was hopelessly tangled and she now had a small bald spot where the water had worn away at her scalp. She backed away and sat back on the bed, stunned. Something was wrong, seriously wrong, beyond her injuries. It was the light. Why had she turned on the light? The night before she would have been able to see herself in the mirror by the light filtering in under the bathroom door. But it was more than that. It was a tightness in her mouth, pressure, like when she had first gotten braces as a child. She ran her tongue over her teeth and felt the points breaking through the roof of her mouth just behind her eyeteeth. She thought, I'm breaking down from lack of†¦ She couldn't even make herself think it. This will get worse. Much worse. Now she could feel the hunger, not in her stomach, but in her entire body, as if her veins were going to collapse on themselves. And there was a tension in her muscles, as if piano strings were tightening inside her body, sharpening her movements, making her feel as if she would jump through a window any second. I've got to calm down. Calm down. Calm down. Calm down. She repeated the mantra to herself as she got up and walked to the phone. It seemed to take an incredible effort to push the zero button and wait for the desk clerk to come on. â€Å"Hi, this is room two-ten. Is there a guy in the lobby waiting? Yes, that's him. Would you tell him I'll be down in a few minutes?†She put down the phone and went to the bathroom, where she turned off the shower and wiped down the mirror. She looked at herself in the mirror and fought the urge to burst into tears. This is a project, she thought. She turned her head and looked at her bald spot. It was small enough that she could cover it with a new part held by a couple of hairpins. Her bruised chin might require some explaining. She started to run her fingers though her hair to facilitate the preliminary untangle, fighting the tension in her arms that seemed to be increasing every second. A large moth buzzed into the bathroom and went for the light above the mirror. Before she knew what had happened, she snatched it out of the air and ate it. She stared at her reflection and was horrified by the red-haired stranger who had just eaten a moth. Even so, a warmth ran though her like good brandy. The bruise on her chin faded as she watched. The first thing she saw when she turned the corner at the lobby was Tommy's grin. â€Å"Good,†he said. â€Å"You're dressed for moving. I like your hair pinned up like that.†Jody smiled, and stood awkwardly in front of him, thinking she should greet him with a hug, but afraid to get too close to him. She could smell him and he smelled like food. â€Å"You found a place?†â€Å"An incredible loft, south of Market. It's even furnished.†He seemed as if he would burst with excitement. â€Å"I used all the money; I hope that's okay.†â€Å"Fine,†Jody said. She just wanted to get him alone. â€Å"Get your stuff,†he said. â€Å"I want to show it to you.†Jody nodded. â€Å"I'll be just a minute. Have the desk clerk call a cab.†She turned to leave. Tommy caught her by the arm. â€Å"Hey, are you okay?†She motioned for him to move within whisper range. â€Å"I want you so badly I can hardly stand it.†She pulled away and ran up the steps to her room. Inside she gathered what few belongings she had and checked herself in the mirror one last time. She was wearing jeans and the chambray blouse from the night before. She unbuttoned her blouse and did a straitjacket escape from her bra, then buttoned the blouse halfway up. She stuffed the bra into her day pack and locked the room for the last time. When she returned to the lobby, Tommy was waiting outside by a blue DeSoto cab. He opened the door for her, climbed in, and gave the driver the address. â€Å"You're going to love it,†he said. â€Å"I know you are.†She moved closer to him and held his arm tightly between her breasts. â€Å"I can't wait,†she said. A tiny voice in her head asked, What are you doing? What are you going to do to him? It was so faint and foreign that it might have come from someone outside on the street. Tommy pulled away from her and dug into his jeans pocket, coming out with an envelope. â€Å"Your check's in here. I didn't open it.†She took it and put it in her day pack, then moved on him again. He scooted to the door and nodded toward the driver, who was watching them in the rearview mirror. â€Å"Forget him,†Jody whispered. She licked Tommy neck and shuddered with the taste and warmth of his flesh. â€Å"I couldn't get your car out of impound. It has to be the owner.†â€Å"Doesn't matter,†she said, nuzzling into the space under his jaw. The cab stopped and the driver turned to them. â€Å"Six-ten,†he said. Jody threw a twenty over the seat, reached over Tommy and opened the door, dived out and dragged him out of the cab after her. â€Å"Where is it?†Tommy just had time to point to the door before she pushed him at it. She climbed on his back as he unlocked the door, then bolted past him and dragged him up the steps. â€Å"You're really excited about this, aren't you?†he asked. â€Å"It's great.†She stopped at the fire door at the top of the stairs. â€Å"Open it,†she commanded. Tommy unlocked the door and threw it open. â€Å"This is it!†She went through, catching the front of his shirt and pulling him in. â€Å"Look at all these bookshelves,†he said. She ripped his shirt off and kissed him hard. He pulled up for air and said, â€Å"The bedroom doesn't have any windows, just like you wanted.