The Achievement of Desire

Growing up is something inevitable to all cultures and people. We have all gone through that time in our lives when we move on from being a child and become an adult. However, in the reality that education is the fact that starts this transition, Richard Rodriguez brilliantly focuses on the realization that education itself gives us the â€Å"ways of speaking and caring† about this transition. In the essay â€Å"The Achievement of Desire†, Rodriguez explains how his own life can be seen as his achievement for the desire to be the â€Å"scholarship boy†. Throughout his early years, Rodriguez defines himself as a good â€Å"imitator† â€Å"anxious and eager to learn†(546). He would constantly take in what his teachers taught him and then take these new ideas back to his family. This kind of â€Å"scholarship boy† to Rodriguez could be described as a model student who simply brings up the information obtained through his teachers yet doesn't develop his own idea. Rodriguez himself became, from an early age, that model student, superior to the rest of his peers. However, he also notes that being this kind of person, also meant he didn't express anything other than the thoughts provided by his teachers and books. Nevertheless, Rodriguez goes deeper into his â€Å"scholarship boy† situation and questions the motivations behind his actions, in other words, he questions his ability to originate ideas. What he realizes in third grade is that his education was actually changing him and separating him from the life he once had and loved. This realization was very important for Rodriguez because it meant that there would come a time when a choice would have to be made. A choice between keeping the ways of education in his home life, or choosing to abandon his home life and start his journey to a successful, independent, educational life. A choice between allowing his parents, who he loved more than anything, teach him or allowing his teachers to teach him more completely. It is at this point in Rodriguez’s life that he sees the education system as a kind of permanent examination and chooses to follow his own ways of learning and goals. In essence, he ends up developing the â€Å"ways of caring† about this transition. Rodriguez admits that all of us, one time or another must go through this kind of transition and separation from our past. However, he rejects any belief that education and the home culture can actually exist together. He describes these two ‘worlds' as extremes throughout his life growing up. The choice between these two worlds, these two extremes, is not a mysterious one, but it is an obvious one according to Rodriguez. To the scholarship boy, both the choice and the sacrifice it requires are obvious, and it is that decision which gives the person the â€Å"ways of speaking and caring† about the decision that is made. The scholarship boy fully understands the decision at the moment of making it, and so engages in a way that will allow him to reflect about it in the future. Nonetheless, Rodriguez also argues that most people are not as changed by education as he was. Rodriguez himself was a very special case. Having been born and raised by his uneducated parents, his culture and education allowed him to exceed the academic level of his parents. This environment was especially hard for him in his high school years, as he was embarrassed of his parents because they were not like his teachers. Over the years his parents lost their authority to him. This made him look for something else, whether that was knowledge given by his teachers or their authority towards him. For Rodriguez, he could not afford to admire his parents. As he moved from fourth grade up, he slowly developed the skills to hide the secret of his success. What he was actually doing was hiding his enthusiasm about his separation from his parents and his home life. In doing so, he found the tools required to both care and speak about the changes he knew were taking place with him. Eventually Rodriguez does get to the top of his education when he graduates high school and is accepted into Stanford University. Everything he had worked so hard for was finally worth it, as he could enter the real world of academics. Pleased with the idea of entering this new world, Rodriguez found that the academics community was lacking something. This is evident after his return home and not being able to connect with his family anymore, he also comes to the realization that he has been removed from the everyday life of his family and friends. In his sacrifice to become formed by education, he has in effect been changed deeply, so deeply that its not possible to connect with that past life. As he grew up and experienced changes of such importance in his life, Rodriguez learned and developed a number of scholarly abilities that provided him the â€Å"ways of speaking, reading, and caring† about his own life. He developed a professionalism in language as in a way to separate himself from his parents. Not only that, he also developed an incontrollable hunger of knowledge whether it was from books or teachers, which allowed him to study those who were like him or had ideas like him. For example, his article turned around proving wrong Hoggart’s idea of what a â€Å"scholarship boy† really was in the inside. In fact, his article proved that scholarship boys were not those who absorbed information and repeat it afterwards, but those that could use that information and education to form original thoughts and opinions as well. He demonstrated that â€Å"ways of reading and caring† were valued in the academic community. He explained his desire of becoming a teacher as for the knowledge and the â€Å"desire for knowledge† that he had. Rodriguez shows a desire for something, a desire to understand ideas. He explains this by saying that what he â€Å"withheld from his mother and father of what mattered the most: the extraordinary experience of first-learning†. This kind of desire to achieve the ways of reading, speaking, and caring about academics and life in general is why he had â€Å"always been a successful student†. Lastly, Rodriguez’s view on the definition of education and what it meant to be a â€Å"scholarship boy† in this article made him an independent thinker, which is what Rodriguez desired most, to have his own opinions and thoughts. He finally had changed from being a simple â€Å"scholarship boy† to become a real independent thinker. Everything in his life, his family, his teachers, his schooling, his books, and himself led him to discover the true â€Å"achievement of desire†.

