Thursday, October 31, 2019

Earned Value Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Earned Value Management - Essay Example One of them is Earned Value Management (EVM). First, we shall attempt to understand the basics of EVM. EVM is one of the pivotal links in the chain of costs control (Stratton, 24). EVM is vitally important and useful because it is linked with other component of costs control such as – Earned Value Management is associated with every other tools and techniques. It helps in forecasting and preparing to-complete performance index. We get earned value data through performance reviews. We use earned value management to calculate variance analysis. Project management software helps us in obtaining earned value data. Until now it has been established that EVM helps in achieving a lot of clarity on the direction and efficiency of a project. Now we shall go into the whole process of deriving certain ratios that help us in achieving the above mentioned objective. The above data gives us three different values if the project is even slightly off-track in terms of cost and its schedule. After knowing the above values, the next step is to find out various ratios which shall help in the understanding of cost control. These ratios are – Positive Schedule Variance means that the project is behind on time and a –ve CV means that it is costing the company more. Similarly lesser than 1 value of SPI means that less amount of work is accomplished than planned (Song, 50). All these ratios assist in the forecasting for the project. For example, TCPI shows how efficient you have to be in the rest of the project in order to complete within budget. This is the real objective of EVM and it is has become widely popular. Until now the ratios have been derived but they have not been explained in sufficient detail. It is for this purpose that we shall take an example with very simple figures so that the whole concept is grasped properly. If we assume that the budget for out project is 10 million dollars and the

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Explore How Black People Are Differently Treated by the Criminal Justice System Essay Example for Free

Explore How Black People Are Differently Treated by the Criminal Justice System Essay Racial prejudice is not unique to modern day society, it has been with us for a long time, this has been coupled with the belief that certain racial groups are less intelligent, or backward compared to white European stock, nowhere is this more true than in the criminal justice system. In 1869 Francis Galton published a book called Hereditary Genius this contained a chapter called The Comparative Worth of Different Races which considered that black Americans were genetically inferior to white Americans. Galton stated that blacks scored on average 15 IQ points below whites. (Coleman 1987) We can see that within the field of criminal justice, and with Galtons work considered that black people were bound to be treated differently due to a belief born out of misunderstanding of the nature of culture and individual personality differences, the hereditary argument has never been scientifically proved or disproved. The 1991 census showed that 5. 5% of the population were from an ethnic origin, with 1. 6% of these being black from an Afro-Caribbean background. It was reported that a higher amount of the ethnic minorities was of younger people than in the general population, and it can be seen that this alone could be a reason for the proportionately higher level of blacks in the criminal justice system , going on the grounds that in the indigenous population it is the younger generation, those aged 14-25 years that commit the vast majority of crime. Crime by ethnic minorities, and in particular young black males can also be seen to be a social situation, and may be a product of sheer logistics. Many new immigrant families move into what is perceived as a high crime area, particularly inner city areas, where housing may be cheaper and unemployment is higher than at a national level. These areas may receive more police attention than richer areas and therefore the new immigrant families come to the attention of the police more than those in more rural areas. xenophobia may also cause the police to over react when dealing with black families. A study by Goreman Coleman (1982) looking at personality and attitudes within the British police force, showed that the average police constable was indeed racist. They asked in the study for police officers to write a short essay, some of the comments were vigorously racist, comments such as, Certain members of the coloured population that l have met are OK but the majority of youths of the West Indian community are savage ignorant vicious thieving bastards , . most of them are just dirty , over 50% of trouble is caused by niggers , smelly backward people who will never change (Coleman 1987). In the last 10 years most public agencies, including the police force, have formed equal opportunities policies, these apply not only to recruitment but also to the way people are treated, and is especially needed in the criminal justice system where there are disproportionately more blacks than whites in the prison system in comparison to the size of the black population in society as a whole. It was reported in 1982 that black people made up 18% of the prison population, but only accounted for 5% of the general population. The figures are worse for Afro-Caribbean males, 1% of the population, but 11% of the prison population. (Home Office 1982). During the 1980s it became apparent that blacks were more likely to be stopped by the police. The British Crime Survey in 1988 found that 14% of Asians, 15% of whites, but 20% of Afro-Caribbeans reported being stopped by the police in the preceding year (Skogan 1990) The British Crime Survey also reported that there was some evidence that crimes detected by the police and those reported by the public seemed to have a racial bias. Blacks and Asians also complained more than whites about the way they were treated once arrested by the police (Skogan 1990). On the subject of arrest it seems also that blacks are treated differently in this process. A survey by the PSI (Policy Studies Institute) in 1983 found that blacks were disproportionately arrested, they found that 5% of the population of London were black, but 17% of those arrested in London were black. Further studies by Walker (1988) (1989) support these findings. Landau Nathan (1983) reported that there is evidence to suggest that blacks will be cautioned less than whites, a white youngster is four times more likely to receive a caution than a black juvenile. Also black juveniles are more likely to be remanded in custody than whit or Asian teenagers. Walker (1988) also showed that black juveniles are twice as likely to appear at crown court than whites. A Home Office Statistical Bulletin (1986) showed that blacks in prison were more likely to have less previous convictions than white men in similar circumstances, the figure for whites was 62%, Afro-Caribbeans 48% and for Asians 20%. The main finding from these and many other statistics is that black people are dealt with, whether as suspects, offenders or defendants, in a highly disproportionate way, it can also be seen that they are treated more harshly than their white counterparts at virtually every stage of the criminal justice process. It is therefore not surprising that black people have less faith in the police and criminal justice system than white British people. David Smith (1994) argues that the main group in society has a degree of power, seen to be unique and special in relation to religious, social and cultural traditions of the particular society, thus creating an unequal legal system that is biased against ethnic minorities. This can be seen to be the stem from which racial disparities may emerge in the British legal system and criminal process, and may explain why black people are treated differently by the criminal justice system. He (Smith) further argues that the law is a national institution and part of a national identity that is born out of centuries of tradition, and therefore unless changed does not take account of relatively recent immigration of ethnic minorities to this country. It can be argued that there are two main reasons for blacks being disproportionately represented in our criminal justice system, firstly that they commit more crime, and secondly that they are treated in a different and possibly harsher way, so as to be over represented in the criminal justice system. Research in the USA has shown that crime is in fact higher amongst blacks (Wilbanks 1987). This view has been criticised, for example by Reiner (1993) stating that to exclude external variables that effect such findings is almost impossible. Reiner (1989 1993) concluded that it is the way in which black people are treated differently from white people in our criminal justice system that created the disproportionate levels of minorities in the process, although he concedes that this is far from conclusive. Smith (1994) criticises Reiner for this view, believing that Reiner is contradicting himself, with little evidence, suggesting that it is treatment that cause high black representation in the criminal justice system, but stating that this may not be believed by some, and is in fact inconclusive. It is true that blacks are over represented in the criminal justice process, what is not clear is, why. Whether we like to think it or not there is still a great deal of racial prejudice in this country, and this alone feeds societies morals and thus its policing and criminal law, this prejudice and discrimination therefore makes it difficult for minorities to gain employment, especially in times of high unemployment and recession. This can lead to feelings of rejection, lack of self-esteem, poverty, lack of self-respect and insecurity. Blacks, as mentioned above, often live in the poorest areas of the cities and therefore come to the attention of the police far more than white youths, parents may also find it difficult to exercise control over their children in areas where social control is at its lowest. Whatever the reason for higher black crime, whether a statistical wrong, or innate criminality, for which there is little support, it is clear we will never get at the real reason that blacks are treated differently by the criminal justice system, too many people would have too much to lose by finding an answer. 1,407 words. REFERENCES. Coleman, A. (1987) Facts, Fallacies and Frauds in Psychology. London: Unwin Hyman. Galton, F. (1869) Hereditary Genius, an enquiry into its laws and consequences (2 ed. 1978) London: Friedmann. Coleman, A. Goreman, L.. (1982) Conservatism, Dogmatism, and authoritarianism in British police officers. Sociology, 16, 1-11. Landau, s. Nathan, g. (1983) Selecting Delinquents for Cautioning in the London Metropolitan Area. British Journal of Criminology. 23, (2): 128-48. Reiner, R. (1989) Chief Constables. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Reiner, R. (1993) Race, Crime Justice, Models of Interpretation. IN L, Gelsthorpe, W, McWilliam (Eds) Minority Ethnic Groups and the Criminal Justice System. Cambridge: Cambridge Institute of Criminology. Skogan, W. (1990) The Police and Public in England and Wales, A British Crime Survey Report. Home Office Research Study no: 117. London: HMSO. Smith, D. (1994) Race, Crime and Criminal Justice. IN Oxford Handbook of Criminology. Maguire, M. ; Morgan, R. Reiner, R. (Eds) Oxford: Claenden Press. Walker, M. (1988) The Court Disposal of Young Males by Race in London 1983. British Journal of Criminology: 28, (4) 441-59. Walker, M. (1989) The Court Disposal and remands of White, Afro-Caribbean and Asian Men(London 1983). British Journal of Criminology. 29. (4), 353-67. Wilbanks, W. (1987) The Myth of a Racist Criminal Justice System. USA: Brooks/Cole.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Hofstede and Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions

Hofstede and Trompenaars Cultural Dimensions Hofstede stated 5 Cultural dimensions which can be used to investigate national preferences. To explain the variation of cultural dimensions in different countries, a chart illustrating all 5 Cultural dimensions is shown in Hong Kong, China and USA. Detailed explanations are given below: Power distance is the distance in the approach between the subordinates and seniors in an organization. The high Power Distance countries make use of Centralized decision making and the employees are less likely to question their seniors. Whereas, in low power distance there is decentralized organization structure and employees are more likely to question their seniors. In high Individualism, it is generally expected that people only take care of their loved ones like their immediate families, there is very less tendency that the people will work and belong to any groups. Countries with high Masculinity, there is high degree of gender differentiation and people will place much importance on recognition, challenges, wealth, earnings etc. whereas, countries with high femininity, importance is given to quality life, cooperation, friendly atmosphere, caring others etc. Uncertainty avoidance is how people feel and react in doubtful situations and has created beliefs to avoid such situations. In countries with high Uncertainty people believe on experts and their knowledge, there is need for security and people are not willing to take risks. Whereas, in low Uncertainty avoidance people tend to be ambitious and are ready to accepts unknown risks. The fifth cultural dimension was studied by using Questionnaire in various countries around the globe. Long Term Orientation deals with good moral values regardless of truth. In Long Term Orientation the values such as Perseverance, thrift play vital role, while respect in beliefs, principles in society and binding oneself by social duties are associated with Short Term Orientation (Hofstede and Bond, 1984). Trompenaar Cultural dimensions: Universalism and Particularism: According to Trompenaar, the culture assigns the importance either to the rules or personal relationships. In Universalism culture people share belief that the rules, values and law are more important than personal or other relationships while, in Particularism cultures people focus more on human friendship or personal relationships. Individualism and Communitarism: Trompenaar Individualism and Communitarism cultural dimension carry the same meaning with Hofstedes Individualism. As explained above, the culture differences are illustrated as to whether people function more as individuals or in groups. Specific and Diffuse: In Specific cultures such as Denmark, the interactions between people are well defined viz the interactions are tending to criticize their juniors directly and openly, people tend to concentrate on hard facts, standards. In diffuse cultures like Russia, the criticism is considered a personal matter and may form a part of losing value or prestige. Affectivity and Neutrality: Affectivity and neutrality cultural dimension provides a degree in which people show their feelings. In Affectivity cultures, individuals express feelings naturally and openly. People talk loudly, show happiness or unhappiness, greet with enthusiasm etc. whereas in Neutral cultures, people tend to hide their emotions. Achievement and Ascription: In Achievement cultures, members are awarded official position depending on job performances, whereas, in Ascription cultures, members are respected or awarded official positions depending on ethnic groups, age, family, gender etc. In Sequential time cultures, people generally perform duties sequentially i.e. perform only one duty at a given time. While, in Synchronous time cultures people are flexible, handling several duties at a single point of time. Inner and Outer directed: It is set of people who believe that environment can be controlled versus a set of people who believes environment controls them. In Inner directed cultures, people believe that it is in humans hand and right a expertise knowledge can control nature; In outer directed cultures people believe that nature is not in their control and therefore they should live and change themselves according to the nature or environment. Source: Hampden-Turner and Trompenaars, (1993). Hofstede and Trompenaar helped to explain cultural differences with help of various cultural dimensions. Below table provides information on Trompenaar cultural dimensions with respect to various countries around globe. Thus, it can be seen that the cultural dimensions provided by Hofstede and Trompenaar help to better understand various cultures and thus they help to investigate different national preferences. Strengths and Weakness of Hofstede and Trompenaar: Inherent bias between Hofstede and Trompenaar and ways to overcome Inherent bias: To show the inherent bias between Hofstede and Trompenaar an association between national metrics on individualism and national sales data of i branded phones is demonstrated. The analysis shown in Table 1 reveals the bias on individualism criterion of Hofstede and Trompenaars (Burns and Bush, 2006 cited by Veerapa and Hemmert, 2010). The lack of precision can be overcome by using diagnostic tools like SPSS (Wilcox, 2001). SPSS helps to correct the deviations and presents post hoc test outputs which can be analyzed (Burns and Bush, 2006 cited by Veerapa and Hemmert, 2010). Hofstede Improvement model: In Hofstedes model it has been seen that the model merely assumes uniformity. Hence, there is a need to study diversity, richness of institutions and their practices. Presently, intense debates, reviews on interaction, structure and conceptualization are available on immediate basis. We should be engaged and involve in using theories of action, which can deal with multiple influences, change and variety, situational non-national variability, power and difficulties on individual subjects instead of seeking explanations from the conceptual lacuna for assumed national uniformity (McSweeney, 2002). Comparison between different models: Most of the cultural literatures have discussed and pointed towards core values of culture which helps to identify difference between cultures. Hofstede proposed that the most efficient method to modify the process of thinking is to change individual behaviour (Schwartz, 1999 and Hofstede, 1980). Project GLOBE has focused and illustrated effects of leadership qualities on various cultures and examined charismatic leadership at three levels industry type, national and organizational- nested within each other (House et al., 1999). The fit between management practices and cultural characteristics is considered to play a vital role in implementing a successful management team (Aycan et al., 2000). Nevertheless, Hofstede and Harzing, (1996) proposed that only few studies were able to examine or only few theories realized that the culture itself changes over period of time. Schein (1992) proposed a cultural dimension which reflects on the levels of visibility. Drawing on Scheins proposal, cultural theories vary depending on concentration on the different layers of culture. Many cultural theories concentrate on the middle portion; values specialized in between visible and invisible parts of culture (House et al., 1999; Hofstede, 1980; Inglehart and Baker, 2000). The association between change in economic development and work values was studied by Inglehart and Baker (2000) and both found noticeable cultural changes. Very few models concentrate on the visible and the external layer of practices and behaviors, Trompenaar assessed or judged the differences in cross-cultures with respect to behaviours, driven by values (Trompenaars, 1994; House et al., 1999). Multiple levels of cross cultures are shown in Figure 1: Most of the cross cultural research focused on national level, illustrating differentiation in cross cultures with regards to national values (House et al., 1999; Hofstede, 1980). Berson, Erez and Adler, (2004) proposed the formation of interdependent and multinational work teams helps to minimize the complexity in workplace within and across borders. The interdependent teams help the companies to bridge cultural gaps and assure smooth coordination and communication. Even the CEOs has consistently emphasized the interdependence and connectedness in their speeches. Hall (1976) studied high and low context cultures. Environment is important for the people belonging to high context cultures and they rely on interpretation i.e. make use of non-verbal signals during communication, whereas, in low context cultures non-verbal signals are often ignored and environment is less important. Hall model does not rank different countries and is built on qualitative insights and the model does not provide numerical data and hence, comparisons can only be on subjective basis. Problems for Expatriates: This section discusses differences in organizational styles and cultural patterns between Japanese and German staff members in Dusseldorf region of western Germany, and issues they encounter for morale, communication and co-operation. As English not being the native language for both Japanese and Germans, a sizable amount of Japanese firms in Dusseldorf region remark on communication problems and stress between Japanese expatriates and local staff members. There is also a contrast on subject of politeness, Japanese staff are recognized for considering the politeness to great extents; a distinct Japanese politeness syndrome is unwillingness to say no with firmness, which confuses the foreigners and Westerners find it disingenuous, whereas, Germans suffer the reputation for being arrogant, blunt and curt. The Germans see the standoffishness of Japanese as an obstacle to pleasant office relationships. German managers found it difficult and comment that even after continuous efforts they are not in a position to socialize with Japanese expatriate teams. The isolation and the size of Dusseldorf region helped to put a belief on German side, that Japanese are reclusive and clannish by character. The Japanese were annoyed by German curtness and Germans were bothered by Japanese unfriendliness (Lincoln et al., 1995). The Japanese expect forthright assumption of guilt and produced apologies in places where the Europeans find it inappropriate and unnecessary. In Japanese firms the acceptance of failures of ones duties is an obligation to European (Wall Street Journal, 1989), as the Westerners impulse to shift blame to others and defend oneself. Some differences also occur on the decision making process as for Japanese its bottom-up command and control while for Germans its reverse (Kieser, 1990; Lincoln et al., 1990). More, the Japanese hire employees as generalists and not as specialists. The Germans found the appraisal style inconvenient because the Japanese appraisal style judges long-term achievements and performances and not