†â€Å"Where?†she demanded. He pointed to the open door and she pushed him through it. He fell face down on the bare mattress. She flipped him over, hooked her hands into the waist of his jeans and ripped them off him. â€Å"So you like it?†he asked. She ripped her shirt open and held him to the bed, one hand on his chest while she took off her own jeans. She climbed on him and muffled his next question with a kiss. He finally got the message and returned her kiss and tried to match her urgency, then didn't have to try at all. She pulled away from the kiss as her fangs unsheathed, then guided him into her as he moaned. Jody growled deep in her chest, pushed his head to the side and bit him on the neck. â€Å"Ouch!†Tommy shouted. She held him down and snarled into his neck. Dust from the old mattress filled the air and was stirred by the movement of their bodies. â€Å"Oh jeez!†Tommy shouted, digging his fingers into her bottom. Jody answered him with a catlike scream as she came, then fell on his chest and licked the blood that dribbled from the punctures on his neck. She twitched and shuddered while he repeated, â€Å"Oh jeez,†over and over again between gasps. After a few minutes she rolled off him and lay on the bed feeling the warm nourishment running though her. Tommy rubbed his neck. â€Å"That was great,†he said. â€Å"That was incredible. You are – â€Å" Jody rolled over. â€Å"Tommy, I have to tell you something.†â€Å"You're beautiful,†he said. Jody smiled at him. The urgency was gone now and she was feeling guilty. I could have killed him, she thought. Tommy reached over and touched her lips. â€Å"What's that on your teeth? Did you hurt yourself?†â€Å"It's blood, Tommy. It's your blood.†He felt his neck again, which was completely healed. â€Å"My blood?†â€Å"Tommy, I've never done anything like that before. I've never been that way before.†â€Å"Me either. It was great!†â€Å"I'm a vampire.†â€Å"That's okay,†Tommy said. â€Å"I knew this girl in high school who gave me a hickey that covered the whole side of my neck.†â€Å"No, Tommy. I'm really a vampire.†She looked him in the eye and did not smile or look away. She waited. He said, â€Å"Don't goof on me, okay?†â€Å"Tommy, have you ever seen anyone tear a pair of jeans like that before?†â€Å"That was my animal attraction, right?†Jody got out of bed, went to the bedroom door and closed it, shutting out the light from the living area. â€Å"Can you see anything?†â€Å"No,†he said. â€Å"Hold up a number of fingers. Don't tell me how many.†He did. â€Å"Three,†Jody said. â€Å"Try again.†He did. â€Å"Seven.†â€Å"Jeez,†he said. â€Å"Are you psychic?†She opened the door. Light spilled in. â€Å"You have an incredible body,†Tommy said. â€Å"Thanks. I need to lose five pounds.†â€Å"Let's do it again, without our shoes on this time.†â€Å"Tommy, you have to listen to me. This is important. I'm not kidding you. I am a vampire.†â€Å"C'mon, Jody, come over here. I'll take your shoes off for you.†Jody looked up at the ceiling. There were open steel beams twenty feet above. â€Å"Watch.†She jumped up and grabbed on to a beam and hung. â€Å"See?†â€Å"Jeez,†Tommy said. â€Å"Do you have a book here?†â€Å"In my suitcase.†â€Å"Go get it.†â€Å"Be careful. You could fall.†â€Å"Get the book, Tommy.†Tommy went into the living area, looking up at her as he walked under. He returned with a volume of Kerouac. â€Å"Now what? Come down from there. You're making me nervous.†â€Å"Close the door and open the book.†He closed the door and the room went dark again. Jody read a half page aloud before he opened the door again. â€Å"Jeez,†he said. She let go of the beam and dropped to the floor. Tommy backed away from her to the bed and sat down. â€Å"If you want to leave, I'll understand,†she said. â€Å"When we were making love†¦ you were cold inside.†â€Å"Look, I didn't mean to hurt you.†Tommy's eyes were wide. â€Å"You really are a vampire, aren't you?†â€Å"I'm sorry. I needed help. I needed someone.†â€Å"You really are a vampire.†It was a statement this time. â€Å"Yes, Tommy. I am.†He paused for a second to think, then said, â€Å"That's the coolest thing I've ever heard. Let's do it with our shoes off.â€
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Extraterrestrial Life essays
Extraterrestrial Life essays As biologists learn about life on Earth in all its diversity, and at the rate that new planets are being discovered the search for life elsewhere grows more steadily pressing. We have discovered organisms on the Earth that seem tenacious and tough almost to a fault; they thrive in the most seemingly adverse conditions imaginable, and organisms so fragile and specialized so as to exist in only the most isolated and pristine environments. With the knowledge of this great amount of diversity it is a safe bet that we will one day find organisms in other parts of the galaxy that are not indigenous to the earth. This richness of diverse life though is comprised of creatures that could only survive on the Earth, so in order to draw any strong conclusions life must be found elsewhere. Due to their relative proximity the planets of our own solar system are the best place to start this search. And finally what types of organisms could we expect to find on other planets judging from the sam ples on earth? Even with the great diversity of life on earth and new species being discovered almost daily it is unlikely that any terrestrial creatures could survive in the environments of the other planets we have discovered thus far. There is compelling evidence of flowing water on mars and that the moons of Jupiter could contain even vast frozen oceans but these are still unknowns. The other planets we have discovered outside of our solar system all appear to be gas giants similar to the gas giants of our own solar system and these planets and these planets seem like the least likely place to harbor any organisms that we know of. But we must work with the knowledge that we already have and apply the template of life to the rest of the universe since what we have learned of life on earth is all that we know however unlikely it may seem that any of the terrestrial organisms could survive off the earth. We must find organi ...