Poverty in the Philippines Essay

This article needs more links to other articles to help integrate it into the encyclopedia. Please help improve this article by adding links that are relevant to the context within the existing text. (April 2013) This article’s factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2012) The estimates of poverty incidence in the Philippines per province as of 2012. The national average is 22.3%, virtually unchanged from 2006’s 23.4%. Poverty remains a critical social problem that needs to be addressed. Philippines’ poverty line marks a per capita income of 16,841 pesos a year.[1] According to the data from the National Statistical Coordination Board, more than one-quarter (27.9%) of the population fell below the poverty line the first semester of 2012, an approximate 1 per cent increase since 2009.[2] This figure is a much lower figure as compared to the 33.1% in 1991.[3] The decline in poverty has been slow and uneven, much slower than neighboring countries who experienced broadly similar numbers in the 1980s,[4] such as People’s Republic of China (PRC), Thailand, Indonesia (where the poverty level lies at 8.5%) or Vietnam (13.5%). This shows that the incidence of poverty has remained significantly high as compared to other countries for almost a decade. The unevenness of the decline has been attributed to a large range of income brackets across regions and sectors, and unmanaged population growth. The Philippines poverty rate is roughly the same level as Haiti.[4] The government planned to eradicate poverty as stated in the Philippines Development Plan 2011-2016 (PDP). The PDP for those six years are an annual economic growth of 7-8% and the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Under the MDGs, Philippines  committed itself to having extreme poverty from a 33.1% in 1991 to 16.6% by 2015. This article’s factual accuracy may be compromised due to out-of-date information. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2012) Rapid population growth[edit] Given that the population of the Philippines is increasing at a rapid rate of 2.36% per year, this can be translated as an increase of more than 5,000 people daily in a country that already has an increase of more than four million poor people since 1985.[5] In 1985, the absolute number of people living in poverty was 26.5 million. This increased to 30.4 million in 2000 and from 2006 to 2009, increased by almost 970,000 Filipinos from 22.2 million to 23.1 million.[4] As the Philippines has financially limited resources and a high poverty rate, the rapid increase in population has become a problem because there is insufficient resources to support the population, which leaves much fewer resources to improve the economy. From 2003 to 2006, even though the Philippines experienced above-average economic growth, the poverty incidence increased as a result of its population growth rate.[6] Unemployment[edit] Poverty reduction has not kept up with GDP growth rates, largely due to the high unemployment rate, high inflation rate and wide income inequality. The official rate of unemployment for 2012 in the Philippines was 6.8 per cent.[7] This was an increase of joblessness even though in 2012, the GDP grew at 6.6 percent. From 2000 to 2009, the economy of Philippines grew by 3.2% on average annually, which was on par with the economic performance of  its neighbors.[8] However, this recent growth did not translate into more jobs. Unemployment in the Philippines has been high in comparison to its neighbors, at around 7.5% to 8.0% since 2006.[9] The Philippines has faced difficulty in job creation due to its inability to attract more foreign, direct investments. Diwa Guinigundo, who is the Central Bank Deputy Governor, mentioned that while capital flows are turning to the emerging markets,[10] foreign, direct investments to the Philippines remain relatively low due to the weak investment climate. The Philippines has hefty business procedures, poor tax and customs administration, weak protection against expropriation and high-energy cost. Therefore, the poverty rate remains constant over the years. ≠¥ REFERENCE: WIKIPEDIA Philippines: A Strategy to Fight Poverty Poverty Profile The Philippines has achieved only modest reductions in poverty at a national level since the economic and political collapse of the mid-1980s. In addition, severe regional disparities remain. The proportion of households living below the official poverty line has declined slowly and unevenly from 59 percent in 1961 to below 39 percent in 1991 and around 36 percent in 1994. Urban poverty stood at around 23 percent in 1991 and rural poverty at 53 percent (by World Bank staff calculations). Food poverty (or those living below subsistence) was around 20 percent of households in 1991, but 32 percent of rural households while only 12 percent of urban households. Two-thirds of the poor are engaged in the agriculture, fishery, and forestry sectors and have an elementary school education or less. However, the depth of poverty is relatively small (with the poverty gap index only 17 percent in 1991, having fallen by 40 percent since 1961), and income disparities among the poor have declined noticeably. Since 1971, the urban poor have become a rising share of the total poor population, but still two-thirds of the poor live in rural areas. The depth of poverty is nearly 2 1/2 times larger in rural areas than in urban areas. The urban poor are concentrated in Luzon, while the rural poor live predominantly in Mindanao and the Visayas. Poor households in the  Philippines tend to combine into extended families to conserve household assets. Thus, larger households are observed as having greater poverty than smaller households: households of 8 or more members represent nearly a third of all the poor. The incidence and severity of poverty is significantly lower among elderly and female headed households in the Philippines, in striking contrast to the evidence from other developing countries, again because these households tend to be absorbed into others. It also reflects women’s strong position in the labor market in terms of relative pay and attachment compared with many other Asian countries and even relative to many OECD countries. Incentive and Regulatory Framework Philippine performance on poverty reduction has been disappointing compared with the rest of East Asia, but the Philippines has not been able to sustain growth long enough to reduce its incidence of poverty to the levels attained by its neighbors. GDP growth averaged only 1.1 percent per annum in the 1980s. Further, the pattern of growth in the past tended to accentuate rather than reduce income disparities. Slow growth of higher productivity sectors resulted in absorption of labor in low productivity employment in the 1970s and 1980s. The industrial sector shrank over this period, and agricultural growth slowed dramatically. More importantly, poverty declines were modest even when the economy was growing rapidly in the 1960s and 1970s because of the distorted structure of the economy. Policies discriminated against labor, subsidized capital-intensive methods of production, and gave low priority to agriculture and exports. This resulted in growth that was narrowly based and inequitable, trapping many people in marginal, low paying occupations such as upland agriculture, rural wage labor, and informal employment in cities. Infrastructure was highly concentrated in Metro Manila. Government interventions, especially in the 1970s and early 1980s, tended to diminish the role of market mechanisms in favor of regulation by parastatals and promoted oligopolisitic control in important sectors of the economy. This inward-looking strategy was inherently unstable, and so the economy lurched from balance of payments crisis to crisis. In the wake of across-the board structural reforms of the financial sector, agricultural pricing and marketing, the tax system, the foreign trade and investment regimes, and government corporations, the experience of the Philippines in  the late 1980s showed that accelerated growth in a more liberalized economy has a positive impact on incomes of the poor and that poverty declines during periods of rapid growth. Between 1985 and 1988, when GDP growth averaged 4.8 percent, the poverty headcount fell by 1.3 percentage points each year, an achievement equivalent to Thailand’s long-term rate of poverty reduction. Analysis of the economic growth of 1985 to 1988 concludes that deregulation in agriculture and greater control over inflation were likely the key factors that improved the lot of the poor. Labor market performance has also shown signs of improvement. Public Expenditures Public expenditures on education in 1994 were less than 3 percent of GDP compared with 4 percent in Indonesia or 7 percent in Malaysia, despite inching upwards since the late 1980s, after over almost two decades of limited investment through the 1970s and early 1980s. Public primary education remains relatively under-financed, and funding is based on pupil headcount without any compensatory mechanisms to assist the most â€Å"at-risk† areas, schools, or ethnic groups. Thus, in the Philippines, poor youth are much more likely to drop out of school or get a poor quality education. The Philippines spends comparatively less of its resources on health than several other East Asian nations, both publicly and privately (spending 0.6 percent on GDP on health publicly and 2.4 percent of GDP on health overall). In addition, public health gains are not as great as they should be because of the poor distribution of health facilities and personnel over the country. The poor would benefit from more emphasis on primary care and the reduction of environmental risk factors (which induce disease disproportionately among the poor). In many cases, the improvement of other infrastructure such as rural roads will allow existing health facilities to be used more intensively. As a result of the fiscal decentralization enacted in 1991, most traditional poverty alleviation programs except education have become the responsibility of local governments, limiting the ability of the central authorities to implement programs of national priority. At the same time, the current revenue sharing arrangements with local governments (set by a legal formula) do not redistribute resources towards poorer provinces. Also, by devolving functions and whole institutions to local government, expertise and efficiency in many areas has been (at least temporarily) lost  and likely is weakest in poorer provinces. The variation in capacity and resources calls for continued attention by central authorities–for technical assistance, capacity building, and incentives to raise revenues locally. Safety Net The Philippine Government has implemented a number of safety net programs, ranging from cash and in-kind income transfers (such as food subsidies and nutrition interventions) to wage employment programs and livelihood creation programs. In response to natural disasters, the National Food Authority distributes assistance to affected areas in the form of subsidized rice. In addition, the private sector, NGOs, and foreign donors have been actively assisting in the planning, financing and execution of many of these programs. However, the government’s set of programs do not constitute an efficient and equitable social safety net: (i) they are fragmented and not a consistent or adequate response to the problem; (ii) they have generally failed to mobilize communities to help themselves; and (iii) recent changes of institutions and strategies are creating problems of transition that tend to obscure priorities in the government’s delivery of social services or make additional de mands on an ill-equipped bureaucracy and cadre of field workers. Poverty Strategy Policymakers must not waver in keeping the economy outward-oriented and geared towards competition, because an East Asian-style economy is far more likely to be able to sustain the rapid and smooth rate of growth that is fundamental to improving the welfare of the poor. To reach the government’s target of reducing the number of families living below the poverty line from 39 percent in 1991 (by official measures) to 30 percent by 1998, it is estimated that GNP will need to grow by about 6.5 percent annually for 1996 to 1998. Many of the urban poor will be helped directly by growth, as employment opportunities respond to increased demand. Even a good number of the rural poor will find their incomes rising, as demand for agriculture-based products, especially exports, expands. However, significant reduction of rural poverty will require improvements in health and education and infrastructure (especially roads, markets, and agricultural extension). Access to the means of production by the rural poor  is crucial. It is time to revisit how to accomplish the goals of rural land reform so that the intended beneficiaries–the poorest of farmers and landless agricultural workers–can benefit. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, which has accomplished a number of its original goals, is getting too expensive and complicated. Tenancy should be allowed once again, as a useful interim state between landless labor and owner-cultivator status. A market-assisted land reform program should be studied to explore options for reducing costs. Investments with the greatest impact on the poor, e.g., rural infrastructure, should be a priority for use of scarce public funds In urban areas, the scarcity of affordable housing (a problem aggravated by skyrocketing land prices) and threats to environmental health must be addressed. It is now urban, rather than rural, land reform that should be a priority for government action. Tax and regulations on land ownership and development need to be revised. A commission should consider options to balance the rights of dwellers in irregular settlements with the legal owners of urban properties. Water and sanitation services must be extended to poor urban areas. The government should hesitate to spend more money on housing since little of it helps the truly poor. Investment in human capital must be increased by improving the quantity and the quality of primary education and access to primary education in rural areas. Primary health services must be strengthened, especially immunization and prevention of water-borne and respiratory diseases. The social safety net must be consolidated and targeted. General food price subsidies should be stopped, in favor of targeted income subsidies or food stamps and supplementary feeding programs. The National Government should redirect resources formerly used for government livelihood programs towards creating an enabling environment for private institutions to provide credit to the poor successfully. To foster the growth of a healthy microfinance sector, government financial institutions should focus on wholesale lending, ensuring adequate capital is available to reach the poor. Statistical System The key survey for poverty data in the Philippines is the Family Income and Expenditure Survey, conducted every three years. The survey questionnaire is of standard form, more or less comparable to an LSMS format. An important limitation on the relevance of these data for policy purposes has been the  long delays for processing, e.g., the 1991 results became available only in early 1995. Also, the household survey sample is not large enough to allow provincial indicators to be calculated for the smaller provinces. This basic dataset is not integrated with the social sector and other data (surveys on health, demographics., labor force and occasional censuses of population and housing) or with government expenditure information. Monitoring of poverty and the relative performance of the provinces and cities is an important continuing role for the National Government, even after fiscal decentralization. The report recommends that the government expand the household survey and integrate and improve existing statistics and program information so as to provide crucial assistance to the provinces in setting priorities and in raising awareness down to the community level of how well the government is meeting the minimum basic needs of the people. The World Bank has provided technical assistance and grant funding for training and equipment for the government agencies involved (as well as generating interest by other donors) and will continue to do so. http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTPOVERTY/EXTPA/0,,contentMDK:20204974~menuPK:435735~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:430367~isCURL:Y~isCURL:Y,00.html Poverty in the Philippines: Causes, Constraints and Opportunities Description New ADB Report: â€Å"Taking the Right Road to Inclusive Growth† Poverty and inequality in the Philippines remains a challenge. In the past four decades, the proportion of households living below the official poverty line has declined slowly and unevenly and poverty reduction has been much slower than in neighboring countries such as the People’s Republic of China, Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Economic growth has gone through boom and bust cycles, and recent episodes of moderate economic expansion have had limited impact on the poor. Great inequality across income brackets, regions, and sectors, as well as unmanaged population growth, are considered some of the key factors constraining poverty reduction efforts. Causes of Poverty The main causes of poverty in the country include the following: low to moderate economic growth for the past 40 years; low growth elasticity of poverty reduction; weakness in employment generation and the quality of jobs generated; failure to fully develop the agriculture sector; high inflation during crisis periods; high levels of population growth; high and persistent levels of inequality (incomes and assets), which dampen the positive impacts of economic expansion; and recurrent shocks and exposure to risks such as economic crisis, conflicts, natural disasters,and â€Å"environmental poverty.† Key Findings The report’s key findings include the following: Economic growth did not translate into poverty reduction in recent years; Poverty levels vary greatly by regions; Poverty remains a mainly rural phenomenon though urban poverty is on the rise; Poverty levels are strongly linked to educational attainment; The poor have large families, with six or more members; Many Filipino households remain vulnerable to shocks and risks; Governance and institutional constraints remain in the poverty response; There is weak local government capacity for implementing poverty reduction programs; Deficient targeting in various poverty programs; There are serious resource gaps for poverty reduction and the attainment of the MDGs by 2015; Multidimensional responses to poverty reduction are needed; and Further research on chronic poverty is needed. The report comprehensively analyzes the causes of poverty and recommends ways to accelerate poverty reduction and achieve more inclusive growth. In the immediate and short term there is a need to enhance government’s poverty reduction strategy and involve key sectors for a collective and coordinated response to the problem. In the medium and long term the government should continue to pursue key economic reforms for sustained and inclusive growth. Oct2013 Poorest Country in the World: Democratic Republic of Congo You might be surprised to find that the United States isn’t the richest country in the world. Actually, that crown goes to Qatar who has recently jumped ranks to take first place. But what about the other side of the spectrum, the parts of the world struggling with devastating poverty? Well, on that end the Democratic Republic of Congo comes in first – or last, to be more accurate – with the lowest GDP per capita than any other country. Determining a country’s rank in wealth isn’t the easiest of tasks when you sit down and think about the data and economics involved. However, a good indicator of a nation’s standard of living is the assessment of its GDP (gross domestic product) per capita, which is defined as the total value of all domestic goods and services that country produces annually, times its PPP or purchasing power parity. GDP per capita (PPP) isn’t a perfect shot because its purpose isn’t to calculate that kind of econ omic rank but it’s measured frequently, widely and consistently, allowing trends to become visible. In 2010, GNI (gross national income) per capita replaced GDP in the calculation, but the list is the same between the two. Qatar was still first with about $100,000 GDP per capita (PPP) in 2012 just as it was on the GNI list and the Democratic Republic of Congo came in last at around $370 GDP per capita (PPP). The gap is massive. Of the 40 poorest countries in the world, a solid 33 are in Sub-Saharan Africa. They include Zimbabwe, Burundi, Liberia, and Niger. Other parts of the world notoriously infamous for high poverty rates include Afghanistan, Haiti, and Nepal. But none of these places takes it quite as harshly as the Democratic Republic of Congo (not to be confused with the Republic of Congo) whose turbulent past and bloody wars have eclipsed the nation’s potential to thrive. Since its independence in 1960 and once the most industrialized country in Africa, Congo has bled onto the ground because of its lack of infrastructure and the brutal impact of civil war. Disputes between Congo’s prominent rival groups, the Hutu and Tutsi, erupted after the Rwandan Genocide in which 500,000 people, mostly Tutsi, were victims of mass slaughter by the Hulus in the East African state of Rwanda. The result was an exodus of over 2 million Rwandans fleeing to neighboring countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo, known in that  time as Zaire. Most of the refugees were Hulus attempting to escape the Tutsi who had climbed to dominance at the end of the genocide. The Hulu refugee camps in Zaire, however, became politicized and militarized and when Tutsi rebels invaded Zaire to repatriate the refugees, the conflict escalated into the First Congo War in 1996. The situation only grew worse and by 1998, the Second Congo War, which was sometimes called the â€Å"African world war† because it involved a total of nine African countries and twenty armed groups, devastated Zaire and laid waste to her population and economy. The political turmoil continues today despite intervention and peace attempts and is one of the world’s deadliest conflicts with a death toll of 5.4 million people. More than almost 90 percent of the conflict’s victims, however, died due a lack of access to shelter, water, food and medicine – all severely aggravated by displaced and overcrowded populations living in unsanitary conditions. Not to mention, 47 percent of deaths were children under 5 and some 45,000 children continue to die each month. The nation also faces the problem of human rights and the countless crimes against humanity because while many have returned home, an estimated 1.5 million are still displaced. DR Congo is also infamous and heavily criticized for its treatment of women. The east of the country has been described as the â€Å"rape capital of the world† and rates of sexual violence has been described as the worst in the world. It doesn’t help that DR Congo is consistently poisoned by corruption and greed. While mining growth has somewhat boosted the country’s economy, the elite are said to syphon off revenue for their own personal gain due to the nation’s lack of strong central government. Conflicts over basic resources, access and control over rich minerals and oil, and political agendas are some of the many complex causes behind the Democratic Republic of Congo’s inability to rise among the ranks and take the title of the poorest country in the world.