present performances (Endo, 1994). If the company wants to reward the younger ambitious local hires for their appropriate skills, the company was not able to do so, because of the morale issues of appraisal system of Japanese business cultures, due to which the problem of inequality arise. Expatriates Managers motivating and leading staff: Research has shown that the styles of leading staff, motivating and communicating vary among countries (Adler and Gundersen, 2008). To motivate and to understand the motivation drivers of the employees, an expatriate manager should have a broad idea about real root values of different cultures (Sergeant and Frenkel, 1998). Work placement motivation plays an important role so that the employees work effectively and organization can achieve their goals. In multi-culture environment the motivation factors will vary from person to person, so the organization should use different motivational tools. One of the strongest motivational factors is probably the development of an appropriate reward system; this can influence both employee motivation and job satisfaction (Hickins, 1998 cited by Albu, 2009). The people motivations may vary depending on their emphasis on income, more number of contacts, security in job or feeling of accomplishment. The attributes and roles chosen by experienced expatriate managers in leading their teams are not constant and may vary in different contexts. Finnish expatriates in various countries indicated different perceptions of leadership, examined by Suutari (1996). For examples, an expatriate from Germany commented that the softness in Scandinavian is inappropriate and claim for receiving respect from subordinates a person should be more authoritative. Similarly, if a manager from a different culture is working in France, he should avoid participating in groups, as he would not succeed to get any ideas from his colleagues and nothing will work if he did not take a decision himself. An expatriate in UK was advised to make use of directive style and be more rigorous. Whereas, in Thailand good leadership qualities are associated with moral values like to sacrifice, to think about majority and not only about their families. A successful leadership style must be appropriate to the context within which it is exercised (Mead, 2005, p. 133). PART 2 Preparation for Expatriates and their relatives: After reviewing various research articles following were the requirements found for preparing an expatriate for successful mission. The companies need to employ rigorous and sophisticated pre-move policies to expatriates along with their families, which include personality and psychometric testing, cross-cultural and language training (Forster, 2000). Many researchers like Mendenhall and Oddou, 1986; Tung, 1981; Brislin, 1981, Smith and Still, 1997; Bochner, 1982; Forster, 2000, Brislin et al, 1986 have strongly emphasized on cultural empathy during expatriate trainings. Cross cultural training is broadly classified into 6 types by Tung (1982): 1] Using information containing facts such as information on housing, schools, weather, and geographical location. 2] Cultural preferences or tendencies, information such as the value systems of host country. 3] Cultural Assimilation programs which help to describe cross cultural experiences. 4] Linguistic training 5] Sensitivity training, helps developing confidence in particular situations. 6] Exposure to other cultures by means of field experiences, which will help to get a feel of emotional pressures. According to Brewster and Pickard (1994) following should be the cultural training programs for expatriates: 1] a cognizance about major emphasize on influencing cultural behaviours 2] Mandatory knowledge which is required when dealing in different situations. 3] Developing emotional maturity and acquiring skills to help psychological adjustments when working abroad. Thus following can be the relevant training programs, which can be used to prepare an expatriate. How Cross cultural Training programs support Expatriates and their relatives: The cross-cultural and linguistic training introduces the employee the importance of cultures and help to sensitise the actual differences in cultures. The training programs help expatriates to become vigilant of unavoidable psychological stress which usually happens when individual tries to adapt in foreign cultures (Forster, 2000). Cross cultural training and language training helps to built cross cultural competency skills and add on social and professional skills, knowledge, coping techniques and factual information to expatriates and helps to create an artificial make-up. Training programs also helps to provide relevant information on the living and working styles of the host country. Cultural, political, economic information and information on cultural awareness helps expatriates to understand the foreign culture in more suitable and personal way, all these factors work at intellectual or mental process of the expatriate. More, cross-cultural training also consist of learning activities which are purely based on experience combining mental process and behavioural techniques which help to reinforce the assimilation of information on occasions like experimenting alternative response strategies and simulating critical incidents. It is also believed that, cross cultural training helps to acquire an intercultura l effectiveness skill which improve families and personal adjustments overseas. Such skills include building relationships, effective cross cultural communication, transition stress management, cultural awareness, improving managerial decision making, negotiation techniques and conflicts resolution (Kealey and Protheroe, 1996). Nevertheless, as per Gertsen (1990) literature, excluding the training, for a successful expatriate mission, lot more depends on the employees personal traits like openness, self confidence, good communication skills, intelligence, optimism, tolerance, empathy, independence, initiative and willingness to change. Requirements for working in multi-culture environment: Intercultural competence plays an important role and is necessary, when a member of a cross-cultural team needs to build strong relationship with other nationalities. Due to intercultural competence the member is able to exchange verbal non-verbal levels of behaviour (Dinges, 1983; McCroskey, 1982; Spitzberg, 1983). Research delineated important features of inter-cultural competence such as ability to develop and maintain relationships, personal traits like inquisitiveness and effectively sharing information with others (Black and Gregersen, 2000; Mendenhall, 2001). Apart from knowledge of language and culture, Intercultural competence also involves affectivity and behavioural skills like charisma, empathy, friendliness, ability to control uncertainty and anxiety (Gudykunst, 1998; Spiess, 1998). There are three parts of intercultural competence, sufficient cultural knowledge, appropriate skills and Personality Orientation. The managers in USA and Russia have associated high performing cross cultural teams with clearly understanding their approach for team goals, equipped with complementary skills, working with expertise teams, and tremendous commitment with relatively higher degree of motivation, clear responsibilities of team roles, cultural sensitivity, cooperative team climate and access to technology (Matveev and Milter, 2004). To work effectively with multi cultural teams the managers need to know and understand the culture of a person with whom they are interacting, their behaviour patterns during conflict situations, and information about their personality, life experiences, demographics etc. Manager of diverse cultures needs to be vigilant with regards to the interests, resources of different cultures and diversity of perspectives, to obtain all this information the manager requires high level of intercultural communication competence (Matveev et al., 2002). Lessons drawn from tutorials and classes From tutorials and classes, we gathered knowledge which helped critical analysis of contexts and issues relating to business and management operating across cultures. Various aspects of cultural diversity and national cultures have been explored. International HRM has become a strategic asset of many organisations and play vital role in implementing and developing policies on cross cultural management. We learnt differences between cultures, their relations when working in organisations, businesses and the way people from different cultures interact and communicate. It was also observed that if the variety of cultures is ignored, the organisations suffer from conflicts and underperform. From the principle theories of cross cultures I explored the effects of cultural diversity on leadership, negotiation, communication, motivation and ethics in organisations. Through critical analysis the awareness among cultural differences was raised, while reinforcing behaviours and skills that can help managers to adjust in such differences. The main focus of study was on management of International Business and there was seen a strong emphasis on cultural differences between European, Asian, Anglo-American and African. How multicultural awareness can be raised and stereotyping be decreased To raise multi cultural awareness, Sleeter (1992) given importance to multicultural professional development programs and awareness building inservice programs. Sleeter observations revealed that after completion of these programs, teachers greatest change was increased attention to Black students and increased the usage of cooperative learning activities. Multi-cultural awareness can also be raised through well-prepared induction programmes incorporating cultural awareness training. Professional counselling across cultures could also provide effective help to raise cultural awareness (Skinner, 2010). Sue et al. (1982) suggested three dimensions of cross cultural counselling competencies: knowledge, awareness and skills. The counsellor needs certain cultural specific knowledge and must be aware of potential cultural differences. Thus, cross-cultural training and cultural competencies raise multicultural awareness. Stewart et al., 2009 proposed the success of a modern technique Situational Attribution Training Technique to minimize the underlying stereotyping. White participants were trained extensively to choose situational over dispositional explanations for negative stereotype-consistent behaviors performed by Black men (Stewart et al. 2009, p. 221). Reduced racial stereotyping was demonstrated by the individuals who finished their Situational Attribution Training. More, the impact of Stereotyping can be minimized by bringing together different cultural members and when these members come together they notice that other persons are not as stereotype as considered, this proof makes a disagreement, which finally helps in improving thinking about stereotypes. Words: 3,179

