Human Resource Planning Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Human Resource Planning - Article Example Human Resource Planning Human Resource Departments should be particularly cautious in protecting their employees. Other media companies such as New York Times back the statement that, insurance companies use confusing and technical terms in establishing contracts with the Human Resource Departments. The Human Resource Management and Services, treasury, and labor departments lead in these grievances. This is because insurance companies fail in their responsibility thus calling for concern throughout a company. The article also discusses issues regarding exploitation of employees by employers. In most organizations, the management forces the employees to work extra hours to meet the prevailing demand, but in hand get nothing. There is an emphasis on the standard basis of accounting in relation to extra time, and other over-time allowances. From the article, it is evident that Human Resource Planning is increasing its value daily. Awareness should be created to educate employees on their rights. A notification is crucial as it will help in guiding employees in different fields such as insurance, among others. This is because planning is a key determiner of growth and development in an organization. It is easy to distiguish the aspects of HRP; it enhances the importance of planning in Human Resource Management.

History of Fashion in Western Society

History of Fashion in Western Society History of Fashion. Fashion has always been a reflection of the collective consciousness and unconsciousness of society.   In politically conservative times, fashion reflects the staidness of the majority, but also the subversive elements of the minority.   No less a controversial figure than King Louis XIV of France was rumored to have said that fashion was a mirror.   Music, films, and television, all potent pop culture mirrors in their own right of the anxieties, hopes, and dreams of any society, all collectively form a synergistic relationship with fashion, each informing, influencing, and cross-pollinating the others in various turns.   Fashion is also a pop culture manifestation of the intellectual and cultural trend of postmodernism.   Fashion depends on newness; summer, fall, winter, spring are seasons that occur inexorably each year, and with them, the demand for new fashion lines.   The inexhaustible hunger for new ideas and inspirations in fashion and other pop culture arenas lead s inevitably to cannibalization, plagiarism, re-contextualization, and re-imagination of ideas past and present – the essence of postmodernism.   If we survey the landscape of where pop culture and fashion have been, we can to some degree predict the elements which may define where it will go, though in the postmodern universe of the 21st century, it is next to impossible to predict what incarnations will come to pass. Fashion is the byproduct of a leisure society that has transcended many of the basic human struggles on the lower level of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.   Most people in prosperous Western nations are fortunate enough to lead lives in which the acquisition and/or maintenance of food, shelter, and clothing is not a struggle that consumes their existence, as is sadly true in many African nations, for example.   Free to ponder the meaning of their lives and the many ways in which it is possible for humans to express their inner thoughts and feelings, citizens of the leisure society began to use fashion as a mode of self-expression and reflection of any number of zeitgeists of their time.   As far back as the 1700s, French women consulted fashion magazines to learn the latest fashion trends.   Sketch artists were present in royal courts to make note of the fashion choices made by the ruling classes, and communicated these ideas to dressmakers across the nation, who in turn crafted facsimiles for those who were able to afford such fashion mimicry.   The French have historically held a special place in the fashion universe since this time.  Ã‚   As the 1800s and 1900s saw Western societies evolve from agrarian societies to industrial societies, with the concurrent increase in wealth and disposal income, the focus on and indulgence in fashion increased.   With the advent of pop music, most notably rock-and-roll in the 1950s, and television, teenagers all around the world saw the likes of Elvis Presley and his gyrating hips, causing a global fashion sensation.   Boys everywhere began to sport white t-shirts (in whose sleeves the more raucous ones rolled packs of cigarettes), blue jeans, and grease their hair.   Celebrities from the arenas of music, film, and then television became the new royalty, the new elites, for Western cultures, and the fashion trends they embodies became inspirations for millions in each successive generation. The messages of rock-and-roll became more complex, subversive, and powerful in the 1960s, corresponding with the United States’ controversial entry into the Vietnam War and a wholesale rejection on both sides of the Atlantic of many of the traditional values of the Cold War era.   The Beatles’s turn from fresh-scrubbed, feel-good bubblegum pop to psychedelic and metaphysical subject matter influences a new set of fashion trends which shocked the Establishment to the core.   Men and women everywhere began wearing colorful (both literally and figuratively), outrageously expressive, and even outlandish fashions, and allowing their hair to grow long. The exhaustion from the myriad political and socio-cultural revolutions of the 1960s, and the stagnant Western economies of the 1970s gave way to a culture preoccupied with escapism and simply having a good time.   Sit-ins and political protests gave way to champagne-filled boogie nights.   The flower-power psychedelia fashion trends of the late 1960s and early 1970s gave way to the groovy leisure suit styles inspired by the music trend of disco that consumed the world from roughly 1976 to 1980 and cemented by the global box office phenomenology of the film Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta and featuring a soundtrack packed with disco hits written by the Bee Gees.   The tight-fitting and well-cut suits worn by Travolta, and the sexy, stylish dresses and pantsuits of the women in the film inspired millions to change their wardrobes accordingly.   On the tail end of the disco era came a brief but potent preoccupation with cowboy fashion, inspired by the peculiar util itarian clothing from the American Old West – cowboy boots, rugged blue jeans, ten-gallon cowboy hats, etc., again propelled into the collective fashion consciousness of the world by another hugely successful film, 1982’s Urban Cowboy. At the same time the fashion trends inspired by disco and cowboy culture were dying out, the realm of the political again profoundly affected the universe of fashion.   The elections of conservative political figureheads Margaret Thatcher in England and Ronald Reagan in the U.S. sparked a schizophrenic revolution in clothing and music:   as economic recoveries were engineered on the backs of the working poor, the culture that proclaimed â€Å"greed is good† took to reveling in the wearing conservative, yet expensive or even shocking clothing – furs, for example which reflected the mindset of conspicuous consumption.   Simultaneously, those cultural elements who were not benefiting from the economic boom were rebelling against the conservative establishment trends and adopting controversial styles embodied, for example, in the slut-chic clothing popularized by the music and videos of Madonna.   Music videos, a new invention in pop culture and institutionalized b y the power of MTV, became a new showcase for outrageous fashion statements in the 1980s and beyond. The greed and spiritual bankruptcy of the 1980s gave way to the hippie nouveaux culture of the Earth-and-cause-friendly early-to-mid 1990s, and then to the greed nouveaux culture of the late 1990s, spawned by the phenomenal economic growth of the Internet boom.   By this time, pop culture had begun to liberally cannibalize itself for new ideas, having exhausted much of its potential for true originality.   As technology and civilization continue their exponential evolution of consumption, genuinely original ideas become more and more difficult to generate, leading fashion designers to borrow from past ideas, to combine hitherto uncombined or un-combinable ideas, as evidenced by the infamous phrase â€Å"What’s old is new; what’s new is old.† The early 21st Century is a time of profound uncertainty in fashion, with a myriad of recycled influences competing for the crown of the next hot fashion trend.   The inherent self-referentiality and cannibalism of post-modernism, however, makes it virtually impossible to predict which trends will take hold and when.   The next decade will make for a fascinating time in the universe of fashion.

Is The Illegalization Of Marijuana Valid? :: pot should be legal

Is The Illegalization of Marijuana Valid? The debate over the legalization of Cannabis sativa, more commonly known as marijuana, has been one of the most heated controversies ever to occur in the United States. Its use as a medicine has existed for thousands of years in many countries world wide and is documented as far back as 2700 BC in ancient Chinese writings. When someone says ganja, cannabis, bung, dope, grass, rasta, or weed, they are talking about the same subject: marijuana. Marijuana should be legalized because the government could earn money from taxes on its sale, its value to the medical world outweighs its abuse potential, and because of its importance to the paper and clothing industries. This action should be taken despite efforts made by groups which say marijuana is a harmful drug which will increase crime rates and lead users to other more dangerous substances. The actual story behind the legislature passed against marijuana is quite surprising. According to Jack Herer, author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes, the acts bringing about the demise of hemp were part of a large conspiracy involving DuPont, Harry J. Anslinger, commissioner of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (FBN), and many other influential industrial leaders such as William Randolph Hearst and Andrew Mellon. Herer notes that the Marijuana Tax Act, which passed in 1937, coincidentally occurred just as the decoricator machine was invented. With this invention, hemp would have been able to take over competing industries almost instantaneously. According to Popular Mechanics, "10,000 acres devoted to hemp will produce as much paper as 40,000 acres of average [forest] pulp land." William Hearst owned enormous timber acreage so his interest in preventing the growth of hemp can be easily explained. Competition from hemp would have easily driven the Hearst paper-manufacturing company out of business and significantly lowered the value of his land. Herer even suggests popularizing the term "marijuana" was a strategy Hearst used in order to create fear in the American public. Herer says "The first step in creating hysteria was to introduce the element of fear of the unknown by using a word that no one had ever heard of before... 'marijuana'". DuPont's involvement in the anti-hemp campaign can also be explained with great ease. At this time, DuPont was patenting a new sulfuric acid process for producing wood-pulp paper. According to the company's own records, wood-pulp products ultimately accounted for more than 80% of all DuPont's railroad car loadings for the 50 years the Marijuana Tax Act was passed. It should also be said that two years before the prohibitive hemp tax in 1937, DuPont developed