Monday, October 21, 2019
The Cultural Styled Approach
The Cultural Styled Approach When referring to linguistic repertoires, Gutià ©rrez and Rogoff (cited in Duranti 41) point out those linguistic repertoires emanate from the concept of practicing and taking part in the cultural practices of various social groups.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Cultural Styled Approach specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this context, we understand that an individual’s background experiences and interests regarding a given cultural group is the basic knowledge that prepares them to solve interpersonal conflicts and equally prepares them to understand various forms of language (Duranti 41). Cultural variation is a good approach adopted by Gutià ©rrez and Rogoff because it is an improvement from the deficit model approach which basically pits one culture above the other (Duranti 41). In a more liberal sense, the cultural variations approach is quite distinct, in the sense that, it compares one culture a nd another, based on the similarities and differences new cultures have in relation to the dominant culture (Duranti 41). These factors are embedded in linguistic repertoire, in the sense that, languages can be compared and profiled according to the similarities and differences they expose when compared to each other. Moreover, in the study of language, this approach can be quite beneficial, in the sense that, it better encourages the accommodation of foreign languages and cultures as opposed to the deficit model, because to a large extent, the deficit model introduced the concept of superiority or inferiority of a given culture in comparison to another (Duranti 41). However, the cultural approach of analyzing linguistic repertoires, adopted by Gutià ©rrez and Rogoff (cited in Duranti 41) also has its problems, in the sense that, it can be sometimes applied in overly static ways and similarly, in an overly categorical manner, such that it beats the real essence of its application. This approach is not essentially beneficial in the general analysis of linguistic repertoires because as Gutià ©rrez and Rogoff (cited in Duranti) admit: â€Å"Treating cultural differences as traits, in our view, makes it harder to understand the relation of individual learning and the practices of cultural communities, and this in turn sometimes hinders effective assistance to student learning†(40). Curiosity In analyzing language repertoires within various cultural groups, it is important to note that curiosity plays a big role in the understanding of various language varieties. Curiosity is therefore a major component of building language repertoire and it is basically the drive that encourages students and other people to learn different language components among various cultural groups (Meyer 109).Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More From this analysis therefore , we see that curiosity builds a person’s interests, and even without much push, students who are extremely curious in practicing or learning a different culture are equally bound to learn various facets of linguistic repertoires quite fast (Meyer 109). Curiosity does not however, occur as a unique branch of language learning, but rather a branch of holistic learning; meaning that other practices in different cultures are also learnt in the process and language is just one of them. Curiosity is therefore the root of all understanding of language learning (Meyer 109). Interest in other Places An interest in other places definitely implies an interest in other cultures because different places hold different cultures and languages. Having an interest in other places would actually entail transcending geographical boundaries to learn global cultures and practices. However, it is appropriate for Gutià ©rrez and Rogoff (cited in Duranti 41) to note that there is an inherent probl em of overgeneralization when different cultures are analyzed. This is an inherent problem in linguistic studies (as well) because various cultures usually have slight differences in the way their people carry out their daily activities. No matter how similar different cultural groups may seem, it becomes increasingly important to understand the underlying differences of these cultural groups, especially with regards to their language differences. An interest in other places therefore means an interest in other cultures and consequently an interest in language repertoires. Family Families act as a basis for the continuity of linguistic repertoires, in the sense that, linguistic attributes acquired by previous generations are normally passed down to younger generations. Family therefore acts as an important segment of building up linguistic