Gender Roles And Oppression In Afghanistan - 1884 Words

Although it isn’t as apparent in America as Americans tend to reject these connotations, gender roles exist all throughout human culture, causing things other than genitalia to be associated with the terms man and women. While gender roles vary with culture, typically these associations consist of men are expected to be strong, dominant and opinionated, while women are expected to be more reserved, submissive, and dedicate. These expectations leak into our views of people, causing people to judge others based off their gender first, instead of simply judging everyone as an individual from the get-go. while these generalizations can’t be helped as generalizing things is what people inherently do, the Taliban took it to another level. when†¦show more content†¦With this in mind one can see how maintaining family connection in Afghanistan is the best way to reach success. Men and women have different roles within these households as well. Ultimately their actions bring honor or shame onto their family based off of these roles, for instance while men work to provide income, women receive great honor through being a good wife and mother (Fluri, 2011). These methods gaining honor or shame often stem from their Muslim religion which carries over into their social lives. Afghan women typically wore long baggy clothing such as burqas as they are modest and provided them with a sense of spatial privacy (Fluri, 2011). They also wore their clothing such as a hijab is seen necessary as a sign of respect to their god as the people around them (Fluri, 2011). They also also hold power within the household through social networking for her family, giving her the responsibility to extend the family contacts through this manner and control who the family is associated with (Fluri, 2011). Women would traditionally gather in places void of men forming their own social sphere to better themselves and their families(Schà ¼tte,2014). Women even sometimes marr y for the sake of creating a permanent connection to another family. All of these concepts are completely foreign to westerners as we don’t socialize in this manner, but even if we don’t except their social norms, that doesn’t give us a right to critique it. In America the termShow MoreRelatedFeminism : A Feminist Organization Essay1695 Words   |  7 PagesAssociation of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA) is a feminist organization that focuses on liberating the women of Afghanistan who suffer agonizing oppression and disadvantages (37). In addition, RAWA is responsible for being the â€Å"voice of the voiceless† by showing the world the plight of Afghan women, in a country that is ruled by the Taliban (Farrell and McDermott 37). Furthermore, RAWA was highly depended on Western powers, especially U.S feminists, to help relieve Taliban oppression (Farrell and McDermottRead MoreGender Inequality For Women And Womens Development1121 Words   |  5 PagesWhile the case of Rwanda illustrates that a liberal, women-focused post-conflict approach will not lead to substantial advancement of women’s status as it does not tackle gender inequalities, I continue to argue that the post-conflict moment itself is not sufficient for tacklin g the roots of gender inequalities that prevent women from experiencing full empowerment and inter-sphere equality. First, there is a need to understand why women face increased levels of violence in the post-conflict periodRead MoreAnalysis Of Equity, Diversity And Inclusivity1130 Words   |  5 Pageswhether or not this organization understands/explains women’s oppression and whether or not it reinforces the frame of â€Å"culture† and â€Å"tradition.† The Feminist Majority Foundation has been immersed in a campaign to support women and girls in their fight against the brutal oppression of the Taliban. Thus, this is a reason why the campaign exclusively focuses on the gender-based oppression of â€Å"Third World† women, without acknowledging the role of racism, colonialism, and economic exploitation. It alsoRead MoreHuman Rights Violations to Afghan Women1492 Words   |  6 PagesUnited States’ humanitarian relief efforts have recently focused much of their efforts on involving the livelihood of Afghanistan women. For decades, these women have been frequent victims of abuse, despite some success by authorities in prosecuting rape cases, forced marriages and domestic violence. Child marriage, selling and buying women to settle disputes, assault and more than a dozen other acts of violence and abuse against women are a common norm in Afghan society. About 87% of women experienceRead MoreThe Term ‘War On Terror’, First Used By George W. Bush1316 Words   |  6 PagesState of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Afghanistan and Iraq. Because of the ‘war on terror’ and the significant economic, military, cultural and political implications for the US society that came with it, a whole discourse has emerged spread by the Bush administration to defend and justify war intervention. Steuter and Wills (2010:154) explain that, as sustaining a war often necessitates public support, in periods of conflicts political language can play an important role in society as a classic techniqueRead MoreWomen And Children By Rosenberg Presents Us Imperialism And The Roles849 Words   |  4 Pages11th 2011, but what some don’t know are the immediate responses from the US after the occurrence of that event. In the essay â€Å"Rescuing women and children† Rosenberg presents US imperialism and the roles it plays in gender particularly in Afghanistan. I will be discussing how this imperialism affects gender in other countries and the differnces between â€Å"rescuing women and children† and cross-cultu re solidarity. Rosenberg starts her essay by explained the response from the First Lady nine weeks afterRead MoreThe Gender Roles1630 Words   |  7 Pagesdifferent roles for each gender. From the day we are born, we are led and pushed towards what the normal female or male does on a daily life. Gender roles have always existed even before history was written. The roles in gender is always going to shift whether the female has more power than the male. Though in many ancient societies men have been more dominant then the female. Gender roles are not defined, but are impressed upon us by family, and the culture in which we are raised in. Gender roles is understoodRead MoreEssay on Women Led Organizations in Afghanistan1530 Words   |  7 Pagesbelow. Women Led organizations in Afghanistan AWC Afghan Women’s Council REFWID Feminist Majority Foundation of Refugee women in Development Inc CCA Cooperation Center for Afghans AWN Educators and Human Rights Commission in Pakistan, Afghan Women Network WAPHA Women’s Alliance for Peace and Human Rights in Afghanistan RAWA Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan Of those listed above Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA), is more prominent. This flagshipRead More Afghan Women and Their Horror Essay729 Words   |  3 Pages nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;A woman’s life in Afghanistan is one of the most shocking and devastating truths. It wasn’t until September 11th 2001 that the world awoke to the relevance of women’s issues to international peace and security. However, it’s been two years since and the lives of Afghan women have improved only slightly. Harassment, violence, illiteracy, poverty and extreme repression continue to characterize reality for many afghan women. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;â€Å"Under the TalibanRead MoreA Thousand Splendid Suns By Hosseini1328 Words   |  6 PagesWomen in Afghanistan â€Å"I do not wish for women to have power over men, but over themselves† Mary Wollstonecraft. In the vast majority of places around the world, men have the upper hand over women, whether it is in the household, workplace, or government. Even in America, the land of the free, women are still discriminated against to a slight extent. A man and woman could have the exact same job, but the man would bring home a greater salary than the woman. In spite of the fact that this is

Mass Media and Adolescence How Mass Media Influence Teens...

Mass media plays a paramount role in today’s society, as it showers over increasing numbers of people all around the world. Used to communicate news and events on a daily basis, mass media is defined as those media that are designed to be consumed by large audiences through the agencies of technology. Mass media caters to a diverse audience, ranging from children, to adolescents, to adults. Amongst said audiences, â€Å"Adolescents are vigorous users of the information broadcasted in media† (Werner-Wilson, Morrissey Fitzharris, 2004). G Stanley Hall, a renowned American psychologist believed that the stages of adolescence reflected a stage in the human evolutionary past when there was a great deal of upheaval and disorder- with the result†¦show more content†¦Developing earlier than they did in the past, adolescents’ bodies mature at a higher speed than their minds. â€Å"Increasingly earlier physical development offers a possible explanation as to why adolescents see to do things earlier than their parents† (Chapin, 2000). Since adolescent are growing faster into adults, they have to match to the social burden that they are faced with. Society has become more sexual over the years and so adolescents feel forced to adapt to society by adjusting themselves to the sexual content showed in the media. Sexual content in multimedia To begin with, there are many types of media that may end up influencing teens in their sexual behavior. Among others, these forms of media include movies, television and music videos. In 2001, an article by Stern and Handel presented research about the influence of teens’ sexual behaviors with respect to movies. Research demonstrated that adolescents imitate sexual behaviors seen in movies or theatres. â€Å"Girls reported that they adopted their flirtatious postures of starlets, and that after seeing a sexy movie, they were driven to find men to sleep with. Boys, likewise, claimed that they learned how to kiss and make love from cinema, and some claim to have been driven to rape.† (Foreman, 1933 as cited in Stern Handel, 2001). This research shows evidence thatShow MoreRelatedInfluence Of Media On Adolescents933 Words   |  4 PagesDepictions of sexual behavior and erotic material are observed in the media on a regular basis; often in movies, video games, televisio n shows, music and many other sources of mass media. Aside from those depictions occurring in the media, sexualized intimate behaviors take place in the public sphere every day as well. Sexual media content is frequently held accountable for minors’ early engagement in sexual activities. While there are large amounts of research on the influence of media on adolescentsRead MoreYoung Person Who Is Going Through Adolescence Essay1676 Words   |  7 Pagesyoung person who is developing into an adult: a young person who is going through adolescence† (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2016), Everyday adolescents are exposed to many ideas about their sexuality. There are several major factors that play into an individual adolescent’s views of sexuality. This dissociation between the ideas being pushed on children about sex causes confusion. Adolescents receive their sexual education and ideas from many different outlets. The youth rely heavily on theRead MoreImp act of Media on Teenagers3405 Words   |  14 Pagestelevision, radio, print and the Internet influence teenage attitudes, self-image and behaviors. Negative effects of media emphasis on thinness. Relationship between media self-esteem. How film, TV music affirm the validity of sexual activity for teens; alcohol use. Aggression violence. Paper Introduction: The Effect of Media on Teenagers The media exerts an enormous, almost a normative influence, over the lives of men, women, adolescents and children. It influences, particularly among teenagers, theRead MoreMy Family Has Altered How We Communicate1793 Words   |  8 Pageschild, all I wanted to do was watch cartoons. Early on, my mother would limit the time my brother and I spent in front of the TV, and I never understood the logic behind it until recently. Similar to my family, mass media has altered how we communicate. In fact, there is an over abundance of media in present day life. For example, many households have embraced and welcomed personal computers, Ipad’s, and TV sets into their living rooms. In the American society, an average American spends about 1,600Read MoreAdolescent Years1927 Words   |  8 PagesAdolescent Years Paper Adolescence is the developmental stage between childhood and adulthood; it generally refers to a period ranging from age 11 and 19. Adolescence has many psychological and social stages, as well as biological. The beginning of adolescence is usually marked with the beginning of puberty. Adolescence can be prolonged, brief, or practically nonexistent, depending on the type of culture in which it occurs. Adolescence is somewhere between childhood and adulthood. It is filled withRead MoreWomen s Objectification Of Women3147 Words   |  13 Pages Objectification of Women in Media An Assignment Submitted by Name of Student Name of Establishment Objectification of Women in Media Introduction The mass media, in all the diversity, prevail in the contemporary society. Indeed, media technologies, as a means for mass communication, are, virtually, unavoidable, especially with the introduction of new mobile devices that enable constant access to Internet. On the one hand, the ubiquity of media enhances their attributed role as a major informationRead MoreAgents of Socialization Essay 21461 Words   |  6 Pagesthe Social Order. An agent of socialization is responsible for transferring the rules, expectations, norms, values, and folkways of a given social order. In advanced capitalist society, the principle agents of socialization include the family, the media, the school system, religious and spiritual institutions, and peer groups. Specific sites or groups carry out socialization. We call these agents of socialization. Similar to the concept of a business agent or insurance agent, they represent and actRead MoreMedias Effect on Sexuality in Recent Decades1955 Words   |  8 Pagesthe methods and means for media expression have multiplied to new, great heights. The opportunity to consume media is omnipresent in many cultures of the 21st century. The media has affected sexuality over the course of the past two decades specifically. The paper considers the spectrum and quality of affects media has had and continues to have upon sexuality in cultures around the world. Media does affect sexuality, yet the consumers have the power to affect the media; media representation of sexualityRead MoreThe Debate Of Nature Vs Nurture1364 Words   |  6 PagesNature vs Nurture is one of the oldest philosophical issues. The nature theory argues that all genes, and hereditary factors, influences an individual in terms of their physical appearance to their personality characteristics (Cherry, 2017). Conversely, the nurture theory argues that all environmental variables impact who individuals are, including early childhood experiences, how individuals were raised, social relationships, and surrounding culture (Cherry, 2017). However, people are born neither â€Å"good†Read MoreThe Medias Influence on Health Essay2760 Words   |  12 Pages The mass media (including everything from television and music to popular novels and fan cultures), creates an endless and accessible flow of information. What we know about the world beyond out immediate surroundings comes to us via the media (Yates 1999). The technology of electronic media and the art of advertising have combined to create very powerful tools of influence. These tools are capable of shaping the attitudes, values and behaviors of large numbers of people (Walsh.) By identifying

