Simple strategies for clear written communication, The Actuary - Emphasis

Simple strategies for clear written communication, The Actuary Simple strategies for clear written communication, The Actuary For most actuaries, its a love of maths, statistics, probabilities and risk analysis that draws them into the profession. However, once theyve been fully trained in these hard skills, working life throws up new challenges. If youre a consulting actuary, for example, youll often have to explain complex ideas to clients who are not experts in the field. And even if you work in-house, explaining your work to colleagues is a crucial part of your role. So mastering communication is essential. And since these days we use written communication more than weve ever done before, you need to be able to write and to write well. Being able to explain yourself clearly and write in plain English can help you to gain credibility and increases the perceived value of your work. In turn, this will help ensure your clients or colleagues realise that what you do is an integral part of the organisation. Writing is a core professional skill that must be learned and then continually improved. The demands of business writing and the rigours of producing professional reports are very different from the English learnt at school. It should come as no surprise then that the actuarial profession have changed the CA3 Communications syllabus for trainees, in order to focus on writing for a non-actuarial audience. The Institute of Actuaries and The Faculty of Actuaries have introduced a residential course and workbook to help give students support and practice in this type of writing before they take the written exam. They have recognised that many students struggle with this module and they want to ensure that actuaries are able to express their ideas confidently through writing. Employers are also putting more and more emphasis on writing skills. Firms such as Hewitt and Hymans Robertson have commissioned specialist writing-training programmes for their actuarial staff, for example. So what can you do in practice? Well, imagine that you have completed a report on corporate pensions. You need to present it to a client who has staffing issues, an upcoming annual general meeting to prepare for and several other reports to read. The bottom line is that he is only interested in the financial implications of your search. You need to make an impact and ensure that your ideas are fully understood. If you get the communication wrong, you could lose valuable business. Trainees will soon have to complete an orally-based presentations module as part of their exams. But for trainees and qualified actuaries alike, explaining actuarial mathematics to a layperson is not an easy prospect. And the better you can become at communicating your ideas, the more effective you will be as an actuary. Training doesnt end when you qualify and learning writing techniques can make all the difference to your professional life. Here are the top tips for improving your written communication: Put the reader first Presenting complex figures, modelling techniques or probability theories doesnt have to be a daunting prospect. The answer is to think carefully about your audience and avoid a one size fits all approach. Ask yourself the following questions: What is the document about? Who will read it? How much do they already know about the subject? What do they absolutely need to know? How important is the subject to them? How interested are they in the subject? Dont include absolutely everything about a piece of research or a new idea. Instead, pare down to the main points and write them in plain English. This doesnt mean that you need to dumb down or be patronising, though. The message is to be as clear and precise as possible, and this means using technical language where appropriate. Jargon doesnt have to be avoided at all costs. Just make sure that your audience understand the technical terms youre using. (And always bear in mind that they may no less than they care to admit.) The aim is to save the reader time and wasted effort in trying to decipher unclear prose. Try to picture your reader with your document. If youre writing for a trustee, for instance, its likely theyll have to read several reports before a meeting. So, make sure that your introduction grabs the readers attention. Immediately convey your conclusions and recommendations with a concise, powerful executive summary. It doesnt matter whether youre writing a report, memo, letter or speech. Ask yourself what you want the reader to do when they have read the document. If you want them to take an action, you need to be direct. Clarify your main message Always offer a clear viewpoint. Keep asking yourself what you really want to communicate. It can seem like dangerous ground to express an opinion but its likely that your clients will see it as refreshing. Do this by using the active voice. So say, We predict a decline in employee pension provision, rather than Employee pension provision is predicted to decline. Keep it short Keep your sentences short and simple and avoid flowery phrases. There is no limit on the amount of full stops you can use. Aim for an average length of 15-20 words and an absolute maximum of 35. And stick to the rule of one sentence, one idea. Pay attention to structure If youre worried about structuring your ideas, the questions: what?, where?, when?, how?, why? and who? are useful prompts. When you know what you want to communicate, and why, you can then lay out your core idea first, and expand on it in the rest of the document. Proofread every piece of work Its easy to neglect to read through a document carefully once its finished. Dont. If at all possible, leave at least a day before you read it, to put some distance between you and the content. Otherwise youll read what you think it says, not what it actually does. Love, as they say, is blind. Look out for fuzzy thoughts, typos or badly-worded phrases. And make sure that you check the grammar, punctuation and spelling. Microsoft Words spellcheck doesnt know whether you mean peak or peek. Writing the wrong word can completely change your intended meaning and affect how your work is received. Robert Ashton is the Chief Executive of Emphasis.

Egypt Journal essays

Egypt Journal essays Egypt-lush groves of date palms swaying in the breeze, rolling sand dunes, tawny pyramids shimmering under the desert sun. I have long since had an insatiable longing to visit this land. This week I watched a documentary on the travel channel that only increased the need. I learned many interesting things about this distant land. Plus the bestseller novel I have chosen to read has only heightened my interest since it involves Egypt. A world away form those elusive pyramids, I found the works of Ralph Emerson to delightful to contemplate. I find it very interesting to read the journals of people's lives. Even if some parts are deep and thoughtful, I think it only makes you a better thinker as well. I read over what I have written so far in my journal this week and found that I was deeply influenced by Emerson's pensive feelings. These thoughtful moods indirectly swung towards my art as I boldly painted a bright rose in a dark background. The next day however, I was ready to draw a person reflecting on the distant sunset. This was mostly prompted by a certain degree of serious musings I got out of reading Emerson. I think that even if a person is not use to having an introspective outlook everyday, they can be impelled to go and do just that from Emerson's writing. Again, an image flashed before my eyes, so vivid that it replaced my musings on Emerson's work: a scene of baking desert sands and frowning cliffs. I could almost feel the hot dry air against my skin. I guess the terrain of Egypt will just have to wait for my eventual visit, since in the meantime I plan to explore the land through my bestseller novel. ...

Amazon Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Amazon - Case Study Example The operating cash flow for amazon increase to 31% to record $5.47 billion in the financial year ended December 2013 compared to $4.18 billion in the year 2012. For the net sales for the fourth quarter in year ended 2013, the company recorded a 20% increase that is equivalent to $25.59 billion compared to $21.27 billion in the financial year 2012 fourth quarter. The company in overall accrued a net sales of $74.45 billion in the financial year 2013 which was a 22% increase compared to $61.09 billion in the year 2012 ("Why Amazon Is A Lousy Business"). The company is divided into two segments that include; the North American segment and the international segment. The North American segment is involved in export sales from the www.amazon.ca and www.amazon.com, all of which are based in U.S. The international segment is involved in international websites that are involved in export sales to customers in Canada and U.S. from abroad (Amazon.com, Inc.). Jeff Bezos is an American entrepreneur and the founder of amazon.com and acts as the company’s chief executive. He was born in 1964 January 12th in Albuquerque in New Mexico. He studied in Princeton University where he was awarded a computer science and electrical engineering bachelor’s degree in 1986. He worked in several firms in Wall Street that included Bankers Trust, Fitel and lastly in D.E. Shaw investment firm where he was acknowledged as the youngest vice president in the year 1990. He later quit the job in 1994 to go to Seattle where he had seen an opportunity in internet market which by then was untapped market. Despite the successes that Bezos achieved after founding amazon.com, he was first faced with the challenge of marketing budget. He had to use word of mouth to make the business succeed and be recognized by many people. Another challenge he faced in his first years is the skepticism that people had about him. They saw him as a failure, someone who left a good job to start something

Earthquake Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 1

Earthquake - Essay Example prefectures, as well as 127,290 buildings totally collapsed, with a further 272,788 building ‘ half collapsed’, and another 747,989 buildings partially damaged. The earth is constantly undergoing turbulence and tremors of minor nature are frequent event. However, majority of earthquakes are unpredictable and cause huge damage. Earthquake is a natural disaster which has threatening consequences and government and public need to be more cautious towards it. (Thesis) Earthquakes have put governments and international organization alert on ways to counter it. There are not many precautions one can take to face it. Earthquakes happening at night hours can take many people’s life. It not only damage life but also destroys the whole infrastructure and economy of a country depending upon the intensity. Tsunami is also another aftermath of earthquake and people hence are more scared of earthquake than any disaster. Around the world, Japan, China, Indonesia and India are more prone to earthquakes than any other part. According to the article (Annissimov) , natural disaster is an event with as opposed to human, cause tharesults in large-scale loss of life or damage to property. It could be related to weather, geology, biology or even factors outside the Earth. Examples are earthquakes, hurricanes, droughts and flooding. Disease epidemics are sometimes considered natural disasters, but may be put into a different category. In some cases, natural a nd human factors may combine to produce a disaster. Actually, earthquake occurs due to the movement and pressure on earth’s platonic belts and scientific world has no much ways to predict them. Earth is a planet which is in motion internally and externally. In the internal crust of earth, there is plate – tectonics- the plates at the surface of the earth due to the flow of rock within the earth. The entire surface of the earth is covered with plates. As they are in constant motion they rub against or separate from each