Jesus, Son of God Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Jesus, Son of God - Research Paper Example He is also believed to have risen from the dead three days after being crucified. In the course of his life, Jesus is said to have performed many miracles. The nature of Jesus has however been severally questioned by those opposed to the Christian religion. As a religion, Christianity was initially founded on the principles of Judaism. God is said to have had a covenant with the people of Israel. The covenant had a declaration that he would send them the messiah who would bless not only the Israelites but the entire world. This was after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. The Old Testament contains over 100 prophesies that make reference to the coming of the messiah and give the qualities that the messiah would have. The prophesies that are found in the Old Testament also predict the place and the circumstances under which the messiah would be born. The prophesies also give the characteristics that the messiah would have that would set him aside from the rest of the population an d from the rest of the prophet. Jesus is said to have fulfilled all these prophesies and is therefore believed to be the messiah who would save mankind. He (Jesus) was for example conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. He is also said to have been born of a virgin (Darst 4). The title of Son of God comes from the fact that Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit. ... Another reference can be found in the book of Mark 3:11 where after casting out demons, the demons bow to Jesus and refer to him as the Son of God. Jesus also referred to himself as the Son of God. He refers to God as his father. These assertions begin at an early age in Jesus’ life when his parents find him in the temple and he refers to it as his father’s house (Luke 23:49). Jesus also did not object to any reference to himself as the Son of God (Hurtado 20). The nature of the mission of Jesus is said to have been two fold. In the first place, he had to take the form of man, and live like a man so that he could teach people about the nature of salvation. His human form was despite having a divine nature in that he was the son of God sent for the redemption of man. Jesus was also to pay the ultimate price for the sins of man despite the fact that his divine nature allowed him to be free of sin. He paid this price when he was crucified and died on the cross. Because he was the son of God, he rose from the dead. This provides the basis upon which Christianity is built (McGrath 1). The teachings of Jesus were different from those that the earlier prophets and the priests preached. While the norm was for the priests and those responsible for teaching religion was to emphasize on the following of the set rules and religious ceremonies. Jesus however asserted that the mere obedience of the laws did not make one holy. Instead, he preached one love for God and love for other people as the most important commandment. Love for God and love for fellow men is therefore one of the most basic and fundamental principles of the Christian religion. As a human being, Jesus spent his life travelling with his disciples and teaching a message of peace and salvation. He also called

Story Hotel in Stockholm- ----- SWOT analysis and competitive Research Paper

Story Hotel in Stockholm- ----- SWOT analysis and competitive advantage - Research Paper Example Its original and colorful website reflects what the hotel’s concept is. They encourage the customers to visit their online page to have a better look of great packages that the hotel offers. This is a very good strategy since their website has the information about what the client wants. This is an innovative concept that is highly advantageous. It is very visible on Google, which makes it available for exploration by new customers. Story Hotel, however, has some weaknesses. First, its location, which is not centrally placed compared to other hotels such as the Omena hotel is a weak point. This location makes them lose business to its competitors since the hotels centrally located are able to get clients from the main offices. This might push away customers since most clients prefer a centrally located area, close to social amenities and affordable at the same time. The hotel lacks luxury facilities such as spa, space for conferences, and room service. Despite its good looking, cool, and creative website, Story Hotel website lacks the question and answer tab, which is useful to potential customers who are not quite familiar with the hotel. However, Story Hotel has notable opportunities. They already have a positive brand attitude created to their customers. This could be made completely to their advantage by providing a spa, conference facilities, and a room service for their customers. This will give them a competitive edge above their competition. Rooms should be available on their online service that is already successful. The threats to the success of the Story Hotel are the high competition for guests by their competition who offers lower prices. The food offered needs to be better always for them to maintain their high number of customers. The management needs to find another concept that will give them competitive advantage. This will make the price offered by Story Hotel a differentiation strategy since all the services will be first of

Why Americans should embrace Alternative fuel vehicles Term Paper - 1

Why Americans should embrace Alternative fuel vehicles - Term Paper Example If current energy usage patterns continue for a few more decades then the ecosystems and environments across the world would be damaged beyond repair, putting at risk the long-term survival of our species. (Borowitz, 1999, p.255) The rest of this essay will elaborate on these points and present the reasons why Americans should embrace alternative fuel vehicles. Beyond concerns about peak-oil and issues of sustaining conventional oil supplies, there is the danger posed by environmental pollution. While manufacturing industries play their part in polluting air, water and soil, the chief contributors are motor vehicles. For example, 90% of the carbon monoxide, 50% of the volatile organic compounds, and 40% of the ozone in metropolitan areas come from motor vehicles. (Meotti, 1995, p.27) With car ownership per-capita in America being one of the highest among advanced economies, there is a urgent need for alternative fuels. There is also the option of attempting to reduce car sales and car usage. But since this outcome is highly unlikely, finding substitute fuels for petroleum-based ones is the more plausible option going forward. Soybean oil is another alternative fuel that holds a lot of promise. When oil prices spiked during the first Gulf War in 1991, American farmers put to use the huge surplus of soybean oil stored in tanks across the country. They said that Soybean oil can be refined into bio-diesel, which can be used by vehicles. Already, by this time, bio-diesel was being manufactured in Europe using rapeseed oil. And by following the same procedure, Soybean oil could also be converted into bio-diesel, which would prove to be a cleaner and eco-friendly energy alternative. (Schmidt, 2007, p.87) Experts and business people have now identified bio-diesel as a key player in the alternative fuels market. It also has the advantage of being produced by both small-scale manufacturers as well as large industries. While