Tourism and Fastest Growing Industries

Tourism as an industry has been travelling with the wild pace of technological advancements and aboard are people from different places and cultures interacting with increasing ease†¦. since, the globe had been shrunk into a village. Unlike our predecessors, we can affordably and in a shorter time travel across the world in large numbers comparatively safe. Tourism being one of the biggest and fastest growing industries globally, its benefits and the challenges, keenly observed by governments affects the economic, socio-cultural, environmental and educational resources of nations.The positive effects of tourism on a country’s economy include the growth and development of various industries directly linked with a healthy tourism industry, such as transportation, accommodation, wildlife, arts and entertainment. This brings about the creation of new jobs and revenue generated from foreign exchange, investments and payments of goods and services provided.Though improvements i n the standard of living of locals in heavily visited tourist destinations is usually little or non-existent, inflation of the prices of basic commodities, due to visiting tourists, is a constant feature of these areas. The nature of the world economy dictates that it’s mostly people from developed nations who travel as tourist to the developing ones, much more than do people from developing nations visit as tourist the developed ones.This results in a downward stream of cultural influences that in cases have proven to be detrimental, as they were not in cohesion with the environment, economy and culture of these hosts, who cannot in that same capacity exchange influences. For example, it is common knowledge that most tourist destinations are plagued with prostitution; this has had dire consequences for the culture, economy and health of these tourist coveted nations, but is reported to be a major boost for tourism.The environment can be greatly affected by tourism in cases w here the attraction is a vista of nature’s beauty, visits of people in large numbers could mean huge amounts of treading and pollution of materials such as plastic waste, bottles, which in the long run could be disruptive to the habitats of both faunal and floral life. Assessments into the capacity of people an area can safely bear environmentally, security and facility-wise are important in the protection and preservation of these vistas beaming with nature’s beauty.The responsibility falls on hosts, who must make it a point to inform and educate visitors on acceptable behaviours and dangers posed by going against the advised codes of conduct, such as disposing waste haphazardly. In the quest to provide facilities for tourists the environment has been affected in other ways, large hotels and other facilities for tourists and likes consume large amounts of power in their quest to provide a long list of patrons with all the ‘hip’ electronic comforts.The tou rist themselves face several difficulties in their quest for, journey and stay in these foreign lands, such as the sometimes tiring search for visas and the duration of stay permitted by the host country. Another is security; most places because of frequent tourist visits have become targets for criminal activities such as kidnapping and terrorism. Nonetheless in true nature of the human spirit tourism continues to be one of the fastest growing industries worldwide†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. besides, what would adventure be? Tourism and Fastest Growing Industries Tourism as an industry has been travelling with the wild pace of technological advancements and aboard are people from different places and cultures interacting with increasing ease†¦. since, the globe had been shrunk into a village. Unlike our predecessors, we can affordably and in a shorter time travel across the world in large numbers comparatively safe. Tourism being one of the biggest and fastest growing industries globally, its benefits and the challenges, keenly observed by governments affects the economic, socio-cultural, environmental and educational resources of nations.The positive effects of tourism on a country’s economy include the growth and development of various industries directly linked with a healthy tourism industry, such as transportation, accommodation, wildlife, arts and entertainment. This brings about the creation of new jobs and revenue generated from foreign exchange, investments and payments of goods and services provided.Though improvements i n the standard of living of locals in heavily visited tourist destinations is usually little or non-existent, inflation of the prices of basic commodities, due to visiting tourists, is a constant feature of these areas. The nature of the world economy dictates that it’s mostly people from developed nations who travel as tourist to the developing ones, much more than do people from developing nations visit as tourist the developed ones.This results in a downward stream of cultural influences that in cases have proven to be detrimental, as they were not in cohesion with the environment, economy and culture of these hosts, who cannot in that same capacity exchange influences. For example, it is common knowledge that most tourist destinations are plagued with prostitution; this has had dire consequences for the culture, economy and health of these tourist coveted nations, but is reported to be a major boost for tourism.The environment can be greatly affected by tourism in cases w here the attraction is a vista of nature’s beauty, visits of people in large numbers could mean huge amounts of treading and pollution of materials such as plastic waste, bottles, which in the long run could be disruptive to the habitats of both faunal and floral life. Assessments into the capacity of people an area can safely bear environmentally, security and facility-wise are important in the protection and preservation of these vistas beaming with nature’s beauty.The responsibility falls on hosts, who must make it a point to inform and educate visitors on acceptable behaviours and dangers posed by going against the advised codes of conduct, such as disposing waste haphazardly. In the quest to provide facilities for tourists the environment has been affected in other ways, large hotels and other facilities for tourists and likes consume large amounts of power in their quest to provide a long list of patrons with all the ‘hip’ electronic comforts.The tou rist themselves face several difficulties in their quest for, journey and stay in these foreign lands, such as the sometimes tiring search for visas and the duration of stay permitted by the host country. Another is security; most places because of frequent tourist visits have become targets for criminal activities such as kidnapping and terrorism. Nonetheless in true nature of the human spirit tourism continues to be one of the fastest growing industries worldwide†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. besides, what would adventure be?