Friday, October 25, 2019

Is it Safe to Pray? :: essays research papers

Is it Safe to Pray? No matter what religion a person practices, everybody has gone to church whether it is on a regular basis or for an occasion such as a wedding or funeral. When you look up at the altar and see the priest, you don’t question their morality because society is taught not to question a higher authority figure. Why would such a symbol of purity and sanctity have anything shameful to hide? All of the sudden the man at the altar has lawsuits being filed against him. Child molestation is presenting itself as an issue that is becoming recurrent in society and more of an epidemic within the Catholic Church. In the past, the priests involved in these incidents have not been subjected to a punishment equal to the crime they committed. A priest involved in such deplorable activities should immediately be defrocked and subjected to criminal prosecution. This is a problem that lends itself to secrecy. The priests who commit these immoral acts are masters at using justifications, denial, and within an environment of religion, to look for a higher power for forgiveness which allows the abusive priest in his own mind to excuse the behavior. The failure of some bishops of the Church and the Church itself to respond effectively in the manner consistent with their positions as leaders with a duty to protect to most vulnerable members of the Church, is in some ways more disturbing than the criminal acts of the priests themselves. These same bishops may have confused forgiveness with leniency towards criminal behavior. In some cases, the bishops and other church leaders placed their thoughts and emotions with the accused priests over those of the victims, by accepting the denials from the priests instead of listening to the victims. Numerous cases are adding up into the millions and the churches are filing bankruptcy. But ultimately where does the fault lie? What actions should be taken to see that justice is served and have the Catholic Church remain solvent? If a priest is found to have committed acts of sexual misconduct with minors, he should not be shuttled from one position in the church to another but should in fact be defrocked and removed completely from the Catholic Church and deprived of any services provided by the Church. In this manner, it is possible to remove the temptation from the priest and safeguard the wellbeing of the Church family. Is it Safe to Pray? :: essays research papers Is it Safe to Pray? No matter what religion a person practices, everybody has gone to church whether it is on a regular basis or for an occasion such as a wedding or funeral. When you look up at the altar and see the priest, you don’t question their morality because society is taught not to question a higher authority figure. Why would such a symbol of purity and sanctity have anything shameful to hide? All of the sudden the man at the altar has lawsuits being filed against him. Child molestation is presenting itself as an issue that is becoming recurrent in society and more of an epidemic within the Catholic Church. In the past, the priests involved in these incidents have not been subjected to a punishment equal to the crime they committed. A priest involved in such deplorable activities should immediately be defrocked and subjected to criminal prosecution. This is a problem that lends itself to secrecy. The priests who commit these immoral acts are masters at using justifications, denial, and within an environment of religion, to look for a higher power for forgiveness which allows the abusive priest in his own mind to excuse the behavior. The failure of some bishops of the Church and the Church itself to respond effectively in the manner consistent with their positions as leaders with a duty to protect to most vulnerable members of the Church, is in some ways more disturbing than the criminal acts of the priests themselves. These same bishops may have confused forgiveness with leniency towards criminal behavior. In some cases, the bishops and other church leaders placed their thoughts and emotions with the accused priests over those of the victims, by accepting the denials from the priests instead of listening to the victims. Numerous cases are adding up into the millions and the churches are filing bankruptcy. But ultimately where does the fault lie? What actions should be taken to see that justice is served and have the Catholic Church remain solvent? If a priest is found to have committed acts of sexual misconduct with minors, he should not be shuttled from one position in the church to another but should in fact be defrocked and removed completely from the Catholic Church and deprived of any services provided by the Church. In this manner, it is possible to remove the temptation from the priest and safeguard the wellbeing of the Church family.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Prostitution Opposition Essay

Prostitution is one of th oldest trades known to man and even at the present time, while it is illegal in most areas of the United States, it is still employing many women and is solicited by even more men. Prostitution should be decriminalized because we are paying too high a financial and social cost for the ineffective enforcement of laws against it. The money and the law enforcement personnel freed by legalizing prostitution could be better spent if used to protect citizens against violent crimes. Prostitution has not always been a crime and there are still a few communities in the West, particularly in Nevada, where houses of prostitution operate as legal businesses. First, let me give you a brief history lesson on prostitution. â€Å"Before the 17th century, fornication may not have been socially accepted, but neither English nor American common law recognized it as a crime. After the Civil War, a series of laws were proposed to segregate and license prostitutes to operate in â€Å"red light† districts, and in 1910, the Mann act, a federal statute prohibiting the transportation of females across a state border for the purpose of prostitution, debauchery, or any immoral purpose was passed. By 1917, the organized and highly profitable prostitution of New Orleans and other cities was doomed by federal edict, and in 1925, every state had enacted an anti-prostitution law. Still, the effectiveness and the social and economic cost of making prostitution a crime has been continually questioned† (J. Pearl, 256). There are generally two types of prostitutes, those who either employ themselves or have a pimp, and then there are escorts. Escorts are supposed to be just that, an escort. According to Kentucky law, an escort is defined as â€Å"Any person who is held out to the public to be available for hire for monetary consideration in the form of a fee, commission, tip or salary, to consort with, or who accompanies, another or others to or about social affairs, entertainments or places of amusement, or within any private quarters, or who pose for the purpose of being observed or viewed by any person† (J. Sharkey). However, most escorts are prostitutes that are hiding  behind and being protected by the facade of a legal business. If, and usually when an escort does engage in any sexual activity, her services have then become criminal and she is prostituting herself. But, other more violent crimes are being committed daily. The perpetrators of these crimes often get away with it because our police forces are spread too thinly, even without adding prostitution arrests into the equation. â€Å"In 1985, residents and visitors of Dallas, Texas reported over 15,000 violent crimes, only 2,665 of which resulted in arrest. That same year, Dallas police officers arrested 7,280 prostitutes, which cost local taxpayers over ten million dollars. More importantly, it cost the community over 300 hours daily, of police man-hours (J. Pearl, 258). For an officer to make an arrest of a prostitute, he must do five things. First, the officer must be solicited by , and make an arrest of a suspected prostitute or â€Å"john†, then he would have to transport the arrest to the police station. Once the arrest has been detained, they must be booked, this would include fingerprinting and the identification process. The next thing the officer does is write and file his report, the fifth and final step of a prostitution arrest is to testify in court. The officer interviewed says that testifying is by far the most time-consuming aspect of the entire process (Mora, interview). Beyond the obvious costs associated with police earnings are less apparent ancillary expenses. These are the props and things used to make an arrest. Most officers change their physical appearances frequently and lease a new car every three months, these expenses, of course, are paid by our tax dollars. There are two more aspects of financial cost involved with prostitution arrests. The judicial expenses and correction costs. â€Å"The costs of prosecuting persons arrested as suspected a prostitute reflect the fact that most cases involve more than one court appearance. The prosecution of an average prostitution case usually requires nearly four hours of a court’s full attention over a period of weeks or months (J. Pearl). When a person is  convicted of prostitution, she may be sentenced to jail time. â€Å"In California, convicted prostitutes are estimated to account for at least 30 percent of the population in most women’s correctional facilities, the annual cost of incarcerating only four convicted prostitutes in Boston was almost fifty thousand dollars† (J. Pearl, 262). Correctional costs impose a substantial burden on the public. Since it takes an average of 22 hours to complete the process of arresting a prostitute, you can imagine the amount of time that is being wasted on it. The time used enforcing present prostitution laws could be better used on finding and prosecuting the perpetrators of violent crimes. â€Å"Well over two million violent crimes were reported in 1985 to police departments. Eighty three percent, or 1.9 million, of these reported offenses failed to result in arrest. For each of these non-arrest cases, police in the same cities last year spent nearly one hour enforcing prostitution laws’ (J. Pearl). There is no assurance that while arresting prostitution offenders, that police officers will also be patrolling for other crimes being committed in the same area. All factors considered, prostitution laws clearly represent lost opportunities for the protection of society against other crimes. Charles Winick says that â€Å"It would be extremely foolhardy to base public policy on the temporary or neurotic needs of a very small element of the population, there has never been any society where regulated prostitution has worked† (pg. 267). He also believes that prostitution is unfair to the prostitute, and that prostitution paves the way for other crimes in a community that allows it. I am not denying these facts, however, Winick does not provide any refutation to my arguments invoving the costs of prostitution law enforcement. Maybe because there are very few arguments against my views. Many Americans may never wish to condone prostitution, but the time has come to ask whether or not we can afford to keep it illegal. In the face of rising complaints of violent crime in virtually all major cities, the hundreds of highly skilled vice officer man-hours devoted weekly to prostitution costs. It is clear that many of the costs incurred in the  enforcement of prostitution laws are inescapable, but most unfortunately, police on prostitution duty are seldom available to deter more assaultive crimes. Works Cited Mora, James. Personal Interview. 28 Apr. 1999 Pearl, Julie. â€Å"The Highest Paying Customers: America’s Cities Against the Costs of Prostitution Control.† Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Human Sexuality. ED. Robert T Francoeur. Guilford [C.T]: Dushkin Publishing Group, INC., 1989. Sharkey, Joe. â€Å"Come Listen to a Story ‘Bout a Town Against Hookers.† New York Times. 19 Apr. 1998: P. 7, Sec. 4. Winick, Charles. â€Å"Debate on the Legalization of Prostitution.† Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in Human Sexuality: Ed. Robert T. Francoeur. Guilford [C.T.]: Dushkin Publishing Group, INC., 1989.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