repertoires because it is the basic component of cultural practices, since families essentially uphold cultural practices in the first place (Gup ta 64). However, in the analysis of family as a basic component of linguistic repertoires; it is important understand it in exclusivity because as Gutià ©rrez and Rogoff (cited in Duranti 41) note, it is an important element of cultural analysis because as their article notes, there is a danger in over-generalizing personal traits and cultural traits. Such personal traits can be best conceptualized in the family setup, and from a broader sense; family backgrounds denote the misconceptions of cultural practices. Family setups are therefore quite essential in the analysis of linguistic repertoires because families also basically define the kind of linguistic varieties that are acceptable for people of a given cultural background. A cluster of various families therefore act as the bedrock which linguistic varieties are formed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Cultural Styled Approach specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More People with Different Styles of Speaking Analyzing people with different styles of speaking is also an important factor of influence in the analysis of linguistic repertoires because different styles of speaking represented by these people actually represent the different styles of language varieties (existent within a given culture). An analysis of the various types of people speaking in different styles is therefore an analysis of different linguistic styles and an analysis of the various types of linguistic repertoires. It is essential to observe different groups of language speakers because they can explain the various contexts of language varieties existing within different cultures. From a general perspective, the different linguistic styles to be analyzed also provide a platform for future researchers (and authors) to compare and analyze the various linguistic styles existent within a given culture. The same can also be said of the existent cultural practices. Communities O ften, various cultures are a representation of the practices of different communities encompassing a given culture. Different communities have different linguistic features and therefore various linguistic repertoires can be evidenced in terms of grammatical compositions, syntax development, word order and such like features (Benor 3). The same linguistic repertoires can also fail to apply in various communities, even though they may essentially hail from the same culture. Also, in analyzing cultural practices with the aim of determining linguistic repertoires, an emphasis of communal segmentations helps in the understanding of linguistic repertoires, in the sense that, students can be able to learn the level of openness within the community; the demographic distinctiveness the community possesses; the literacy levels; a community’s communal origins and the literacy levels of the community members (Benor 3). These variables always go a long way in understanding the linguistic repertoires existent within a given cultural setting. Geographical Boundaries Geographical boundaries within various cultural settings are bound to affect how different people react to various linguistic repertoires. Most importantly, it is critical to note that various geographical regions have different dialects and this fact amounts to a shift in ideological composition of different people within different geographical regions. When analyzed from a dialectological point of view, we can see that in the past, people who existed within different geographical areas exposed a number of differences in their phonological and morphological compositions and therefore a difference was equally noted in their linguistic repertoires (Benor 3). In the analysis of cultural linguistic repertoires, it is important to dig deeper into the influences of geographical separations between different cultures because it represents variations in language and behavior which are cotteritorial. Knowledge on Foreign Language Knowledge on foreign language is also critical in understanding linguistic repertoires because it reiterates the commitment to comprehending various linguistic varieties within a given cultural group (Ager 5). In a deeper level, knowledge of foreign language helps in the understanding of various language varieties within a given cultural setting because it provides a deeper insight into how a given culture works and how their people think (Ager 8).Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Also, if there is evidence of information regarding a given culture (in a document format), and in the language of the said culture, it is easy to comprehend such documents in their own language when a person has knowledge of such language. This is an important tool in understanding linguistic repertoires. Ager, Simon. Why should I learn a language? 2009. Web.10 February. 2011. omniglot.com/language/why.htm Benor, Sarah. Framework for Comparative Analysis. 2010. Web.10 February. 2011. Web. Duranti, Alessandro. Linguistic Anthropology â€Å"A reader. London: Wiley-Blackwell, 2007. Gupta, Anthea. The Step-Tongue: Childrens English in Singapore. Singapore: Multilingual Matters, 1994. Print. Meyer, Bernd. Multilingualism at Work: From Policies to Practices in Public, Medical and Business Settings John. New York: Benjamins Publishing Company, 2010. Print.