World Resources – scarcity and conflict

In the 1960s, one photograph changed the way world leaders, scientists and the general population thought about the management of the world's resources. People became concerned about the world's resources running out. This photograph was our Earth. When world leaders saw this photograph taken from space, the world looked for the first time the world looked small and finite, this is because there is so many people on this planet and there needs to be consideration on what resources we use, and how much we use of them. The term ‘spaceship earth' is applied here to describe how people felt about the Earth's resources†¦they were limited just as a spaceship has limited reserves of air, water and food. Before world leaders were in illusion thinking that the world's resources were in abundance. Some resources are non renewable meaning that after they run out there is no way of replacing them, and they only reform after millions of years these resources are called fossil fuels. There are three types of fossil fuels (crude oil, coal and natural gas). These resources are the resources the world should be concerned about and therefore use it sparingly. However the fossil fuels although the most important are not the only non renewable resources, others include food and forests. There are other resources called renewable energy sources which are starting to be developed such as biomass and wind power which takes the earth's natural processes such as wind and through certain mechanisms covert it into energy which can be used for electricity. So in answer to the question, the fossil fuels are the most important world resources, however there are other non renewable world resources that have to be carefully used otherwise certain things couldn't happen, for example imagine what the world would be like without out any wood. When the first maps of the world were created, many parts of the world were not discovered and therefore because society in that day and age believed in sea creatures and mermaids and other such things, everyone thought two things, firstly that at the end of the world was limitless and secondly that at the end of the worlds there were sea monsters. The first maps of the world were flat. Naturally many incorrect assumptions had been made, the world was not limitless and of course no sea monsters. However as countries began to be discovered the world seemed to become limitless and powerful. People began to have a care free attitude about the resources because they thought they would never run out. Things started to go downhill when it was discovered that the world was actually round, people started to believe that the world was not limitless, however they still remained in the delusion that the world's resources were not going to run out any time soon and then therefore continued with their care free attitude. It was not until the 1960's that people began to get worried about the world's resources and decide to do something not to waste electricity (which in theory is the product of fossil fuels). This diagram shows how many people began to care about the world. Background There are two main official views in regard to the world's resources running out. These are optimists and pessimists: Optimists View Optimists believe that the world's resources are eventually going to run out, but we can delay that happening, and our future is not doomed. Because the is such talk and media coverage of the world's resources running out optimists hope that people will alter their lifestyle and take certain measures to delay the world's resources running out such as turning their computers off at night. Optimists also believe because of advanced technology and science, we can discover more and more alternative fuels, optimists believe that people would use alternative energy sources as it is cheap and therefore more economical. In the future optimists believe that there should be a more equal distribution of the world's resources. Famous optimists include E.Boserup and J.Simon. Pessimists View These people believe that the world's resources have a finite limit and could eventually run out or be damaged beyond repair. In 1970, 10 countries, known as the Club of Rome, met in order to discuss resource management. Their report, entitled ‘The Limits to Growth', made predictions about a world where continued industrial and population growth would consume both resources and food supplies. This Club believed that population increase are the reason why world resources are running out because there is more demand for it; they put forward the idea of preventive checks. An example of one of their ideas is the one child policy; they wanted to make the one child and international policy. Famous pessimists include P.Ehrlich. Factors that are causing the World's Resources to Decrease There are a few main factors that are causing the world's resources to decrease. Population Because there is such a growth of population, people are needing more and more energy in their house. This is best displayed in a case study: In the year 2000 Family A (comprising of a husband and wife) used 20,000kg of energy per year. In 2002 they had their first child. Before Family A didn't watch that much T.V., however now because their child needs entertainment, the T.V. is turned on for the whole day even if the child is not watching. So in 2003 their yearly consumption increased to 25,000kg. Now think of this on an international scale and everyday the population is using up more and more world resources. Optimists say that creating new alternative energy sources rather than using the fossil fuels up, is the way forward. Pessimists say that the way forward is to enforce an international one child policy, to over populated areas to balance the population out to one of an optimum population. However I agree with the pessimists but I don't think there should be an international one child policy, but as a whole unit we need to find a method to achieve optimum population and taking into consideration a specific area's carrying capacity and therefore move into the direction of sustainable development. Economic Threats Because of the current economic downturn people are turning to cheaper ways to provide heat, water and electricity to their houses they are put off by the idea of alternative energy sources such as solar panels because they can't afford it Case Study-Diamonds (Sierra Leone) In this day and age diamonds are such a controversial issue, as most people in the West think diamonds are nice stones that are on their rings, however twenty years ago 40% of all diamonds were somehow in the process of buying/selling at least one illegal transaction was carried out, now due to the Kimberly agreement and other factors including media this figure has decreased to 25%. Diamonds are a world resource that is limited as they will eventually run out. Sierra Leone is a country located in the north west of Africa. Sierra Leone is one of the largest diamond producer in the world this is because of it's geographical location, it's relief and finally because it has so many mines. This is still unfortunately has not lead to the economic development of the country, because rebel troops take over the mines and take all profits. Sometimes diamonds are fought over; these diamonds are known as conflict/blood diamonds. Sierra Leone's Conflict Diamonds In 1991, Sierra Leone a rebel force known as the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) launched assaults against the government. A military government was set up, yet this did not deter the RUF attacks. From the beginning, the RUF became allies with Liberia. Their goal was officially to combat crime and corruption but it soon became clear that their main aim was to take control of the diamond mines. The RUF would take prisoners and enslave them to work in the diamond mines. The work conditions were horrible and they were punished for the slightest things. Anyone opposed to the RUF's methods and practices would be brutally punished. All this was unknown to – or perhaps ignored by – the outside world for many years. UN studies estimate that about $125 million worth of rough diamonds were bought by the diamond industry in Europe alone! The equivalent of this money is tens of thousands of people killed and even more hurt. It was only in 1999 that the UN deployed a mission to Sie rra Leone to deal with the problem of Sierra Leone Conflcit Diamonds. Since then, sanctions have been put in place so as to curb such illegal activities. The Kimberly Process Certification Scheme requires a paper trail that certifies the origin of rough diamonds. This aims to cut off the flow of diamonds from countries like Sierra Leone. The question that remains to be answered today is whether the paper trail that accompanies each diamond shipment is for real. Certificates can be forged. Rough diamonds can be smuggled into a â€Å"clean† country. After that, there would be no way of knowing where the gems came from. There is always a willing market somewhere in another country. Traders and buyers don't always ask questions. They are just happy to buy and line their pockets. In an area inflicted with suffering and poverty, there is always an official who would be willing to accept bribes. All it takes is one person to overlook a shipment of blood diamonds. For all we know, there might still be a steady flow of rough conflict diamonds coming from the mines of Sierra Leone today. We do not know any of these facts and figures exactly as the Government is reluctant to let media or aid into the country. In 2000 the BBC published a moving article and photo about diamonds in Sierra Leone. Effects of the BBC Article and Photo The BBC article had a resounding effect on the rest f the world not only did people become more interested in where their diamonds came from, but starting to buy ethical diamonds. Also Kanye West (singer) released a controversial song about diamonds in Sierra Leone which caused more and more people to take an interest of the origins of the diamonds. Also Kanye West refused to wear any type of ‘bling' which influenced many children. Artificial/Man made Diamonds ‘Science have finally found a way to make diamonds-Bad News for Sierra Leone' this was a news headline a few years ago form the BBC. Everyone knew the time would come when science would be able to find a way to make diamonds. There is a plus side and down side for this, firstly the up side. If more people buy synthetic diamonds because they are cheaper, then more people would stop buying diamonds that have been sold but rebel forces. However on the down side the economy of Sierra Leone is plummeting to all time low because more and more people are buying synthetic diamonds because of the recession. The Kimberly Process The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (Kimberley Process) is an international governmental certification scheme that was set up to prevent the trade in diamonds that fund conflict. Launched in January 2003, the scheme requires governments to certify that shipments of rough diamonds are free from blood diamonds. Case Study-Water (Across the Globe) Water is a world resource as we rely on it thoroughly and if we didn't have the sad reality is we would die. Water is not at the moment is shortage, but the way consumption is going in the West in the next one hundred years it could well become shortage. We have a good supply of water in the West, however in LEDCs, water is quite hard to lay hands on. Water is one of the prime essentials for life as we know it. The plain fact is – no water, no life! This becomes all the more worrying when we realise that the worlds supply of drinkable water will soon diminish quite rapidly. In fact a recent report commissioned by the United Nations has emphasised that by the year 2025 at least 66% of the worlds population will be without an adequate water supply. Incalculable damage. As a disaster in the making water shortage ranks in the top category. Without water we are finished, and it is thus imperative that we protect the mechanism through which we derive our supply of this life giving fluid. Unfortunately the exact opposite is the case. We are doing incalculable damage to the planets capacity to generate water and this will have far ranging consequences for the not too distant future. Bleak future The United Nations has warned that burning of fossil fuels is the prime cause of water shortage. While there may be other reasons such as increased solar activity it is clear that this is a situation over which we can exert a great deal of control. If not then the future will be very bleak indeed! Already the warning signs are there. Droughts The last year has seen devastating heatwaves in many parts of the world including the USA where the state of Texas experienced its worst drought on record. Elsewhere in the United States forest fires raged out of control, while other regions of the globe experienced drought conditions that were even more severe. Parts of Iran, Afgahnistan, China and other neighbouring countries experienced their worst droughts on record. These conditions also extended throughout many parts of Africa and it is clear that if circumstances remain unchanged we are facing a disaster of epic proportions. Moreover it will be one for which there is no easy answer. Dangers. The spectre of a world water shortage evokes a truly frightening scenario. In fact the United Nations warns that disputes over water will become the prime source of conflict in the not too distant future. Where these shortages become ever more acute it could forseeably lead to the brink of nuclear conflict. On a lesser scale water, and the price of it, will acquire an importance somewhat like the current value placed on oil. The difference of course is that while oil is not vital for life, water most certainly is! Power shift. It seems clear then that in future years countries rich in water will enjoy an importance that perhaps they do not have today. In these circumstances power shifts are inevitable, and this will undoubtedly create its own strife and tension. Nightmare situation. In the long term the implications do not look encouraging. It is a two edged sword. First the shortage of water, and then the increased stresses this will impose upon an already stressed world of politics. It means that answers need to be found immediately. Answers that will both improve the damage to the environment, and also find new sources of water for future consumption. If not, and the problem is left unresolved there will eventually come the day when we shall find ourselves with a nightmare situation for which there will be no obvious answer. Conclusion Overall I feel that we should be optimistic about the resource management in the future however we should guard about being complacent and consequently wasteful. Science is developing quickly and in the future there will be a system of some sort to enable better management of the resources. However again this doesn't mean we can be wasteful, also we have to make sure that we use certain resources more conservatively to ensure future generations live happily. On the other hand however if we implant many more alternative energy resources (i.e. wind power instead of coal) then future generations will use them as the norm, rather than the present day generation who have to deal with this cross over stage that we are undergoing now-the Government encouraging other sources of energy, however when we look at these the prices are sky high. To ensure that we manage resources so that it is more sustainable, I propose certain plans: 1) Increase price of electricity and gas, decrease price of alternative energy sources (for example solar panels). This would hopefully on the economic side of things encourage people to use alternative fuel. 2) Carry out a major distribution project of the world resources, ensuring each country has roughly the same amount. 3) Set up a kind of police to make sure diamonds are not being sold or mined illegally, through slavery or through violence. This will ensure the decrease the amount of conflict or blood diamonds. Finally, I have outlined five strategies for using more sustainability in my daily life: 1) Have a shower, rather than a bath. This will decrease the amount of water I use, reduce the water bills and make it more efficient cleaning process. 2) When shopping with my parents, I should encourage them to look at the label and check where the product comes from, and therefore try to get the product, which has the least food miles. 3) Encourage my parents to buy energy saving bulbs, which last longer, and are more sustainable. 4) When going out turn off my computer rather than leaving it on standby. 5) When making a cup of tea, don't fill the kettle right to the top, as that wastes, water and energy.