dramatic rise

Recently, in the US there has been a dramatic rise in the number of people working longer hours. Understanding how workaholic behavior patterns can affect ones psychological well-being and life satisfaction is becoming increasingly of greater importance to mental health professionals. Workaholism has been described both positively and negatively as an addiction to work, the compulsion or uncontrollable need to work incessantly. Most employers value an employee that is very hardworking but as longer hours are put in, a person may begin to struggle at balancing personal and family needs with the increasing workload. Though generally accepted in society, there is surfacing evidence of the negative consequences of Workaholism. Research has suggested that workaholics report higher levels of stress and are subject to more health related problems than nonworkaholics. Workaholics tend to be of a perfectionist nature and are often unwilling to delegate work to others, which can sometimes slow progress and reduce efficiency in many jobs. These findings would suggest that workaholics might possess traits that might not be as desirable to employers as once thought. The term Workaholism was coined decades ago because of the similarity in the patterns between an alcoholic and a workaholic. The most similar trait is that the behavior is continued despite the knowledge of how it is affecting the person physically or psychologically. There are generally two types of workaholics, the enthusiastic and the nonenthusiastic. Both types are defined as people who exhibit an excessively high work involvement. The difference is however, the enthusiastic workaholic actually enjoys a high rate of personal enjoyment and satisfaction gained from their work. In contrast, a nonenthusiastic workaholic doesnt receive the same satisfaction from their efforts. There are three basic theories as to how people become workaholics. T ...

Monday, October 21, 2019

Why Rome Was Truly Great essays

Why Rome Was Truly Great essays Many have wondered, why was The Roman Empire so great. Rome was so great because it's the first village that grew into an empire, entertained every one with a vast variety of entertainment, a functional law system, and several advances in technology. Many do not know that Rome started as a small village and was taken over. The invaders added a government, and so Rome was transformed from a village to a republic. Since Rome had a government, they now needed a military to protect themselves. With this new military comes a need for a new kind of government. For years, the government had been a senate of three hundred and two consuls, one for financial and similar stuff, and the other for the military. A military consul named Julius Caesar saw this and took action. He knew that the republic didn't want another king, so he said that he was better than a king, he was an EMPEROR. Emperor was just a fancy term for the king. To get the support to become an emperor, Caesar gained popularity by providing entertainment. Rome held many entertaining events that were free to the public. These events were paid and sponsored by the emperors to gain popularity. Some of these were the Coliseum, Circus Maximus, public executions, and the public bathhouses. The Coliseum was large enough to hold more than 50,000 spectators to watch the bloodshed of the gladiators and slaves who fought to the death. Christians, before Rome adopted Christianity, were forced to fight wild animals that had been starved for weeks without weapons to defend themselves against the beasts. These were usually held in the morning, Many executions were held at noon. In the afternoons is what made the Coliseum is famous for, Gladiator. Gladiators were trained to fight to the death on gladiatorial schools. The gladiators were usually slaves, condemned criminals, prisoners of war, and even an occasional woman. Before a losing gladiator was slain, the winning one would look up to the...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Free Essays on Wisdom And Age

Wisdom and age What is wisdom? Wisdom is traditionally associated with profound understanding and deep insight. Such understanding and insight is usually integrated with a wide variety of various life experiences. Wisdom is believed to be the relationship that exists between things (Teachings of Buddha). The term thing describes the relationship between objects and human beings. These relationships that exist between things have two common factors, the correlation and examination of prior experiences or relational values of that unique individual. The second is the concreteness that maintains a sense of wholeness among all things, this is related to an individuals perceptual views of the world around them. With that being said, wisdom does not require formal education or even an actual partaking in some life experiences. But it does require the cognitive ability to simplify multiple elements of larger more complex compilations. In an essence wisdom is the profound understanding of simplisti c components that requires relational examination between past experiences. Wisdom is extremely diverse and is completely derived from situational experiences based on prior experiences The Wisdom page). There are a few aspects I would like to cover concerning wisdom and age. These topics are pertaining to the mental processes involved in wisdom through age (Ardelt, 2000). Such topics are the developmental characteristics and brief comparison between intellect and wisdom. Another aspect is the improvement in wisdom influenced decision making despite other the decline of other mental capacities. Another examination between wisdom and age is a performance test that was given to both the youth and elderly (Straudinger, 1999). The two areas of interest remaining are concerned with quality of life and how wisdom is involved. Age, related to wisdom is ultimately the acquisition of life experiences. As the result age can provide t... Free Essays on Wisdom And Age Free Essays on Wisdom And Age Wisdom and age What is wisdom? Wisdom is traditionally associated with profound understanding and deep insight. Such understanding and insight is usually integrated with a wide variety of various life experiences. Wisdom is believed to be the relationship that exists between things (Teachings of Buddha). The term thing describes the relationship between objects and human beings. These relationships that exist between things have two common factors, the correlation and examination of prior experiences or relational values of that unique individual. The second is the concreteness that maintains a sense of wholeness among all things, this is related to an individuals perceptual views of the world around them. With that being said, wisdom does not require formal education or even an actual partaking in some life experiences. But it does require the cognitive ability to simplify multiple elements of larger more complex compilations. In an essence wisdom is the profound understanding of simplisti c components that requires relational examination between past experiences. Wisdom is extremely diverse and is completely derived from situational experiences based on prior experiences The Wisdom page). There are a few aspects I would like to cover concerning wisdom and age. These topics are pertaining to the mental processes involved in wisdom through age (Ardelt, 2000). Such topics are the developmental characteristics and brief comparison between intellect and wisdom. Another aspect is the improvement in wisdom influenced decision making despite other the decline of other mental capacities. Another examination between wisdom and age is a performance test that was given to both the youth and elderly (Straudinger, 1999). The two areas of interest remaining are concerned with quality of life and how wisdom is involved. Age, related to wisdom is ultimately the acquisition of life experiences. As the result age can provide t...