Culture shock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Culture shock - Essay Example Group study replaced solo study with parents and teachers. I do not come from a wealthy class therefore I had to support myself in college for tuition funds and my pocket money. I come from a middle-class family. My parents and family members expect a lot from me. For this reason, they gave special attention to my studies while I was in school. This soft authority and system made me comfortable and dependent on it. Unfortunately, this is not nurturing or helpful in the long term. Eventually, a child has to open his wings and fly to leave the nest. Freedom, independence and choice were alien to me regarding life-changing decisions. I always had my parents and family there to guide me about difficult decisions. But college life is where parents expect their children to prove that they are capable of taking care of themselves. It was a whole different challenge to me. I believe that my family life was an educational ground for me to be ready for college life. My family background supported, nurtured and raised me in a secure and relaxed environment. The college life challenges people that they need to come out of their comfort zones. College life is where students do not care about laundry; bunking classes is the norm and having no money for anything is the story of almost every student. While at home, one is expected to live ‘normal. Obeying parents is the law. It is not just me, my fellows also feel this cultural shock. Some fall victims to this stark change while some adapt and refine themselves. I do not believe that one should consider college life as the ultimate test where penalty is either life or death. This way of thinking can turn average students into ‘useless’ bookworms. I have used the term useless because if someone learns nothing after spending hours reading something, he/she could have spent that time in more ‘useful’ ways. The illusion of acting well is worse than behaving bad. The

Assess the impact of re-introducing rent control on the market for Essay

Assess the impact of re-introducing rent control on the market for housing - Essay Example However, these challenges did not last for long as the abolishment of the controls and execution of short-hold tenancy resulted to a rejuvenation of the private rented sector that continues to develop even today. Essentially, critics such as George Osborne and Assar have a rational foundation to their arguments, as most people would agree that setting prices lower than those the property owners would charge could make the economy less appealing, especially for the investors (Sloman&Garrat, 2012). However, the are other influences of rent control different from the common observation and conception that elimination of the controls is more efficient as it could provide a more desirable housing market for potential investors. Rent controls and any adjustments to the tenure legislations could influence the housing market in multiple ways but there is always a risk of overlooking other essential aspects that also have considerable effects on the development of the economy. Relative to a glance on history, instigated rent controls in the United Kingdom varied from a straightforward freeze during the world wars to fair rents regimes in the sixties aimed at removing the impact of scarcity in the ren tal market. The initial step was an increase of Rent and Mortgage Interest Act of 1915 limiting rents for unfurnished homes (for the working class) to specific levels at the beginning of the war in 1914(Glaeser&Luttmer, 2003). Typically, the regulation of rent in the United Kingdom has had vast challenges in the past even with the main objective revolving around ideas such as advocating for affordability. Moreover, the short-range act introduced prior to the World War 1, mysteriously managed to be in place up to the late 1980s making people more alert of proposals such as the one by the Labor Party. Resolutely, this essay focuses on explicating effects of re-introducing rent control on the market for housing based

Juvenile courts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Juvenile courts - Essay Example hat, by creating a separate court system for juvenile offenders, these young offenders will not be punished in a way that will have effect on their current behavior. While he agrees that young offenders do not require the harsher punishments seen within the regular court system, he believes that treatment will still be dismal if the two courts were separated. In regards to changing the current state of the juvenile court into involving social welfare to the offenders, Feld is against this because, in previous attempts, there were odds between how the offenders were treated and punished. As nothing was being done as it should have been, Feld believes that there is simply no point in having a juvenile court. Feld would like to abolish the juvenile courts altogether because he has not seen anything to suggest that they are doing any good. He thinks that there is nothing wrong with juveniles being tried in the typical court, just as long as they are given proper punishments that reflect how young they are (as well as the crime that they committed). The "cushions" that Feld recommends for juveniles being adjudicated in adult courts involve the young offenders avoiding punishments that are meant for adult offenders; this is a fear that he has with keeping them in the typical court, yet he believes things could be worse if there were separate courts. These "cushions" include the creation of waivers for specific offenses - these waivers would allow offenders to go free without imprisonment or a lengthy punishment, but perhaps community service or something similar to that effect. Another "cushion" allows that young offenders will have a maximum punishment, so that they are never given the sam e punishment as their adult counterparts. These "cushions" can prove to be helpful as they do take into consideration that young offenders do not deserve the same punishments as people older than them, and those that might have committed more serious offenses. They can prove to be

Stakeholder analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Stakeholder analysis - Essay Example Other stakeholders who worked together with Cicero were the board chairman, chief auditor, general counsel and the top real estate executives. Another stakeholder at the center of the bribery claims was the company chief executive, Eduardo Castro-Wright. Castro-Wright encouraged payments, whereby he described bribes as payments for some specific purposes, which aimed at enabling the company to build hundreds of new stores. These bribes were being recorded in the accounting records as simple legal fees (Barstow). As a result of the fast growth of the company’s outlets through bribes, Mr. Castro-Wright was promoted to a senior position and even included on the executive committee of the companys inner sanctum. The company CEO Lee Scott, Jr. is among the company’s stakeholders. He is the person who holds the top most position in Wal-Mart Company. Therefore, he was the one to create awareness the public about the bribery claims against the company. Investors or shareholders are other stakeholders of the company since their finances are for development purposes among other tasks. The government of Mexico and that of the United States are other stakeholders since the company operates in their territories. The Government of U.S and Mexico could salvage the firm from bribery claims. They should have influenced and dictated how the business of Wal-Mart was being carried out. Unfortunately, government officials accepted bribes so as to pave way for some business malpractices to be operated in their territory at the expense of other stakeholders and the general public at large. Therefore, government officials would have taken urgent steps in order to prevent the growth of business malpractices in the business fraternity of the two countries. The company CEO, H. Lee Scott Junior is another stakeholder and the company official who was very

Dior J`adore Perfume Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Dior J`adore Perfume - Essay Example As J’adore is a luxury item, it adds to the personality of women customers. The main features and attributes of the product highlighted by the company are: femininity, sophistication, and emotion. The other features are its everlasting fragrance, better quality, innovation, and its brand name. The company offers free shipment for a particular range of J’adore products. Tester facility is provided to the customers, to test the perfume as a demo. They also offer attractive sale offers on particular occasions like Christmas. During Christmas season Dior offers combination like lotion with perfume. Women, who have high income, are the main consumers of J’adore. The products come in models like J'Adore L'Absolu, J'Adore Anniversaire En Or, J'Adore L'or, J'Adore L'eau. Customers are ready to spend more time in search of the product, because once they use it they always go for the same product, and they identify themselves with the picture of feminity in the perfume. They never go for a different or substitute product, because of its unique fragrance and quality. The product has been in the market for the last ten years. Flimsy bottle caps sometimes with decorated gold ribbon, brilliant, transparent and unique crystal bottle design, and attractive letter design of the word J’adore are the distinctive features of the product packing. They also use luxurious, clean, contemporary image of celebrities on the package. Dior follows the pricing strategy of competitive pricing, ie; they set the price according to the prices set by their competitors. They also adopt premium pricing strategy for particular product range, to highlight the product’s exclusiveness. The product faces competition from Chanel, Guerlain, Cartier, Lancome, Prada, Givenchy, Calvin Klein and Angel de Thierry Mugler. The perfume industry faces tight competition. Chanel is one of the well established companies in France, which always offers high quality perfumes, at high prices. But the prices of J’adore and its competitors are almost similar. So there will not be much difference for the customers in making payment for the product. J’adore has a USP (Unique Selling Proposition), driven by emotions, which make it impossible to compare with the products of its competitors. The long lasting fragrances, the prestige that the brand name of J’adore gives when women apply it, the confidence she feels when it a dds to her personality makes the product a unique one, which is very difficult for the competitors to imitate. The targeted customers are women who earn high income. Once they like the product, they