Sunday, October 20, 2019
Bad Odor and Bio-filtration Solutions
Bad Odor and Bio-filtration Solutions Mikhail Kachmazo v UQ: How have microbes solved a local or global problem? The specific problem or issue: Sewage and industrial plants situated near residential areas can produce unpleasant odors making it difficult to live there. Explain the problem: The sewage plants near residential areas can be a subject to the social and environmental problems if these facilities produce unpleasant odors. The causes of the odors are generally the inorganic and volatile organic compounds which result from bio filtration and from the sewer of industrial waste. There are different types of volatile organic compounds that are emitted as a result of bio filtration like 2-butanone, ÃŽ ±-pinene, tetrachloroethylene, dimethyl disulfide, ÃŽ ²-pinene, limonene, phenol and benzoic acid. One of the main culprits for the bad odor are sulphur compounds which are relatively less in concentration but play significant role in odor causing factors.[5] Explain how science is helping, or has helped, to solve t he problem: Bad odor from sewage water is a major environmental issue worldwide. Bad odor from sewage water is an indicator of possible health risk therefore governments spend a lot of money on treating the sewage water and unpleasant odor. Science has played a major role in solving this problem biologically as well as chemically. Following are several methods to treat sewage water and odor from this water. Bio filtration Thermal Oxidation Chemical Thermal oxidation burns the odor causing compounds directly or indirectly. Bio filtration on the other hand oxidizes the odor causing compounds by using microbes. Microbes like Pseudomonas Putida that are used in this technique have been significant in treating sewage water and bad odor in an efficient, safe and inexpensive way. [4] How it works: Bio-filtration is quite an innovative technology to control pollutants. It helps to eliminate malodorous gas emissions and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of low concentrations. The mos t common design of a bio-filter is just an ordinary big box. Some of them can be very big, others can be quite small. A bio-filter’s main function is to bring microorganisms together with pollutants in an air stream. The bio-filter which has the breeding material for the microorganisms is placed inside the box. The â€Å"biofilm†, which is a layer of moisture where the microorganisms live, can be found around the particles of filter media. When the bio-filtration process takes place, the operators pump the polluted stream of air through the bio-filter, so that the filter media absorbs the pollutants. The bio-filter diffuses the contaminated gas and sends it onto the biofilm that absorbs it. The pollutants are then degraded by the microorganisms. The metabolic products of this process are carbon dioxide and water as well as the produced energy. The chemical formula of this process caused by oxidation is: Volatile Organic Pollutant + O2 à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚ CO2 + H2O + Heat + M icrobial Biomass [3] Effectiveness of this technique: This technique is very efficient and it has plenty of advantages over the traditional methods of pollutants. First of all, one of the major conditions for traditional methods is high temperature, however when it comes to bio-filtration the technicians can use low temperatures, thus the whole process becomes cost effective, because there are no costs of combustion. Moreover it is safer than traditional methods because combustion is a dangerous process. Secondly, the maintenance cost of bio-filtration is much lower than traditional methods. According to a research conducted by Pinchin Environmental Group Canada, this technology is more than 95% efficient and environmentally friendly because the whole process can be done in an absolutely natural way. [1]
Friday, October 18, 2019
Discussion Question Week 1 Damn Heels and the 4P's Assignment
Discussion Question Week 1 Damn Heels and the 4P's - Assignment Example 2). The information provided through case facts have assisted in identifying crucial information needed in identifying the 4P’s. The description of the product included the raw materials used, the sizes and color, as well as the packaging. Pricing strategies included the stipulated target prices ($20) and how it was priced in comparison with those pegged by the competitors (average of $25). Therefore, by pricing the product lower, it has potentials of attracting new and prospective buyers. Likewise, since the target buyers, from the conducted market survey were composed of post-secondary students within the age range of 20 to 22 years of age, then, the price set was just within their affordable budgets. The product was noted to be marketed through retailers (previously known business owners) and also eventually through the online medium. Finally, it was disclosed that promotions would be minimal given that no funds were immediately available. Thus, the product would rely on the s kills of the retailers. One strongly believes that the weakness in the strategy of Coleman falls in the lack of promotions or advertising campaign. Since this is a new product to be launched, it is crucial to enhance product awareness which could only be made through advertising and promotions. Likewise, since the target clients are potentially students, Coleman could actually approach schools or academic institutions as retailers; rather than relying on clubs or lounges. The online medium could also be pursued since most of the young adults use this medium for their purchase decisions. 2. From the scenario, specify the main ways in which the 4P’s of marketing can help the marketing intern offer suggestions to her manager for the new product launch. Provide specific examples that illustrate the relationship between of the 4Ps and the new product launch. The 4P’s of marketing can help the