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Effect of Budgetary Logistical - Constraints on Manufacturing Strategy Research Paper

Effect of Budgetary Logistical - Constraints on Manufacturing Strategy - Research Paper Example This research paper explains the effects of budgetary logistical/ constraint on the manufacturing strategy. According to Miltenburg (2008), manufacturing strategies are aimed at solving manufacturing problems and assisting the manufacturer in their objective to have a competitive advantage. The budgetary logistical or constraints are expected to have a great influence on the approach the manufacturers would choose to solve manufacturing problems as well as how he chooses to look for a competitive advantage. The research explained by this paper, explain how budgetary constraint or logistical affect the choice of a manufacturing strategy as well as its implementation. This research mainly relies on a secondary source of information as our main information source. Manufacturing strategy is composed of various aspects of a manufacturing process. This strategy is mainly aimed at minimizing the cost of production while not affecting production and product quality. If this is achieved it can increase the revenues of the manufacturers and thus increasing his profits. The most important manufacturing strategy in the today’s competitive business environment is the setup reduction program. The setup reduction program like other manufacturing strategies is mainly aimed at reduction of production costs while maintaining product quality. Though it was not introduced many years ago it has become very popular in the manufacturing industry and it is now greatly used by several manufacturers. Setup reduction program involves a reduction in the expenses incurred in designing a setup for the production process in the manufacturing industry.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Ethics in the media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ethics in the media - Essay Example They are required to make sure the independence of the information and fairness are not tainted in the process of journalism. They are required to make sure no commercial or any other considerations never undermine the accuracy of the information’s independence and fairness. The journalists are required to use fair, accountable and straightforward means to acquire information. They are never to exploit a person’s susceptibility or unawareness of mass media practice. Rapid environmental change in the media scene has altered the traditional aspect of journalism into the trending dimensions of the new environment specification. The social media and the internet are some of the new dimensions of news outlets as they are easily accessed and the rate at which the society is viewing the traditional media as incompetent makes the sudden change in the media. Today’s viewers anticipate to be able to select what they read, and most trust they had better be able to add conte nt and sentiments, too. This shift occasionally called the social media revolution, is not the demise of journalism, as a society always knew it. It is the birth of autonomous society that accentuates some of the Broadcasting's key factors like limpidity, morality while giving expression to the individual with none. Technology is one of the change initiators that have been on the forefront where it has produced several platforms for the masses to express their view. The information is filtered and comes with many different ethical breaches.

Deforestation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Deforestation - Essay Example Also, the reasons for deforestation are largely economic. Softwoods from areas under boreal forest are used in the paper and construction industries, while tropical hardwoods are used in the manufacture of furniture and for construction purposes. In South American countries, forest and woodland areas are also heavily exploited for wood-fuel, which is the main source of energy. Following Ehrhardt-Martinez (1998): "Deforestation in developed countries has reached very low levels, it accounts for the loss of 16.3 million hectares of forest per year in developing countries -- an area approximately twice the size of Portugal. An estimated 15.4 million hectares of forest loss occurs each year in tropical regions, with the worst losses occurring in Latin America and the Caribbean (7.4 million ha) (568) Clearly, the exploitative decline in forest and woodland resources is not sustainable in the long term and a number of environmental problems, including soil erosion and biodiversity losses, have developed as a result. Improved road access into deforested areas is likely to encourage population influx and increased shifting cultivation (Margulis 39). Farmers are then encouraged to trans... These strategies are very successful helping to establish a special culture of forest management and land use (Ehrhardt-Martinez, 569). For the highlands, this meant more emphasis on cattle-ranching, generating meat and dairy products for the growing urban markets, and less importance for traditional subsistence crops like corn, wheat and barley. The establishment of all-weather routes meant that areas which had only been accessible during the dry season could now be used for continuous product extraction, promoting permanent settlement which in turn also increased the demand for local food products. it should be noted that forests, while not the only, are still the main source of 'reserve land areas' to be gradually included in the pool of cultivated areas (WRM 1998). Due to the low commercial scale of remaining valuable timber species, it is usually not worthwhile to open a new road in a mountainous region just for the sake of timber extraction; this thus eliminates any prospective 'indirect' impact. The extraction of logs here may rather be a by-product of forest-clearing implemented for general purposes of colonization (Margulis 89). According to road distance and market requirements, either all types of firewood are cut and used across the board for conversion, or hard species with a high energy content are selected. In the case of across-the-board utilization, charcoal-burning would indeed be a candidate as a cause of deforestation, provided that the once-and-for-all rent from clearing and charcoal conversion is in fact the decisive motivation within the landowner's resource-use strategy. The problem of deforestation needs complex solutions and

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 7

Marketing - Essay Example Furthermore, it has also been observed that, firms which offer interchangeable service channels are deemed to be ‘extremely appealing’ by the customers (Bendoly et al. 2005, Pp. 314). There is a substantial rise in the use of telephones and internet which are increasingly being integrated into the multi-channel service systems, and are substituted by the traditional means of communication such as face-to-face channel. Multi-channel retailing affords the customers to use additional service channels which entails a wider range of service outlets; increased convenience of shopping; time savings as well as reliability (Coughlan et al. 2001). Multi channel retailing offers several benefits to the firms in the form of service innovation; cost reduction; increased automation; customization of services; greater flexibility etc., among others (Bitner et al.2000). Maximising customer satisfaction is the key objective of multi channel retailing (Moriarty & Moran, 1990; Coelho & Eas ingwood, 2003) which is accomplished through an integration of various channel formats (Montoya-Weiss, Voss, & Grewal, 2003). Of all the channels of distribution, internet is ranked highly by both the sellers as well as the customers, as an appropriate and effective tool for enhancing the shopping experience of the customers. According to claims made, in recent research reports, there are various evidences which point to the fact that consumers with access to multiple retail channels, spend comparitively more than those with access to single channel of distribution. Furthermore, multiple channel retailers are known to have a wide base of loyal customers and repeat shoppers, as compared to those who offer a single channel of distribution (Berman, 2007). Such major shift in consumer preferences have acted as a major trigger for the retailers, compelling them to review their channel integration strategies, and take active steps in transforming the way they approach and target their cus tomer segments. Multi channel retailiers today, clearly have an edge over their single channel counterparts, both - in terms of competitive standing in the industry as well as higher customer satisfaction. Definition of Multichannel Retailing According to Levy & Weitz (2009) Multi channel retailing refers to an integrated set of activities which involves sale of products or services to the customers, via more than one channel of distribution. Berman and Evans (1998) classify retailing in accordance with store based and non-store based. Multi-channel retailing thus, refers to the integration of store based retailing with the non-store based channel. Multi-channel retailing in the Banking sector There has been a significant increase in the revenue growth in retail banks across the globe. This is because, of a tremendous shift in the number of channels used to reach their customers, leading to an enhanced customer experience; better market segmentation; ability to deliver an effective product mix; and a remarkable improvement in the service operations. The key channels of distr

Thursday, October 17, 2019

The Transformational Grammar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

The Transformational Grammar - Essay Example Originally, transformational grammar and generative grammar was introduced by Zellig Harris. In the late 1951, he considered symbols to represent in the English sentences that are 'N' for Noun Phrase, 'V' for Verb, 'Vb' for copula verb, 'A' for adjective phrase and 'P' for particle. For surface structures, Harris later introduced Phrase Structure or PS rewrite system which is used to rewrite a symbol into a single or more than one symbols which are all selected from an alphabet. Therefore, following symbols came into view which restricts the English sentences: The above mentioned PS rewrite system is best known to be as an algorithmic machine. The first in the symbols is S which represent sentence, when activated, the symbol of S is carried out linked with the associated rules. After sometime, Harris realized that PS write systems is not sufficient enough so after 1950, he began to see the study of Gardiner and Hjelmslev including the observational data of linguistic theory which did not contained the isolated sentences. In 1952, finally he applied distributional method to the texts which extended the area of sentences. However, transformational grammar was revolutionize... Not starting from the minimal sounds, Chomsky began his work with syntactic combinations in which he analyzed that it can be generated by the means of a composite series of rules. In transformational grammar, each and every intelligible sentence not only conforms the grammatical rules to its own particular language but it also obey the rules for 'deep structures', a universal grammar that underlies the whole set of language plus corresponding to a natural capacity of the human mind (Farlex 2009). The newly found linguistics, which started in 1957, deserves a label of "revolutionary". In this way the word "grammar" took an innovative meaning to itself. This new linguistics classified grammar as instinctive or a subconscious capability to produces language which constituted with our human language. However, the main aim of this new linguistic was to describe this sort of internal grammar (Norquist, Richard 2009). Chomsky along with other linguists, who helped to build the theory of transformational grammar, created transformational rules which help to transform a sentence with a given grammatical formation within a sentence merging it with dissimilar grammatical formation which has the same meaning. For example, if the sentence would be "John say Mary" it will convert into "Mary was seen by Jonathan" (HighBeam 2009). According to Aronoff and Miller (2003), the initial work of Noam Chomsky largely illustrated insufficiency of context-free grammar for the study of natural languages as well as he provided explicit transformational descriptions of specific facts. Transformational grammarians, in 1960's, paid more attention to the connection amid the semantics and syntax which