The Great Pueblo Revolt - Resisting Spanish Colonialism

The Great Pueblo Revolt - Resisting Spanish Colonialism The Great Pueblo Revolt, or Pueblo Revolt [AD 1680-1696], was a 16-year period in the history of the American southwest when the Pueblo people overthrew the Spanish conquistadors and began to rebuild their communities. The events of that period have been viewed over the years as a failed attempt to permanently expel Europeans from the pueblos, a temporary setback to Spanish colonization, a glorious moment of independence for the pueblo people of the American southwest, or part of a larger movement to purge the Pueblo world of foreign influence and return to traditional, pre-Hispanic ways of life. It was no doubt a bit of all four. The Spanish first entered the northern Rio Grande region in 1539 and its control was cemented in place by the 1599 siege of Acoma pueblo by Don Vicente de Zaldivar and a few score of soldier colonists from the expedition of Don Juan de Oà ±ate. At Acomas Sky City, Oà ±ates forces killed 800 people  and captured 500 women and children and 80 men. After a trial, everyone over the age of 12 was enslaved; all men over 25 had a foot amputated. Roughly 80 years later, a combination of religious persecution and economic oppression led to a violent uprising in Santa Fe and other communities of what is today northern New Mexico. It was one of the few successfulif temporaryforceful stoppages of the Spanish colonial juggernaut in the New World. Life Under the Spanish As they had done in other parts of the Americas, the Spanish installed a combination of military and ecclesiastical leadership in New Mexico. The Spanish established missions of Franciscan friars in several pueblos to specifically break up the indigenous religious and secular communities, stamp out religious practices and replace them with Christianity. According to both Pueblo oral history and Spanish documents, at the same time the Spanish demanded that the pueblos render implicit obedience and pay heavy tribute in goods and personal service. Active efforts to convert the Pueblo people to Christianity involved destroying kivas and other structures, burning ceremonial paraphernalia in public plazas, and using accusations of witchcraft to imprison and execute traditional ceremonial leaders. The government also established an encomienda system, allowing up to 35 leading Spanish colonists to collect tribute from the households of a particular pueblo. Hopi oral histories report that the reality of the Spanish rule included forced labor, the seduction of Hopi women, raiding of kivas and sacred ceremonies, harsh punishment for failing to attend mass, and several rounds of drought and famine. Many accounts among Hopis and Zunis and other Puebloan people recount different versions than that of the Catholics, including sexual abuse of Pueblo women by Franciscan priests, a fact never acknowledged by the Spanish but cited in litigation in later disputes. Growing Unrest While the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 was the event that (temporarily) removed the Spanish from the southwest, it was not the first attempt. The pueblos had offered resistance throughout the 80-year period following the conquest. Public conversions didnt (always) lead to people giving up their traditions but rather drove the ceremonies underground. The Jemez (1623), Zuni (1639) and Taos (1639) communities each separately (and unsuccessfully) revolted. There also were multi-village revolts which took place in the 1650s and 1660s, but in each case  , the planned revolts were discovered and the leaders executed. The Pueblos were independent societies before Spanish rule, and fiercely so. What led to the successful revolt was the ability to overcome that independence and coalesce. Some scholars say that the Spanish unwittingly gave the Pueblo people a set of political institutions that they used to resist colonial powers. Others think it was a millenarian movement, and have pointed to a population collapse in the 1670s resulting from a devastating epidemic that killed off an estimated 80% of the native population, and it became clear that the Spanish were unable to explain or prevent epidemic diseases or calamitous droughts. In some respects, the battle was one of whose god was on whose side: both Pueblo and Spanish sides identified the mythical character of certain events, and both sides believed the events involved supernatural intervention. Nonetheless, the suppression of indigenous practices became particularly intense between 1660 and 1680, and one of the main reasons for the successful revolt appears to have occurred in 1675  when then-governor Juan Francisco de Trevino arrested 47 sorcerers, one of whom was Popay of San Juan Pueblo. Leadership PoPay (or Popà ©) was a Tewa religious leader, and he was to become a key leader and perhaps primary organizer of the rebellion. PoPay may have been key, but there were plenty of other leaders in the rebellion. Domingo Naranjo, a man of mixed African and Indian heritage, is often cited, and so are El Saca and El Chato of Taos, El Taque of San Juan, Francisco Tanjete of San Ildefonso, and Alonzo Catiti of Santo Domingo. Under the rule of colonial New Mexico, the Spanish deployed ethnic categories ascribing pueblo to lump linguistically and culturally diverse people into a single group, establishing dual and asymmetric social and economic relationships between the Spanish and Pueblos. Popay and the other leaders appropriated this to mobilize the disparate and decimated villages against their colonizers. August 10-19th, 1680 After eight decades of living under foreign rule, Pueblo leaders fashioned a military alliance that transcended longstanding rivalries. For nine days, together they besieged the capital of Santa Fe and other pueblos. In this initial battle, over 400 Spanish military personnel and colonists and 21 Franciscan missionaries lost their lives: the number of Pueblo people who died is unknown. Governor Antonio de Otermin and his remaining colonists retreated in ignominy to El Paso del Norte (what is today Cuidad Juarez in Mexico).    Witnesses said that during the revolt and afterward, PoPay toured the pueblos, preaching a message of nativism and revivalism. He ordered the pueblos to break up and burn the images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and other saints, to burn the temples, smash the bells, and separate from the wives the Christian church had given them. Churches were sacked in many of the pueblos; idols of Christianity were burned, whipped and felled, pulled down from the plaza centers and dumped in cemeteries. Revitalization and Reconstruction Between 1680 and 1692, despite the efforts of the Spanish to recapture the region, the Pueblo people rebuilt their kivas, revived their ceremonies and reconsecrated their shrines. People left their mission pueblos at Cochiti, Santo Domingo and Jemez and built new villages, such as Patokwa (established in 1860 and made up of Jemez, Apache/Navajos and Santo Domingo pueblo people), Kotyiti (1681, Cochiti, San Felipe and San Marcos pueblos), Boletsakwa (1680-1683, Jemez and Santo Domingo), Cerro Colorado (1689, Zia, Santa Ana, Santo Domingo), Hano (1680, mostly Tewa), Dowa Yalanne (mostly Zuni), Laguna Pueblo (1680, Cochiti, Cieneguilla, Santo Domingo and Jemez). There were many others. The architecture and settlement planning at these new villages was a new compact, dual-plaza form, a departure from the scattered layouts of mission villages. Liebmann and Pruecel have argued that this new format is what the builders considered a traditional prehispanic village, based on clan moieties. Some potters worked on reviving traditional motifs on their glaze-ware ceramics, such as the doubled-headed key motif, which originated AD 1400-1450. New social identities were created, blurring the traditional linguistic-ethnic boundaries that defined Pueblo villages during the first eight decades of colonization. Inter-pueblo trade and other ties between pueblo people were established, such as new trade relationships between Jemez and Tewa people which became stronger during the revolt era than they had been in the 300 years before 1680. Reconquest Attempts by the Spanish to reconquer the Rio Grande region began as early as 1681  when the former governor Otermin attempted to take back Santa Fe. Others included Pedro Romeros de Posada in 1688 and Domingo Jironza Petris de Cruzate in 1689Cruzates reconquest was particularly bloody, his group destroyed Zia pueblo, killing hundreds of residents. But the uneasy coalition of independent pueblos wasnt perfect: without a common enemy, the confederation broke into two factions: the Keres, Jemez, Taos and Pecos against the Tewa, Tanos, and Picuris. The Spanish capitalized on the discord to make several reconquest attempts, and in August of 1692, the new governor of New Mexico Diego de Vargas, initiated his own reconquest, and this time was able to reach Santa Fe and on August 14th proclaimed the Bloodless Reconquest of New Mexico. A second abortive revolt occurred in 1696, but after it failed, the Spanish remained in power until 1821 when Mexico declared independence from Spain. Archaeological and Historical Studies Archaeological studies of the Great Pueblo Revolt have been focused on several threads, many of which began as early as the 1880s. Spanish mission archaeology has included excavating the mission pueblos; refuge site archaeology focuses on investigations of the new settlements created after the Pueblo Revolt; and Spanish site archaeology, including the royal villa of Santa Fe and the governors palace which was extensively reconstructed by the pueblo people. Early studies relied heavily on Spanish military journals and Franciscan ecclesiastical correspondence, but since that time, oral histories and active participation of the pueblo people have enhanced and informed scholarly understanding of the period. Recommended Books There are a few well-reviewed books that cover the Pueblo Revolt. Espinosa, MJ (translator and editor). 1988. The Pueblo Indian Revolt of 1698 and the Franciscan Missions in New Mexico: Letters of the Missionaries and Related Documents. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.Hackett CW, and Shelby, CC. 1943. Revolt of the Pueblo Indians of New Mexico and Otermins Attempted Reconquest. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.Knaut, AL. 1995. The Pueblo Revolt of 1680: Conquest and Resistance in Seventeenth-Century New Mexico. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press.Liebmann M. 2012. Revolt: An Archaeological History of Pueblo Resistance and Revitalization in 17th Century New Mexico. Tucson: University of Arizona PressPreucel, RW. (editor). 2002. Archaeologies of the Pueblo Revolt: Identity, Meaning, and Renewal in the Pueblo World. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press.Riley, CL. 1995. Rio del Norte: People of the Upper Rio Grande from Earliest Times to the Pueblo Revolt. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press.Wilcox, MV. 2009. The Pueblo Rev olt and the Mythology of Conquest: An Indigenous Archaeology of Contact. Berkley: University of California Press. Sources This article is part of the About.com guide to Ancestral Pueblo Societies, and part of the Dictionary of Archaeology Lamadrid ER. 2002. Santiago and San Acacio: Slaughter and Deliverance in the Foundational Legends of Colonial and Postcolonial New Mexico. The Journal of American Folklore 115(457/458):457-474.Liebmann M. 2008. The Innovative Materiality of Revitalization Movements: Lessons from the Pueblo Revolt of 1680. American Anthropologist 110(3):360-372.Liebmann M, Ferguson TJ, and Preucel RW. 2005. Pueblo Settlement, Architecture, and Social Change in the Pueblo Revolt Era, A.D. 1680 to 1696. Journal of Field Archaeology 30(1):45-60.Liebmann MJ, and Preucel RW. 2007. The archaeology of the Pueblo Revolt and the formation of the modern Pueblo world. Kiva 73(2):195-217.Preucel RW. 2002. Chapter I: Introduction. In: Preucel RW, editor. Archaeologies of the Pueblo Revolt: Identity, Meaning, and Renewal in the Pueblo World. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press. p 3-32.Ramenofsky AF, Neiman F, and Pierce CD. 2009. Measuring Time, Population, and Residential Mobility from the Surface at San M arcos Pueblo, North Central New Mexico. American Antiquity 74(3):505-530. Ramenofsky AF, Vaughan CD, and Spilde MN. 2008. Seventeenth-Century Metal Production at San Marcos Pueblo, North-Central New Mexico. Historical Archaeology 42(4):105-131.Spielmann KA, Mobley-Tanaka JL, and Potter MJ. 2006. Style and Resistance in the Seventeenth-Century Salinas Province. American Antiquity 71(4):621-648.Vecsey C. 1998. Pueblo Indian Catholicism: The Isleta case. US Catholic Historian 16(2):1-19.Wiget A. 1996. Father Juan Greyrobe: Reconstructing tradition histories, and the reliability and validity of uncorroborated oral tradition. Ethnohistory 43(3):459-482.