Producers Reaction to Raw Material Price Changes Essay Example for Free

Producers Reaction to Raw Material Price Changes Essay These days all over the world people use products of crude oil. Most of people cannot imagine their life without products such as diesel or gasoline. However, these are only the finished products, which go through specific stages of production. They are made out of crude oil, which sometimes is called „black goldâ€Å". Fuel; however is not the only production made out of crude oil. Lubricants, asphalt, paraffin wax, tar – all these are product made out of crude oil. As stated by US Energy Information Administration (EIA): estimated consumption of oil in the world in 2011 will be 87. 421 million barrels of oil each day. Obviously, crude oil is an important material in the modern world. It has an important role in economy as well. The cost of crude oil affects economy both directly and indirectly. Nowadays, debates about rising prices of fuel or heating are almost an everyday topic. The price changes of fuel are always mentioned on financial news on TV. Naturally, it is interesting what influences the cost of crude oil. How the rise or fall of price affects the price of fuel, and how businesses deal with the fluctuating prices. 1. Crude Oil as a Raw Material When talking about product price changes it is important to understand how the price of raw material is calculated and how it is affected. The perception of how the price is set for the raw materials gives an opportunity to better understand the price of the final product, and all the fluctuations related to the final products’ prices. Also, it helps to recognize how various political decisions or world-wide events, including disasters or new innovations, affect various markets. As for crude oil prices, the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy called Energy Information Administration (EIA) has defined seven key factors which have an influence on and each contribute to the price of crude oil. 1. Production. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) consortium provides about 60 percent of all the oil production traded on international markets and 40 percent of the world’s oil production. All actions and statements of this organization can and do affect world oil prices, because of the dominant crude supply market share. Changes of the amounts of crude oil production lead to changes in price. If OPEC cuts the production, it generally means a rise in price of oil. 2. Supply. The other oil suppliers still represent 60 percent of the world’s oil supply. Even though non-OPEC suppliers as a group are 50 percent larger than OPEC, they have almost no spare capacity. Non-OPEC suppliers are considered to be â€Å"Price Takers†, rather than â€Å"Price Setters†. They respond to market prices, not like OPEC, who manipulate them. Consequently, non-OPEC suppliers practically produce near to full or at full capacity. Any fault in production has the effect on increasing oil supplies. As well, it gives OPEC the capability to further manipulate world supplies. 3. Global oil inventories. The supply and demand is balanced by global oil inventories. For example, if more oil is produced than demanded, the excess supplies can be stored. This principle also works in reverse order. If consumption exceeds demand, inventories can be used to meet the growing demand. The bond between oil inventories and oil prices makes corrections possible in either direction. If oil futures rise in comparison with the current spot price for oil, the need and urge to store oil will increase. As well, spot oil prices will drop, if market makers notice an inventory build. That is the response to balance demand with supply. 4. Financial markets. Oil is not only sold by its physical form, but also there are trade contracts for future delivery. This type of sales is called â€Å"futures†. In order to avoid future oil price increases, some major customers, like airline companies, purchase futures. That is because oil price changes have a significant impact on their ability to operate profitably. Also, often oil futures contracts are sold to lock in a price for a specific period of time. 5. Demand. The Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is an international organization of U.S., Japan, most of European countries, and other advanced countries. The organization is responsible for 53 percent of the world’s demand for oil. Even though OECD countries consume more than non-OECD countries, the rate of growth in OECD countries is considerably slower. OECD demand went down during the period from the year 2000 to 2010. However, non-OECD countries’ demand went up by 40 percent during the same period of time. 6. Non-OECD demand. For the last decade China together with Saudi Arabia and India had the largest growth in crude consumption among non-OECD countries. There is a direct relationship between the rate at which oil consumption rises and the rate of economic growth. It is not surprising that for China and India, the use of crude oil is increasing at a very fast pace compared to the United States’. Besides that, developing countries also usually have more manufacturing-related industries, which have a tendency to consume higher amounts of crude oil. 7. Spot market. Crude oil is sold all over the world. There are many different â€Å"streams† of crude oil, however they are likely to move in lockstep with one another regarding the prices. All these streams are put in a certain process of production to make product which are used, such as: gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricant and other various petroleum products. All of the financial channels on TV are talking about crude oil prices. However the essential point here is the price of the final products. Any events that have the power to disrupt the flow of crude oil and end products have a significant effect on the price of those goods. Geopolitical events, massive oil leaks, natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes, terrorist acts, etc. all are included to the list of event which can and do influence the price. Both supply and demand are rather inelastic, this means that any of the above events, or perceived risk of the happening, usually leads to higher prices, espe cially in the futures market. All these factors clearly show how easily the system of oil trading can be shocked, leading to huge swings in the price of crude oil. Also, it has to be pointed out, that most of the world’s oil supply is located in countries or parts of the world that are politically instable. All this explains why the price we pay for oil product is so volatile. Example how natural tragedies affect the price of crude oil: In 2010 April 20th in the Gulf of Mexico a huge oil spill took place. It was one of the biggest oil spills in history. Without a doubt it had a significant impact on the oil prices. Figure 1. History of oil prices. Clearly, the chart shows that the price of oil rose when the clearing begun. This proves, that certain events have influence on oil prices. 2. Gasoline usage Gasoline is the most popular Transportation Fuel in the U. S. Gasoline is one of the most popular fuels consumed in the United States and the main product made from oil. Usage of petrol in 2010 was approximately 132 billion gallons, which means about 360 million gallons a day. Gasoline used as energy for transportation stands for more than 64%, 48% of all petrol consumption and more than 18 % of all consumed energy in U.S. Petrol is mostly used in cars and light trucks. It is also consumed by owners of boats, recreational vehicles ran by fuel and landscaping, farm, construction equipment. Benzine is made year-round, however, the highest demand and the biggest imported quantity is seen in the summer. The graph shows the amount of gasoline consumed in U.S. 1950-2010: Over 260 million vehicles on the streets Nowadays, in the United States, gasoline is the fuel used by most passenger engines. There are more than 260 million vehicles that use gasoline, the amount of them increases each day and they manage to travel over 12,164 miles per year. There are around 170,000 fueling stations that ensure comfortable refueling for users. Above two-thirds of fuel consumed for moving is in the form of petrol. Each benzine station usually sells three types of petrol: * Regular * Midgrade * Premium 3. Determining gasoline prices The changes of gasoline prices affect all the countries and their economies. Each person that owns a vehicle run by petrol is affected individually. Every day the retail price of gasoline changes, but only few people know what exactly makes the prices fluctuate. There are several different factors that has sway on fuel prices. The first and also the biggest reason that influences the price of petrol is the cost of crude oil from which it is obtained. In 2000, average retail price of gasoline was only 2.37$ per gallon and the total price included only 55% of crude oil. After more than 10 years the costs of it grew and the percentage of crude oil now seeks over huge 66%. In the last few years the consumption of petrol fuel grew so rapidly that the producers of these had many difficulties succeeding to fulfill their cutomers needs. The growth of demand of fuel is another huge factor that has affected the cost of petrol. The demand isntantly grew up and the supplies went down. This made a huge influence on petrol price. In addition, another great reason of gasoline price growth is refining costs and profits. In 2000, it made approximately 15% of total price of fuel. After 10 years, the percentage of those costs consisted over 12%. The percentage reduced, but it still remains high and definately makes a huge impact on retail fuel price. Crude oil price change influence on producing gasoline The price of crude oil is one of the main factors that influences the cost of retail gasoline. The cost of crude oil changes each day. The price depends on many different factors. The change of the crude oil price hugely affect the retail price of gasoline. When the price of crude oil grows, eventually the cost of petrol also rises. The growth of crude oils price reduces the production of gasoline, diesel, gas. Producers lowers the production of petrol and fuel and also increases the retail prices of them. When the price reach highest point, the demand of fuel, gas and gasoline reduces. After the price and demand stabilizes, price starts to reduce and demand begins to grow. Conclusion First of all we can say that prices of oil production generally are set by OPEC. They provide crude oil all over the world, so generally they can control prices of oil. Moreover, other suppliers still represent 60 percent of the world‘s oil supply, however they don‘t set prices, they are more like „price takersâ€Å". So OPEC certainly manipulates the power they have. Global oil inventories help to balance supply and demand; the excess supplies are more likely to be stored, when growth of the prices is forecasted. OECD is mainly responsible for the demand of oil. Even though OECD countries consume more than non-OECD countries, the rate of growth in OECD countries is considerably slower. Crude oil is the main material which is used to make gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, lubricants and other various petroleum products, but it doesn’t set the total price of fuel, the main thing is the final product. Moreover, the price of crude oil can be affected if the system is disturbed, because of natural disasters like hurricanes or earthquakes, terrorist acts, etc. Talking about gasoline, it is the most popular fuel consumed in the U.S. and the main product made from oil. Petrol is used in almost all cars, light trucks and boats. Usage of petrol in 2010 was approximately 132 billion gallons, which means about 360 million gallons a day. Gasoline used as energy for transportation stands for more than 64%, over 48% of all petrol consumption and more than 18 % of all consumed energy in the United States. Furthermore, there are around 260 million vehicles that use gasoline, the amount of them increases each day and they manage to travel over 12,164 miles per year. To sum up, the main things which fluctuate prices of fuel are: the fluency of crude oil supply system and the actions and statements made by OPEC. All in all, raw materials’ prices change and influence producers’ behavior. In the case of crude oil production, prices tend to go up, because of relatively inelastic supply and demand. Yet, more efficient technologies are created to minimize or replace use of crude oil products.