Civil Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Civil Law - Essay Example The basic purpose of punishing someone is to make him understand that he has committed a wrong and he should be made to pay for it, though not in terms of cash or something but in a manner that will do some good for this human being in the long run. Punishments have to be understood in the proper context, so as to state the least. We will delve further through the course of this paper as to how punishment is linked with morality, equality, rights of human beings and just about everything that comes under the banner. Equality is man's most perilous metaphor whereby it has haunted and made a fool of him for a number of years now. Equality and indeed justice takes into account a number of differences amongst people, top of the list of which includes the racial ones that are either ancestral which may be hereditary or inborn as well as cultural, i.e., procured from society after one's birth. This one can usually be changed or at times totally removed with the enforcement of changes that might be social in nature. These changes are in essence, autonomous of man's laws, rules, regulations and customs, except over a period of many eras. Justice particularly has a number of characteristics as it basically chalks down the conditions and necessities that are linked up with it. Justice within a society is not all about being fair but also holds a great deal of importance on being just and timely. It is a true saying that justice delayed is justice denied; for this reason justice takes both these things wh en it is defined in the truest sense of the word. Justice is radically associated with the mighty men - the rulers and the ones who govern a particular area or a regiment of soldiers. Justice thus holds supreme importance for these brave men as they are the ones who lay the foundation for the society to be a part of the equal rights and hence the fairness fable in general. The concepts of civil rights and of civil law are both functions of the concept of civil society whereby it is that bubble of private action free of government control. It is not free of government action, because government action secures the nature of civil society by the protection of persons against criminal wrongs. The essence of civil society is thus that people are left by government to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, while the government protects the citizens from criminal wrongs of violence, theft, fraud as well as many others. The most violent and heinous crimes committed anywhere in the world are by the youth. These are organized and in a proper manner, with no shortcomings at any end on anyone's part. Research has found out that the youth are the ones who are most definitely involved in this menace. At times, the politicians are the ones who use them in order to hold protests against any civil or governmental norm prevalent in a certain region of the world which enrage these youth. Studies have shown that the extreme cases of criminal behaviours all involved having youth at their expanse. They not only bring with them terror for the common citizens but also introduce a huge dust of alcohol, abuse of drugs and many other forbidden things in the society. The future generation should be made to stay away from this peril as much as possible. Studies show that these young people are those who are

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 7

Marketing - Essay Example Furthermore, it has also been observed that, firms which offer interchangeable service channels are deemed to be ‘extremely appealing’ by the customers (Bendoly et al. 2005, Pp. 314). There is a substantial rise in the use of telephones and internet which are increasingly being integrated into the multi-channel service systems, and are substituted by the traditional means of communication such as face-to-face channel. Multi-channel retailing affords the customers to use additional service channels which entails a wider range of service outlets; increased convenience of shopping; time savings as well as reliability (Coughlan et al. 2001). Multi channel retailing offers several benefits to the firms in the form of service innovation; cost reduction; increased automation; customization of services; greater flexibility etc., among others (Bitner et al.2000). Maximising customer satisfaction is the key objective of multi channel retailing (Moriarty & Moran, 1990; Coelho & Eas ingwood, 2003) which is accomplished through an integration of various channel formats (Montoya-Weiss, Voss, & Grewal, 2003). Of all the channels of distribution, internet is ranked highly by both the sellers as well as the customers, as an appropriate and effective tool for enhancing the shopping experience of the customers. According to claims made, in recent research reports, there are various evidences which point to the fact that consumers with access to multiple retail channels, spend comparitively more than those with access to single channel of distribution. Furthermore, multiple channel retailers are known to have a wide base of loyal customers and repeat shoppers, as compared to those who offer a single channel of distribution (Berman, 2007). Such major shift in consumer preferences have acted as a major trigger for the retailers, compelling them to review their channel integration strategies, and take active steps in transforming the way they approach and target their cus tomer segments. Multi channel retailiers today, clearly have an edge over their single channel counterparts, both - in terms of competitive standing in the industry as well as higher customer satisfaction. Definition of Multichannel Retailing According to Levy & Weitz (2009) Multi channel retailing refers to an integrated set of activities which involves sale of products or services to the customers, via more than one channel of distribution. Berman and Evans (1998) classify retailing in accordance with store based and non-store based. Multi-channel retailing thus, refers to the integration of store based retailing with the non-store based channel. Multi-channel retailing in the Banking sector There has been a significant increase in the revenue growth in retail banks across the globe. This is because, of a tremendous shift in the number of channels used to reach their customers, leading to an enhanced customer experience; better market segmentation; ability to deliver an effective product mix; and a remarkable improvement in the service operations. The key channels of distr

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Civil Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Civil Law - Essay Example The basic purpose of punishing someone is to make him understand that he has committed a wrong and he should be made to pay for it, though not in terms of cash or something but in a manner that will do some good for this human being in the long run. Punishments have to be understood in the proper context, so as to state the least. We will delve further through the course of this paper as to how punishment is linked with morality, equality, rights of human beings and just about everything that comes under the banner. Equality is man's most perilous metaphor whereby it has haunted and made a fool of him for a number of years now. Equality and indeed justice takes into account a number of differences amongst people, top of the list of which includes the racial ones that are either ancestral which may be hereditary or inborn as well as cultural, i.e., procured from society after one's birth. This one can usually be changed or at times totally removed with the enforcement of changes that might be social in nature. These changes are in essence, autonomous of man's laws, rules, regulations and customs, except over a period of many eras. Justice particularly has a number of characteristics as it basically chalks down the conditions and necessities that are linked up with it. Justice within a society is not all about being fair but also holds a great deal of importance on being just and timely. It is a true saying that justice delayed is justice denied; for this reason justice takes both these things wh en it is defined in the truest sense of the word. Justice is radically associated with the mighty men - the rulers and the ones who govern a particular area or a regiment of soldiers. Justice thus holds supreme importance for these brave men as they are the ones who lay the foundation for the society to be a part of the equal rights and hence the fairness fable in general. The concepts of civil rights and of civil law are both functions of the concept of civil society whereby it is that bubble of private action free of government control. It is not free of government action, because government action secures the nature of civil society by the protection of persons against criminal wrongs. The essence of civil society is thus that people are left by government to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, while the government protects the citizens from criminal wrongs of violence, theft, fraud as well as many others. The most violent and heinous crimes committed anywhere in the world are by the youth. These are organized and in a proper manner, with no shortcomings at any end on anyone's part. Research has found out that the youth are the ones who are most definitely involved in this menace. At times, the politicians are the ones who use them in order to hold protests against any civil or governmental norm prevalent in a certain region of the world which enrage these youth. Studies have shown that the extreme cases of criminal behaviours all involved having youth at their expanse. They not only bring with them terror for the common citizens but also introduce a huge dust of alcohol, abuse of drugs and many other forbidden things in the society. The future generation should be made to stay away from this peril as much as possible. Studies show that these young people are those who are