Benjamin Harrison Biography - 23rd President of the U.S. Biography

Benjamin Harrison Biography - 23rd President of the U.S. Biography Benjamin Harrison was born on August 20, 1833 in North Bend, Ohio. He grew up on a 600-acre farm given to his father by his grandfather, William Henry Harrison who would become the ninth president. Harrison had tutors at home and then attended a small local school. He attended Farmers College and then Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He graduated in 1852, studied law, and then was admitted to the bar in 1854. Family Ties Harrisons father,  John Scott Harrison, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was the son of one president and the father of another. Harrisons mother was  Elizabeth Irwin Harrison. She died when her son was almost 17. He also had two  half sisters, three full brothers, and two full sisters. Harrison was married twice. He married his first wife Caroline Lavinia Scott  on  October 20, 1853. Together they had one son and one daughter along with a stillborn daughter. Sadly, she passed away in  1892. He then married Mary Scott Lord Dimmick on  April 6, 1896  when he was 62 and she was 37. Together they had one daughter named Elizabeth.   Benjamin Harrisons Career Before the Presidency Benjamin Harrison entered into law practice and became active in the Republican party. He joined the military in 1862 to fight in the Civil War. During his service he marched on Atlanta with General Sherman and was promoted to Brigadier General. He left military service at the end of the war and resumed his law practice. In 1881, Harrison was elected to the U.S. Senate and served until 1887. Becoming the President In 1888, Benjamin Harrison received the Republican nomination for president. His running mate was Levi Morton. His opponent was incumbent President Grover Cleveland. It was a close campaign in which Cleveland won the popular vote but failed to carry his home state of New York and lost in the Electoral College. Events and Accomplishments of Benjamin Harrisons Presidency Benjamin Harrison  had the distinction of serving in between the two presidential terms of Grover Cleveland. In 1890, he signed into law the Dependent and Disability Pensions Act which provided money for veterans and their dependents if they were disabled from nonmilitary causes. An important bill passed during 1890 was the  Sherman Anti-Trust Act. This was the first antitrust law to try and stop the abuse of monopolies and trusts. While the law itself was vague, it was important as a first step towards making sure that trade was not limited by the existence of monopolies. The Sherman Silver Purchase Act was passed in 1890. This required the federal government to purchase silver for silver certificates. These could then be turned back in for silver or gold. This would be repealed by Grover Cleveland because it was causing the nations gold reserves to be depleted as people turned in their silver certificates for gold. In 1890, Benjamin Harrison sponsored a tariff that required those wishing to import products to pay a 48% tax. This resulted in a rise of consumer prices. This was not a popular tariff. Post-Presidential Period Benjamin Harrison retired to Indianapolis after his term as president. He returned to practicing law and inn 1896, he remarried Mary Scott Lord Dimmick. She had been the assistant to his wife while she was the First Lady. Benjamin Harrison died on March 13, 1901 of pneumonia. Historical Significance of Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison was president when the reforms were beginning to become popular. During his time in office, the Sherman Anti-Trust Act was passed. Even though it was of itself not that enforceable, it was an important first step towards reigning in monopolies who were taking advantage of the public.

Tips for Teachers on Creating a Dyslexia-Friendly Classroom

Tips for Teachers on Creating a Dyslexia-Friendly Classroom A dyslexia  friendly classroom begins with a dyslexia friendly teacher. The first step toward making your classroom a welcoming learning environment for students with dyslexia is to learn about it. Understand how dyslexia impacts a childs ability to learn and what the main symptoms are. Unfortunately, dyslexia is still misunderstood. Many people believe that dyslexia is when children ​reverse letters and while this can be a sign of dyslexia in young children, there is much more to this language-based learning disabilities. The more you know about dyslexia, the better you can help your students. As a teacher, you may worry about neglecting the rest of your class as you institute changes for one or two students with dyslexia. It is estimated that 10 percent to 15 percent of students have dyslexia. That means you probably have at least one student with dyslexia and possibly there are additional students that have never been diagnosed. The strategies you implement in your classroom for students with dyslexia will benefit all of your students. When you makes changes to help students with dyslexia, you are making positive changes for the entire class. Changes You Can Make in the Physical Environment Have an area of the room designated as a quiet area. Carpeting this area will help keep down noise. Minimize distractions to allow students with dyslexia to have an area they can read or concentrate on class work. For students with dyslexia who are showing signs of anxiety, this can be a time-out area when they are feeling very nervous, upset or frustrated.Place analog and digital clocks on the wall, right next to each other. This will help students see both ways of showing time, connecting the digital time with how it looks on a clock.Set aside several areas of the board for daily information. Write down the day and date each morning and post the days homework assignments each morning. Use the same spot each day and make your writing large enough for them to easily see it from their seats. Large writing helps students with dyslexia find their place when copying information into their notebooks.Post high-frequency words and information that is used often around the room. For younger children, this could be the alphabet, for elementary age children it could be the days of the week, for older children it could be word walls of vocabulary words. Strips with this information can be taped to the students desk as well. This helps to reduce memory work and lets children with dyslexia focus on other skills. For younger children, add pictures to the words to help them connect the written word with the object. Have children with dyslexia sit near the teacher. This doesnt necessarily mean they must sit in the first seat but they should be able to easily see the teacher using peripheral vision. Students should also be seated away from talkative children to minimize distractions. Teaching Methods Use slower speech and simple sentences. Students with dyslexia may need a longer time to process information, use pauses when speaking to give them time. Integrate examples and visual representations in lessons to help aid in comprehension.Provide worksheets for organizing information for writing assignments. Have templates with different types of writing frames and mind maps that students can choose from when preparing a writing assignment.Do not require a student with dyslexia to read aloud in class. If the student volunteers, let him read. You might want to offer a student the opportunity to read aloud and give her a few paragraphs to read and practice at home before speaking out loud.Integrate different ways for students to show their knowledge of a subject. Use visual presentations, powerpoint projects, poster boards and discussions to help a child participate without feeling embarrassed or fearing failure.Use multi-sensory lessons. Students with dyslexia have been found to lear n better when more than one sense is activated. Use art projects, skits, and hands-on activities to reinforce lessons. Assessments and Grading Allow students with dyslexia to use electronic helpers when completing class work or tests. Examples include an electronic dictionary, speller or thesaurus, computers and talking calculators.Do not take off points for spelling. If you mark spelling errors, do so separately and create a list of words frequently misspelled for students to refer to during writing assignments.Offer oral testing and extended time for formal assessments. Working Individually with Students In the beginning of the school year, work closely with a student to assess their knowledge of phonics and set up a plan and specific practice sessions to help strengthen weak areas.Assess a students strengths and weaknesses. Use teaching methods to help build on strengths. Children with dyslexia may have strong reasoning and problem-solving skills. Use these as building blocks.Praise a childs achievements, no matter how small.Use positive reinforcement programs, instituting rewards and consequences to help a child learn to cope with symptoms of dyslexia.Supply a schedule of the school day. For younger children include pictures.Above all, remember that students with dyslexia are not stupid or lazy. References: Creating a Dyslexia-Friendly Classroom, 2009, Bernadette McLean, BarringtonStoke, Helen Arke Dyslexia Center The Dyslexia-Friendly Classroom, LearningMatters.co.uk

DiaoYu Islands Problems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

DiaoYu Islands Problems - Research Paper Example Japanese regime despite numerous negotiations, which China has initiated to resolve the wrangle amicably and effectively, it has disregarded these efforts (Xinhua, 2012a). Hence, resulting in other ways meant to trigger more conflicts by being uncooperative and not adhering to the already established treaties. Primarily, this is evident from the Japanese regime deploying patrol boats in the waters close to the islands and interfering with fishing activities in the area (Hui & Dan, 2010). This is regardless of the clear prove evident from the numerous regions having Chinese names both near and in the Islands; hence implying the islands did not belong to them as they are currently claiming. Japan’s interfering has somehow affected economic activities that ought to have started in the area beside fishing (Lee, 2011). For instance, petroleum exploits, which according to some studies the area seems to have underground reserves lying idle. In addition, this unjustified wrangle fuele d by Japan with the aid of US behind the scenes has interfered with the necessary cohesion amid the two states (Xinhua, 2012b). Chinese after realizing Japan is not ready for peaceful negotiations; recently has started declining to import merchandise from them, hence weakening the then strong trade ties (Hui & Dan, 2010). Judging from my opinion, the inception of DiaoYu Islands has led to the weakening of Japan-China trade ties (Xinhua, 2012). Mainly, this is evident from the recent Chinese’ demonstrations where they boycotted using Japanese products citing their trading partner’s malicious decision to purchase DiaoYu Islands (Zhongqi, 2007). Consequently, yielding to the decline of exports to China, this acts as the Japanese greatest exporting destinations besides EU, US and the ASEAN (Xinhua, 2012).  

Pricing Strategy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Pricing Strategy - Research Paper Example For instance, market strategy development, which entails market analysis, segmentation, positioning and targeting. Two, making market mix choices entails brand definition, distribution of the brands and brand promotion tactics. Three, demand carve estimation, which entails understanding how quantity required differs from the price. Four, pricing strategy can be determined by calculating the cost, which entails including the variable and fixed costs related with the goods, (Takano, Ishii & Muraki, 2041). The goods cost of a unit is set at a reduced coat that a company might charge and this indicates the margin profit at increased costs. Five, setting objectives of pricing such as maximization of profit, maximization of revenue or stabilization of prices is another way. These pricing strategy steps are interconnected and serve as starting point in pricing strategy creation. Product pricing should consider the legal and competitive condition that the business operates. In competitive pe rspective, the firm should consider its pricing impacts on the competitor’s decisions of pricing; for instance, setting low prices may threaten the price competition, which may not be in favor of any party, while setting high prices encourage increased competitor numbers who have interests in profit sharing. From a legal perspective, a company has no freedom to price its brands at its chose level, for instance, there are price limitations that restrict high product pricing too, (Taylor, & Prestoungrange, 2009). Similarly, low pricing may be seen as predatory or dumping pricing in international trade cases. Proving different prices of diverse clients may infringe laws against discrimination pricing and collusion with rivals to set prices at a consensual degree is illegal in various nations. What drives pricing strategy? Pricing choices affects the product demand in the market, the competitors pricing strategy, the company profitability and the purchasing decision of the custom er like brand product. Determining products pricing may be difficult but yet very crucial for business. Whereas there is no standard way of pricing strategy determination there are various factors that drive ones decision to pricing strategy, MCB University Press, 2003). For instance, the cost, all the hidden costs of the products such as invoice, insurance and taxes drives the pricing strategy because the cost of production must be lower than the selling cost. Second, profit – for instance, the pricing strategy is driven by the amount of money the firm intents to make from above the production cost. The cost factor is another drive, for instance, to make a profit, a company must charge high prices on the products to offset their production cost and marketing costs of the products. The average unit cost must consider both fixed costs such as rent and variable costs such as raw materials cost that changes with production volume. Thirdly, market demand is another driver because demand is the indicator of how clients will purchase a good or a service at certain cost. While the reduced costs attract more customers, the price effect over a prolonged period depends on elasticity. The buyers’ sensitivity on a certain products increases its price. If a company’s products are in higher demand, the company charges higher prices