Kingdom of God and Relates to Church

Question: Describe about the Kingdom of God and Relates to Church. Answer: George Eldon Ladd, 1993, A Theology of the New Testament, Revised Edition Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. The first book that is a part of this annotated bibliography is also by George Eldon Ladd and is titled, A Theology of the New Testament. The theology of the author is rich with the substance of kingdom of God. Therefore it can be said that this is Biblical theology that has been shaped by inaugurating eschatology from start to finish. The result is that it can be said that the book in itself makes a fantastic reading. However the only complaint that can be made regarding this book is that it does not as comprehensive as expected by the the readers, for example in context of some sections of NT like Hebrew are not as robust as the readers would have liked them to be. However overall it is a good book concerning the topic of kingdom of God and how it is related to the church. Derek J. Morphew, 2007, Breakthrough: Discovering the Kingdom, Vineyard International Publishing The next book that is a part of this annotated bibliography is Breakthrough: Discovering the Kingdom, by Derek J. Morphew. Regarding this book, it can be said that the book provides a vineyard perspective regarding the kingdom of God. This is an easy to read book and it provides an explanation of the heavier scholarly books of the other authors. Therefore, it can be said that in this book the author has done a significant job of tracing the Old Testament and the New Testament perspectives regarding the kingdom of God and at the same time, this book has also provided a clear-cut section related to the implications of inaugurating and enacted theory relating to the kingdom of God. Therefore, the author mentions that a specific way is present to live in the kingdom of God with specific commitment to active rule and reign of Jesus that is demonstrated by the work of the Spirit through the church. Russell D. Moore, 2004, The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective, Crossway Books. The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective, by Russell D. Moore can be described as the place to start for the evangelicals who are interested in how the framework of kingdom of God should be integrated into a movement. Regarding this book, it can be said that it is too bad that a number of theologians and pastors have overlooked this book. This book provides significant insightful thinking regarding the kingdom of God and also explains how he inaugurated eschatology has an impact on ecclesiology. George Eldon Ladd, 1996, The Presence of the Future: The Eschatology of Biblical Realism, William B Eerdmans Publishing Co. The last book of this annotated bibliography is The Presence of the Future: The Eschatology of Biblical Realism, by George Eldon Ladd. This book can be described as one of the best scholarly work regarding the kingdom of God. In this book, the author has traced the kingdom of God by adopting a redemptive and historical perspective and has conclusively demonstrated that the kingdom of God started to Jesus and will be consummated after the death of Jesus. Bender, Harold and Friedmann, Robert (2010) Hutterite Studies, H. B. Book Centre In this book, the author has stated that according to the kingdom of God theology, a difference is present between the current world that is ruled by Satan in which we live and the world that is ruled by God, or his kingdom. In this way, according to the kingdom of God theology, significance is attached to the kingdom of God as a core value and it teaches that the kingdom of God is present in the world currently but it is not yet in its fullness. Bielo, James (2011). Emerging Evangelicals: Faith, Modernity, and the Desire for Authenticity. NYU Press The author states that the kingdom of God will come in fulness with the second coming of Christ. In the future fulfillment, Satan and evil will be destroyed and the complete rule of God will be established on the earth. Bowden, John; Richardson, Alan (1983) The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology, Westminster John Knox Press It has been argued by this author that the kingdom of God encompassed the signs and wonders as well as social justice. Although the kingdom theology has presented history as the struggle that is going on between God and Satan, the eschatological expectation is also present according to which God will triumph over the Satan, which is the reason due to which, suffering for the sake of the Kingdom has been excerpted. Enns, Peter (2011). Ecclesiastes. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. In this work, the author has stated that according to the kingdom of God theology an attempt has been made to explain both the spiritual victory as well as the continued spiritual warfare and also the reason why some people are seen to be healed by the Holy Spirit and why some are not. Essay: What is the kingdom of God and how does it relate to Church? Jesus had constantly talked about the kingdom of God. Therefore, it can be said that concept of kingdom of God was at the center of his teachings and his life. In this essay, an attempt has been made to develop an understanding of the concept of kingdom of God and also how it is related to the church. In this regard, it needs to be noted that the kingdom of God has always remained in existence. It is the divine order, the government of heaven and the functions of the kingdom are eternal.[1] However the enemy rebelled against God and the result was that the kingdom was fractured and in one sense, a part of the kingdom was captured. The kingdom of darkness by the established by the enemy was trying to overthrow the kingdom of God or at least to thwart the purpose of God in his kingdom. However, God has allowed on this and it is being used by God for accomplishing his will and purpose.[2] God covenanted with the Son for the purpose of making him Man's redeemer and also restorer of breac h in the kingdom. By his resurrection, Jesus was made savior and the Lord. God has established His King who is going to rule until everything is brought into subjection to Him. Then He will turn over the restored Kingdom. In the same way, another question that needs to be asked in this regard is what is the meaning of the Kingdom of God for the Christians? For a number of people, it can be another irrelevant religious term that is used for describing the unrealistic vision of the Christians. In the same way, some persons may also consider the existence of the kingdom of God as a part of the church. When theologians are confronted on this issue, some of them claim that the kingdom of God comes by coming to individual by entering into his soul and by laying hold of it. For these experts, the meaning of kingdom of God is that the Spirit of life was to come and fill the people personally. In this way, this hope was a general hope for the whole creation.[3] The people were required to interact with each other and the whole creation was going to receive this eternal life. Regarding this issue, certain other experts have commented that the kingdom of God is supernatural and as it is that it is a part of the future. According to these experts, if the above mentioned explanation is taken as the only answers to the kingdom of God or if we should go to the Word of God and find what is it in their regarding the kingdom of God. The answer in this regard will be back definitely yes, they should find the truth present in the Scriptures in the Word of God where the kingdom of God has been explained for us. In this context, it can be said that the kingdom of God is present where the God rules. For example in Jeremiah 31:33 LASB God has given the rights of His kingdom in our hearts. Therefore he wants that the people should obey Him in glory and honor. It can be said that His kingdom is present in the spiritual realm which is not visible to our eyes at present but we should keep faith that someday, the kingdom of God will come before us in all its fullness. While dealing with the issue, it has been mentioned in Psalm 103: 19 that the Lord has established his throne in heaven and as a result, his kingdom rules over all of us. In this way, the kingdom of God exists in present and also in the future. We have come across the line several times that Jesus had mentioned the kingdom of God in future tense. One example is when he says that I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of wine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God (Mark 14: 25 LASB). In the same way, on other occasions also, He had given us hints that the kingdom of God was already in existence. In the same day, sometimes he also preached that the kingdom of God was not far away and we can even almost touch it. In this way, we see that they kingdom of God is progressing through us on the earth here and now (by spreading the Gospel). On the other hand, the kingdom of God is not a relevant to the persons who practice acts of sin. In this regard, it has been written in the Bible that the kingdom of God will not be inherited by the unrighteous. Therefore, we should not be deceived.[4] The kingdom of God will not be inherited by thieves, drunkards, covetous, extortionist or idolaters. Therefore, if a person is practicing the above and dies, such a person will not be inherit the kingdom of God. On the other hand, if the person has been cleansed and forgiven by the blood of Jesus, and the sin no more than such a person dies; the kingdom of God is available to such a per son. In this way, it can be said that with resurrection, comes the kingdom of God.[5] We find in the Old Testament the mention of kingdom of God for the first time, although this term has not been used in itself directly. Israel was not really concerned regarding the term kingdom of God and they were only concerned regarding themselves and their rebellious ways. It was a really sad state of affairs because in reality, God wanted to prepare Israel so that hope can be found in the coming of the King. This thing was going to deliver the people from slavery to sin. In the same way, in the New Testament, there has been a mention of establishing the kingdom of God. In this way, Jesus was born to act as Ruler. In this regard, it needs to be mentioned that when Jesus was facing trial for his life before Pilate, he was asked by Pilate if He was the king of Jews? In reply, Jesus said, it is as you say. Therefore we see that indeed Jesus had told him that He was a King but at the same time, Jesus also gave an indication that His kingdom was not of this world. It has been mention ed in the Scriptures that the Supreme Ruler was the gods and all the nations of the earth will be ruled by Jesus Christ.[6] In this regard, Matthews has mentioned that Jesus had used the phrase Kingdom of heaven and on the other hand, the phrase Kingdom of God has been used by Mark and Luke. When these two phrases are compared with each other, they appear to be nearly identical. In this way, while the kingdom of God appears to be of particular concern for the Father, it appears that the Church was of particular concern for Jesus.[7] It becomes immediately clear when he told Peter about it. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this job I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). The 'rock' that has been mentioned by Jesus is the revelation of who he is - the Christ. In this way, on this revelation, Jesus was going to build His church. He is going to build His church and not of someone else. Therefore this construction project is basically centered on the work of Jesus. However, some construction foremen have been appointed by Jesus. These are the persons who understand the plans of the Lord and are going to receive instruction from Him. In this way, the men who have been given by the Lord to His people have to do two things. First of all, they have equipped the believers for work and they also have to ed ify the body of Christ. However the architectural plans are still with the Lord and He directs all the billing functions through the Holy Spirit. Therefore, it needs to be mentioned that the foundation has been laid. We are going to act as the construction workers. Training has been provided to us by the fivefold ministry. The building material is also being selected by us. In this way, a temple is being built by us, according to the directions of the Lord. However in reality, the Lord's position has been usurped by men and therefore, instead of following the glands of the architect, they are building in accordance with their own understanding and using the materials that appeared good to the natural man but are inappropriate and unapproved by the Lord.[8] The result is that we move away from a spiritual building that is built of living stones to the natural buildings that had been by brick and mortar. Therefore, we move away from Kingdom workers to become the Church workers. Therefore, in the end we can say that the kingdom of God and the Church are not synonymous. We have lost understanding and insight regarding the differences that are present between the kingdom of God and the church into the reason that our traditions have taught us that both of them are the same. However, even a cursory reading of the Scriptures will reveal that the Holy Spirit has spoken of the kingdom differently than He does regarding the Church.[9] On the other hand if the kingdom of God and Church would have been truly synonymous, then it would have been possible to substitute church for Kingdom in the Scriptures without effecting any change in the meaning. But this is not the case. The reason is that Jesus meant something different when He was talking about the kingdom as compared to the situation when He talked of the Church. It is very important for us to understand the difference that is present between the church and the kingdom of God. Bibliography Alexander, T. Desmond and Brian S. Rosser, eds., New Dictionary of Biblical Theology Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000 Alexander, T. Desmond and Brian S. Rosser, eds., New Dictionary of Biblical Theology, Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2000 Beale, G. K. New Testament Biblical Theology: The Unfolding of the Old Testament in the New. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2011 Couch, Mal, ed. Dictionary of Premillennial Theology: A Practical Guide to the People, Viewpoints, and History of Prophetic Studies. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1996 Davis, Christopher A. Revelation, College Press NIV Commentary. Joplin, MO: College Press, 2000 Davis, Christopher A. Revelation, College Press NIV Commentary. Joplin, MO: College Press, 2000. Johnston, Gordon H. Millennium, Old Testament Descriptions of, in Dictionary of Premillennial Theology, ed. by Mal Couch, 26772. Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1996 Bender, Harold and Friedmann, Robert (2010) Hutterite Studies, H. B. Book Centre Bielo, James (2011). Emerging Evangelicals: Faith, Modernity, and the Desire for Authenticity, NYU Press Bowden, John; Richardson, Alan (1983) The Westminster Dictionary of Christian Theology, Westminster John Knox Press Derek J. Morphew, Breakthrough: Discovering the Kingdom, Vineyard International Publishing, 2007 Enns, Peter (2011). Ecclesiastes. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament, Revised Edition Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1993 George Eldon Ladd, The Presence of the Future: The Eschatology of Biblical Realism, William B Eerdmans Publishing Co. 1996 Russell D. Moore, The Kingdom of Christ: The New Evangelical Perspective, Crossway Books. 2004