My Educational Philosophy Essay -- Philosophy of Education Teachers Te

My Educational Philosophy Plato/Socrates and Rousseau have become major philosophical approaches. All these opinions are different compared to mine. Some are the same and some are different. I do agree with some of the philosophers’ points, but some I disagree with. My philosophical view relates to some of the philosophers views. First, Socrates (469-399 B.C.) view is on asking students repeatedly questions to make them rethink what they believe. He wanted to help others find the truths that lie within their minds. His questions dealt with the nature of love or the good. He wanted to help his students develop guides to a virtuous life. I agree with this to a certain degree. Helping students develop a guide to a virtuous life is good. Repeatedly asking students questions about "love" or the "good" is not a good approach. I think students have learned as they live. You have to learn through what you go through. Live and learn is a good philosophy. You have to think and learn before you react to something. Pushing a human to learn is not going to make them learn. Experience contributes to learning. It is a big part of learning. Thinking is also a big part. Plato is a philosopher whose view I partly agree with also. Plato believed that the human soul has three parts: intellect (reason), spirit (passion), and appetite (basic animal desires). This was his philosophy on life. He is right. We have reason to figure it out. There is a reason for everything. There is a reason why everything happens the way it does. If there was no reason, what is the purpose for anything? Spirit (passion) is also a true philosophy. Every human has the desire for passion. A hobby is a passion. A lover is a passion. Appetite (basic animal desires) ... ...em through it. The rules in the classroom are very important. There should be few and strict rules. If there were no rules, the teachers would get ran over by the students. The children need to know their limits in the classroom. They need to know who is in control. Although I have disagreed with some of Rousseau's views, I agree with most of them. Rousseau's philosophies are mainly what I agree with most. He was a great philosopher and he will follow me through my teaching career. I hope someday my ways of teaching, how I go about it, and what I teach, will reflect someone's life. I hope the student's look at me as a great teacher and someday they will look back on me and say "she taught me something I need to know for the rest of my life." I want to be one of the teacher's who are looked back on. I plan to peruse my teaching career. I am very excited about it.