Disaster Recovery Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Disaster Recovery Plan - Essay Example Requirements Definition, Assessment of the Overall Firm Vulnerability The company's software and systems assets are based on commercial off the shelf software or COTS coming from Microsoft and NetApp, together with products that are tailored for government. Storage for the company's data is via NetApp Storage, making use of SnapMirror as the technology to partly enable the process of disaster recovery. Microsoft COTS are the Microsoft line of Server products, including Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft SQL, and Microsoft SharePoint, among others (Bahan, 2003; CXO Media/ IDG Enterprise, 2012; US Small Business Administration, 2010; University of Toronto Information + Technology Services, 2012; Microsoft Corporation, 2012; NetApp, 2012; NetApp, 2011). B. Analysis of Impact to the Business While software and systems are off the shelf, the data is customized and unique to the company. The customizations on the COTS software can be backed up and reconfigured on copies in the event of disaster , but data is another matter. The impact of data loss due to a disaster can include the company being unable to resume operations, leading to the collapse of the company's viability as a going concern. On the other hand, while data recovery and storage is important, so are the costs associated with making data resilient in the event of disaster. ... Requirements Definition Systems have to be reconfigurable in the event of disaster. Redundant data must be the norm, located at different locations, so that a localized disaster will not disrupt vital company processes. Ideally, the setup is to include NetApp storage managing redundant data, and two parallel and identical systems made up of NetApp and Microsoft COTS are to run, with one on standby to kick in and take over from the live environment once the live environment fails in the event of a disaster (Bahan, 2003; CXO Media/ IDG Enterprise, 2012; US Small Business Administration, 2010; University of Toronto Information + Technology Services, 2012; Microsoft Corporation, 2012; NetApp, 2012; NetApp, 2011). D. Development of the Plan An oversight team is to form the different committees in charge of the company's functional departments, interfacing with IT in order to come up with a data backup and recovery plan, as well as a systems backup and recovery plan, for each of the functi onal departments. The recovery plan will flow from the big picture setup of redundant systems and redundant data residing on different locations, managed by NetApps on the storage side (Bahan, 2003; CXO Media/ IDG Enterprise, 2012; US Small Business Administration, 2010; University of Toronto Information + Technology Services, 2012; Microsoft Corporation, 2012; NetApp, 2012; NetApp, 2011). E. Plan Implementation, Testing The same oversight committee, made up of the company CEO and CTO as the project managers, shall have overall project ownership for the plan, and shall undertake the testing and implementation of the plan. Testing shall be done via simulating a disaster situation and the failure of
Warfare in the Napoleon era is similar to warfare practiced today Essay
Warfare in the Napoleon era is similar to warfare practiced today - Essay Example Indeed, weapon systems and technology have changed over the years with increased sophistication ; however, warlords of today still embrace and practice the fundamentals of warfare upon which the Napoleonic era thrived. The Napoleonic era inspired changes in warfare and created organizational changes in the army that increased their lethality and ignited military reform, tactics, and strategies that are currently being used today. Napoleon created corps and divisions in order to have unity of command for his large troops, which allowed him to have better command and control, and flexibility over his units; Napoleon gave his orders through established channels of command to each division. The organizational changes that were made to the French army increased their flexibility, lethality, and maneuverability in warfare, thus, making it possible for Napoleon to trounce his opponents in combat with ease. Additionally, the Army developed Brigade Combat Teams, which enhanced the organizations ability to be flexible, and agile in warfare, thus, being able to move swiftly into combat zones and taking on the opponents with remarkable success. Similarly, armies of this era are divided into divisions to facilitate unity of command and control of troops, in addition to, enhancing flexibility, lethality, and maneuverability in warfare; combat teams that are thoroughly grounded in tactics and weapon systems to undertake tec hnical missions exist today as well. Napoleon era warfare thrived on the skills and competence of the armies, thus, warlords like Napoleon ensured that their combat teams were well trained in warfare tactics and weapon technologies of their time. Additionally, warfare in this era involved logistics trains, and combined arms that were self-sustaining and dominated enemy forces throughout Europe. For instance, the 1809 Vienna campaigns was successful because the French used combined arms simultaneously, which allowed them to achieve greater impact than if each element was used separately. The French developed the logistics regiment and strictly dedicated it to supplying, and transporting equipment to units on the battlefield2, thus, ensuring the smooth undertaking of missions and operations. Armies today are highly trained in weapons and tactics of combat to be able to handle sophisticated artillery and to execute highly delicate operations with success, and warfare still relies on logistics carriages, which ensure a ste ady supply of equipment to armies in war zones, besides the simultaneous use of combined arms, like in the Napoleonic era. Napoleon’s strategy involved maintaining battles all over Europe in all the volatile areas, where enemy forces had dominated, and this ensured that the enemy forces had no time to regroup or reorganize themselves for counter attacks, thus, they were thoroughly paralyzed and defeated. Nonetheless, the French army fought on several fronts simultaneously, thereby maintaining the territory borders from all angles against the enemy forces; for instance, they fought Britain and Spain on the western front, but at the same time, they also fought Russia, Prussia, and Austria on the eastern front. In the same manner, countries today engage in and maintain battles in their enemy areas where their vulnerability lies in the attempt to neutralize enemy forces; in this regard, warfare still involves invasion and occupation of enemy territory, and such domination of