Howard Gardner and Applications of Multiple Intelligences Essay Example for Free

Howard Gardner and Applications of Multiple Intelligences Essay Gardner believes that there are different ways of solving problems and that there are different ways that intellectual ability is manifested or expressed (Gardner, 1993; 1999). What had been accepted in education in general had been to assess students in terms of their capabilities in Science, Math and Language or Communication (English in written and spoken communication). Gardner expanded this to what he termed as multiple intelligence which introduced the domains with which every individual may possess in whatever degree. These domains include, the logical-mathematical, musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, linguistic, intra and inter-personal, naturalistic and existential intelligences (Gardner, 1993; 1999). There are evidences that support the theory in terms of the biological and cultural underpinnings such as those done on development focused on children, empirical research from individuals with brain damage and persons with giftedness. The theory has significant implications on both structure and curriculum in the educational setting such as the kind of set up with which the classroom is arranged or the strategies employed in introducing material or assessment of learning (Gardner, 1993; 1999). Problem statement Since Gardner believes that the educational setting at all levels must foster and promote the understanding of multiple intelligences the following pertinent parts of the educational set up involving curriculum and assessment strategies must be changed or reformed (Gardner, 1993; 1999). This research therefore attempts to answer the following problem statements: What is Multiple Intelligences as a framework in school? What is the description of a curriculum in the secondary level (high school) incorporating the Gardner theory? In this framework, how can assessment be done on student learning and overall progress of students? Discussion Nature of the learner in the Secondary Level There are basic observations gathered by experts on the kind of learner expected to enter into the secondary level. Since the concept of Multiple Intelligences by Gardner would be revolutionary even today, when in essence, most institutions of learning already recognized the brilliance and applicability of his position. It would be helpful to have alongside in the direction of this notion, quite important figures and principles that would further make the application of the Gardner framework in the secondary level easier to grasp and more feasible to comprehend. The curriculum would serve to reflect how learners inch their way into the classroom and courses they are about to undertake and to finish. It is always important to start right by understanding how the learner apprehends and appreciates the material, his preparation in terms of physical, emotional, and psychological maturity, and the way these materials or knowledge could be absorbed and thereafter applied at the correct time and place. It was Malcolm Knowles (1978, 1990) and his theory andragogy who emphasized the model of adult learning. The premise is based on his hypothesis that the maturation of an individual into adulthood is manifest when people conduct themselves in adult behavior and consider themselves to be adults. Then they should be dealt with as adults. By adulthood people are self-directing. Knowles taught that adult education was special in a several ways. This will mean that the presence or absence of some significant details will improve or pull down adult learning experience. This implies that knowledgeable background on adults and the developmental characteristics of that particular stage will spell effective or disastrous results. This paper attempts to show the various positive and negative learning environments specifically for adults. Positive Learning Environment include: 1. Adult learners carry with them a vast amount of experience to the learning environment. This means that tuning in to their particular psyche creates a conducive atmosphere for learning; 2. Adults expect on the kind of training they are exposed to and how they are to be educated. Example: Unlike the younger learners where most take on passive role, adults have goals in mind and the learning they receive must fall within those predetermined personal goals; 3. the active involvement of students should be encouraged in planning and implementing educational programs; 4. Adults need to be able to see applications for new learning; 5. Adult learners expect to have a high degree of influence on how learning will be evaluated; 6. Adults expect their responses to be acted upon when asked for feedback on the progress of the program. Andragogy is therefore student-centered, experience-based, problem-oriented and collaborative (Brooks, J 1995). On the other hand, the following can influence adults specifically in the learning experience in an unhelpful way. The Negative Learning Environment includes the fact that: 1. some adults can move toward prescribed educational settings with anxiety and feelings of high or low self-efficacy. Their method to new learning milieus can be prejudiced by how they assess or evaluate the new experience. A case in point: given two adults in a classroom where an exercise is about to begin, one individual may interpret the assignment in such a way that leads to a feeling of excitement, while another individual interprets the task in such a way that leads to the feeling of embarrassment. It is a fact that the way the individual interprets the situation and the consequent emotion that arises, will affect the kind of action the individual is to take (Burns, 1995, p.16). Burns considers that such assessments, together with the labels such as fear or anxiety can direct some learners to psychologically disengage from the source of distress that is the learning experience. Conversely, when coupled with labels such as excitement or challenge the learner is conducted to take measures that focus on the undertaking. With this slant, the abovementioned findings just aptly show how the Multiple Intelligences framework is the better if not best option to amplify what adult learning insights have offered and how the issues are met and addressed. It would seem that the Gardner framework can be both an approach in the arrangement of teacher’s approach to the student’s ease assimilating information and training of skills development; Gardner’s framework serves as assessment tool as well to further check and evaluate status of learning as well as secure its usefulness (i.e., training and knowledge) for a future job (Gardner, 1993; 1999). The curriculum then would appear more like a university level type that can be seen as implementation of several tracks, individualized in nature, with personal advising installed, and students are evaluated on their overall grade point average performance. Personality tests that are primarily geared to measure the Gardner â€Å"traits† are indispensable tools to discovering the possession of either or combinations of the â€Å"intelligences† (Gardner, 1993; 1999). On the course or subject level, students are also handled in individual cases but getting used to the variations will be established in the long run and may no longer be as difficult to implement and follow-up. Evaluation of the student performance and any behavioural changes are pertinent tasks that teachers are to be cognizant of. In this manner, the application of formative and summative assessments would not only be appropriate but timely as well. According to studies on the subject, both summative and formative assessments are employed to provide a very objective result as to the efficiency and efficacies not only of the teacher’s methods. The evaluation itself (i.e., assessment for and of learning) is a vital factor that is found to help the student realize his potentials and attenuate the weaknesses he’s had in the process of learning (Northern Arizona University, 2009). I believe that the methods of evaluating the interventions for the problem cannot be easily applied or even seen/grasped. However, this can only be understood well when applied (hands-on) to a particular school, class, and individual during a certain period like during the first half of a given school year. A detailed lesson plan, or syllabus is part of this tool with specific dates and key result areas to serve as a guide. This way, every student has each given the chance to shine his best and not just be a statistic in an otherwise lopsided contest where no real winners are found but instead disillusionment for failed dreams and succumbing to societal pressures are more common and expected. Reference: Brooks, J (1995) Training and Development Competence: a practical guide Kogan Page, London. Burns, S. (1995) Rapid changes require enhancement of adult learning HRMonthly June, pp 16-17. Knowles, M.S. (1978) The Adult Learner: a Neglected Species 2nd edition, Houston: Gulf Publishing Company, Book Division   and Knowles, M.S. 1990 The Adult Learner: a Neglected Species 4th edition, Houston: Gulf Publishing Company, Book Division. Gardner, H. (1993). Multiple intelligences: the theory in practice. New York, NY: Basic Books. And Gardner, H. (1999). Multiple approaches to understanding. In C. M. Reigeluth (Ed.), Instructional-design theories and models (pp. 69-90). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Northern Arizona University. Formative vs. Summative Evaluation. Retrieved on May 9, (2009), from http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/edtech/etc667/proposal/evaluation/summative_vs._formative.htm