The Effect of Alcoholism on the Family

Alcoholism has been a problem America has faced for thousands of years. There are alcoholics in every generation and they can be of any age, social or ethnic group, and socio-economic status. Numerous studies unexpectedly show that alcoholism typically affects highly educated and highly motivated individuals (Silverstein, 1990 cited in Parsons, 2003).Presently, in a national survey conducted in 2001 by the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse), nearly half of Americans (48.  3 percent or roughly 109 million) at least 12 years of age reported that they were current alcohol drinkers, while 5. 7 percent or 12. 9 million reported that they engage in heavy drinking.Most of the heavy drinkers were young adults aged 18 to 25 years old (13. 6 percent of the population within this age range), and heavy alcohol use rates decreased with increasing age as only 5. 4 percent of the middle-aged population admitted that they engage in heavy dr inking. These heavy drinkers have caused many problems not only for themselves but for the family as well.Hence, alcoholism has been recognized as a family disease. An alcoholic in the family can have lasting detrimental effects to the family. In another survey conducted by the U. S Department of Health and Human Services together with Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), â€Å"76 million American adults have been exposed to alcoholism in the family. † Hence, it’s not surprising that family problems have been attributed mostly to alcoholism than to any other single cause (Parsons, 2003). McAneny (1997 cited in Walters, 2002) adds that in every three families, one family has alcohol-related problems.The significant effect of the presence of alcoholic in the family has caught the attention of many scholars and institutions. They contributed greatly in identifying the specific effects of alcoholism on the individual and on the family. This pap er aims to describe the biological and behavioral effects of alcoholism on the family of alcoholics. Specifically, it aims to discuss the following: (1) The parental behavior of alcoholics (2) Spousal and child violence of alcoholics (3) The biological effects on the child of alcoholics (COAs)(4) The psychological effects of alcoholism on the family members Considering the findings of numerous studies, the author states that alcoholism has biological effects on children of alcoholics, contributes to spousal and child violence, and has a psychological effect on the family members. Behavioral Problems of Alcoholics Parental Behavior of Alcoholics Alcoholic parents cannot provide their children the necessary proper bonding characterized by consistent love and nurturing. The alcoholic parent is mostly absent. When he or she is present, he or she exhibits very inconsistent behavior.For instance, he or she may be harsh and abusive at one time, then remorseful and kind later (McGaha, 1995) . This observation is further supported by a study conducted by Lang (1999) involving alcoholic parents and their deviant children. Results of his experiment establish the causal effect of alcohol on parenting behavior. Intoxicated parents were less likely to keep their attention focused on their child and respond appropriately. They were also inclined to fail to attend or misperceive their children’s problem behaviors, placing the parents in a poor position to correct the problem behavior.Decrease in consistency of parenting behavior was also found to be a consequence of drinking. Due to changes in parental perception induced by alcohol intoxication, Lang also concluded that these changes could cause the disciplinary patterns of the parents to vary as a result of alcohol intoxication. Being intoxicated also caused the interaction style of parents to be disorganized and inconsistent. They engaged in irrelevant talk and failed to maintain task-oriented work behaviors as they w ere less congenial, i. e., laughed and played less, and inconsistent, i. e. , worked less, talked more. Based on these results, Lang concluded that alcohol intoxication lessens parental effectiveness. Alcoholic Violence on Spouses Kantor and Straus (1990) conducted a review of 15 empirical studies and discovered a range from 6 to 85% alcohol involvement in spouse abuse. One of the studies they reviewed is Labell’s (1979) study the findings of which showed that nearly three-fourths or 72 percent of 512 physically abused women reported that their husbands have alcohol problems.In an analysis of the survey data that they gathered, results revealed that a direct linear relationship exists between the wife battering rates and typical drinking patterns. The rate of drinking of binge and heavy drinkers was nearly one half or 48 percent at the time of physical abuse incident (cited in Hutchison, 1999). Alcoholism and Child Abuse Research estimates reveal that more than 1 million chil dren in the US are involved in some form of abuse or neglect every year (Widom, 1993 cited in Widom, 2001).Child abuse has been associated with alcohol use and abuse which has been considered either as a consequence or a causative factor. For instance, alcohol abuse of parents may contribute to an abusive treatment towards their child (Widom, 2001). Some studies support this conclusion, one of which is the study of Ammerman and his associates (1999) which revealed a relationship between parents with history of alcohol and other drug abuse (AOD) and a higher potential to abusive treatment of children in comparison to parents without history of AOD (cited in Widom, 2001).Another study that supports the link of alcoholism and child abuse state that mothers who have histories of alcohol problems are â€Å"more likely to use harsh punishment on their children compared with women without such histories† (Miller et al. , 1997 cited in Widom, 2001). Biological Effects on the Child of Alcoholics Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders When mothers consume alcohol during their pregnancy, it causes the child in their womb to have birth defects, clinically known as a fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).The most clinically recognized form of FASD is fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS), which is usually characterized by the following: (1) a pattern of minor facial irregularity; (2) prenatal and postnatal growth defects; and (3) abnormalities in the functional or structural central nervous system (CNS). These birth defects cause neurocognitive impairment resulting in behavioral disturbances and learning difficulties. Another clinically recognizable form of FASD is alcohol related neurodevelopmental disorder which is similar to FAS but the defects in the facial feature are absent (Wattendorf, 2005).A study conducted by Sampson et al. (1997) and Stratton et al. (1996) reported that 1 percent of the US population may be affected by FASD (cited in Wattendorf, 2005). Mothers who cons ume high levels of alcohol during pregnancy are likely to give birth to children who have FASD. In fact, animal studies show that during pregnancy, a single episode of alcohol consumption (two alcoholic beverages where one drink is equal to 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1. 5 ounces of â€Å"hard† liquor), may bring about the loss of fetal brain cells (Olney, 2004 cited in Wattendorf, 2005).However, even when the deleterious effects of alcohol on the baby has become a widespread knowledge, a study conducted by the National Task Force on Fetal alcohol Syndrome and Fetal alcohol Effect participated by 18 to 24 years old women showed that 10 percent of the mothers consumed alcohol while pregnant, of which 2 percent participated in binge drinking, i. e. , consuming five or more drinks on one occasion (Wattendorf, 2005). As alcohol consumption directly results in neuronal damage and fetal brain cell due to the toxin from alcohol, FASD is considered nonhereditary.No prenat al period has been exempted from the harmful effects of alcohol. Alcohol exposure in any period of pregnancy may result in CNS damage, even before doing a pregnancy test. Thus, women should not drink any beverage with alcohol content from the time of conception to birth (Wattendorf, 2005) Genetic Factors of Alcoholism Early family studies revealed that people with a family history of alcohol misuse have three to four times higher chance of personally misusing alcohol than those who have no family history of alcohol misuse (Cotton, 1979, cited in Walters, 2002).Further studies on parent-to-offspring transmission of alcoholism were conducted by observing male children of alcoholics who were adopted-away or placed in adoptive homes since birth (Goodwim et al. 1973; Schuckit et al. 1972a, b; all cited in Wilson, 1991). Findings of the study conducted by Goodwin and associates (1973) showed that 33 percent of adopted-away sons of alcoholic fathers became alcoholics as well, as opposed to 7 percent incidence of alcoholism on adopted-away sons of nonalcoholic fathers, representing a 26 percent increase in incidence of alcoholism (Winston, 1991).While these results may be significant in determining the probability of future alcoholism for the sons of alcoholics, discerning exactly who among them will turn out to be alcoholic is difficult to answer. After all, more than half of the sons of alcoholics studied (two-thirds) did not become alcoholics (Goodwin et al. , 1973 cited in Winston, 1991).Thus, providing intervention or prevention strategies for the sons of alcoholics would be a waste of effort two-thirds of the time, and would overlook a more important matter: rehabilitating alcoholic sons of nonalcoholics (Winston, 1991). Psychological Effects of Alcoholism on the Family Psychological Effects on Children of Alcoholics (COAs) It has been widely considered that parents with alcohol problems place their children at a high risk of having several developmental and beh avioral problems, including the development of substance abuse problems of their own (Conners, 2004).Numerous studies show that COAs are at an elevated risk of developing externalizing and behavior problems including conduct disorder, oppositional disorder, delinquency, and attention deficit disorders (Earls, Reich, Jung, & Cloninger, 1988; Kuperman, Schlosser, Lidral, & Reich, 1999; Merikangas & Avenevoli, 2000; Reich, Earls, Frankel, & Shayka, 1993, Sher, 1991; all cited in Ohennessian, 2004). Other studies focused on internalizing problems that develop in COAs such as depression and anxiety (Bennett, Wolin, & Reiss, 1988; Chassin, Pitts, DeLucia, & Todd, 1999; Reich et al., 1993; all cited in Ohannessian, 2004). There is also a higher possibility that COAs would experience substance abuse problems as to non-COAs (Chassin et al. , 1999; Goodwin, 1988; Russell, Cooper, & Frone, 1990; all cited in Ohannessian, 2004). In addition, these children also have negative psychological sympt oms such as low self-esteem, loneliness, guilt, feelings of helplessness, fears of abandonment, and chronic depression (Berger, 1993 cited in Parsons, 2003). They also often experience high levels of tension and stress resulting in frequent nightmares, bed wetting, and crying.They may also feel that they are to blame for the problems of the alcoholic, thinking that they are the cause of the problem. Adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) may exhibit depressive symptoms such as obsessive perfectionism, hoarding, or being excessively self-conscious (Parsons, 2003). The school performance of COAs may also be affected as stressful home environment prevents them from studying. In school, they may also develop the inability to express themselves and the difficulty in relating with their teachers and classmates.A survey conducted by the US government show that there are 30 percent of women who were not able to finish high school are daughters of alcoholics while only 20 percent of sons of al coholics went to college. ACOAs also experience problems of depression, aggression, or impulsive behavior. As parents, they often tend to become failures and make poor career choices due to elevated feelings of worthlessness and failure (Berger, 1993 cited in Parsons, 2003). Although a portion of COAs develop psychological problems later in life, many of them do not manifest high levels of emotional and behavioral problems and become alcoholics themselves.The cause of variability may be attributed to individual differences and factors other than parental alcoholism that independently contribute to child outcomes (Loukas et al. , 2001). Psychological Effects on Spouses of Alcoholics Spouses of Alcoholics may develop negative emotions such as hatred, self-pity, and avoidance of social contacts. They may also suffer from exhaustion and from physical or mental illness as the spouse fulfills the responsibilities of two parents (Berger, 1993 cited in Parsons, 2003).The nonalcoholic spouse s’ focus on the alcoholic spouse may cause them to neglect their children (McGaha, 1995; Berger, 1993 cited in Parsons, 2003). The marital conflict caused by alcoholism often leads to divorce (Parsons, 2003; McGaha, 1995). Family Problems of in an Alcoholic Family System The home environment of an alcoholic family system is characterized by bewildering emotional conflicts such as inconsistent and antagonistic behavior (Morehouse, 1994 cited in McGaha, 1995). As alcoholism is considered as one of the major instigators of divorce, alcoholic families are often broken.However, studies also show that spouse and children of alcoholics contribute to the drinker’s irresponsible habit and make it worse by tolerating it to keep the family together (Parsons, 2003). Denial of the problem instigates multiple emotional problems in the family members. The family members also often become codependent i. e. , unconsciously addicted to the abnormal behavior of another (Wekesser, 1994 ci ted in Parsons, 2003). The codependent family members of alcoholics try to do everything they can to hide the problem, causing the spouse and children to â€Å"avoid making friends and bringing other people home† (Parsons, 2003).The codependent family members often let go of their own needs or desires to attempt to control or cure the drinker (Parsons, 2003). Summary and Conclusion The studies cited in this paper suggest that alcoholism contributes to numerous problems in the family. Alcoholic parents tend to become ineffective as parents due to parental inconsistencies such as inconsistency in discipline caused by misperception of a child’s behavior problem. Alcoholics were also found to inflict physical abuse on family members their spouse and children especially when they have consumed high levels of alcohol.Alcoholism has also biological effects on the child of alcoholics (COAs). Fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) occurs when mothers consume alcohol during pregnancy. FAS is characterized by physical deformities and cognitive impairment, resulting in learning disabilities. The role of genes in alcoholism was also considered, as findings of a study conducted on adopted-away sons of alcoholics reveal that 30 percent of the participants turned out to be alcoholics like their parents. Finally, alcoholism has a psychological impact on the family.Family members of alcoholics experience a bewildering mixture of emotional conflict at home and become codependent on the alcoholic’s behavior. Children of Alcoholics (COAs) and spouses of alcoholics have a higher risk of having behavior, development, and social problems. References Conners, N. A. (2004). Children of mothers with serious substance abuse problems: an accumulation of risks. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 30(1), 85-100. Hutchison, I. W. (1999). Alcohol, fear, and woman abuse. Sex Roles, 40, 893-920. Lang, A. R. (1999).Effects of alcohol intoxication on parenting behavior in inter actions with child confederates exhibiting normal or deviant behaviors. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 27(3), 177-189. Loukas, A. et al. (2001). Parental alcoholism and co-occurring antisocial behavior: prospective relationships to externalizing behavior problems in their young sons. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 29(2), 91-106. McGaha, J. E. (1995). Family violence, abuse, and related family issues of incarcerated delinquents with alcoholic parents compared to those with nonalcoholic parents.Adolescence, 30(118), 473-482. Ohannessian, C. M. (2004). The relationship between parental alcoholism and adolescent psychopathology: a systematic examination of parental comorbid psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 32(5), 519-533 Parsons, T. (December 14, 2003). Alcoholism and its effect on the family. AllPsych Journal. Retrieved November 7, 2007 from http://allpsych. com/journal/alcoholism. html Samhsa. gov (2002). Statistics. Alcohol and Drug Information. Re trieved November 7, 2007 from http://ncadistore. samhsa.gov/catalog/facts. aspx? topic=3 Walters, G. D. (2002). The heritability of alcohol abuse and dependence: a meta-analysis of behavior genetic research. American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 28(3), 557- 584. Widom, C. S. (2001). Alcohol abuse as a risk factor for and consequence of child abuse. Alcohol Research and Health. 25(1), 52-57. Wilson, J. R. (1991). Genetics of alcoholism. Alcohol Health and Research World, Winter, 1991. Retrieved November 7, 2007 from http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m0847/is_n1_v15/ai_12148263/print