Retailing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Retailing - Essay Example Their major focus is on loyalty to customer from wide demographic market segment that caters constantly to their changing preferences. Kotler and Armstrong (2009) have described marketing as major component of business strategy that helps to meet the changing needs and requirements of the people profitably. The success of LuLu Hypermarkets shows that it understands changing consumer psychology. It continuously strives to update its products line with that of the changing public demands. By introducing latest products and excellent services at competitive prices, it has earned significant customer loyalty that prefer to shop here than elsewhere. LuLu has earned market credibility mainly because of its efforts to maintain high quality of its in-house brands and at the same time, providing its customers with wide range of branded products from across the world, thus promoting customer satisfaction. The main reason it has earned customer loyalty is by providing them with unique shopping experience. Through strategic business alliances, it has considerably increased its organizational capabilities to meet the challenges of cut throat business. Scholars have asserted that creating values for customer has become the need of the hour (Gabriel, 2005:14). LuLu’s retail strategy has also used customers’ preferences as its major objective to forge business liaisons and partnership so it can cater to the demands of its diverse customers coming from different market segments. Thus, value creation for its customers through customized services and quality has become its hallmark. LuLu hypermarkets are spread over very large areas keeping in mind all conceivable needs of customers coming from diverse background. They even have banking counters for money exchange and provide shoppers with huge facilities like convenient parking, playground for children, cafeteria. The chic and friendly ambience of ultra

Independent learning plan 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Independent learning plan 2 - Essay Example ful in solving the children’s learning problems, and making the information (confidentially) available to the people that are directly connected with the children’s learning processes (Snow & Hemel, 2008). [ 2] The common procedure utilized in preparing the questions to determine the level of children with special needs is by preparing both oral and written tests. But whichever test to use depends on the child’s ability to comprehensively reveal itself either only through speaking or writing or by both (Ysseldyke et al., 2006). Age, previous exposure to any form of education and parental cares have been identified as helpful factors in successfully determining the level a child with special needs may be placed (Ysseldyke et al., 2006; Converse, 2009). There are six levels altogether, and each level up represents a more complex stage in the child education. Level one questions are general questions and could cover questions such as the student’s personal information, location of objects, activities and routines, future predictions, etc. (Cline, 1992). Level two questions could cover areas on directions, experiences, preferences, schedules, etc. Level three questions cover past events, polite requests, opinions, logical deductions, future conditions, etc. Level four covers past actions, infinitives, describing, second conditional, etc. Level five has questions on present perfect simple, third conditional, suggestions, defining relative clauses, and generalizations. For the case of level six, the questions focuses on complains, regrets, future perfect simple, reported speech, etc. (Bartlett & Wegner, 1987). The following are the examples of six-levelled questions that could be prepared orally or in written form for children with special needs to answer: 3. Classroom Organization: Each child will seat on a chair across from a wide table and facing each other but not touching each other with their bodies to avoid distraction. I will stand at the middle of

Cross-Cultural Management Skills in a Business Environment Research Paper

Cross-Cultural Management Skills in a Business Environment - Research Paper Example Culture changes or evolves over time, defined and altered by interactions amongst those who make up human society Culture is not monolithic because the human agents or actors who are imbued with intelligence and freedom give culture its dynamism through interaction and co-operation, giving rise to sub-cultures that add to societal diversity (Charon 2004, pp. 158-160). Culture is, therefore, a feature of a human society shaped by the behaviour of everyone in that society who learn and share that culture with future generations, affecting behaviour and outlook on life and determining how they think, feel, and act. Culture can be analysed using several perspectives and frameworks since it is visible to observers. Schein (2004, pp. 25-27) argued, in the context of business organisations, that these cultural manifestations range from the very tangible and over that one can see and feel: artefacts like organisational structures and processes, products and symbols of rituals, or architectur e and art, to the deeply embedded, unconscious, basic assumptions such as beliefs, perceptions, thoughts and feelings that form its essence. In between are espoused beliefs, values, norms, and rules of behaviour that members of the society use to depict the culture to themselves and to others. To understand the culture of any group and/or to change it, one has to get at its underlying assumptions and understand how such basic assumptions came to be. The best way to change a culture is to change the basic assumptions, but this is difficult, time-consuming, and highly anxiety-provoking.

Organizational Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Organizational Design - Essay Example Thus structure has a key role in the all-important human dimension of an organization. In recent time, due to failure of old organizational structures new structure though unconventional, coming up. The main criteria for design principal of organizations are speed, flexibility, integration and innovation. Recent time, organizations becoming complex in nature and built upon a foundation composed of purpose and core values but most of them change due to learning response to past weaknesses but nothing significant change in the organizational design has happened which could be termed as path breaking or truly innovating. Another form of Organizational Structure i.e., "Citizen cell structure" (Law, 1998) has been developed in which each cell is self managed by group of 35 people that is able to develop in its own way rather like a micro culture which mirrors the overall culture of the company. The cells keep in touch and in harmony with each other and the overall philosophy of the company by sharing information. If the cell grows successfully than it splits and forms two new cells. Each new cell then is responsible for its new growth and development. This type of structure of the organization supports its dynamic, interactive, team working approach, which is a perfect example of a complex adaptive system operating in the creative zone. (Lewin & Regine, 1991 p. 105). Complex forms of organization have the structure having following characteristics i.e. non-linear, non-hierarchical, holistic, self-organizing, flexible, diverse and networked. Lot of organizational design and structures have been adopted and tested around the world by the organizations nowadays and it has been changing accordingly all the time according to needs of the organizations. Basically it has been understood by the organizations as well as those leading it that nature of the organizations and designs must be understood properly by them and the importance or organizational designs to play in improving performance, sustainability and satisfying human dimensions. Now scanning through the different theories and concepts of structure and designs for the organizations, in the present circumstances of Riordan we can analyze which design will be best suited to the organization. In my opinion Riordan is complex organization and must have non-linear, non-hierarchical, holistic and flexible structure. Riordan must adopt "Citizen Cell Structure" because of its specialty and major emphasis on the teamwork and team building and diverse nature of operations. Riordan has already have three plants located in different locations and its R&D Department & H.O. located in same location. Its customer base is also diversified from Auto industry to Government department as well as manufacturing organizations and beverage organizations. To cater the needs of different customers and to provide better services to them, the Riordan must form the team for different customers having complete responsibility as well as have flat structure with decentralized decision mak ing. Then all the units must be networked and all the groups must maintain the main goals, values as well as ethos of the organization. The team must provide complete solutions to their customers and will be responsible for decisions. They must be innovative to provide innovative ideas, solutions to their

Cross-Cultural Management Skills in a Business Environment Research Paper

Cross-Cultural Management Skills in a Business Environment - Research Paper Example Culture changes or evolves over time, defined and altered by interactions amongst those who make up human society Culture is not monolithic because the human agents or actors who are imbued with intelligence and freedom give culture its dynamism through interaction and co-operation, giving rise to sub-cultures that add to societal diversity (Charon 2004, pp. 158-160). Culture is, therefore, a feature of a human society shaped by the behaviour of everyone in that society who learn and share that culture with future generations, affecting behaviour and outlook on life and determining how they think, feel, and act. Culture can be analysed using several perspectives and frameworks since it is visible to observers. Schein (2004, pp. 25-27) argued, in the context of business organisations, that these cultural manifestations range from the very tangible and over that one can see and feel: artefacts like organisational structures and processes, products and symbols of rituals, or architectur e and art, to the deeply embedded, unconscious, basic assumptions such as beliefs, perceptions, thoughts and feelings that form its essence. In between are espoused beliefs, values, norms, and rules of behaviour that members of the society use to depict the culture to themselves and to others. To understand the culture of any group and/or to change it, one has to get at its underlying assumptions and understand how such basic assumptions came to be. The best way to change a culture is to change the basic assumptions, but this is difficult, time-consuming, and highly anxiety-provoking.