Thursday, October 17, 2019
Best buy Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words
Best buy Case Study - Assignment Example ased on Best Buy’s case study, customer-centricity works better because the segmentation of high-earning customers, empowers the employees to target those who will bring in more profits to the store (Boyle, 2006). In the Best Buy case study, Brad Anderson wanted an immediate change from the traditional strategy to a customer-centric strategy. However, as evidenced in Boyle’s magazine article, the shift from a traditional strategy to a customer-centric strategy also many problems. The profits and growth of a company’s branches are not made easily as most managers imagine (Capon, 2008). According to the CEO at Best Buy, Brad Anderson, the transformation is not always smooth as most people would expect (Boyle, 2006). In addition, the traditional strategy of offering customer services was different because it only focused on only the clients who are average or only those spending a lot of high quality services. Most companies are proud to say that they are customer-centric, which is an added advantage because marketers use customer results to understand the customers’ base. This not only saves on time, but resource and scarce resources. A customer-centric organization also makes it easier for the clients to communicate any time with it. Contrary to the traditional strategy of providing services, a customer-centric company has no room for opaque responses which also lack empathy. According to Boyle (2006), using the segmentation tactic at Bet Buy Company helps it to work at a successful pace, particularly when it opened its first stores in China. Since segmentation allows a company to identify its most profitable and least profitable clients in the market, Best Buy’s marketing team identified that China had profitable customers. It is the reason that allowed Best Buy to become successful in China. It is because of the segmentation tactic that Best Stores continues to design its stores according to customer wants, since identified that customers like an
Cross Cultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1
Cross Cultural Management - Essay Example The main religions in China are Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, and Christianity. Buddhism is the most dominant. There are seven major languages used in China, with Mandarin being used by majority of the population. Hans Chinese is the biggest ethnic group. The rest include Zhuang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Tibetan, Yi, among others. The major industries in China include power (nuclear, hydro, and thermal) and manufacturing and automobiles industries. Cross Cultural Theorists Geert Hofstede Geert Hofstede proposed that people differ in terms of several dimensions which include power, masculinity, collectivism, orientation, uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence. The first dimension is power distance. Power distance refers to the degree to which the subordinates in institutions and organizations accept the fact that power distribution is unequal. In cultures where low power distance is approved, consultative power relations are expected. People in the organization relate as equals. Subordina tes participate in decision making and can criticize their bosses. However, in countries with a high power distance, the subordinates accept dictatorial power relations (Hofstede 1980). The dimension of individualism versus collectivism is concerned with the extent of consolidation of individuals into groups. Countries that are individualistic emphasize on individual rights and personal accomplishments. Individuals are expected to act on their own to defend themselves and their families. Nations that promote collectivism act as a team. The dimension of uncertainty avoidance versus tolerance refers to the degree of reducing uncertainty in order to manage anxiety. Individuals in societies with high uncertainty avoidance try to prevent anxiety by strictly following the rules and regulations. Individuals in cultures with low uncertainty avoidance have few rules and prefer unstructured and dynamic settings. These individuals accept changes and are more logical (Hofstede 1993). The mascul inity versus femininity dimension is concerned with the differences in gender roles. Individuals in masculine societies tend to emphasize on power, competitiveness, ambition, materialism and assertiveness. Feminine-oriented societies emphasize on quality of life and relationships. Societies that emphasize on long-term orientation focus on the future. They promote values such as saving, adaptation and persistence, which will bring future rewards. On the other hand, societies that are short-term oriented promote values concerned with the present and the past. Such values include preserving traditions, stability, and reciprocation. Another dimension is indulgence versus restraint. Highly indulgent societies give people the freedom to satisfy their desires and needs. However, societies that emphasize on restraint regulate and suppress the satisfaction of peoples’ desires and needs and are characterized by strict rules (Hofstede 1993). Fons
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Implementing Pricing Strategies Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words