Marketing Research Report Essay

Irresponsible human behaviours are impacting the environment. Therefore, environmental concern groups and also the governments around the world are trying to do something hoping to change people’s attitude towards environmentally friendly issues. This report aims at predicting the factors that motivate consumers to engage in environmentally friendly purchase behaviours. Convenience sampling of non-probability techniques was used to collect data. The data collected was then analysed by regression analysis, t-test and ANOVA. It was found out that political and technological factors have a positive relationship with environmental concern while success or anthropocentric have a negative relationship with environmental concern. Furthermore, environmental concern has a positive relationship with direct and indirect environmentally friendly behaviour and willingness to pay for environmentally friendly purchase behaviour. However, the relationships were not strong. Therefore, it is re commended that a further, more in-depth research should be conducted to find out the substantial factors that affect consumers’ environmentally friendly purchase behaviour. 1. Introduction and Background 1.1 Importance of the research In recent years, there were one after another blockbusting environmental related movie, for instances, The Day After Tomorrow in 2004, An Inconvenient Truth in 2006 and 2012 in 2009. These popular movies have undoubtedly increase people’s awareness towards climate change issues. According to World Wide Fund for Nature (2010), the average temperatures on earth have warmed by about 0.76 degree Celsius over the past 2 centuries (WWF, 2010). The increases in temperature make huge changes for the world’s climate even thought the temperature rise seems insignificantly small. Researches after researches show that this environmental problem is primarily caused by irresponsible human activities like private consumption. As a result, it is necessary for us to educate and raise the awareness of the publics so that environmental problems will not be worsening. This  quantitative research is based on the collective findings of the qualitative exploratory research conducted earlier to investigate whether or not consumers engage in environmental consideration when making consumption decisions more thoroughly. 1.2 Scope The scope of the report is to find out the factors that may affect consumers’ environmentally friendly behaviour through the qualitative research, so that marketers may make meaningful decisions based on the data collected. This research will also provide recommendations to green organisations and the federal government on how to address the environmentally unfriendly purchase behaviour. 1.3 Research problem A research problem should feasible and clear. The research problem of this research is to predict motivations that may affect consumers’ environmentally friendly purchase behaviour. 1.4 Aims and Objectives The aim and objective of this research is to look for differences between samples and come up with a conclusion. This research also aims at testing two main groups of hypotheses. 1) Social beliefs, materialism will have a negative relationship with environmental concern * The social beliefs include technological belief, political belief, economy belief, anthropocentric belief and competition belief. * Materialism includes success, centrality and happiness. 2) Environmental concern has positive indirect behaviour, willingness to pay, direct behaviour 2. Methodology 2.1 Methodological considerations and assumptions This research, quantitative research, was based on the data gather from a qualitative exploratory research which was carried out previously. The purpose of qualitative exploratory research is to narrow and clarify the scope and nature of the research problem. Exploratory research helps researchers understand the research problem and then transform ambiguous problem into well-defined ones. From the quantitative research, two groups of variables, namely materialism and social values, were identified. This  quantitative research was conducted to find out which variables may have a stronger relationship with the dependent variables which are mentioned in section 1.4. 2.2 Sample considerations The target audiences of this research are any people live in Australia and are accountable for making purchase decisions. Respondents should understand English and be 18 years old or above. However, gender, marital status and educational level of respondents are not restricted in this research. 2.3 Data collection and framework, and analytical considerations Research was conducted through survey as a follow on from exploratory research conducted by face-to-face interview. This research was conducted by using a written questionnaire on a convenience sample. Convenience sampling, which is one of the non-probability techniques, â€Å"refers to sampling by obtaining the people or units that are most conveniently available† (Zikmund, Ward, Lowe & Winzar, 2007). Convenience sampling is inexpensive and quick. 1022 surveys were collected, 449 male and 573 female respondents. Since this research was trying to find out relationships between factors rather than analysing changes in a sam e sample, cross-sectional analysis was used. 3. Ethical Considerations In a research, ethic is one of the very important items that could not be missed. Ethics in researches are important because it supports the objective of a research, such as knowledge, truth and avoidance of error (Rensnik, 2010). Rensnik (2010) continues that ethics in a research is important also because it involves public privacy. As a result, ethical consideration has to treat carefully in a research so that the research is ethical and considerable. There are six ethical principles that have to be considered in a research according to American Marketing Association (2010), and they are responsibility, fairness, respect, transparency and citizenship. In other words, researchers have to be responsible for the consequences of their marketing decision; they also have to judge a fair balance between consumers and sellers. Furthermore, researchers have to respect human rights of all respondents involving in the research process. Researchers also have to make every effort to communicate clearly with all respondents so to strive for a high transparency of the research. Last but not least,  contributing to the community such as providing good recommendations is also considered as ethical in a research. To address all the ethical considerations above, each respondent would be asked to sign an interview consent form (see Appendix A) before the start of the survey, indicating that the interviewees do not only understands the purpose and risk of this research, but also know where to go when they have any concerns or complaints regarding the conduct of the research.

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Essay Example

Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Essay Example Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Paper Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes Paper Essay Topic: Flowers for Algernon Even though his mother abandoned him when he was still a child, he wanted to be smart to please her, and make to her proud of him, for reasons explained below. An example of this is this when Professor Newer and Dry. Strauss tell Charlie why he has been chosen to be part of the research. They tell him that he has been picked because of his desire to be smart. Not only does Charlie wants to be smart, but he also wants to please everyone around him. He wants them to be happy and to like him. One of the clearest things about little children other than their innocence is their desire to please adults. Furthermore, childrens main motivation in school is to please their parents and teachers and to make their parents happy. Another common thing among many children is their curiosity. They want to know more. Charlie literally acts like a big child. He really wants to be a smart person. As we learn later on in the book, he wants to go through the process of the operation to make his mother happy, to get her approval and to make her proud of him. As we can see, before the operation Charlie acts like a child stuck in an adults body. : He wants to become smart and to earn. He has the simple curiosity off young child. He wants to do it to please his mother much like a child whose main motivation in school is to please his parents. The reason why Professor Newer and Dry. Strauss have chosen him is because Charlie wants please them and he needs their constant approval in the same way a child desires for the approval of the adults around him/her. Moreover, we can see this happens again when he regresses. At the end of the book he writes maybe ill even get a little bit smarter Which means that even after he regresses he wants to e smart which means he starts to act like he used to before the operation. In his process of development, Charlie first learnt how to use a full stop. He even used it before the operation. The next thing he learnt was comma (,). At first, he used it incorrectly, but then after a while he learns how to use it correctly as well. Towards the end of the book, he forgets how to use the comma and st ops using it. A normal child first learns how to use a full stop/period. It is the easiest and most basic form of punctuation. Shortly after, children learn about the comma. Usually, it is harder for a hill to learn how to use a comma correctly than how to use a full stop. Another hard thing for children to learn is spelling. Much like a child, Charlie first learns how to use a full stop. It was the first punctuation he used and he even used dots before the operation. Moreover, he learns how to use a comma like a child, first he uses it too much and after a while he uses it correctly. During his regression, he stops to use commas all over again. Moreover, his usage of full stops regresses, he has worse sentence structures and he does not use any sophisticated language anymore. Furthermore, he has many spelling mistakes. Charlie was abandoned by his parents when he was a child. When he starts to recover his childhood memories, his personality changes and actually fits the profile of a typical teenager once he learnt something he think he knows everything, he is self-centered and arrogant. He also has serious trouble with women and he has some trust issues. His personality changes slowly (although when compared to that of a teenager it seems accelerated). First, he has problems with Alice. After that, he becomes arrogant and self-centered. He thinks that he is smarter than everyone else and that he can do almost everything without any help. However, when he has to do something, he postpones it or Just ignores it. For example, when he asks the Wellbeing foundation permission to work on his case, he stops taking an interest in it once he gets their permission. A normal teenager who was abandoned by his parents will experience similar problems to those Charlie has and fits the same profile. A teenager who has been abandoned by his parents usually prefers to work alone, and spend time alone. He will most likely eave some commitment issues and the average abandoned teenager will solve his problems by getting drunk or by getting high. An abandoned, teenager is most likely to have a very low CEQ or a very late CEQ development compared to a normal teenager. Moreover, a smart abandoned teenager will not grow up to use his full potential as he will be busy trying to find a mother/father figure in his life and try to make that figure love him by pleasing him/her. Much like an abandoned teenager Charlie prefers to work alone. He has problems with Alice. He is with Fay Just for the sex. He as no real feelings for her. He gets drunk all day and looks for another mother figure in his life Alice, and looks for her constant approval. That being said, his social skills are not as bad as an abandoned teenagers are. The reason of that most likely lies in the fact he is not really a teenager, he is something between a child and an adult and has a fine sense of both for the people around him. He does not want people to suffer as he did, he does not want to be alone all the time nor does he give up about the idea of female figure in his life. He has a relationship with Alice and sexual legislations with Fay. After his regression, his personality changes back to the one of a child; he is innocent; wants to be smart; wants to make everyone proud of him all over again. Towards the end of the book, Charlie begins to regress, his IQ and his CEQ drop, his profile changes back to the one of a child and his knowledge decreases. First, he loses his short term memory which includes knowledge about commas, foreign language and his academic knowledge. However, he does not forget his childhood memories nor does he forget the time before the operation, which is like his second childhood.