Integration policies in Ireland Essay Example

Integration policies in Ireland Essay The Lack of Appropriate Integration Policies and the Impacts on Young Immigrants in Ireland For many migratory households, assimilation into society is merely a affair of larning the linguistic communication, happening employment, and get the better ofing the civilization daze. However, in some parts of Europe, it can take several coevalss before fledglings are assimilated into mainstream society—especially if the original migrators do non talk the linguistic communication of their new state or are ethnically distinguishable and hence can non go physically identical from the general population ( as is the instance with Africans and Asians ) . In Europe, many states are host to an inflow of migrators from the Middle East, Asia, and South and Central Africa. Some societies are more welcoming than others. Although anti-immigrant sentiment can be found in any state, England and Sweden are noted for their generous welcoming attitude toward migrators and Ireland and Latvia are two of the least unfastened societies. Although migrators have a lower criterion of life and do n on hold entree to the societal benefits granted to citizens, these jobs are even more important in a more closed society. This paper seeks to research the disadvantages that immature migrators face in Ireland and how it affects them on a psychological and economic degree, and the policy implications our research will hold in making a kinder gentler attack that encourages assimilation of migrators into the civilization instead than making greater animus. In the 21st century, Irish attitudes toward migrators have become more friendly harmonizing to polls of the Irish population. However, this does contrast with the high proportion of refuge searchers and migratory workers describing torment and trouble obtaining entree to basic employment and services. [ 1 ] We will write a custom essay sample on Integration policies in Ireland specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Integration policies in Ireland specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Integration policies in Ireland specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Anti-immigrant sentiment typically stems from a splanchnic fright of offense. Indeed, this fright is non baseless because rather frequently immigrants from less-developed states are more likely to perpetrate offenses in their adoptive states because certain Acts of the Apostless that were legal at place are no longer so. For illustration, some 3rd universe states have highly slack drug Torahs, but their sale and distribution is prohibited in most industrialized states. Poverty is the primary beginning of offense and many migrators that are asylum searchers are normally really hapless. Many citizens are disquieted that the local substructure is deficient to managing a monolithic inflow of migrators as Ireland had really rapidly transitioned from an agriculturally-based economic system to a post-industrial digital 1. Full industrial development had non taken topographic point until the mid-1970s. [ 2 ] Background Ireland used to be a instead homogenous state with an about entirely Celtic/Gaelic cultural population. Economic problems and nutrient deficits led many Irish citizens to emigrate to the United States and the United Kingdom for calling chances and new lives. Ireland neer truly made anyone’s top 10 list of states to seek work visas or political refuge because so many of its ain citizens were seeking to go forth. In the 21st century, Ireland’s population is going really diverse with many immigrants from Southeast Asia, Northern and Central Africa, and Eastern Europe. However, many surveies have shown that incorporating into Irish society is highly hard. For illustration, about one in three work license holders are insulted and harassed in the workplace, of which Black South and Central Africans having the brunt of the favoritism. Almost one in five reported hapless intervention from in-migration services, which is one of the most prevailing signifiers of institutional favoritism. Approximately 15 % of those seeking lodging study that they have been denied entree to belongings and appropriate funding for racialist grounds, and those non falling into that demographic study torment by neighbors. In the commercial sector, favoritism is somewhat less prevailing as less than 10 % of the participants reported that they have been the victim of a hatred offense, refused service at a eating hous e or store, or abused by service workers or constabularies because of ethnicity. [ 3 ] Common societal attitudes frequently facilitate xenophobic behavior. ‘Surveys of Irish society suggests that dictatorship, Catholicism, anti-intellectualism and neglect for certain Torahs are dominant strains in Irish society†¦For case, although 69.9 % of Irish individuals would non object to being related to Americans, 79 % would object to being related to American Negroes. The interviewees were asked about their willingness to accept members of different groups as relations, friends, neighbors, colleagues, citizens, visitants to the state: 21.2 % would welcome Blacks as relations, 57.7 % as friends, 70.6 % as neighbors, 78.3 % as colleagues, 83 % as citizens.† [ 4 ] The same study unsurprisingly indicated that Irish citizens would be more welcoming to ethnically Caucasic immigrants. Recent motions advancing multiculturalism are trying to control some of the most baneful racialist influences in Ireland, peculiarly institutional racism where persons are discriminated against and so blamed for their ‘failures’ . [ 5 ] Many Irish motions for societal equality are recommending an individual-centred attack of guaranting that the best people are advanced through society, nevertheless, that assumes that everyone has an equal chance for success and that racism and other steps of societal inequality are non present. [ 6 ] ‘In many states black and cultural minorities are disproportionately ill educated, unemployed, populating in poorness and, as such, disproportionately disadvantaged.’ [ 7 ] Certain avenues of redress include: income redistribution, community development programmes, and group rights ; while these steps do non travel really far in bettering the bias within the population, it would do cultural favoritism less socially acceptable. There still remains the job of societal mobility. Free societies by and large allow bright, promising, enterprising persons to progress up the societal hierarchy and make a degree higher than the 1 they were born into. However, this becomes more debatable when there are institutional barriers that overpoweringly favour work forces over adult females, native-born over foreign, and Caucasian over African or Asian. Allowing equal terms to everyone is proven to be good to society, particularly as the best people beforehand independent of race or national beginning. ‘The economic growing of the ninetiess that made Ireland a more attractive and accessible finish for refuge searchers and other immigrants was non matched by increased disbursement on the public assistance state.’ [ 8 ] Aim This research seeks to bring out the psychological and socioeconomic effects of institutional favoritism against migrators, and if assimilation will be possible. As noted in the old paragraphs, 83 % of the interviewees were non opposed to holding Blacks as citizens, which implies that those wishing to deny citizenship to ethnically diverse migrators are a little, but important minority. However, this demographic is typically responsible for the prejudiced intervention reported by migrators in the 2006 McGinnity survey. We besides seek to bring out the root causes of such favoritism. A smattering was listed in the old paragraph, and we will analyze how the dictatorship and strong religionism in Ireland influence societal policy. Positions Aside from the sample interviewed, the research will include common racial attitudes in Ireland as portion of the introduction/background to supply context for the participants’ experience. The study will besides mention longitudinal surveies on racial attitudes of Ireland’s indigens, and perceptual experiences of xenophobia from the migrators. Six old ages ago, the Irish authorities published a booklet entitledConstructing an Inclusive Societyas portion of an anti-poverty step. The intent of this was to hold as its chief nonsubjective ensuring that cultural minorities and migrators are non more likely to see poorness than Caucasic citizens. ‘The end of turn toing poorness amongst migrators and cultural minorities implies a new accent on the integrating of immigrants non explicitly stated elsewhere in Irish authorities policy. In consequence, it articulates a concern about future societal stratification within Irish society on the footing of ethnicity.’ [ 9 ] As Ireland had neer had a important population of cultural minorities, the job of a racial hierarchy as seen in South Africa and the United States was neer genuinely an issue. However, since their recent economic enlargement and credence of migratory workers, the authorities needs to take preventive steps to guarantee that one does non evolve—but current in-migration policies discourage migrators from trying to go a portion of Irish society. Methodology The research worker will utilize longitudinal informations compiled on immigrant groups within Ireland to provide much of the background information of the thesis and treatment subdivisions, particularly with regard to the more psychological and wellness facets ( i.e. degrees of depression, anxiousness, emphasis, and morbidity compared to the native Irish ) . In order to garner original informations, the research worker will see sites that specifically cater to migrators in Ireland and ask for them to take part in a research undertaking that is designed to raise consciousness of the challenges common to migrators in Ireland. We can turn up possible interviewees via college campuses by administering flyers to a smattering of universities and community Centres that are known to incorporate important Numberss of migrators. The sample will include immature grownups age 18-40, as the research is chiefly concerned with how institutional favoritism affects the immature. Tentative Bibliography Baumgartl, Bernd and Adrian Favell.New Xenophobia in Europe. Dutch capital: Martinus Nijhoff, 1995 Fahey, Tony A ; Helen Russell.Best of Times? : The Social Impact of the Celtic Tiger. Irish capital: Institute of Public Administration, 2007 Faning, Bryan.Racism and Social Change in the Republic of Ireland. Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2002 Hermann, Peter.Citizenship Revisited: Menaces or Opportunities of Switching Boundaries. New York: Nova Publishers, 2004 McGinnity, Frances et Al. Migrants’ Experience of Racism and Discrimination in Ireland.EUMC. [ Online ] hypertext transfer protocol: //www.esri.ie/UserFiles/publications/20061106142132/BKMNINT193.pdf. The Economic and Social Research Institute, 2006 Peillon, Michel and Mary P. Corcoran.Topographic point and Non-place: The Reconfiguration of Ireland. Irish capital: Institute of Public Administration, 2004 Probationary Dissertation Structure The concluding study will hold a standard thesis construction get downing with a 300 word abstract, which will present the issue, and summarize the methodological analysis and findings of the survey. The first portion of the Introduction will incorporate a brief overview of Ireland’s emigration/immigration tendencies over the past century. The 2nd portion will concentrate on the current harvest of immigrants in Ireland, specifically observing the regional demographics, native civilization, and challenges of version. The background information will supply some information on today’s immature immigrants and include surveies that have statistical markers of psychological and economic markers every bit good as outline some of the grounds they had chosen to travel to Ireland in the first topographic point. The methodological analysis subdivision will discourse the choice standards for the interviewees, the nature of the surveys/interview inquiries, and addresses whether the research would be a qualitative survey or a quantitative analysis. The consequences subdivision will name the findings and/or a statistical analysis of the informations. The treatment subdivision will analyze the findings and possible accounts. The decision will turn to farther deductions and so offer suggestions for farther research in the field. The study will stop with a comprehensive list of mentions. 1

Lessons of Valujet 592 Essay Example

Lessons of Valujet 592 Essay The Lessons of ValuJet 592 1. Identify one or two risks your project is encountering and strategies that might mitigate them †¢Risk 1: Due to time constraints and meeting deadlines, our group may be forced into a position that does not allow us to fully research the most effective means of developing a functional lighting system to prevent future runway incursions. †¢Mitigation: The deadline cannot be pushed back, so we need to collectively get together to ensure we are up-to-date on the current research in this area †¢Risk 2: Another risk we may encounter is â€Å"reinventing the wheel. With all the research and designs that are presently being tested, it will be difficult to create a system unique to those that are currently being investigated. †¢Mitigation: Since we determined our population (airports with ATC towers), we need to focus on research for lighting systems in same/similar airports. Gathering data from a defined sample population should make researc h more condensed. 2. Coordination and process breakdowns are described in the ValuJet article. How might these system vulnerabilities have been discovered and addressed prior to serious incident or failure? What risk management approach might you take if you were responsible for the system? *Paper attached The catastrophic ValuJet 592 plane crash shocked the world. With over 100 people killed, the impact on the airline industry and its customers were far reaching. The investigation unveiled breakdowns in the coordination and the processes involved prior to its final departure. If these system vulnerabilities were discovered and addressed prior to their ultimate epic failure, this incident may have been avoided altogether. Plan risk management, analyzing the potential risks, and ensuring proper documentation are some examples of items that could have implemented prior to this devastating disaster. Theoretically, one can assume the airline industry’s top priority it safety, but that is sadly a false assumption. Cutting costs and providing a cheap means of air transportation seems to be the main concern of airline executives. The adage â€Å"you get what you pay for† seems fittingly appropriate for the ValuJet crash. To reduce expenses, temporary outside orkers did seventy-five percent of the aircraft maintenance, mainly from the company SabreTech. Wageworkers feared losing their jobs, so they performed maintenance on ValuJet 592 on day and night shifts, and sometimes even on the weekends to meet deadlines (Langewiesche, 1998). This led to documentation that inaccurately reflected the work completed on aircraft 592. Due to these time constraints, the work cards were not followed and jobs we re certified as being properly performed and completed by mechanics that were unaware of the actual procedures followed. We will write a custom essay sample on Lessons of Valujet 592 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Lessons of Valujet 592 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Lessons of Valujet 592 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Personally, I worked in aircraft maintenance and witnessed this myself. When performing routine procedures, work cards are not followed exactly, and many times are not even out for reference. The majority of instances this occurs there is no adverse impact on the system or mission. I am confident the mechanics who performed the maintenance on this aircraft felt the same way. Another pitfall was the packaging, labeling, and placement of the cardboard boxes (that were packed full of oxygen generators), which was later discovered to be the fatal flaw that caused the explosive fire on board the flight. Trying to rid of these boxes for an inspection seemed like a decision that would have a positive impact on SabreTech’s reputation, but instead showed the miscommunication and complacency of its workers. In hindsight, it seems simple to prevent mishaps similar to this from happening. Unfortunately, defining procedures and assuming risks are sometimes not as easy to predict. Until events actually occur, it is difficult to determine specific and unique risks associated with any tasks. Although guidelines were in place to define and enforce proper procedures, it ultimately comes down to the person executing the task. However, in this case there are certainly things that could have been done differently. First, during process activities developing a plan for risk management, which defines and documents a strategy, should have been done. Once this was completed, the next step would be to manage the risk profile to determine thresholds and identify both the acceptable and unacceptable risks involved (Haskins et al. , 2010, p 216). The workers should have been trained to understand the risks involved with handling, dismantling, and packaging the oxygen generators. If this was done correctly, the lanyards would not have been removed and the caps that cover the firing pins would have been in place. Mechanics would have understood that surrounding these canisters with consumables, such as the cardboard boxes and tires, is unthinkable and highly hazardous. Another risk management strategy that is important in the ValuJet case study is documentation. The downfall to this is ensuring the documentation is not falsified. Documenting everything is crucial and something that was accomplished, but did not reflect the job performance accurately. By avoiding costs and schedule risks, SabreTech employees increased the technical risks associated with maintenance of the jet and hangar. Similarly, the paperwork insisting ValuJet get â€Å"re-certified† was completed and submitted for evaluation, but no one evaluated it! Documentation is important, but not if it is not accurate and assessed. The crash and burn (or vice-versa) of ValuJet 592 changed the standards and procedures of the airline industry. Sadly, it took the lives of over a hundred people to show the discrepancies in how ValuJet did business. Prior to its final departure, numerous failures in the organization, management, and various systems that were looked over, and in some cases, went completely unnoticed. This incident could have been avoided if proper risk management techniques were followed. A lack of a plan for risk management, the need for an analysis of the possible risks, and falsified documentation played a crucial role in the demise of ValuJet flight 592. In the future, using these techniques can prevent tragic events like this from reoccurring. ? References Haskins, C, Forsberg, K. , Krueger, M. , Walden, D. , Hamelin, R. D. (2010). INCOSE Systems Engineering Handbook, version 3. 2 (Report No. INCOSE-TP-2003-002-03. 2). Retrieved from INCOSE website: SE Handbook 2010-0201 v3. 2 Updated Final 8. 511. pdf Langewiesche, W. (March 1998). The lessons of ValuJet 592. The Atlantic Monthly Online. Retrieved 17 Oct 2010 from http://www. theatlantic. com.