Behavioral risk factors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Behavioral risk factors - Essay Example Academy of Sciences cites some specific behaviors that influence health such as tobacco and alcohol consumption, physical exercise and food intake, sexual practices, and disease diagnosis. Despite the availability of data on the direct effects of these behaviors on a person’s health and his contraction of potentially chronic diseases, they remain at a staggering level. Primary prevention with early screening and detection, together with an overall change in attitude are important to address illnesses prevention and obviate disease transmission (2001). The importance of community engagement in wholesome activities cannot be stressed enough. In this regard, the companies together with local health personnel should work together in implementing activities that promote a healthy lifestyle. Sports activities that initiate larger group participation are ideal and convenient. Information drives through a wider audience employing the mass media will also be vital to update people of the most recent health hazards and various studies. In addition, the different companies should encourage their employees to avail of provided for medical consults at the onset of their health concerns to ensure early

Literature Review on Pricing Strategies and Theories

Literature Review on Pricing Strategies and Theories Abstract: This purpose of this research is to study how the organization decides the price for the products. As price is considered has a very high sensitive factor of an organisation. In this study we are going to see the role of Pricing, different methods of pricing and effects of pricing on organisation and consumer behaviour. The pricing is explained with literature review followed by critical evaluation and ends with solution with valid recommendation. Introduction: Customers and determination of price is necessary for every organization. As this both customers and price have a high relation to the demand for products. Even there is a small increase in price levels it will highly affect the demand for the product and the organization profit. The price determines what products/services could be produced and in what quantities. Secondly it determines how to produce and finally whom to produce. There organization should be cautious while altering the price for the goods and services by changing the quantity, quality and by providing premiums or discounts, acceptable form. When there is raise in demand for service will led to increase in prices, which in terms led to concern of public or governmental activity. There are different ways in which the price of the products is determined. These are the foremost strategies that business use like Competition based pricing, Cost-plus pricing, Creaming or skimming, limit pricing, Loss leader, Market-oriented pricing, Penetration pricing, Price discrimination, Premium pricing, Predatory pricing, Contribution margin-based pricing, Psychological pricing, Dynamic pricing, Price leadership, Target pricing, Absorption pricing and Marginal-cost pricing. As their name it explains the method of pricing. Methods: Pricing was considered has a process towards achievement and to face the competitors of business. So that organisation thinks effects of pricing should be the targeted on returns. What method of pricing to be adopted. Whether adopted pricing would attract the customer and maximize the profit of business. Determination of price requires the organisation fully focused on the markets. These strategies should be considered while determining the price for the product. Aims Objectives: The aim of this research is to investigate; whether CRM supports the Marketing Strategies of an Organization. To conduct the literature review on Pricing Strategies To evaluate the methods of pricing theories To analyse the effects of pricing on returns. Literature Review: Customers are important for every organization. Numerous researches had been conducted for determining the method of pricing, which is explained in Literature review, has normally segregated in two divisions. First division will explain about a pervasive context about the, pricing and methods of pricing. The second part of this assessment deals with the previous related studies. Price is a highly sensitive factor of an organization. The standard economic analysis of pricing is based on the customers desire for the product its usually depends up on the income of the customer and other factors like ethnic origin. There are some consumers may pay high prices, while others willing to pay only lower prices. Instead of charging same price to all, the organization decided to charge different price for different customers as it will increase the business profit. This method of pricing is known as price differentiation. In earlier days sellers of perishable goods would sell the old products at low price instead of dumping or taking back home. If the price of competitor product was reduced it is necessary to reduce the price of the product, as it could create loss of customer and market. The pricing based on the competitors is competitive based pricing. The simplest method of pricing is cost-plus pricing. It just calculates cost of producing the product and adds on a percentage of profit to that price. Sacrificing high sales for gaining higher profit. Low volumes at high price. This is suitable for products that have short life cycles. It skims the profit from the market. It is known as market skimming. A monopolist set limit price to discourage others entry in to the market. Limit pricing is illegal in many countries. Loss Leader pricing strategy was illegal under EU and US. They sell the product below the cost, so the loss appears as public interest. It is similar to predatory pricing. Some business set their prices based on the analysis and compiled from the target ed market. This is known as Market-Oriented pricing. The organization set different price for the same product In the different segments to the market. This method is called Price discrimination Psychological pricing strategy the price is designed on the positive psychological impact on customers. For example, price of the product at  £3.95 or  £3.99, rather than  £4. Price leadership is an observation that usually one company would be the dominant competitor among several other companies. They will follow that soon. Target pricing strategy is calculated to produce a particular rate of return on investment for a specific volume of production. It is often used by public utilities and companies with high capital investment. These methods of pricing all the cost incurred are recovered. This is a form of cost-plus pricing. The practice of setting the price of a product to equal the extra cost of producing and an extra unit of output is marginal-cost pricing. The impact of price e lasticity should be considered while deciding the price. The degree of price elasticity focuses on the proportionate changes. The percent of change in price would be something less than the fall in sales is inelastic price. In case of price elastic the percent of change in quantity demanded greater than change in price. Slow inflation rates from other countries economies have led to the need for new approaches of pricing strategies. Five factors to be considered on determining the price are Demand, cost, competitive factors, corporate profit and market objectives and regulatory constraints. Previous Related Study:- Combivir and Trizivir case study â€Å"Some of the more dominant groups with observe to pricing in the HIV market are patient advocacy groups. Distinct patients on other condition, save probably cancer, HIV/AIDS patients are predominantly mobilized and oral when it arrives to treatment. This had guided to the growth of a widespread expanded admittance programs for products in development, and then patient assistance programs for new, costly products. Companies are well aware of the benefits of maintaining a positive relationship with the patient base. Combivir was launched essentially the same price as the some of the components. This not only replicates GSKs desire to make new treatments accessible to patients at a reasonable price, but also that mixture therapy was flattering more widespread and that physicians did not need a discounted price to justify recommendation. However, clearly single-agent therapy is still commonly used, as lamivudine unit sales (not including combinations) continue to be greater than Combivir unit sales. Only around the end of 2002 do lamivudine unit sales begin to decrease. Trizivir was also priced similarly at the some of its components prices, indicating the companys aspiration to keep it available to treatment for immature patients. GSK held Combivirs price the same in most markets when Trizivir was launched. The intension was not to have Trizivir cannibalize Combivir patients. Combivir still had a low price relative to Trizivir which would continue to make it attractive to many physicians. Sales of Trizivir quickly slowed as a result of clinical results showing that the three drugs used in the fixed-dose combination were not as effective as other three product combinations. Combivir has not had similar clinical setbacks and has continued to enjoy strong, but flat, sales.†( Combivir and Trizivir case studies) In this case study Combivirz has adopted the market oriented pricing method and penetration pricing hence it can be able to survive in the market after the tough competition with Trirzivir. Determination of price is considered as important to survive in the market and to gain consumer interest. Borden Company vs. Federal Trade Commission In 1958 the FTC issued a complaint against Borden Company for selling the same products to different customers at a different price and ceased price discrimination on goods. Tom Nagle, Reed Holden, Kent Monroe, Eric Mitchell had trail the price leadership and companies following these ideas but when it is tested with the scientific methods invented like hypothesis does not fetch the expected results. Michael V.Marn, Eric V. Roegner and Craig C.Zawada has analyzed about price wars in the book The Price Advantage explains how to react for the change in price of competitors. They said that make the customers focused on the benefits, do not over spend on advertising, gaining the market share rapidly from one or two competitors. Rapid changes in the market almost set the price war. Do not react until you understand the reason for price cut of competitor. If you dont understand the well delay your response until you understands the facts. Do not react with lower price as it affects the organization. They suggest when there is need in change of price it is necessary to analyze the consequences as it could affect the market and over all organization. â€Å"Thomas Nagle and Reed Holden outline 9 laws or factors that affect buyers price compassion with respect to a given purchase in the book The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing. o Reference Price Effect Buyers price sensitivity for a given product rises the elevated products price relative to apparent alternatives. Perceived alternatives can vary by buyer segment, by occasion, and other factors. o Difficult Comparison Effect Customers are less sensitive to the price of a known / more reliable product so they would have complexity of comparing it to possible alternatives. o Switching Costs Effect The higher product-specific on investment a buyer must make to switch suppliers, the less price responsive that buyer is when decide between substitutes. o Price-Quality Effect customers are less sensitive to price they think higher prices seems higher quality. Products for which this result is particularly relevant. o Expenditure Effect Buyers are more prices sensitive as soon as the expense accounts for a large percentage of buyers obtainable income or budget. o End-Benefit Effect The effect refers to the relationship a given purchase has to a larger overall benefit, and is separated into two parts: Derived demand: The more responsive buyers are to the price of the end benefit, the more responsive they could be to the prices of those products that contribute to that benefit. Price proportion cost: The price amount of cost refers to the percent of the total cost of the end benefit accounted for by a given element that helps to produce the end benefit (e.g., think CPU and PCs). The lesser the given components portion of the total cost of the end benefit, the less sensitive buyers will be to the components price. o Shared-cost Effect The smaller the portion of the purchase price buyers must pay for themselves, the less price sensitive they will be. o Fairness Effect Buyers are more sensitive to the price of a product when the price is outside the range they perceive as â€Å"fair† or â€Å"reasonable† given the purchase context. o The Framing Effect Buyers are more price sensitive when they perceive the price as a loss rather than a forgone gain, and they have greater price sensitivity when the price is paid separately rather than as part of a bundle. Critical Evaluation: The research conducted on the supermarkets the Cost effects all the other coefficients are important and reliable with well-mannered approximate reproduction, representative to contributing extra services produce extra costs bear by the supermarket chains. The approximate limitation for the long-run charge components designate that 0.15% and 0.21% (respectively) of the extra long-run cost for effective food and non-food services is owed to milk sales, while the amount of the additional cost of operating a store that is 1,000 square feet /larger owed to milk sales is 0.13%. Also, although the additional long-run cost module does not collision the short-run marginal cost, at the model averages, for each gallon of milk sold the long-run marginal cost of services is approximate equal to $0.0216 for the in-store services model and $0.0158 for the store-size model. Overall, the results confirm Ellicksons (2006) finding that retailers provide Quality with an augment in fixed costs, followin g Shaked and Suttons (1987) endogenous cost model.( Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management) The estimated marginal collision of retail services on milk prices (at the sample averages). Affects milk prices positively, in constancy with preceding answer (Cotterill 1999; Bonanno and Lopez 2004). spotlight on the in-store services model results first, food services show a marginal price-increasing effect roughly one-third that of non-food services. While the consequence of non-food services on milk prices is mainly due to marginal cost changes, the effect of food services is mainly due to market power. It should be noted that there are considerable economies of scope produce by increases in food services.( Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management) A limitation of the analysis offered in this article includes dependence on strong supposition based on the nature of supermarket competition. Prospect research might expand the analysis by comforting the short-run monopoly postulation to unscramble the communications between strategic pricing and service provision. Another noticeable limitation is the use of burly functional forms used for the demand and cost functions. The use of more elastic functional forms, although hard to apply with the available data. ( Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management) First, the study was limited to one service setting and one customer segment. Additionally study transversely other services that apply revenue management and other customer segments is needed to institute the simplify aptitude of our conclusion. Secondly, the data used in the revise were obtained from an existing survey database. Research using review instruments specially intended for a field study should also be carry out to determine the robustness of the results. Finally, the study did not, nor was it planned to; detain all of the qualifications of revisit meaning. In particular, there may be extra factors power the relationship between price and customers return intentions. An attractive research area to believe is role of customer discernment of value in the price-return intentions relationship. The effect of affective commitment on the price-return intentions relationship also merits examination. (Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management Vol. 7, 4 357-369) the steps needed to appropriately implement the strategies: breaking down pricing decisions by region or by customer segment; constructing result on rigid data filter during complex software; basing optimal prices on inventory positions, offering manufacture capacity, demand predictions and aggressive market conditions; and creating â€Å"sense and respond† mechanisms that allow them to test often and react fast. Conclusion: The pricing strategy is considered as the success factors for the organization. Now we know the consequences of pricing decision are likely to have on customers purchasing behaviours—and on financial performance, regionally or globally, short term and long term. They could plan more assertively for the potential on more calculated risks and creation of fewer guesses. Finally, effective pricing is the most excellent way to make the major difference in earnings while conserving unit sales and market share. It is, in effect, the last major step on the path to high performance. References: †¢ The price is right . . . isnt it? Greg Cudahy and George L. Coleman †¢ Competition effects of supermarket services Alessandro Bonnanno and Rigoberto A.Lopez †¢ The effect of price on return intentions:Do satisfaction and reward programme membership matter? Breffni M. Noonen and Daniel J. Mount 2008 Palgrave Macmillan, 1476-6930 Vol. 7, 4 357-369 Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management †¢ The price advantage By Michael V. Marn, Eric V. Roegner, Craig C. Zawada †¢ Pricing on purpose: creating and capturing value By Ronald J. Baker