Loreal; beauty products company

Loreal; beauty products company LOREAL 1.Introduction Loreal is the worlds biggest cosmetics and beauty products company. Basically its a French based company and its headquartered in Paris. It is focusly engaged in the field of production and marketing of concentrating on hair colours, skin care, perfumes and fragrances, make up and styling products. Loreal products also based on dermatological and pharmaceutical fields. Their products are made for Individual and professional customers. This company operates over 130 countries like Asia, America, East and West Europe through 25 international brands. This company started with the 3 employed persons but now research team exist nearly 2000 persons. Loreal started its business in the hair color but in short time company also jumped into the cleansing and beauty products. The company has five research and development centre throughout the world. Loreal mostly emphasis to built strong consumer relationship so the companys lifestyle and philosphy to provide more satisfaction to the consumer with the loreal products. So, The slogan of company is â€Å"Because were worth it†. They also produce products for the kids known with the name of Loreal kids. 2. Stockholders 30.8% ownership by Bettencourt Family. 29.6% by Nestle. 3.2% by treasury shares. Rest of 36.4% by public traded. 3.SWOT Analysis Internal Analysis 3.1 Strengths The primary strength of the company is always keep doing the new research and innovations in the beauty so thats why loreal always gives best to the customers. Even in the competition market also because of the researching strategy they are the leader in the beauty and cosmetics field. Other strength of the Loreal is that they set more attention in their particular acts and activities. Their acts and activities are going to separate in the five groups. These groups includes First is the Consumer product division in which all their range distributed through massive markets. Loreals products and quality available to maximum customers or consumers and their luxury international brand product division available through perfumeries, departmental and duty free shops. Their professional hair care products used by the professional hair dressers and also sold to the customers through salons. These divisions and sub-division maintains the quality of Loreal group. The other enumerated strength of the company is Loreal advertising strategy it also play very vital role towards the companys growth. In the course of achieving the culture of their target market advertisement is the best way. 3.2 Weaknesses The biggest weakness which a company always facing is that its decentralized organizational structure. This problem is also faced by the Loreal. Because of the many subdivisions of this company it is not easy to operate and control of Loreal. So, because of this the production of company getting slow down. Other weakness which the company faces that it that their profits. The margin between their cost price and selling price is comparatively low than their other smaller competitors. So, the profit does not match with their expectations. This is also happen because of large scale advertising and marketing. Lastly, due to its multinational marketing strategy, even theres also some diffrences occurred in the promotion and campaign of Loreal products as to what image they are to be project. External Analysis 3.3 Opportunities The loreal company focuses on the beauty and cosmetics products for the women of all the ages. The regular demand for beauty products gives opportunity to the company to keep their focus in their specialized field, specially on the hair stying and color, perfumieries, cosmetics and skin cares. Exist as the leading brand in their field the company has well known image in the world. Even in the developing countries also. Another opportunity for the company is that taken from their greater market share due to the numbers of patents registered by the company. 3.4 Threats The basic threat to the company is facing competition within the field of cosmetics brands. Because of the keeping going addition in the products, theres the danger that some other brand may take the profit of Loreal. Other threat to the company is different economy. Because most of the products are only within the reach of the people of developed countries but some how Loreal solve this problem they make products for the people of under-developed countries also. Thus the Loreal company produce the product of best of it line even people may tell that their products are not upto their basic needs and would reject to buy the Loreal product. PEST Analysis Each and every company must follow some strategy for their existence and growth in the business. So, thats why Loreal also follows the Pest analysis because they believe that it may have some impact on the companys present and future. Political Analysis Political factor always make effects the business specially during the period of elections. Every government make different strategies and rules regulations so it really makes effects the business because it is not easy to adapt that changes for the whole business so thats why even sometimes company have to bear the great loss. Economic Analysis The economy measures the strength of the policy to support the business cycle and specially in the period of recession. In terms of economic growth it is necessary to create business environment more attractive in which business can be fully establish and grow. Taxation law always effects to the way business is conducted. Social Analysis The todays young social factor is quiet diverse. To being in the market every business needs to examine customers demand, their buying pattern and must be innovative. People wants to be more socially aware and concerned about environmental and ethical issues. Females are particularly influenced by social issues as environment or community related. Customers are very conscious about their image. They have different opinions so they will look for different brands that really suits their personality and also reflects current fashion. The society is more complex and diverse therefore the people likely to adapt diversity in their life. Technological Analysis These days usually companies compete at global level so thats why rapid development comes in the technology. It is an ability of an organization to adapt and use latest technological advanced softwares for the sake of security as this security can reduce the different illegal working behaviour such as fraud, shop lifting, misconduct and so on. 5. Aims And Objectives To provide best quality product to the consumers. To be friendly and helpful towards customer and staff also. Treat everyone equal so thats why their products available in every range. 6. Company marketing Strategies Customer Satisfaction 6.1 (Product) The Loreal group is known for their regular improvement in their quality of their product and services which they provide to their customers. Their products are stylish and according to the latest fashion trends. Though provide a wide variety so their products are available in reasonable range to luxurious too. So, they always give customer satisfaction. 6.2 (Price) Loreal is famous throughout the world for setting the fashion trend. So, the price of their products are also caters according to the demand and budget of the customers from young to the aged ones. 7. Control of the Company The success of company depends upon their leaders or staff that how they run and handle the business. The company Loreal is very conscious about the governance of company. Their directors and members are very perfect in their jobs because they know very well that the future of the company is in their hands. So, they are well aware of their responsibilities and act according to the demand. 8. Worldwide Marketing 8.1 Place of promotion The Loreal group planned strategy to do marketing in the worldwide. So, at their primary stage they did the research and understand the demand of their customers and this strategy help the company to formulate products that suits the customers thoroughout the world. Through their research and development Loreal mostly covers all the parts of the world and still got highest rating from customers. 8.2 Promotion Strategy Advertising is the best way to increase the sales of the products and also helps specially to promote the new product and keep that in the mind of public. So, Loreal also follows this strategy through print media and multimedia So, Loreal uses the actors of different ages and personality for their promotion. 9. Recommendations I would suggest Loreal should follows the decentralised strategy so the complexity in their business decreases. Loreal should use better visual display in the stores to look product more fashionable. 10. Implementation plans Loreal group contribute to the community at such worthy cause as â€Å"For women in science† and educational opportunity they have done partnership with UNESCO in 1998, this programme promotes the role of women in scientific field and also encourage the young women throughout the world to come and join this stream. In evey country government apply the rules for the cosmetics companies to write the ingredients which they used in their product so before buying the product customers knows everything about that. Loreal is very careful about their ingredients and very particularly while select the ingredients. So, the company hired the well qualified and trained scientists and they use natural and synthetic substances and conscious for the formulation of product, its functions, use and concentration, absorbed in skin, its purity and stability. Company ensures that their product whether it consist with natural or synthetic substances it is equally safe to use. 11. Target Market Loreal has rapid growth in his business and keep focus on the new target market. It is leader in fast fashion world and quickly turned according to the demand of the customers ant their traditional strategy to existing leader market. Since 1990 their sales always double every year. To attract new market and also hold the established customers they always come with something new and different. They also target on their little competitor because some how these little companies effects their business they want to take over that companies. 12. Conclusion Loreal is a well known brand around the world and easy to get it across the world. It sets the fashion trend. With the passage of time they increases its strength and reduces the weaknesses. The company very much emphasis on the advertisements to keep its name in the public.