What Is a Republic vs a Democracy Understanding the Difference

What Is a Republic vs a Democracy Understanding the Difference SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you look closely at the United States Pledge of Allegiance, you’ll see that it calls the United States a republic. It reads: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.† So what does that mean, exactly? Can the United States be both a democracy and a republic? And what is the difference between a democracy and republic, anyway? As it turns out, there are subtle, but important, differences between a democracy and a republic, and that the definitions aren’t mutually exclusive. In other words, it’s complicated. But don’t worry! Knowing the differences between a republic vs a democracy is important for tons of AP exams, including both history tests (U.S. and world) and both government and politics tests (U.S. and comparative). That’s why we’ve put this guide together for you. By the end of this article, you’ll know the definitions of a democracy and a republic, how they operate, the differences between them, and where the United States fits into the discussion. So let’s get started! What Is a Democracy? The term â€Å"democracy† comes from the combination of two Greek words: â€Å"demos,† meaning â€Å"the people,† and â€Å"kratia,† which means â€Å"power or authority.† Thus, a democracy refers to a type of government where the power to govern rests with a country’s people rather than a ruling family (a monarchy) or a single individual (totalitarianism). That means that citizens control how their government operates, usually through voting. The Origins of Democracy The term â€Å"democracy† first pops up in the 5th century BCE to refer to the government in Athens, Greece. Between 508 BCE and 322 BCE, Athenians governed themselves in what is now referred to as a pure democracy. (Don’t worry...we’ll go into that a little later.) Ancient Athenians didn’t have anyone to represent them in government; instead, everyone had a voice- literally. Debates on topics of governance were held publicly in what was referred to as The Athenian Assembly, and every male Athenian citizen had individual voting rights. Not only that, but qualified citizens were given time off of work and a stipend to help make sure every voice was heard! Through the Assembly, every voice could weigh in on every issue, and all laws and rules of governance were established based on majority rule. While this type of democracy would eventually be replaced by a more representative form of government, the underlying idea- that government works best when it's run by its citizens- would go on to influence the governance of most of the Western world, including the United States. The 3 Major Types of Democracies With growing populations and more complex systems of government, the Athenian method of one voice, one vote doesn’t always work. So as the world has changed, democracy has changed with it. Here are the three major types of democracies seen in the world today. Direct Democracy Also known as pure democracy, direct democracy is democracy in its most basic form. Just like the Athenians at the Assembly, direct democracy lets each qualified individual shape policy by casting a direct vote. In other words, citizens are directly involved in the political process! In this system, political decisions are made based on what the majority of voters decide. Each qualified person casts a vote, and the category with the most number of votes wins. The benefits to a direct democracy are that it lets each person, regardless of class, race, or economic position have a voice. However, in practice, direct democracies often exclude certain groups. For instance, in ancient Athens, only male citizens had the right to participate in direct democracy. Women, criminals, and slaves- even though they were subject to Athens’ laws and policies- were denied a voice. Additionally, direct democracy doesn’t always work well on a large scale. That’s because there are an overwhelming number of decisions that need to be made to keep governments running. Examples of Direct Democracy in Action Because direct democracy can be unwieldy on the national level, there are few countries that use it as a primary governmental system. But that doesn’t mean direct democracy doesn’t exist anymore! Here are some examples of where you can see direct democracy in action. Switzerland: Switzerland, a country of roughly 8.2 million people, uses direct democracy to run its local, regional, and federal governments. Every citizen over the age of 18 weighs in on how the country should be run, and because votes are so important, they are held four times a year and scheduled decades in advance. Also, as a direct democracy Switzerland lacks an elected Head of State. Instead, the country has a Federal Council which is elected by the Federal Assembly (which works like the Athenian Assembly) every four years. Each year, a new person from the Federal Council is elected to serve as president! Local Elections in the U.S.: Because the populations are much smaller, local, municipal, and county elections often rely on direct democracy to make sure government is serving the will of the people. Local laws and referendums are often put up for a majority vote where every vote counts. State Elections in the U.S.: Fourteen states allow citizens to design legislation and put it up for a vote through what are called ballot initiatives. Each state lets an individual citizen create a ballot initiative, and if it gets enough signatures via petition, it gets put on a statewide ballot where it passes by majority vote. The catch? In order to go on the ballot, each initiative must be ruled constitutional by the state courts, too! Representative Democracy The second type of democracy is a representative democracy (sometimes called indirect democracy). In this system of government, certain individuals are elected to represent the will of the people. These people, often referred to as elected officials, are chosen to vote on behalf of a specific group of citizens. These groups can be defined in many ways. Sometimes people are grouped by neighborhood, by city, by county, or even by province or state. The idea behind a representative democracy is to streamline the process of government. Because elections where everyone weighs in are logistically difficult, having a small number of people representing the desires of the majority allow for much faster decision making. This is especially important when governments are representing a large number of people, and it’s one of the reasons why many federal governments use indirect democracy to operate. But representative democracy comes with drawbacks, too. One of the biggest problems is that in most cases, representatives aren’t required (by law, constitution, etc.) to actually represent the will of their constituents. They’re able to make their own decisions, which can mean that elected officials are more prone to corruption. Additionally, there’s the problem of the vocal minority. Have you ever heard the term, â€Å"the squeaky wheel gets the grease†? It just means that the people who complain the loudest are often the ones who get the most attention. So sometimes a few people who complain loudly are mistaken for representing the majority of their community. Examples of Representational Democracy in Action Because representational democracy works best on a larger scale, most Western governments operate this way (if the country is democratic, of course). Here are a few examples of representational democracy in action. The U.S. Legislature: The U.S. Legislature is a federal representational government, meaning that the representatives who serve create laws that apply to the entirety of the United States. The legislative branch is split into two houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. In the Senate, each state elects two people to represent their interests on the national level. In the House of Representatives, the number of representatives from each state is determined by population, so bigger states have more representatives. In both cases, all the representatives are elected by majority vote in their respective states. (Note: this is different than other representative democracies, like the United Kingdom parliament, where one house is elected and the other house is appointed by the Prime Minister or President.) U.S. State Legislatures: U.S. state legislatures work exactly like the federal legislature, only on a smaller scale. Each state has both a senate and a house of representatives, and the state’s residents elect representatives based on the districts they live in. This allows each state’s residents to have a say in how their state is governed. The Canadian Government: Like the United States, Canada holds popular elections where a handful of representatives are chosen to represent the citizenry at both the provincial and the national level. The elected officials serve in The House of Commons, which is similar to Congress in the United States. Each of Canada’s 10 provinces are also representative democracies where elected officials represent the will of their province’s citizens. Constitutional Democracy A constitutional democracy is the third major type of democracy in operation today. Constitutional democracies are characterized by having structures in place that limit the power of the majority. Put another way, constitutional democracies have constitutions or other governing documents that help regulate the power of those elected to office. To do this, constitutional democracies function based on a combination of democratic principles and the rule of law. The nation’s constitution serves as the highest form of law and outlines people’s rights as well as what the government can and can’t do. (You might say that the constitution puts limits on the government’s power in order to protect citizens freedom.) As a result, a constitutional democracy government must both uphold the constitution and still represent the will of its people. The benefit of a constitutional democracy is that it gives a country a set of principles to use as a guide for all other decisions. It also protects the citizens by guaranteeing them a certain set of rights. (For the United States, that’s â€Å"Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.†) However, a constitutional democracy also limits an individual citizen’s ability to participate in government since there are strict legal parameters around what people can and can’t do. Additionally, constitutions are very hard to change. In the United States, it takes a two-thirds majority vote in Congress or a constitutional convention (or joint meeting) called for by two-thirds of the states’ governments in order to amend the Constitution! That can be a big problem, especially when aspects of the Constitution are out of date. (Check out the 13th Amendment, which prohibits slavery, or the 19th Amendment, which gives women the right to vote, to see this in action.) Examples of Constitutional Democracy in Action Constitutional democracies are a popular form of democracy around the world. We’ll talk about a few countries that use constitutional democracy below, but if you’re interested in a full list, you can find that here. The United States: Of course, the United States relies on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights to create all new legislation. It’s the job of the judicial branch- including the Supreme Court- to determine whether new laws violate the Constitution or Americans’ constitutional rights. In fact, did you know can go to school to study constitutional law? You can! Check out the Constitutional Law Reporter to learn more about how constitutional law is practiced in America today. Germany: After World War II, Germany was split into essentially two different countries, East Germany and West Germany. When West Germany was set up by the Allies, it was formed as a constitutional democracy. It wasn’t until the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1991 that Germany was unified under a single constitution. Mexico: The United States’ southern neighbor is also a constitutional democracy. The Constitution of Mexico, which was ratified in 1917, was the first constitution in the world to create guidelines for social rights for its citizens, like a right to an education. (Remember: the United States initially did this through the Bill of Rights, which are the first ten amendments to the Constitution.) But Wait...Can a Country Be More Than One Type of Democracy? As you were reading through this section, you probably realized that the United States, along with many other countries, fall into more than one democratic category. That’s because a democratic country can use more than one type of democracy to run its government. For instance, a city can use direct democracy to vote in new laws and select state and federal representatives. Those representatives then participate in representative democracy, where they speak- and vote!- on behalf of their constituents. And finally, all of these actions- policy decisions, government structure, citizens’ rights, and the creation of new laws- are governed by the constitution. That means the United States is a constitutional democracy as well. This is possible because all democracies, regardless of their organizational structure, operate on a shared set of principles. Let’s take a closer look at those now. Voting is a key component of democracy Characteristics of Democracies Beyond just structure, democracies are also characterized by a shared ideology, or system of beliefs. According to Larry Diamond, a professor at Stanford and one of the foremost scholars in democracy studies, democracies have four foundational characteristics. We’ll talk about each principle in more depth below. #1: Free and Fair Elections In order to make sure that people’s voices are being heard accurately, democracies have to ensure that all voting processes are â€Å"free and fair.