Longevity essays

Longevity essays Almost everyone dreams of living forever. It seems so appealing to be able to live life for a very long time, happily and healthily, and going out and enjoying everything that life has to offer once or twice. A lot of people think that its a gift from God to live a long time. But what happens when you have to watch all of your friends and family and all of those who are dear to you are dying all around you. Then it becomes a curse. Some may argue that everyone close to them can live long with them, but what about their family and friends? Realistically speaking, is everyone on the planet going to be able to get his or her hands on a longevity supplement so that everyone can live forever? Unfortunately, the answer to that is no. Many scientists, researchers, and even authors are trying to learn more about longevity and ways to live longer. Author Ben Bova has a new book, Immortality, which is one of the many recent volumes that explain how science is beginning to discover more about aging and death and how to prolong life. "Biologists are learning what causes aging in the cells of your body," he says. He reminds us that the human body has about 100 trillion cells and when they cease to function and reproduce, we do as well. Biologists have learned that each cell has a biological clock that tells the cell when to stop dividing and reproducing and when to die. In 1961, California's Leonard Hayflick discovered that most cells in our bodies divide and reproduce themselves about 50 times before slowing down and dying. It's called the Hayflick Limit. Hayflick insists that despite science's best efforts, humans will only live to be 120, which is the longest a human being has ever lived. "When you drive your brand new automobile off of the automobile showroom floor, you have a clear understanding of the potential of that automobile to live for a certain number of years before you have to buy a new one. That's longevity determination...

Marketing Strategy TOTAL INTEGRATION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Marketing Strategy TOTAL INTEGRATION - Essay Example Piercy places great emphasis on the brand identity of the company in integrating marketing and communication campaigns. Total integration involves; Today Primark has established itself as one of the competitive retail store chain in UK, Ireland and Spain with a total of 173 retail outlets at strategic locations. Employing more than 25000 people the company has been in value clothing for well over 35 years and has also been voted as 'Best Value High Street Fashion' by GMTV and ITV viewers1. This study is an effort to look into the practical implementation of the theoretical aspects relating to marketing strategies, HR support, marketing communication, brand equity proposition, strategic alliance etc. which have been instrumental in the success of Primark. To evaluate the strategies adopted by Primark, while using various tools like Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT, PEST, Ansoff Matrix etc. an effort would also be made to compare the performance of Primark with some other retail companies like Topshop, Prada, Asda, Tesco etc. and how Primark has been able to beat the competition. One of the key weapons in the armoury of Primar k has been its ability to come out with items at rates cheaper than the rivals. It will be quite interesting to learn how the company has been able to come out with such lower prices. ... and how Primark has been able to beat the competition. One of the key weapons in the armoury of Primark has been its ability to come out with items at rates cheaper than the rivals. It will be quite interesting to learn how the company has been able to come out with such lower prices. Retail business is at the base of running a retail store, trying to earn the loyalty of customers, while at the same time trying to grab attention of newer customers. Piercy (2001) has also pointed out the desires of many company executives some of the issues as prerequisite towards being more customer friendly. The issues pointed out are like; Value of the product or service in achieving a successful strategy in taking on the competition. This is also concerned with customer relationship management. Mele and Colurci (2006) provide distinctive paradigms for value as such. It is stated that the term 'value' can be defined in different ways according to the adopted perspective of analysis; it is possible to determine a 'customer value', a 'firm value' and a 'stakeholder value'. Online presence of the companies to cater to customers spread across a larger area and keeping in mind the convenience of the customer Total integration of company's resources and capabilities to deliver a product which is able to fulfil the needs of customer. Consideration of effective planning, strategizing and creativity as the key to come out with effective performance. From the strategic planning point of view, competitor analysis is very important for any company's long-term survival (Kotler, 1972). The first step towards such an analysis begins by identifying the strengths and

Karen Head and Thomas Friedman on the topic of MOOCs and their ability Essay

Karen Head and Thomas Friedman on the topic of MOOCs and their ability to deliver writing instruction online - Essay Example Usually, participants of a MOOC can be learners who are enrolled at a particular institution or any individual with internet access. Dr. Karen Head, an assistant professor at the School of Literature, Media and Communication in Georgia Institute of Technology, and a New York Times OP-ED Columnist Thomas Friedman seem to agree and disagree on a number of aspects that concern the MOOCs. While the former presents an objective look at the subject, the latter is quite optimistic about the whole idea surrounding the MOOCs. Both authors seem to agree to the fact that MOOCs are a noble idea that can revolutionize the education sector in terms of expanded access and reduced costs. For example, in her article â€Å"Lessons Learned from a Freshman-Composition MOOC†, Head (2013) observes that about 21,934 students enrolled for the freshman composition course. This is quite a huge number of students receiving the course, which would have otherwise been restricted to few tens of students if it was to be offered in a traditional classroom setting. In Inside a MOOC in Progress, Head (2013) observes that with the application of tools such as Google Maps, students can be reached on every continent. Friedman refers to MOOCs as a revolution. In his article Revolution hits the Universities, Friedman (2013) notes that MOOCs have a huge potential in unlocking many more brains in solving the world’s pressing problems. However, the two authors seem to present different views on the effectiveness and practi cability of MOOCs on the ground. First, Dr. Head observes that while many students enroll for the MOOCs, the retention rates are terrible. For example, out of the 21,934 students who had enrolled for the freshman composition course, about 14,771 of them were active in the course, but only 238 students managed to receive a completion certificate, (Head, 2013). Receiving the completion

The History of surgical Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The History of surgical Technology - Essay Example On the other hand, cutting of the stone refers to perineal lithotomy, suprapubic lithotomy, and transurethral lithotomy. Hippocrates laid the foundation for the practice of modern medicine. His work On Injuries of the Head organized medical and surgical knowledge during the fifth century BC with his original observations and served as a significant guide to surgeons for two millennia. Hence, Hippocrates was revered as the â€Å"Father of Medicine†. Another ancient surgeon, Galen, extensively wrote about surgery during the first century BC, particularly in Tumors Against Nature, regarded as his most significant treatise (Wilkins, 1992; Zimmerman & Veith, 1993) Lambert (n. d.) and , however, revealed there were some serious errors in Galen’s works. During the middle ages, barber-surgeons flourished as a barbers were trained to make salves (i. e., medical ointment), dress wounds and bleed, although Wadd (1827) argued that these surgeons pushed themselves forward much into the practice of surgery. In the mid-fourteenth century, some medical schools were given permission to perform dissections of the human body (Lambert, n. d.). Da Vinci (1982) performed both animal and human dissections around the 16th century and made detailed sketches in his famed notebooks. Meanwhile, Andreas Vesalius distinguished himself in the study of human anatomy, dissection, and as professor of anatomy. His masterpeice De Humani Corporis Fabrica disproved and corrected many of Galen’s theories (Rutkow, 2008). Another Renaissance surgeon, acclaimed as the most celebrated of his time as Ambroise Pare. Pare, himself a barber-surgeon, was also regarded as the â€Å"Father of Modern Surgery†, although the 18th century surgeon John Hunter is also being given the accolate. Among his notable achievements were: the invention of surgical instruments such the hemostat clamp; artificial limbs and eyes; and the truss for use in hernia patients (Zimmerman & Veith, 1993; Lamb ert, n. d.; Kelly, 2009). Nineteenth century surgery experienced much welcome improvements with the discovery of anesthetics with the combined efforts of Humphry Davy, Henry H. Morgan, and James Simpson. Cocaine (1884) and novocaine (1905) were also used for their anesthetic properties. Joseph Lister introduced antiseptic surgery. Robert Lawson Tait successfully saved a women suffering from ectopic pregnancy by surgically removing the fallopian tube. The century ended with another significant discovery by Wilhelm Konrad Roentgen, the X-ray (Lambert, n. d.). More strides in surgery were made in the 20th century with the identification of the different blood types; the invention of the pacemaker and laser; and a series of firsts in surgical history: heart transplant, artificial heart heart and lung transplant, eye surgery, reattachment surgery (Lambert, n. d.). The surgical technologist: a newer addition to the surgical team Ryan-Flynn (2009) described surgical technologists as  "health professionals who work in the surgical suite with surgeons, anesthesiologists, registered nurses and other surgical personnel delivering surgical patient care† (p. 352). The scope of work of a surgical technologist spans three areas: preoperative (before surgery), intraoperative (during surgery) and postoperative (after