Circuit Training :: essays research papers

From reducing risk of heart attack to simply providing more energy, weight training plays an important role in one’s life. One very popular method of weight training is to increase mobility and build strength and stamina. This method is known as circuit training. Circuit training has been around for decades and offers a wide variety of applications and benefits. This workout is performed both mentally and physically. The weight training participant performs one set of an exercise then immediately performs a set of another exercise in succession without rest; one right after another. Exercise can be sequenced in a variety of combinations, which isolate single muscles, a group of muscles, or total body training. Since muscles can only contract for long periods of time when sufficient amounts of oxygen are available, mental focus during circuit training is directed towards the heart and lungs, as opposed just the muscles during conventional training. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems feed our working muscles with oxygen filled blood that is eventually fueled by body fat. During conventional training the focus isn’t on the heart and lungs because the cardio/respiratory system rests between exercises, allowing the ATP to LA cycle to be the energy supplier. (This cycle must be depleted in order for the body to burn fat). By performing circuit training, you don’t give your heart or lungs a chance to relax, which keeps the ATP to LA cycle depleted. In addition to increasing heart and lung conditioning, enhancing your ability to use oxygen, ad burning fat, impressive muscular shape and strength gains will result from doing any circuit-training workout. Research studies consistently show that leans body mass increases with a course of circuit training. A 1-3.2 kg gain in lean body mass can be expected with a consequent decrease in relative fat mass of 1-3%, total weight remaining unchanged. This is a major benefit of circuit training, especially for those who want to get in shape and tone up their muscles. With traditional aerobic training, a decrease in relative fat mass has led to a decrease in total weight with little change in lean body mass. The resistance work involved in the circuits encourages muscle-mass

Health Care Reform Essay -- Medical Medicine Essays

Health Care Reform INTRODUCTION Several years ago, health care reform was a hot political topic with President Bill Clinton's proposals to revolutionize medical health insurance. Even though his proposals didn't become law, sweeping changes are occurring within the health care system, particularly in regards to managed care health insurance and the reengineering of the hospital. The goals of these changes are to cut medical costs, make the delivery of health care more efficient, and to promote preventive medicine, health, and primary care. While these changes are positive in many ways, they are also creating concerns among both the health care consumer and provider. These changes must be managed to insure that high quality care remains at the forefront of medical care. MANAGED CARE HEALTH INSURANCE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Managed care plans are the fastest growing form of health insurance (Whigham-Desir, 1996). Sarah Glazer (1996) describes the concept of managed care: "The underlying principle of managed care is to keep the entire community healthy by providing preventive care, such as immunizations and mammograms, at little or no cost. In exchange for lower premiums, copayments and deductibles, the consumer agrees to see a limited group of physicians selected by the plan. The plan keeps costs down by limiting the consumer's access to expensive specialists and procedures." Since three-fourths of Americans receive health insurance through their employer, managed care plans are becoming increasingly popular as both employer and employee seek to decrease medical care costs (Whigham-Desir, 1996). Managed care has been around since the 1930s when HMOs were formed to promote preventive medicine among doctors (Sprag... ...s its moral power." Health care is one of the most important aspects of society, and with the change taking place, it is paramount that it is a managed change which will benefit everyone. Works Cited: Bennett Clark, Jane (1996, July). What you should ask your HMO. Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine. pp. 92-93. Glazer, Sarah (1996, April 12). Managed Care. CQ Researcher, 6, 313-336. Koop, C. Everett (1996, Fall). Manage with care. Time. pp. 69. Larson, Erik (1996, January 22). The soul of an HMO. Time. pp. 44-52. Shortell, Stephen M.; Gillies; Robin R.; & Devers, Kelly J. (1995, Summer). Reinventing the American hospital. The Milbank Quarterly. pp. 131-160. Spragins, Ellyn (1996, June 24). Does your HMO stack up? Newsweek. pp. 56-60. Whigham-Desir, Marjorie (1996, February). What to know about choosing an HMO. Black Enterprise. pp. 160-165.

Cellular Phones: A Reliable Source In Society Today Essay

In today’s society it is hard to find someone who does not own a cell phone. It is almost like cell phones appeared over night, since we used to see nothing but rich guys in the 80’s carrying around large, chunky mobile phones to now where we have a variety assortment of smaller cell phones that we can choose from. Now a days, cell phones are used in just about every aspect of life, from work, to school, to emergencies, to browsing the web to get information, to playing games or just plain talking with a loved one, we use our cell phones. Some families have even gone strictly cellular and do not own a separate home phone. This is how popular cellular phones have become. Can one say that it is a form of technology that has enhanced our society? One would say â€Å"yes† it is. Just a few years ago, pagers were the thing to have, now with the advance technology of cellular phones, who needs pagers anymore? It has come to the point that now you will see a 10 year old with a cellular phone. Many parents feel better if their child has a phone to where they can reach them at any given point. However, is this really necessary? I mean, when I was 10, if I was not at home with my mom, I was either in school or over a relative’s house, nonetheless, my mother knew where I was at all times. This is just one example of how cell phones have become heavily relied upon in society. Let us explore how useful cellular phones have become and how we as a society rely upon their use each and every day. To begin let us go back into history of how cellular phones came about. According to Jamie Brown at Yahoo! Yahoo! Voices. Contributor Network, Cell Phone History: Technology and Innovation Over the Years. (January 12, 2009). Retrieved from: http://voices. yahoo. com/cell-phone-history-technology-innovation-over-2414208. html. â€Å"The very first cell phone was developed in April 1973 by Dr. Martin Cooper, a manager at Motorola, and a group of fellow inventors. Cooper called his competitor on the cell phone he had just invented. The technology was called AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service). It took ten more years for the first analog cell phone to be developed for commercial use by a company called Ameritech. As I have done my research on the use of cellular phones today, I have come to find that much of society have many uses for the cellular phones. Many own a Smartphone and some may be like me and still own a basic phone. Nonetheless, just to own a cellular phone is a plus, and you are looked at strange if you say you do not own one. As I was reading an article on CNN Tech, by Amy Gahran, October 22, 2010, she referred to her â€Å"aha! † moment when she realized how the significant cellular phones were back in spring of 2009. She told the story of when she was on the bus sitting across from an elderly gentlemen who looked homeless. When all of a sudden a cell phone rang, and the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a flip phone and commenced to having a conversation, confirming an appointment to get off the streets. Now just looking at this, I realized that there are many people out there who may not have a place live, actually living in shelters, but they will have a cell phone. When I asked my husband Michael how prevalent are cell phones in shelters (because he used to be in one through the Salvation Army back in 2010), he stated: â€Å"yes there were plenty of people in there who had cell phones, they had to have a way for people to get in contact with them. And you have to realize, there are so many government programs that issue out free cell phones, anyone could have one. † Now based on that fact alone, I realized that our society, really could not function properly without the use of cellular devices. Since their inception, technology has evolved to where we basically need the use of cellular devices, just to get by in our day to day lives. Thinking back when I was younger and wished I had a way to get in contact with my mom, about when to pick me up from school. Only way I could reach out to her was to call the house, not realizing if she was not at home she would not receive my message. Oh boy, how I wished we had the luxury of small mobile cellular devices back then, instead, we had the big bag mobile devices, that only those who could afford it carried them around. After further research, there are many who believe that cellular phones have been a very much needed and great asset to our society. According to Foram Mehta, on an article done on Buzzle website titled: How Cell Phones are Changing Our Society. They do break it down on how society has been using cellular devices and for what reasons.