† But what does that mean? In order for an election to be â€Å"free and fair,† it has to be administered in a way that allows its citizens to vote and treats all political parties and candidates equally. That means the process 1) needs to be accessible to everyone who meets voting qualifications and 2) as unbiased as possible. Furthermore, in order to be as fair, these elections need to occur at a regular interval. If elections are only happening every two decades, that denies people the ability to make their voices heard! Free and fair elections are important to democracy because the voting process is the way that citizens voice their opinions and, in representative forms of government, choose the people who will represent them in higher levels of government. It also puts an important check on power. If representatives are coming up for reelection regularly, it puts pressure on them to vote in line with their constituents. Otherwise they could lose their position during the next voting cycle. #2: Citizen Participation In order for democracy to function, its citizens have to participate in the process of government. That means people have to run for office, create ballot initiatives, petition for laws and causes they believe in, and vote. Remember that the term â€Å"democracy† means that the power to rule belongs to the people. Only by exercising that power can a nation’s citizens ensure that their will is reflected in the country’s laws and structures. It’s also important that in a democracy, all citizens are given an equal right to participate regardless of where they live, what they do for work, or what culture they come from. If civic participation is limited to a certain class or race, the system becomes an oligarchy instead. (In oligarchies, a small group of unelected people hold all the governing power.) When everyone has a chance to participate, it ensures that the government accurately reflects the populace, that minority populations have a voice, and that new laws are fair for everyone. #3: Protection of Citizens’ Human Rights Perhaps most notably, democracies believe in freedom. Citizens should have the right to express their opinions and participate in democracy without fear or intimidation. Not only do democratic societies believe that creates a better life for its citizens, it also helps keep governmental power in check. If people can freely- but peacefully- express their opinions, it makes it clear when elected representatives aren’t listening to the will of the people. Even more importantly, democracies believe in the protection of people’s basic human rights. In the United States, these are outlined in the Bill of Rights, and they include the right to free speech, the right to bear arms, protection from the illegal seizure of property, and the right to a trial by jury. (Not familiar with the Bill of Rights? The Bill of Rights Institute breaks it down for you!) In other words, democracies guarantee fundamental protections to individual citizens which allows them to live in safety, freedom, and peace. #4: Equal Rule of Law Finally, the last thing all systems of democracy have in common is the rule of law. According to Dr. Diamond, the rule of law is fundamentally important to democracy because it protects the rights of citizens, maintains order, and limits the power of government. In other words, if elections are how citizens make their voices heard, then laws are the ways that citizens’ desires are enforced. It’s pretty clear how laws work in a constitutional or representative form of democracy. In a constitutional democracy, the constitution itself lays out some fundamental laws, and no other legislation can violate them. In a representational democracy, laws are created by the elected officials in order to make sure that their constituents’ concerns are being addressed. But what about a direct democracy where everyone has a voice? Well, even in ancient Athens, the oldest direct democracy, had laws to help govern the city-state. The whole point of The Assembly was to create new policies and laws that the majority of people could agree on, and those policies would govern the entire populace! Laws, then, are a tool people can use to make sure the ideals of democracy- like freedom and basic human rights- are maintained. Nick Youngson/Alpha Stock Images What Is a Republic? Whew! Now you know a lot about how democracies function and their core ideals. Now it’s time to look at a republic vs. a democracy. How are they different? Well, the answer is a little bit complicated. The term â€Å"republic† comes from theGreek word politeia, which means the â€Å"rights of citizens.† (It also comes from the Latin res publica, which means â€Å"public affair.†) In modern English, a republic is a government system where the power rests with a nation’s citizens. To do this, republics use elected officials to represent the will of their citizens within the government. In other words, republics rely on a representational form of government, just like the representational democracies we talked about earlier! Additionally, in order for a country to qualify as a republic, its head of state has to be an elected official. That means that while countries like France and Germany- which have elected presidents as heads of state- are republics. Countries with a monarch as the head of state, like Canada and the United Kingdom, are not. So to summarize: a republic is a form of government where the power a) rests with the people, b) is exercised through representative government, and c) has an elected head of state. The Origins of Republics While many ancient states were republics, one of the most notable was the Roman Republic that existed between 500 BCE and 27 BCE. During this time, Rome had expanded to encompass most of modern-day Europe along with parts of Asia and Africa. That meant that Rome was home to many different cultures, and its citizens spoke 21 different languages! This time period also marked Rome’s switch from a monarchy- where a king ruled the nation- to a constitutional government. In 509 BCE, the last Roman King, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus was overthrown and sent into exile. The Roman Senate, which was comprised of Rome’s noble families, decided to institute a new type of government. The country would now be led by two elected consuls who had equal power and would serve one-year terms. These consuls were elected by legislative assemblies made up of male citizens of Rome. These assemblies also voted on laws developed by the Roman Senate. The Roman Senate was comprised of Patricians, which were members of Rome’s noble class. The Senators were appointed by the Roman consuls, and they served as senators for life. The Senate’s job was to draft new laws that would be voted on by the Assembly. Over the next few centuries, the government of Rome would develop a set of guidelines and principles to govern the expanding country, which would coalesce into the Roman Constitution. The Constitution would remain one of the foundational governing documents of the Roman Empire up until its collapse in the 5th century CE. The countries in blue, orange, yellow, and green are all classified as republics. Types of Republics Today Remember that a republic is a nation where governmental power rests with its citizens, uses a representational government, and has an elected head of state. These are pretty general criteria, so that means there are quite a few republics today. In fact, as of 2017, 159 of the world’s 206 countries use the word â€Å"republic† as part of their official names! Additionally, the loose definition of a republic means there many different types of republics functioning today. We’ll briefly discuss the major types of republics here, but you can find more in-depth information about each one by following the links in each description. Constitutional Republic In a constitutional republic, the government is limited by laws established by a formal constitution, which is generally secular in nature. Additionally, the government is run by elected officials who are voted on by the population, and those officials are required to follow the rules of government laid out by that country’s constitution. (For more information about republics based on religion, see the section on â€Å"theological republics.†) Examples of modern constitutional republics include the countries like India and South Africa. Parliamentary Republic A parliamentary republic uses a parliamentary form of government in which the head of state runs the executive branch of government and the head of parliament runs the legislature. The legislature itself is comprised of elected officials that are voted into office by the country’s citizens. Examples of parliamentary republics include Greece, Hungary, and Malta. Presidential Republic A presidential republic allows its citizens to elect a president to serve as the country’s head of state. However, in a presidential republic, the president also serves as the head of the government, too! This is different from a monarchy, where the king or queen serves as the head of state while a prime minister or president runs the day-to-day operations of the government. Examples of presidential republics today include Brazil, Mexico, and Indonesia. Federal Republic Federal republics are countries that are actually a union of states, all of which operate on a republican form of government. In order to qualify as a federal republic, states have to have independence to make their own laws and decisions, as long as those laws don’t conflict with policies established for the entire country on the federal level. (In this way, states function as a mini-republic, complete with elected officials and an elected head of state, like a governor!) Examples of federal republics include the United States, Germany, and Switzerland. Theocratic Republic These types of republics are governed primarily by religious law. In this case, religious texts become the backbone of the nation’s governing structure and are often drafted into a religious governing constitution. That means that additional laws and policies developed by the government must also be in line with religious law. Additionally, in order to qualify as a republic, these theocracies must have an elected head of state rather than a monarchy. Examples of modern theocratic republics include Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. Can a Country Be More Than One Type of Republic? Just like a country can be more than one type of democracy, a country can also be more than one type of republic! For example, Iran has a parliament- making it a parliamentary republic- but it also bases its governing structure on religious law, making it a theocratic republic. The same is true for a country like Germany, which operates on the principles of both a parliamentary republic and a federal republic. In other words, much like democracies, the types of republics we discussed above are not mutually exclusive. In fact, in order for a government to run efficiently, it must often combine governing structures. Russia is a republic but is notdemocratic Republic Vs. Democracy: What’s the Difference? You’ve probably already noticed that republics and democracies have a lot in common, namely that they both are systems where the power to govern rests with the people. So what’s the difference in a republic vs. a democracy? The major difference between a democracy and a republic is that a republic is a form of government whereas a democracy is an ideology that helps shape how a government is run. Put another way: a republic is the system of government that allows a country to be democratic! So while people tend to use the terms â€Å"democracy† and â€Å"republic† interchangeably, they aren’t exactly the same thing. The best way to understand this difference is to look at examples where a republic style of government isn’t democratic. To do this, let’s talk about two non-democratic republics: Russia and North Korea. Russia The Russian government, like many other nations, is set up like a republic. According to the Russian Constitution, the Russian president- which is elected by the Russian populace- is the head of state and runs the executive branch of government. It’s the president’s job to appoint a prime minister, whose job it is to run the government on a day-to-day basis. But in reality, Russia has operated more like a dictatorship than a democracy under current President Vladimir Putin. Although the president and other government officials are elected by popular vote, the Russian government also limits Russian citizens’ freedom, including suppressing free speech and controlling access to objective information. North Korea North Korea’s government is set up much like the United States’ and is split into three branches: the executive branch, the judicial branch, and the legislative branch. By law, the citizens in North Korea elect officials to the legislative branch through popular vote, and the legislative branch passes laws on behalf of the people. (That’s why North Korea’s full name is the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.) In actuality, North Korea is classified as a dictatorship. The current president, Kim Jong-Un, inherited his position from his father. Additionally, elections in North Korea are largely for show- only one candidate runs for each position, so people really have no choice in their representation. Beyond that, the government severely limits people’s ability to travel, so much so that many North Koreans have to pay people to smuggle them out of the country. So despite having a republican government structure- and having the term â€Å"democratic† in their country’s name- North Korea doesn’t function like a democracy on a day-to-day basis. The United States: A Democratic Republic So that leaves us with one final question: what type of government is the United States? Where does the U.S. fall in the republic vs. democracy debate? The answer is that the United States is both a democracy and a republic! The U.S. as a Republic When the founding fathers were writing the U.S. Constitution, they envisioned the United States as a republic. Alexander Hamilton and James Madison made this clear in The Federalist Papers, where they make it clear that the federal government will be made up of elected officials who represent the will of the people. In fact, many of the United States’ founders believed that a direct democracy would result in nothing more than â€Å"...instability, injustice, and confusion.† As a result, the U.S. Constitution outlines a system of government that allows people to fairly vote on representatives, and those representatives make laws in accordance to the people’s will. Each of the states’ governments are set up in the same way, which means that the states are mini-republics, too! Additionally, in order to be a republic, people must elect the person who will serve as the head of state. This is certainly true in the U.S., where citizens vote on who will serve as president of the country every four years (though whether this is a direct or indirect vote is a subject of debate thanks to the electoral college). Considering all of this, the United States works as a combination of a constitutional, presidential, and federal republic! The U.S as a Democracy Remember that the difference between a republic and a democracy comes in how each of those ideas functions in government. So if the United States is a republic because of how the government operates, it’s a democracy because of why it operates. In other words, the U.S. runs its government like a republic, but it bases its government on democratic ideals. In order to operate as a democracy, the United States has to have free and fair elections, citizen participation in government, protect citizens’ human rights, and honor the rule of law. The United States meets all four the criteria to qualify as a democracy. In terms of elections, the U.S. holds regular elections for its elected officials at regular intervals, and any qualified U.S. citizen is allowed to cast their vote for their representatives. Additionally, these representatives are other U.S. citizens. Roles in government aren’t passed down from family to family- all citizens in good standing are welcome to run for office regardless of class, gender, or culture. But what about guaranteeing human rights? One look at the Bill of Rights makes this clear. Not only do the amendments to the U.S. Constitution make guarantees about equality and freedom, they also serve as a set of protections for all U.S. citizens from the overreach of government power. And finally, the U.S Constitution serves as the country’s guiding legal document. All other laws must first uphold the laws and rights outlined in the Constitution first! So Now What? Are you reading this post in preparation for the U.S. History AP Exam? If so, you should also check out some of our other resources! We have subject-specific posts like our NATO overview (coming soon!) and a complete guide to AP U.S. History books. If you’re a freshman, sophomore, or junior, you might consider adding a few more AP classes to your schedule. Here’s a complete list of AP courses and tests to help you choose classes that are perfect for you. Are you also considering taking the SAT subject tests in addition to- or instead of!- an AP exam? Make sure you get the inside information on both before you make your decision.