Encroachment in the North East Region of Nigeria

Encroachment in the North East Region of Nigeria DESERTIFICATION OR DESERT ENCROACHMENT can result from a change in climate or from human action, and it is often difficult to distinguish between the two. This has commonly led to confusion and misconceptions. A temporary or long-continued deterioration of climate may accentuate the harmful consequences of human occupation of the land and vice versa. It has often been suggested that mans activities have resulted in climatic deterioration, but this is difficult to substantiate. In any case it is important to attempt to assess the relative contribution of climate and man in the process of desertification in order to decide on the ameliorative measures that can best be taken and to estimate the likelihood of their success. Deserts are not expanding everywhere in Africa. Irrigation has converted what had been desert into highly productive cropland; afforestation has at least locally reclaimed the waste. However it is widely thought that the Sahara, the Kalahari and other desert and semi-desert regions are expanding. Why should this assumption be made? It has not always been based, I would suggest, on sound evidence. Students of classical writings in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were led to conclude that North Africa had been much more highly productive in Roman times. Many of them were inclined to explain the deterioration in terms of desiccation, though as early as 1828 the Copenhagen botanist Schow showed that it was unlikely that the temperature and rainfall of the region were very different in classical times from his own. Colonial administrators in the early twentieth century, comparing conditions at the tropical desert margins with those described by late nineteenth century explorers and seeing the ruins of ancient imperial capitals in the Western Sudan, also convinced themselves that the rainfall was diminishing Foresters and agriculturalists dismayed by the destructive land use practices of cultivators and graziers, so different from those they knew in north-west Europe, warned the governments of the African colonies of the dangers that threatened. As a result the idea of desert expansion, of an advancing Sahara, became firmly rooted  in the minds of the public at large. At the present day we find popular works on environmental deterioration conveying the same messages. Thus the Ehrlichs write the vast Sahara desert itself is largely man-made, the result of overgrazing, faulty irrigation, deforestation, perhaps combined with a shift in the course of a jet stream. Today the Sahara is advancing southward on a broad front at a rate of several miles per year. The recent dry years and their consequences may seem to substantiate such crude assessments of the situation. The African deserts are not man-made dustbowls; they are to be ascribed primarily to the continents geographical position. Africa lies almost entirely within 30 ° of the equator and a large part of its total area is occupied by dry descending air and receives little rain. Furthermore, the temperatures at low altitudes are generally high throughout most of the year so that water losses from land and water surfaces are high, especially in the tropical regions of low rainfall and relative humidity. The Sahara and the Kalahari are to be explained primarily in these terms. The Namib desert is associated with the cold Benguela current offshore, and in East Africa locally dry and semi-desert areas lie in the lee of highlands which have already drained the moist air masses from the oceans. Nevertheless, there are very extensive marginal areas where land use practices determine whether they shall be productive or unproductive in the long term. A great deal has been learned about African deserts in the last few decades. Aerial and space photography and the work of scientists in a number of fields have greatly extended our ability to appreciate the nature of the desert lands and the processes at work on their margins. We have the long series of publications of UNESCOs Arid Zone Research Symposia; there have been WMO and FAO studies of semi-arid regions; the University of Arizona has published Deserts of the World, an appraisal of research into their physical and biological environments (1968) and Arid Lands in Perspective (1969). The publications of the Pan-African Congresses on Prehistory and the Quaternary, of ASEQUA (Association Senegalaise pour lEtude du Quaternaire de lOuest Africain), and of Dr van Zinderen Bakker in his series on the Palaeoecology of Africa have  brought together the results of the investigations of a host of geologists, geographers,  archaeologists, botanists and other specialists, all of whose w ork has a bearing on the subject we are considering. Soil scientists and hydrologists, foresters and agriculturalists, anthropologists and historians have all made their contributions to our pool of information and we should now be in a much better position to view the whole question of desertification in its true perspective than were our predecessors a generation ago. Let us try to do this, by examining first the question of changing climates, then the nature of human interference, and finally the ways of measuring desert encroachment and the possible means of taking action against it. It has not been found possible to distinguish clearly any simple long term trends or regular periodicities in the climate, though many attempts have been made to do so, and it is necessary to adopt an empirical historical approach to the subject. In tracing what is known of the history of Africas climate it is useful to gain perspective by looking at the changes over the last century against the background of the last several thousand years. As pointed out by R. O. Whyte, we should distinguish major changes in climate, in or out of pluvial lasting thousands of years, from minor changes lasting hundreds of years, and from variations or trends which are experienced for 10 to 50 years.1 Each time-scale has its own biological significance. The shorter period variations are superimposed on the longer period fluctuations, and we must recognize  that as we attempt to penetrate further into the past, so our ability to distinguish minor oscillations diminishes and only the major changes can be detected. The role of man:- Mans role in desert encroachment is a very ancient one. He has known how to make fire since late Acheulian times; for almost 10,000 years he has herded his animak at the desert margins and grown his crops in the more favoured areas. He has established large settlements and cut wood for fuel and buildings over a similar period. Burning of the vegetation is possibly not a very important agency in the process of desertification; grass and trees in vulnerable areas are generally too sparse to burn readily. An exception to this general rule might be woodland alongside watercourses which has probably been largely eliminated in many semi-arid regions of Africa, possibly by fire. Gallery forest is a prominent feature of the savanna lands, and the concentration of what vegetation there is in deserts like the Sahara alongside watercourses is very striking. In the intermediate zones, streamside vegetation is sometimes less evident than one might expect it to be. Burning might possibly be the ex planation. A careful study of ERTS imagery would throw much light on the timing and areal incidence of burning. Heavy grazing by wild animals cannot be entirely ruled out as a cause of desert encroachment in the past. Certainly the eighteenth and early nineteenth century accounts of the enormous herds of antelope at the margins of the Kalahari and in the arid parts of Kenya, for example, suggest that their effect on the vegetation must have been very great. Animal populations increase and decrease in waves and the peak populations may not coincide with the maximum availability of food. However, the balance between available food and the bio-mass is probably better kept by wild animal species with varied food preferences than by man and his livestock. It seems likely that browsing and grazing by wild animals may maintain grassland conditions and that with their replacement by domestic animals woodland made up of thorny species of shrubs and trees may replace the grass. This seems to have occurred notably in the Karoo of southern Africa in recent decades. Bush has moved east and north replacing sweet grass veld, while extensive areas in the west are said to have become virtual desert. The nomads and their herds of cattle, roaming the margins of the Sahara, resemble game animals on Serengeti in adjusting their movements to the availability of water and pasture. However their movements have been increasingly restricted by political frontiers, taxation arrangements, and the occupation of grazing land by agriculturalists. Particularly important in this respect are the dry seasons grazing lands that have been taken over for irrigation. At the margins of the Kalahari, the pastoralists of eastern Botswana live in large villages and take their herds out over the extensive gracing land to the west in the dry season. This seems to be a sensible response to the natural conditions. However, there is always a tendency for the herds to build up in good years and then the numbers are kept high in dry years so that the pastures are eaten out. In recent years the risks of desertification as a result of overgrazing has increased as a result of three factors: The increase in numbers of livestock in many areas, e.g., north-east Nigeria. It would be useful to have more information about this. Doubling of numbers in a decade seems to have occurred in some areas, although livestock numbers are notoriously inaccurate. The increasing proportion of cattle in small herds often belonging to sedentary cultivators and herded by small boys, who cannot wander far, resulting in local overgrazing while other areas with pasture -main ungrazed. The provision of water in certain areas, such as parts of the artesian basin near Lake Chad, resulting in cattle remaining near wells and eating out the grazing round about instead of moving off to the rivers and other areas with dry season water and grass. The risks of serious deterioration are greatest when a succession of good years is followed by a period of long-continued drought. Woodcutting is a serious matter in many areas. Pastoralists are partly to blame. In places like Tibesti they cut foliage to feed their camels and use branches to build enclosures for their goats. However it might be noted that a considerable part of the woody growth in some areas springs from posts that were used for the enclosures