Coffee Plantations in Wayanad

Coffee Plantations in Wayanad The coffee production in Kerala accounts to about 28 % of the overall coffee production in South India which includes the three states Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The coffee production is mainly suited to grow in the hilly tracts of these states with Karnataka accounting to the majority of coffee production a whopping 53% of a total production of 8200 tonnes (Year 2010 figures). The coffee production in Kerala is around 23 % of the countrys total coffee output which makes it the second largest coffee-producing state in India. Wayanad, a popular district in Kerala produces almost around 90 % of the states coffee produce which literally concludes that the coffee economy of Kerala is highly correlated with the coffee economy existing in Wayanad. Our study plans to analyze and evaluate the agricultural farming practices adopted by the farmers in Wayanad, a district situated in the north-east of Kerala, and very popular for the coffee plantations and tea estates growing in this region. In this section, we will however be concentrating with the existing farming methods and the scope of natural farming in the area of coffee plantations. We will first discuss about the topography of Wayanad and how it suits to the growth of coffee on an extensive scale, followed by the existing farming practices of coffee and the contribution of NGOs , co-operative societies and self help groups in educating the farmers about the modern eco-friendly methods of farming. Finally, we will analyze and evaluate the scope of natural farming in the area of growth of coffee plantations in Wayanad and how it will improve the value chain from the farmers perspective. About Wayanad Topography Wayanad, the 12th district formed in Kerala, which is also called The Land of Paddy Fields is located in between the boundaries of the Kozhikode and Kannur districts. The region is located on the top of the majestic Western Ghats and its altitude range from approximately 700 meters to as high as 2100 meters. A large part of the regions population comprises of the indigenous tribal communities. The region is full with densely populated high-standing hilly terrains, mountains (Chembra Peak), lakes (the beautiful Pookot Lake), waterfalls and dams (Banasura Sagar Dam) as an attractive location for tourists. Climate Wayanad being distant from the mean sea level and densely covered by forests provide a very pleasant climate. Typically the temperature variations are reported to be in the range of 18 to 28 degree centigrade. The average rainfall received in the region is around 2500 millimeters per year. As a result of a high extent of presence of both sunlight and rainfall, the agricultural land in this region is very fertile. Wayanad due to its extensive scope of agricultural farming has been reported to be holding a position amongst the 18 real agribiodiversity hotspots situated in the globe. Rivers Most of the Wayanad district is situated close to the river Kabini (an important tributary of the river Kaveri) along with its three tributaries namely, Panaraman, Kalindy and Mananthavady rivers. Dams such as the BanasuraSagar Dam and aqueducts have also been built in the region with the sole purpose of supplying water to the drought stricken regions in the district. Economy Speaking about the economy of Wayanad, majority of the regions economy is based on agriculture as can be implied by the meager figure of 3.79 % of the districts population being urbanized. The main cash crops growing in the region are coffee, tea, plantain, pepper, vanilla and cocoa. Apart from these crops, another important and essential cash crop growing in the Wayanad region is rice. Although there has been an agrarian crisis due to the increase in lower prices of the locally-grown cash crops such as coffee, ginger, pepper, etc. , yet it has been noted that there is an increasing trend in the price of agricultural land in Wayanad. The geographical description of the territory covers a vast portion with agricultural land, roughly 54 % of the districts area. Around 37% of the territory is covered up with densely populated forests. One of the main cash crops growing in the region apart from tea is coffee which has two main varieties of coffee plantations. Coffee Arabica, the premier coffee and Coffee Robusta, the low-quality coffee which well suits the environmental conditions originating in Wayanad are the two main varieties of coffee growing in this district. However, majority of the coffee growing in this region is of the robusta variety which accounts to approximately 95 % of the total coffee production in Wayanad. The capacity of land occupied by coffee plantations in terms of agricultural land area amounts to around 58 %, numerically around 110,000 hectares. It has been reported that around 80 % of the total coffee produced in Kerala comes from Wayanad. Population The population extent in Wayanad counts to roughly around 800,000 people with more than 80 % of the population being majorly dependent on agriculture. The majority of the coffee growers in Wayanad are small and marginal farmers which account to more than 90 % with more than 60 % of the land holders occupying less than one hectare of land. The average landholding size of a farmer in the district has been found to be approximately 0.68 hectares. As already discussed earlier, a large chunk of the Wayanad population consists of tribal communities with almost 17 % of the states tribes residing in Kerala. The tribal communities also have a significant role to play in agriculture. Infrastructure Wayanad passes through the Calicut, Mysore and Bangalore connectivity via road. The closest railway station and airport is situated in Calicut which is around 100 kms from Wayanad. With the advancement of technology and infrastructure services, the district has good network coverage and internet connectivity apart from a robust post office network and availability of courier services. Moreover, no power scarcity problems have been reported in the region. Farming Methods of Coffee In order to understand the farming methods of coffee adopted in different regions of Wayanad, we have conducted a personal interview with senior members of existing non-profit organizations (NGOs) operating in that district. We have also performed a thorough literature research on the farming methods of coffee, the constraints faced by the farmers if any and the scope of natural farming given the existing constraints such as high cost of production, scarcity of skilled and unskilled labour, etc. The specific objectives we have tried to cover in this section include the following:- Analysis of the coffee production costs and the revenue structure Identifying the most significant determinants which impact coffee yield Analyzing the relationship between farm-size holdings and the farms coffee output efficiency Performing a comparative analysis of the evaluation of the labor-absorption capacity on coffee produce as compared to other cash crops (tea, rice) produce Dependency of farming methods on the extent of fluctuation in coffee prices Impact of climatic conditions on yield of coffee and scope of pests and coffee-related diseases and their impact on coffee productivity Understand, analyze and evaluate the participation of regional institutional agencies such as the Regional Research Coffee station in Wayanad ( popularly known as the Coffee Board) and Krishibhavan on methods of coffee cultivation Our study of coffee cultivation methods mainly spans around farmers originating from three different regions across Wayanad namely Sulthan Bathery, Nenmeni and Noolpuzha. Our reason for choice of these three gram panchayats is due to the majority of the farmers originating from these regions having coffee cultivation as their predominant cash crop and hence source of cultivation. Most of the coffee cultivation takes place in Noolpuzha among the three gram panchayats with 2900 hectares of land available for coffee plantations while around 1500 and 1200 hectares of land is available in Sulthan Bathery and Nenmeni respectively. As per the definition of a farmer by the Coffee Board in Wayanad, small and marginal farmers typically have a farm land of less than 5 acres i.e. two hectares whereas large farmers are holding huge coffee estates of land size more than 10 acres. The current division of farmers in Wayanad based on this classification suggests that roughly 90 % of farmers fall in t he category of small and marginal farmers. The general method of harvesting coffee includes the following three steps in a sequential manner:- Plucking the coffee seeds from the coffee gardens by using charged labour where natural farming techniques are more desirable. Use of pesticides and fertilizers is minimal. Drying these seeds in the drying gardens for atleast 1 to 1.5 weeks where the coffee seeds are kept for drying under the sun. Finally bagging of raw coffee is done after drying where the general standards practiced in Wayanad define one bag of coffee to contain around 54 kgs of coffee. Including the weight of the bag typically to be one kg, each bag of coffee weights around 55 kgs and this harvested coffee is then sold off to local traders at prices which are commensurate with the local coffee market existing in Wayanad. Types of Coffee There are mainly two varieties of coffee i.e. Coffee Arabica and Coffee Robusta. During the mid nineteenth century (1825-1869), the mainly cultivated coffee variety was Arabica as it had more beverage value and hence fetched higher coffee prices in the domestic as well as international markets. However, this variety of coffee was more vulnerable to pests and diseases and eventually the large coffee estates producing this variety were left abandoned as the crops perished due to the threats prevailing from major pests existing in that period such as white stem borer, leaf rust and green bug. During the later half of the nineteenth century, the Robusta variety of coffee became more popular in Wayanad. One of the major reasons for shifting to this variety was that Robusta can withstand against threats arising from existing as well as new coffee-related pests and diseases. Currently, Robusta coffee produce is more than 95 % of the total coffee cultivation done in Wayanad. As an approach t owards natural farming, the farmers generally grow coffee plantations under the shade of spice plantations mainly pepper so that the cash crop can be protected against pests and other diseases generated in the soil. However Arabica coffee which accounts for less than 3% of the total coffee produce in Kerala is also grown in hilly terrains mainly confined to the high altitude regions comprising the districts such as Kozhikode, Palakkad, Idukki and Kannur. Cropping Pattern The small and marginal farmers generally follow a mixed cropping pattern wherein coffee is produced along with other cash crops such as pepper, arecanut and banana. Some of the reasons for these farmers going for a mixed cropping pattern instead of mono cropping are:- Livelihood: Agricultural income being the only source of income for this section of farmers, land is the most precious asset they possess. However in recent years, it has been reported that due to a very high fluctuation of coffee prices in the markets, farmers have suffered from high financial losses by being solely dependent on only one cash crop i.e. coffee. Hence the farmers have decided to utilize their vacant land on other high priced cash crops such as pepper which would act as an alternative source of income for them. Moreover crops such as pepper and banana would provide shade to coffee plantations and act as a mode of natural farming methodologies adopted to protect against arising threats from existing as well as new pests and coffee related diseases. As per the sources we interviewed, the fluctuations in coffee price last year i.e. in 2010 were controllable though, which was within the range Rs. 1900 to Rs. 2500 per kg of coffee. The harvesting period of coffee which generally starts in the month of December and is set to close in February is almost over and as per our sources; the average price of coffee in Wayanad is trading at Rs. 3000 per kg. Farm size:- The farm size and land holdings being relatively smaller for marginal farmers as compared to large estate farmers makes it advantageous for them to adopt a mixed cropping fashion. This is because they dont follow any systematic method of planting saplings in arrays which ensures that there is still enough scope of planting maximum plants per area due to the inadequate stocking method followed. However, the conversion process is very difficult for large estate farmers because the area of land under mono-cropping is huge. Labour availability:- The labour availability for small farmers is majorly in the form of domestic labour i.e. labour resources are the members of the family and mainly the cash crop cultivator who is the owner of the land. However, in case of large farm estates, the labour resources are typically the paid labours who are generally also the members of organized trade unions operating in Wayanad. Several cases have been reported of undying resistance from such trade union members against mixed cropping in large farm estates due to the fear of losing employment. As per one of the sources who is a member of the M.S. Swaminathan NGO operating in Wayanad, the labour charge for plucking coffee from coffee gardens is priced via two different pricing mechanisms. Hourly basis charge wherein a labour typically charges around Rs. 150 200 per hour. Plucking capacity basis wherein labour required for plucking per kg. of coffee is charged roughly Rs. 1.50 2.50. However, labour charges vary from place to place in different regions of Wayanad. The table represented below shows the recent numbers in variation of mixed crop cultivation implemented in Wayanad. The results from the table clearly indicate that marginal farmers had been more enthusiastic to shift their cropping pattern from coffee to pepper. The major cash crops which replaced coffee are pepper, tea and arecanut as shown by the table mentioned below. Cost of Coffee Production Coffee production being highly labour-intensive encounters a very high cost of production which has become one of the primary reasons for small and marginal farmers to shift from coffee to alternative higher revenue generating cash crops such as tea, pepper and arecanut. The usage of manual labour in the process of coffee cultivation can be attributed to the following sequentially adopted sub-processes mentioned below:- Activity of controlling weed which is usually done thrice a year. The women labourers in Wayanad are typically engaged with the control of this agricultural activity wherein they cut and remove the weeds manually using sickles Activity of upturning the soil with manual labour using a spade is usually done twice a year Activity of applying manures such as cow dung and fertilizers is done twice a year Activity of pruning where the undesired parts of the coffee saplings are ripped off is typically done twice a year Activity of final coffee bean collection at the time of harvest during the month of December to February is done by hand-picking which is usually carried out once a year Activity of applying pesticides and insecticides to protect against germs is also done once a year. This activity increases the cost of labour by a huge extent given the embedded cost of pesticides which is also charged along with the cost of applying it with the soil. The costs related to all these activities can be termed as the current expenses which are currently found to be in the range of Rs. 35,000 40,000 per hectare. Moreover, large estate farmers who install sprinkler irrigation systems or drip systems incur a much higher cost due to the large investments involved with these systems. The initial cost associated with raising a new coffee farm altogether would include the current expenses of the initial four years from the start of preparing the farm. This is because from the generally seen trend, it has been found that coffee plants usually start producing sufficient yield from the fourth year of planting. Constraints faced by farmers There are many constraints faced by the coffee-producing farmers in Wayanad which makes it more difficult for them to adopt coffee-farming as the one and only mode of family income. Some of them are:- Scarcity of labour is a major concern and given the intensity of labour required for adopting more of natural farming methods in coffee cultivation all throughout the year, this problem should be resolved by providing better opportunities to both labourers (who need to be paid reasonable income for their employment in coffee gardens) and farmers (who need to generate a decent income to pay off the labourers well). The scarcity of labour has thus resulted in a very high cost of labour charged which along with the huge coffee price fluctuations makes it all the more worrying for the coffee-cultivating farmers. The farmers do not possess any market knowledge about what the coffee prices are in the domestic and international markets. Their only network within the coffee chain is with the local traders or middlemen whom they sell the coffee produce in bags typically containing roughly 54 kgs of coffee. The M.S. Swaminathan NGO operating in Kalpetta, Wayanad currently only provides training and demonstration on ways of efficient coffee cultivation. Their primary function is to teach the farmers the various methods of coffee-capacity building. They also provide the farmers the opportunity to take certifications regarding coffee cultivation practices but given the limited source of income from coffee cultivation, most of the farmers except the large farmers do not avail this opportunity of taking farm-related certifications. However, they dont provide any financial help to the farmers. The funding support provided by the farmers is majorly provided by nationalized banks such as State Bank of Travancore and other district co-operative banks which provide loans at lower interest rates compared to the market rates. However, there are a lot of hidden cost charges in the loan which makes a loan very expensive during the time of settlement. So, the small and marginal groups of farmers have very little scope of negotiating their selling prices with the local traders as their urgent requirement for liquid cash to pay off their loan installments makes them more anxious. Adding to that, these group of farmers do not have any warehouses of their own to keep the harvest and sell them off when the local market offers higher coffee prices. The cost of carrying inventory in warehouses possesses an impounding effect along with the existing interest charges taken due to loans availed earlier. However, large estate farmers having the advantage of possessing economies of scale for co ffee cultivation in Wayanad, some of them do have their own warehouses and hence are able to make higher revenues than that of small and marginal farmers. Moreover, the farmers having lack of co-operation amongst themselves have not been involved in collaborative decision-making to form co-operatives for a better cause. Microfinance institutions are also not working in Wayanad, which makes the availability of funds more costly. The farmers are not in any way directly connected to the wholesalers or retailers of the coffee market. This makes the middlemen to pocket much of profit which could have otherwise been a part of the farmers profit. The NGOs also dont provide any help and assistance to increase the networking potential of farmers connecting them directly to the end-sellers in the market, thereby cutting out the need of middleman in the coffee chain. The main reason could be the strong lobbying from the local traders which makes their participation in the coffee chain inevitable. Lack of adoption of natural and eco-friendly methods such as rain water harvesting due to the excess costs incurred in implementing it. Although there have been certain government schemes to promote rain water harvesting in Kerala which are rare, the farmers being unaware of such schemes actually have not been able to avail them. Moreover lack of co-operation among the farming community creates hindrances in active engagement of such environmental friendly schemes. Conclusion After conducting a thorough research analysis of the coffee cultivation methods in Wayanad, we have tried to identify the major problems encountered by the farmers in adopting natural farming methods at the grassroot level. Although most of the sub-agricultural activities related to the coffee cultivation are done through natural farming instead of organic farming, still the farming method is not entirely natural. This is because of the following reasons listed below:- Organic farming although increases the cost of coffee cultivation by a certain extent, is a proper mechanism to fight against pests and insurmountable diseases. It also brings along with the flavor highly regarded in the coffee market. Coffee cultivation being a major source of income, farmers gives strong emphasis to the farming technology used so that they can maximize their income as much as possible. Simple natural farming technology needs much more labour than that for organic farming which makes it all the more costly given the high costs of labour in Wayanad. However, with proper guidance from NGOs about the modern methods of natural farming which are highly efficient and the availability of cheap labour, the farmers can incorporate natural farming in the long run which would be a beneficial cause from all angles. Interviewees The following people who have been interviewed have provided extensive support in revealing necessary information for completion of our social development project. They are:- Name:- N. Gopalakrishnan, Farm Manager of M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (NGO) Office: Puthorvayal, Kalpetta, a small town in Wayanad Cel No:- +91- 96561-02590 Kindly ask Anil to add three more names including the One whom he has interviewed. Please follow the above format