We Are Cool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

We Are Cool - Essay Example The narrator claims that the youth "lurk late," and illegal activity is normally carried out in the dark (Lindberg 311). In that culture, darkness influences people to become what they desire; the dark alters images, making an individual who seems risk-free in the daylight seem menacing during the dark. The boy states that they normally "strike straight," which can be deduced to imply that they are open to rape, robbery or murder properly so that they cannot be prosecuted for them (Smith 49). Robbery, rape and murder were issues that started to be considered as significant issues in the society, in the 50s (Cummings 29). They "sing sin" meaning that they have many their misdeeds one would think that the misdeeds are elements of some kind of right-of-passage into adulthood (Smith 50). Finally, the last activity provided in the people is that youths "thin gin," which implies to weaken alcohol in order for them to make more money, and they perhaps do this at the pool hall (Smith 50). The poem portrays the issues that youths in the 50s underwent, persuaded by the â€Å"pop† culture, when they left school. This was an age when youths started to have thoughts of building their lives using other means than education. Lindberg, Kathryne V. "Whose Canon? Gwendolyn Brooks: Founder at the Center of the Margins." Gendered Modernisms: American Women Poets and Their Readers. Ed. Margaret Dickie and Thomas Travisano. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 1996.

CONTEMPORARY BRAND MANAGEMENT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

CONTEMPORARY BRAND MANAGEMENT - Assignment Example The company’s brand portfolio comprises three major brands including: Adidas, Reebok and TaylorMade. Adidas market area includes sporting goods as well as the equipment industry. The chief segments of this industry include footwear for athletes, sports apparel, and also goods and equipment used for sporting. Other segments include equipment for: hunting, golf tennis, fishing, hiking, baseball, football, rollerblading, biking, snowboarding, surfing, skateboarding, skiing, and hockey, along with play scape and playground equipment. The company’s key competitors include Nike and PUMA. Others are Red tape, New Balance Bata, and Liberty. Athletes together with sports enthusiasts comprise the Adidas customers (Keller 2007, pp. 33). According to Kotler and Dubois (1991, pp. 23) a brand refers to a collection of mental links, held by a given consumer, and which add to the perceived worth of a service/product. These links should be strong, unique, and positive. Alternately, a pr oduct refers to anything which can be presented to a market for acquisition, attention, or consumption and which might fulfil a need or a want. The difference between a brand and a product is such that a brand is acknowledged with intangible values plus imagery, while a product is recognized with characteristics that are visible and very differentiating. Brand architecture strategy refers to the structure employed in organizing a company’s portfolio. It identifies the number and functions of brand names which the company utilises for its product range and also the target markets or target groups. Brand architectures are of various types including: product branding; house of brands; range branding; branded house; source branding; line branding; umbrella branding; endorsed branding and sub-brands. Adidas has adopted the branded house strategy. This is whereby, the brand shifts from being a leading driver to a more dominant one (John & Larry 1997, pp. 48). Brand positioning and its relevance to branding According to Aaker (1992, pp.22), brand positioning involves locating the brand in the intellect or minds of customers in order to exploit the potential profits to the business. Brand positioning is comprised of the following components: Product class or market. This refers to a collection of products/services and brands that are perceived as alternatives to fulfil some precise consumer need. Consumer segmentation. It describes consumer profiles that the brand will serve and what their needs are. Consumer segmentation can be accomplished in terms of geographical/physical location (i.e. region, urban/sub-urban, county size, seasons, climate, etc); demographic factors (i.e. age, education, sex, income, family size, religion, occupation, nationality and race); behavioural factors (i.e. loyalty status, benefits sought, purchase occasion, usage rate, user status, actual purchase and attitude to product) (Aaker 1992, pp.24). Perceptual mapping. This refers to a g raphic approach employed by marketers which tries to visually customer perceptions. It entails methods applied in the analysis and comprehension of how consumers perceive products. It includes the identification of product weaknesses; development and assessment of concepts; consumer perceptions’ tracking; and finally, unearthing group differences (Aaker 1992, pp.26). Brand benefits and attributes. The physical presence of a brand does not guarantee its position in mind of the target consumer. For the product to gain entry into that