Implementing Pricing Strategies - Term Paper Example Moreover, fixed costs and prices are those which are essential for running any business. Hence, these contributions are mandatory for any individual. If an individual is operating any business enterprise, the remunerations, rent and raw material cost among others are considered as overhead or fixed costs. Besides, the employees and general public also gives rise to certain fixed costs and prices such as insurance cost, health cost and medical cost among others. Therefore, fixed costs and prices can be referred to as those expenses which do not change with any alterations in the function of the business. Thus, it can be affirmed that fixed cost and prices relates to those components which are essential for measuring contribution (Avis, 2009). Apart from these, fixed cost and prices charged are also necessary in case of marketing. It facilitates in predicting the earnings of a business generated by varied modifications in ‘unit sales’ as well as the impact of anticipated p romotions. Hence, both cost and price play a significant role in contribution. In addition, these uncertain variables might prove indecisive due to changing needs and demands of customers. When the demand of a particular product or service is high, the amount of contribution might also be increased in order to attract the premium group of customers. It would enhance the market share and profitability of an organization as well as improve the brand identity. Similarly the contribution percentage or investment should be lowered at the saturation stage of a product or service to avoid incurring huge loss. Thus, it can be avowed that determination of uncertain variables such as cost and price is entirely based on the demand of product or service (Bloom, Bond & Reenen, 2007). Hence, these tentative components should not be considered as fixed, because it entirely depends on the demand fluctuations in the market with high possibility of changing values. Question 2 Pricing strategy is refe rred as the idea of implementing an optimum price, based on the features of the particular product or service. The prime objective behind the notion of shaping pricing strategy is to capitalize profit thereby enhancing the total sales of specific product or services. There are varied types of prices such as ‘cost-plus-pricing’, ‘skimming pricing’, ‘penetration pricing’, ‘value-based pricing’ and ‘target pricing’ among others. Moreover, the pricing strategies are mainly implemented based on the competition of product or services in the market. In addition, price of products and/or services help to determine the sustainability and consistency of a brand in the market among others. Thus, it can be affirmed that pricing policy is one of the significant decisions of product or service of an organization. However, at times, determination of pricing strategies of products and/or services also creates conflict among the employ ees of an organization thereby hindering their dedication towards work. Hence, pricing strategies also hamper enthusiasm and employee morale which might prove detrimental for an organization (Avis, 2009). Pricing strategy is a tool which is utilized in order to enhance the profit of an organization augmenting the demand of products and/or services in the market. Moreover, at times, experienced managers also had to change the
Cross Cultural Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1
Cross Cultural Management - Essay Example The main religions in China are Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, and Christianity. Buddhism is the most dominant. There are seven major languages used in China, with Mandarin being used by majority of the population. Hans Chinese is the biggest ethnic group. The rest include Zhuang, Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Tibetan, Yi, among others. The major industries in China include power (nuclear, hydro, and thermal) and manufacturing and automobiles industries. Cross Cultural Theorists Geert Hofstede Geert Hofstede proposed that people differ in terms of several dimensions which include power, masculinity, collectivism, orientation, uncertainty avoidance, and indulgence. The first dimension is power distance. Power distance refers to the degree to which the subordinates in institutions and organizations accept the fact that power distribution is unequal. In cultures where low power distance is approved, consultative power relations are expected. People in the organization relate as equals. Subordina tes participate in decision making and can criticize their bosses. However, in countries with a high power distance, the subordinates accept dictatorial power relations (Hofstede 1980). The dimension of individualism versus collectivism is concerned with the extent of consolidation of individuals into groups. Countries that are individualistic emphasize on individual rights and personal accomplishments. Individuals are expected to act on their own to defend themselves and their families. Nations that promote collectivism act as a team. The dimension of uncertainty avoidance versus tolerance refers to the degree of reducing uncertainty in order to manage anxiety. Individuals in societies with high uncertainty avoidance try to prevent anxiety by strictly following the rules and regulations. Individuals in cultures with low uncertainty avoidance have few rules and prefer unstructured and dynamic settings. These individuals accept changes and are more logical (Hofstede 1993). The mascul inity versus femininity dimension is concerned with the differences in gender roles. Individuals in masculine societies tend to emphasize on power, competitiveness, ambition, materialism and assertiveness. Feminine-oriented societies emphasize on quality of life and relationships. Societies that emphasize on long-term orientation focus on the future. They promote values such as saving, adaptation and persistence, which will bring future rewards. On the other hand, societies that are short-term oriented promote values concerned with the present and the past. Such values include preserving traditions, stability, and reciprocation. Another dimension is indulgence versus restraint. Highly indulgent societies give people the freedom to satisfy their desires and needs. However, societies that emphasize on restraint regulate and suppress the satisfaction of peoples’ desires and needs and are characterized by strict rules (Hofstede 1993). Fons
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