and have taken root. Another threat comes from the demand for fuel in towns. The people in the surrounding countryside find the sale of wood to the townpeople a useful supplement to their meager cash incomes. K. J. Mortimore and J. Wilson have estimated that nearly three-quarters of Kano citys firewood consumption of some 75,000 tons per year for its population of 300,000, is brought in by donkeys mainly from within a radius of about 20 km. Although there is a return cargo of manure (over 10 per cent of the total applied to the intensely cultivated fields around the city), this trade represents the felling of thousands of trees every year. As Kano and simi lar towns grow at rates of 5-10 per cent annually, one can expect the woodland around to become very sparse. Alongside roads, at a distance from the larger settlements, wide areas are also being cleared by people who add to their income by making charcoal which is then carried into town by passing lorries. When the woodland has disappeared from such areas only animal dung remains for fuel for local consumption, and all the sylvan produce, honey, fruits and beans, medicaments and so on, are lost. Woodland in agricultural areas, as in the Sudan zone and the Sahel, is particularly important. It provides foodstuff for animals and man; it brings up nutrients from below that are released to the base-poor sandy soils from the decaying leaves and from the substances washed off the leaves; it brakes the speed of the wind, reduces the rate of evaporation at the end of the rains and the risk of soil blowing away towards the end of the dry season, and it provides shade for man and beast. Not least, it has an aesthetic value in improving the appearance of the landscape. Particularly important is the Winterthorn, Acacia albida, which is in leaf during the dry season and yields beans from great woody pods before the rains come. Multiplication of this tree should be  encouraged throughout the Sudan and Sahel. Cultivation in marginal areas during periods of higher than normal rainfall is especially dangerous, and is perhaps the main cause of desertification against which it may be necessary to take preventive action. When dry years follow years of relative plenty, ploughed soil-or soil from which the sparse cover of natural plants has been eliminated by cultivation-is at the mercy of the winds. The fine clays and silts are carried away as dust, and the sand drifts into dunes.The effect is likely to be irreversible except at great cost. Measuring the rate of desert encroachment In 1882 land classified as either desert or wasteland amounted to 9-4 percent of the total land on Earth. In 1952 it had risen to 23-3 percent. I give this quotation not because it is true but because it is meaningless. No definitions are given and it is not dear whether the difference between the figures is the result of the spread of desert conditions or, much more likely, whether definitions of desert and availabi lity of knowledge were different on the two occasions. However, it does bring out the point that it is extremely difficult to measure and state in numerical terms the rate of desert encroachment-though less difficult now than it was in the past. In the past there has been a good deal of reliance on such indicators as the  movement of towns and tribes, and on the chance observations of travelers and the tales they were told. Writing in 1921, F. Migeod noted that the capital of Kanem was shifted to positions successively further south; Bovill brought together additional historical evidence of the encroachment of the Sahara on the Sudan. Both were writing soon after the dry period of the early twentieth century. In 1935 E. T. Stebbing produced a map of West Africa showing the present advance of sand and attempted to estimate its rate of progress. The basis for all such calculations was very flimsy, but figures of 200 km. in 200 years were commonly given. The rainfall gradient from south to north in West Africa is remarkably regular and mean values diminish northwards by about 100 mm. per 100 km. in the Sahelian zone, so that the kinds of changes in the precipitation that are likely to have taken place cannot alone explain suc h a shift. All the writers pointed to the depredations of nomads, firing of forest lands and so on. Similar alarm bells were rung in East and South Africa and in all these areas government commissions were appointed to investigate. They confirmed that rainfall was not progressively decreasing, but agreed that the vegetation cover was deteriorating and in some areas water-tables were falling and rivers drying up. There is an interesting exception to the usual story of Hearing of the vegetation  being followed by a fall in the water-table. It was found in northern Nigeria in the 1950s that in spite of the spread of cultivation and the destruction of woodland in western Bornu, in the preceding 25 years the water-table had risen phenomenally, levels rising in some wells by more than 100 feet and perennial springs breaking out to feed small lakes.84 It was postulated that the destruction of woodland, by reducing the loss by transpiration of water brought up from depth by the tree roots, had increased the volume left to percolate deeply into the pervious sedimentary rocks. Similar reports come from West Australia and East Africa, and it seems that we may not be able to use the height of the water table by itself as a sound indicator of desertification. On the whole we are concerned with the vegetation cover, its completeness or  otherwise, its composition and its productivity. In assessing the rate of change in any or all of these we are faced with the difficulties of very great variability over short distances according to soil, slope, availability of water and, above all, intensity and manner of land use. Quantitative assessments of the plant cover at a particular place and at a particular time can now be made by using suitable sampling and statistical procedures, and extrapolating from the sample areas by using aerial photographs and other methods of remote sensing. It may be possible to monitor changes in the situation from season to season by satellite observations. Changes over a long period of time can now be assessed by comparing air photographs taken at intervals of 25 years in many of the  desert marginal areas. The Trimetrigon photography taken by the US Air Force of much of Africa during the Second World War could b e particularly useful in this respect (consisting of strips of vertical photos with obliques on either side). In some areas, such as Morocco and parts of southern Africa, photographic cover is available spanning an even longer interval of time. Opportunities for comparative studies of this kind do not seem to have been widely exploited and might be encouraged. One of the more interesting attempts to use air photographs to trace the shifting of the edge of the desert  is that of M. Clos-Arceduc who, from a study of the nature of the vegetation patterns in the Sahelian zone known as brousse tigree has come to the conclusion that they indicate a shift south of the vegetation zones through 150 km. in the Niamey region over 2 centuries or less. Combating Desert Encroachment Except for arid areas that yield oil, and the limited irrigated areas near the Nile, Niger, Senegal and Lake Chad, the lands at the margins of African deserts are poor and not likely to be highly productive. There is little to be said in favour of great schemes for climatic amelioration involving, for example, the diversion of great rivers such as the Zambesi and the creation (or reconstitution) of great lakes like those that existed in the humid periods of the Pleistocene. Such lakes would be extremely expensive to make, they would flood land which is now productive, and it is unlikely that they would lead to an increase of rainfall that would yield returns in any way commensurate with the costs involved. It is conceivable that the destruction of rain forest in the Congo basin, for  example, may have reduced the rainfall of areas further from the equator; by how much it is impossible to say. There is no question of afforestation in such a region on a scale sufficient to restore th e situation. In special circumstances cloud-seeding may be found to be rewarding, and it is possible that in the future ways will be found of modifying the general circulation advantageously. I would not regard any of these as being of much concern to us at present. At present, populations in the semi-arid lands of the continent are increasing at rates of about 3 per cent annually, as they are elsewhere in Africa. In the near future, however, it is possible that the rural population, especially the pastoral population, may decline. This has already happened in parts of the Sahara and Libya affected by oil production. There are three trends that are more generally effective. Firstly, young people going to school are becoming literate and have greater expectations than their parents had; secondly, people are consuming more and have the desire to consume more than they did; thirdly, people are congregating more near roads and in large towns. It is just as important to keep track of these changes in the human geography of the desert margins as it is to monitor changes in the vegetation cover and to calculate trends in precipitation. If effective measures are to be taken against desertification, the people involved must be persuaded of the advantages to themselves. Wherever possible measures should be of a positive rather than of a restrictive character. Thus, if it is inevitable that people are going to concentrate in large settlements in sensitive areas, then as well as attempting to regulate the felling of trees for fuel and timber, authorities may be able to cheapen alternative supplies of fuel and construction materials, provide young fruit trees at low cost, and so on. Perhaps the main problems are presented by pastoralists, whose traditional  systems do not fit neatly into the framework of a modern state. Nomadic flexibility is an advantage to people living in fluctuating, marginal environmental conditions, and nomadic mobility allows good use to be made of variable grazing. Settlement of pastoralists is expedient politically and has some economic advantages, but the greater rigidity seems to involve considerable risks of disaster when the drought years come again, as they will. In UNESCOs Use and Conservation of the Biosphere, it is noted that nomadism as a careful pastoral continuum is the least traumatic of human influences and as a form of husbandry utilizes areas which could not be utilized by man in any other way. I think we have yet to find a better alternative.