Wal-Marts Positive Influence on American Businesses Essay -- Business

Wal-Mart's Positive Influence on American Businesses   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   "Consumption is the sole end and purpose of all production; and the interest of the producer ought to be attended to only so far as it may be necessary for promoting that of the consumer..." Adam Smith. Wal-Mart is a producer who has the sole purpose of promoting consumption of the consumer. Wal-Mart and its quest for capital improvement are playing a major and vital role in the evolution of economic life. Wal-Mart brings positive change to towns in the U.S. They increase competition between retailers, stimulating the economy, and they also bring more capital and tax revenue to at town, some of which desperately need a positive change.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   'I think it's just the natural evolution of growth,' says Cynthia Lin, a spokeswoman for Wal-Mat in California. Wal-Mart's expansion and growth, like that of many other large retailers such as K-Mart, Buy Mart and Fred Meyer, is part of a bigger picture involving the evolution of the economy and the way businesses conduct themselves. Evolution, defined as the gradual process in which something changes into a different and unusually more complex or better form, is thoroughly distributed in all aspects of life. From biological, social, cultural, to economic, it can?t be denied that there are evolutionary processes taking place constantly. But it would be impossible to take a small piece of time out of our history, study it, and then conclude what is exactly evolving. The evolution processes take place simultaneously and can only be seen from the larger picture. That is why it is necessary to take a collective look at our history, from one point in time until anothe r, to effectively see the process of evolution work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The industrial revolution began with one or two ideas for a better means of mass-production, and it became the driving force that turned the manufacturing world into what it is today. It was just 1 turning point of the evolution that took place in the 20th century (still affecting and changing lives today). Cars, houses, appliances and life?s everyday activities became more affordable and convenient for the average person. If you look at the pattern of the human race for as far back as possible, the general goal has been to increase the quality of life. Whatever it might be; health and medicine, living conditions, or food, people have... ...?t find what they needed there, so they came downtown to shop,? Jubitz said. ? I don?t think we?ve lost any businesses except for a small drugstore that was on its way out anyway because a Payless moved in at the same time as Wal-Mart.? The city of Grants Pass, Oregon had a similar situation with an arrival of a Wal-Mart in 1992. ?Today the downtown corridor consists of specialty and antique shops,? says Barton Brierley, and associate planner for Grants Pass. ?Wal-Mart helped ensure a change in the character of downtown,? he said. Laura Richardson who is a retail analyst with Pacific Crest Securities is all for a competitive change involving smaller retailers. ?It?s a big store. It carries a broad selection. There?s no depth,? Richardson said. ?That?s where the local shops can compete. They need to figure out what Wal-Mart doesn?t do, be flexible and do it.? The expansion of Wal-Mart throughout the U.S. is a positive change for towns, cities and the economy. It brings prosperity, healthy competition and it is part of the inevitable evolution that sweeps through the country on a daily basis. Wal-Mart should be greeted with open arms and with a positive outlook for the future.

Neil Armstrong Essay -- essays research papers

Neil Armstrong Background Neil Armstrong was born in Wapakoneta, Ohio in the year 1930. His services as a pilot were called upon during the Korean War. Shortly after graduating from Purdue University in 1955, Armstrong joined the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, then known as the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics. At the time the functions of the N.A.C. were to plan, direct, and conduct all United States aeronautical and space activities, except for those that were primarily military. Armstrong served as a civilian test pilot at Edwards Air Base in Lancaster, California. In 1962 Armstrong became the first civilian to enter the astronaut-training program. Gemini VII Mission   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In March of 1966, Armstrong completed his training and became the command pilot of the Gemini 8 mission. The crew of this mission was made up of David R. Scott and himself. In case of any emergencies with the two men before the launch, either physical or mental, a backup crew was made. The backup crew consisted of Charles Conrad Junior, and Richard Gordon Junior. The objectives of the mission were:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A. (Main) Rendezvous and dock with Gemini Agena target vehicle (GATV) and conduct EVA operations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  B. (Secondary) Rendezvous and dock in the 4th revolution. Perform docked-vehicle maneuvers, Evaluate systems and conduct 10 experiments. The mission was set to launch on March 15, 1966. Due to mino...

The Bell Jar :: essays research papers

Sylvia Plath’s autobiography, The Bell Jar, tells the story of Plath’s own mental breakdown and suicide attempt, as well as her recovery and eventual reentrance into the outside world. The Bell Jar shows the transition of Plath as a young, hopeful girl into a cynical, suicidal woman. The main character whom represents Plath, Esther Greenwood, is first shown as an aspiring writer who is full of dreams and whose life is brimming with opportunities. As Esther becomes more and more depressed, Plath then shows a very different picture of a woman who has lost hope and no longer wishes to live. Plath conveys this deterioration through effective use of rhetorical devices such as imagery, alliteration, and point of view.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  From the very beginning, Plath lets the reader know that all is not as well as it seems. Esther has won a fashion magazine contest. As her prize, she was given a job and accommodations in New York City. While this seems like a dream come true, Esther says, â€Å"I guess I should have been excited the way most of the other girls were, but I couldn’t get myself to react. I felt very still and very empty, the way the eye of a tornado must feel, moving dully along in the middle of the surrounding hullabaloo.† This use of metaphor helps the reader to better understand how Esther felt. Right from the start, there is something different about Esther, and her unhappiness continues to grow throughout the story. Esther takes to hanging out with another one of the girls, Doreen. Doreen has a habit of blowing off deadlines in favor of men and alcohol. Esther follows her around one night, and upon returning to her room comments, â€Å"The silence depressed me. I t wasn’t the silence of silence. It was my own silence.† This statement, made more effective by the first person point of view, conveys Esther’s growing sense of unhappiness.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As Esther descends further into madness, a very vivid picture is painted. The once healthy young woman can no longer sleep, eat, or read. Stunning imagery is used when describing Esther’s inability to sleep. â€Å"†¦even my eyelids didn’t shut out the light. They hung the raw, red screen of their tiny vessels in front of me like a wound.† This description emphasizes the pain that Esther’s mental illness is inflicting upon her, through use of such words as â€Å"raw†, â€Å"red†, and â€Å"wound†.