Drug Abuse in America

? Literatue Review 3 Section 1: Introduction One of the major problem in modern society is the abuise of drugs. Some use illegal â€Å"street† drugs that have no medical use while others abuse prescription drugs for nonmedical purposes. Either way, it is dangerous can lead to serious consquences, including death. In my paper i will answer two main questions; Why and how are drugs available for the general public to use? What are the mental,physical,and financial consquences of abusing drugs(prescprition or â€Å"street†)? My main source for answering these questions was the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website. It is a federal angency that is responsible for enforcing the medical laws established by the justice department. This includes regulating laws regarding pharmacies, physcians, and drugs. Mr. Michael Martin, the manager of Walgreen's Pharmacy was also a credible source as he provided clear explanations if i had any questions. I chose these questions because these are two very important question because they not just impact the abuser but society as well. However, my focus in this paper will be the consquences because they are a serious threat. Section 2: Summary In order to understand the consquences of drug abuse, one must know why drugs are abused. There are many reasons for drugs abuse, â€Å"The reason for taking the drug depends on the type of drug. Often times the main cause is to escape from their problems or from peer pressure. After some time, the reasons change. They become dependent on the drug and they feel sick or cannot function properly without it. † (Martin) Often times the cause for using a drug is because the brain has a sort of reward center. It creates a pleasurable sensation when a certain action occurs. For example, for a stressed employee drinking after work helps him relax. It causes his mind, mainly his central nervous system to slow down and all the worries in the world are gone for the emploee. This provides an instance of pleasure as the brain feels good, it is able to â€Å"relax'. The four type of drugs are â€Å"depressants, stimulants, sedatives, and hallucionogens† (Martin). Depressants such as alcohol and sleeping pills make a person feel more relaxed. Stimulants like Ecstacy, amphetamines, nicotine and caffeine keep a person energetic and awake. However, once the effects are over, hunger and tiredness will set in. Sedatives such as heroine, morphine and codeine offer relief from pain but cause sleepiness. Hallucinogens, for instance, Ecstacy and LSD, may give strange sensations, causing some to see, feel or hear things that are not there. Each drug provides a relative pleasurable sensation for the user. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) nearly 35 million individuals used illicit drugs or abused prescription drugs in 2007. The federal government â€Å"has allocated more than $14 billion dollars for drug treatment and prevention, counterdrug law enforcement, drug interdiction, and international counterdrug assistance† (NDIC). As stated earlier there are illict â€Å"street† drugs and then there are prescription drugs, both with the potential to be abused. The first focus will be the origin of illict, or â€Å"street† drugs. Drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) are the main cause for the production and trafficking of â€Å"street† drugs. â€Å"Mexican and Columbian DTOs generate, remove, and launder between $18 to $39 billion in wholesale drug proceeds annually. Mexican DTOs are the greatest threat to the United States. Mexcian DTOs are responsible for a â€Å"majority of the cocaine available in the U. S. market† (NDIC). DTOs are responsible for the production of drugs and for trafficking it into U. S. cities. Urban gangs are involved in the sales of these drugs, â€Å"aided by their connections with Mexican and Asian DTOs. Currently Mexcian DTOs continue to â€Å"establish new markets for mexican heroin in northeastern states while gangs relocate from inner cities to suburban and rural areas. However, a threat bigger than the illict â€Å"street† drug problem is the abuse of prescription drugs. Nearly 7 million Americans abuse prescription drugs-more than the number who abuse cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, ecstasy, and inhalants combined† (DEA). According to the DEA, prescription pain relievers are new drug users' drug of choice vs. marijuana or cocaine. Unlike illicit drugs, prescription drugs are not synthesized by DTOs in some lab. Prescription drugs are obtained through decieving various medical professionals, theft, or from the internet. Decieving medical professionals is a technique known as â€Å"doctor shopping†. This involves a patient going to a doctor for a prescription drug. Then the same patient will go to a different doctor, reveal the same symptons without acknowledging the previous doctor visit, and get another prescription for the same drug. Then the patient will go to more doctors and repeat the steps. In the end, the patient will have numerous prescriptions for the same drug each from a different doctor. The patient will have each prescription filled, most likely at various pharmacies and will have a high quantity of one drug. Now the patient may use the drug or maybe even sell the drug to others who will also misuse it. Some other method of obtaining prescrition include theft from pharmacies or homes, and from traditional drug dealing. Another relatively new method obtaining prescription drugs is through cyber pharmacies. There are many illegal internet pharmacies, that take a prescription, fake or real, and fill it for a patient without any knowledge of the patient or anything else. These pharmacies may also â€Å"check† patients, write them a prescription, and then fill it for them, all without a single face to face with the patient. The consquences of using these illicit drugs is very serious. According to the DEA, nearly one in ten high school seniors admit to abusing prescription painkillers. â€Å"A shocking 40% of teens and adults think prescription drug abuse is safer than abusing â€Å"street† drug because prescription drugs have a medical purpose. â€Å"The diversion of prescription drugs cost insurance companies up to $72. 5 billion dollars annually† (NDIC). Almost $48 billion dollars of the $72. 5 billion are paid by public, governement funded insurance companies. The threat level of drug abuse depends on the dosage of the drug. For example, Dextromethorphan (street name: DXM, Skittles, Robo) is â€Å"an over the counter cough suppresent commonly found in cold medications. DXM is abused in higher than recommended dosages, mainly by adolescents, to create visual and auditory hallucinations. The recommended dosage of DXm is 15-30mg. Taking a dosage of 100-200mg results in mild stimulation, whereas taking a 200-400mg dosage results in euphoria and hallucinations. A 300-600 dosgae results in distorted visual perceptions and loss of motor cordinations. A 500-1500 dosgae may result in dissociative sedation. Any higher dosage will lead to death. As indicated above, the dosage of the abused drug affect the consquences. The higher the dosage than recommended, the more dangerous and serious the consquences. The most abused substance is hydrocodone, which is a depressant. It is a pain reliever that calms the body. â€Å"There are many indications of drug abuse. The symptons witnessed depend on the type of drug being abused† (MayoClinic). Depression and low blood pressure are indicaters of opioid painkillers abuse; drowsiness and impaired judgement indicate sedatives abuse. Stimulants abuse is indicated by insomnia and irregular heartbeat. Section 3: Analysis The research was very helpful in providing answers for the questions. I learned that there are many ways to obtain illict â€Å"street† drugs and prescription drugs. The street drugs are produced by DTOs and even trafficked by DTOs. However, they are sold by local gangs in various environements, mainly in inner cities. I learned that prescription drugs are obtained through decieving and fradulant online transactions. The most suprising fact was that drug abuse has a big affect on society. The cost for counterdrug enforcement and diversion of drugs is very costly and the money could be diverted to something more useful. The research has thought me alot about drug abuse and why avoiding it is the best option. It was helpful to learn these facts and learning the dangers of falling into the viscious drug abuse cycle. Works Cited â€Å"DEA Briefs & Background, Drugs and Drug Abuse, Prescription Drug Fact Sheet. † PE Html PUBLIC â€Å"-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1. 0 Transitional//EN† â€Å"http://www. w3. org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional. dtdhttp://www. w3. org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional. dtd † Welcome to the United States Department of Justice. Drug Enforcement Administration. Web. 13 Mar. 2010. .

Proctor and Gamble Success, Failures, Key Players and Projected Outcomes Essay

Answer 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Just like any other ordinary multinational company in the market, Proctor & Gamble has been able to use innovation as one of their tools in order to achieve market competitiveness. By knowing the tastes and preferences of their target market, Proctor & Gamble has been utilizing every single opportunity available to improve their market sales and profitability. At the end of the day, the entire company will benefit from the innovative actions of the management of Proctor & Gamble. Through the aid of advanced technology available in the production line, Proctor & Gamble was able to produce Tide, Crest, Pampers etc in a more efficient manner (Bruner, 2001). The eagerness of the members of the top management to pursue innovative processes in the operational line of the company will be later on become part of the core traits of the entire organization, thus, boosting employees morale, efficiency and productivity. With this success of Proctor & Gamble in penetrating their target market through the aid of innovation, there would be no doubt that this company will eventually enjoy impressive growth for the next coming periods. In order to prepare the company from the said growth, Proctor & Gamble increased the volume of their fiscal budget and sales making the shares to the company to rise (Businessweek.com, 2001). This increase in the shares of stocks of Proctor & Gamble means that investors wanted to invest or invest more on the stocks of the latter. On the other hand, one failure that could be considered on the part of the management of the said company would be the resignation of their CEO, Durk Jager, in 2000 as well as the failing profitability of the company during the fourth quarter of the same year (Businessweek.com, 2000). Durk Jager made a lot of contributions in P&G for he is the one who made initial steps in innovating the products and production line of the company as well as credited for his successful marketing strategies that made P&G become one of the leading multinational companies in the country. Profitability on the fourth quarter during that time was the consequence of the tight market competition that exists in the industry. Answer 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the factors that made a major impact on the company’s success and failures would be their leaders or the top level management. These members of the top management team of P&G serves to be the â€Å"asset† of the entire organization for the former exhibit impressive skills and talents in handling the operation of the company as well as in predicting the behavior of their target market to gain comparative advantage over their competitors. With these superb managerial skills of the top managers of P&G, the said company was able to overcome their obstacles such as the declining profitability during the late period of 2000. Furthermore, another factor that can be raised here is the various economic factors such as competition, stability of the finance sector of the company and the economic stability of the country in terms of trading with other countries since it affects the international operation of P&G. Like for instance, the rapid fluctuation of exchange rates in the financial market could threaten the return on investment of the foreign investors in the country causing major draw back in the condition of the stocks of multinational firms such as P&G. It is also included here in the list of economic factors that affects the success and failure of the P&G would be the labor market. Proctor & Gamble employs around 130,000 workers in United States alone and any distortion in the labor market, like increase in the wage rate of the workers, could affect the performance of the company in terms of financial stability and production continuity. Answer 3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the resignation of Jager in 2000, another persona was born in order to assume the position of CEO in Proctor & Gamble and he is none other than A.G. Lafley. Lafley used to run a U.S. Navy retail store before he assumed the position of CEO in P&G (Martin, 2008). In order to boost the profitability of P&G which was negatively affected by tight market competition, Lafley decided to know more regarding the behavior of the consumers to anticipate their current needs and preferences which Jager seems to overlook when he was in the position of the CEO. From knowing more on the consumption behavior of their target market plus the innovation of their products, Lafley was able to regain the lost profits of the company as well as the sales and market shares in the industry. In short, the problem regarding the lowering down of P&G’s profit boils down to the saturation of consumers on the old reliable products of the company. What the consumers want to see, as Lafley discovered, is the innovation on the product line of the company, what is new and what the improvements are. Lafley was able to answer these questions and execute the necessary actions to remedy the failing market status of P&G. True enough, P&G now ranked on the 10th place of the worlds top multinational companies in terms of profitability and this is a manifestation of the good leadership and at the same time critical thinking of Lafley regarding the finding of ways to suffice the needs and preferences of their target consumers. References Bruner, G. F. (2001). The Tao of Innovation. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=66774845&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientid=11123&RQT=309&VName=PQD Businessweek.com (2001). Lehman Upgrades Proctor & Gamble. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/dec2001/pi20011212_0523.htm?chan=search Businessweek.com (2000). Why the Tide Turned Against P&G. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/eemi/emi0609b.html?chan=search Martin, R. L. (2008). P&G: Using the Past to Invent the Future. Retrieved January 30, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jan2008/id20080122_229434.htm?chan=search   

mass customization essays

mass customization essays Customization means manufacturing a product or delivering a service in response to a particular customers needs, and mass customization means doing it in a cost- effective way. The concept can be customized either very broadly as a business strategy for profitably providing customers with anything they want, anytime, anywhere, in any way; or narrowly as the use of flexible processes and organizational structures to produce varied and often individually customized products and services at the price of standardized mass produced alternatives (1). The concept of a mass customization strategy in today's business environment has great appeal especially as the driving force in the marketplace is the customer. Increasingly, customers expect delivery of high-quality, customized products and services at affordable prices. Which means that firms must be competent to quickly respond to changing customer desires, keep pace with innovation and at the same time operate at a low cost to make the products or services affordable. It calls for a customer-centered orientation in production and delivery processes requiring the company to gather information about every customer and collaborate with each individual to design the desired product or service. Achieving this customer focus can be quite a massive undertaking since firms may require new organizational structures, values, management roles and systems, learning methods and ways of relating to customers. It may require company wide technology that uses specifically computerized programs that synchronize the supply chain, allowing manufacturers to input supplier information, raw material availability, engineers' CAD drawings, production schedules, costs and distribution data, which will enhance communication between salespeople, customers, suppliers, distributors, engineers and the factory floor (2). The cost of such a technology driven system is not only expensive but can be difficult to...