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt Essay Example for Free

A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt Essay When looking at the play, A Man for All Seasons, Richard Rich lied, cheated, deceived, hurt close friends and committed perjury to obtain his goal. He went from Attorney General of Wales to the Solicitor General, to the Secretary for Norfolk and finally to the Chancellor of England. Sir Thomas More, was very selfish towards achieving his own personal goals. He believed that if he went about everything the way God would have done it that he would reach heaven. In this process he managed to hurt his wife Alice, his daughter Margaret, and put his friends in awful positions. When every aspect is considered Sir Thomas More, evidently wanted eternal salvation and only really truly cared about him self. King Henry VIII was a man of power and intimidation. He did not let anything stand in his way. Cardinal Wolsey, was executed because he put up resistance toward the King, along with Bishop Fisher and Sir Thomas More. Any individual that caused a ripple in his path was executed. Henry VIII, started with everything and squandered it all (Bolt, vii). Henry VIII wants an heir for his thrown and no matter how many women he has to marry then divorce to get it that is his primary intention. Richard Rich, Sir Thomas More and King Henry VIII all use reprehensible means, which harm others in order to achieve their own personal goals and in the end are never justified. Sir Thomas More does not justify the pain and suffering he causes by trying to live a glorious life that will put him in heaven. More has a one-track mind. With this, his beliefs and values are very strong towards the way of God and the right and the wrong; but his actions are very self centered and selfish. When More, was asked his opinion on the matter of King Henrys divorce he replied, As I think of it I see so clearly that I can not come with Your Grace that my endeavor is not to think of it at all.There is my right arm. Take your dagger and saw it from my shoulder, and I will laugh and be thankful, if by that means I can come with Your Grace with a clear conscience (Bolt, pg31). His pride and values get in the way of his loved ones future and outcome. More is acting the way his heart tells him but not the most beneficial way in his circumstance. King Henry is one who hates opposition or doubts and Sir Thomas More is giving him doubt and grief on not siding with him on this issue. With having the King on your bad side the chances of you living a good life or living at all is very slim. Also, More shows selfish acts when Margaret approaches him, while he is in his jail cell. When a man takes an oath, Margaret hes holding his own self in his own hands (pg.83) This shows his selfishness towards himself and his goal of going to heaven. He does not care about his life hear on earth or what he leaves behind he just wants what is best for himself. Hence, Sir Thomas More attitude toward his familys life was very poor. By talking about the King and by not siding with him he threw his life and his families life out the window. For food he made Alice eat mutton and did not provide for his family. Also, by him thinking of resigning his position is another example of himself being selfish and not providing for his family. His selfish acts towards himself hurt his friends and his family and do not justify his means for eternal salvation. Firstly, Richard Rich does not justify his means by his ends at all. This man is a lying deceiving little man that will do whatever it takes to gain rank and power. His betrayal towards Sir Thomas More was very futile in Sir Thomass conviction. Ive lost my innocence.(pg.44) Rich has just sold out information to Cromwell in order to move ahead in rank. From here on Rich is starting down a path that will lead to hurting a lot of peoples lives. Secondly, Rich betrayed More for obvious reasons. He wanted to get ahead in life but also, there was the taste of money that came along with it. Every man has his price.(pg.2) This is just showing again why Richard Rich keeps on hurting individuals. In life one will betray another for some benefit and this in it self is an example of Macchiavelli. Hence, when Rich took the stand in the court to persecute More he showed again his greed and will to not stop at any cost to get what he wanted. He said, Parliament has not the competence. Or words to that effect. Rich was saying what he knew the King wanted to hear. He was committing perjury against More so that he could eventually move into the spot of Chancellor of England. With this being said it shows that his greed and lust could not justify Richs means for money and self-advancement. Lastly, King Henry VIII only lived and strived for power and for dominance over everybody in England. If anybody ever crossed his path they were executed and nothing was said about it. Henry liked to show everybody that he ruled and no one else. No opposition I say! No opposition! (pg.33) King Henry is again showing More that his opinion on his divorce is not going to be taken lightly in any sense. Even though More is the Chancellor of England Henry is still pressing him to side with him on the matter and not the Pope. Also, Henry showed dominance over Margaret. The King always has to be the smartest and most powerful one among all. In this certain occasion when Margaret could speak better Spanish then Henry he was very defensive. Right away he asked her if she could dance her response was no. Well I can dance superlatively! (pg.28) Henry is trying to put her down for showing her dominance over him. Also, Henry always wanted to be in power of the Church of England. This was the only thing that he was not in full complete control of and he needed to be to divorce Catherine for Anne Boleyn. The only way he could do this is to kill Cardinal Wolsey and clear the path for his dominance. Catherine provided him with a daughter and without an heir to the thrown this marriage and his legacy would not work. Queen on the throne of England was unthinkable. (pg. Viii) The King had to have power over the Church of England because he would not receive a divorce if he did not receive a boy through Anne. Henry used intimidation to justify his goals and his means were not reasonable nor were his actions justified. With Sir Thomas More, Richard Rich and King Henry VIII all having their means not justify their actions it showed that they were all doing this for some self-advancement in life. So again clearly through points and quotes all three used reprehensible means which harm others, in order to achieve their own personal goals and in the end are never justified. Work Citied Bolt, Robert. A Man for All Seasons, Toronto: Irwin Publishing, 1963

Monday, October 14, 2019

Apples Product Development and Marketing Strategy

Apples Product Development and Marketing Strategy With the development of technology at high speed, particularly in the field of electronic products, some companies have launched brilliant products which are full of imagination and creativity. These products are exercising an invisible and formative influence on society. Among these products, the series of products from Apple Inc. (previously Apple Computer, Inc.) may be some of the most noticeable ones. Apple Inc., whose products have attracted peoples attention all over the world and have occupied considerable market share in global range, is one of the most successful international company currently. According to the statistics from NPD group, in the term of premium personal computer, Mac, which is the name of a series of Apples PC, revenue market share was 91 percent on June 2009. (Wilcox 2009). This consequence can be attributed to two major reasons: Apples product development and Apples extensive marketing (Schumacher 2009). In the meanwhile, Apples success affects society in two aspects, namely fashion style and changing peoples habits. This essay will expand the reasons mentioned above to analysis why Apple have achieved huge success worldwide, and then illustrate the positive effects on society owing to Apples products. Due to the success of Apple Inc. and its contribution to society, I would like to consider that Apple Inc. is one of the most outstanding companies at present age. Key Reasons for Apples Success Admittedly, the reasons which may bring about Apples success are various, nevertheless this essay mainly propose two most important reasons. Of major consideration is Apples product line, which is assuredly responsible for Apples success. Specifically, there are four sub reasons, which are constantly improving, innovative product line (Kingsley-Hughes 2009); simple design and user interface; high quality components; coherent hardware and software (Schumacher 2009), relevant to Apples product development. Apples product development First of all, Apples product line encompasses a series of brilliant and distinctive products, such as Mac (Macintosh), iPod, iPhone and iPad; and in the mean time the designers of Apple Inc. are improving and innovating on their product line constantly. Innovative spirit of Apple Inc. has been approved across the world. In 2005, Boston Consulting Group held a poll whose is called Top 20 Innovative Companies in the World, and collected the statistical data from 940 senior executives in 68 countries. The result of this investigation revealed that Apple Inc. was appraised as the most innovative company in the world and accounted for 24.84% of the entire vote (Nussbaum 2005). For example, iPod, as one of the representative product of Apple, was launched in 2001. Initially, although it attracted consumer attention, it only supported the Macintosh operation system, which meant that it could only be used on Macintosh computers and lost many other users who used windows operation system. The n, in 2002, Apple Inc. launched the second generation of iPod, which began to support Windows OS. As a result, iPod became more widely popular with both Macintosh and Windows users. Three years later, a new generation of iPod, which can play not only audio files but also video files, was launched on 12th October 2005. Moreover, for users convenience, the battery life was longer than before. In 2007, the newest generation with larger capacity which can store up to 4000 songs or 100 movies, was launched. (Identifying iPod models 2010) During the process of iPods development, we can see that Apple Inc. is improving their products constantly and adding innovative elements on the products to offer distinctive and unique user experience. The second element, which is considered to be relevant to Apples products, is their simple design style and friendly user interface. To take a panoramic view of Apples product line, whether an iPod, an iPhone or an iPad, they retain the simple design consistently. There are only a few buttons and different parts embedded into Apples products. The appearance of these products is one whole piece of technology and has no splicing traces on them. The simple user interface is a distinctive character, as well. For instance, an iPhone have no different submenus or other ways to display the menu, it is easy for users to reach the function which they want to use directly and avoid unnecessary confusion (Schumacher 2009). Thirdly, high quality components could lead to the success of Apples products. These products do not tend to integrate newest hardware and offer highest available capacities. That is to say, Apples products use suitable components to provide suitable functions, which ensure these products can run stably. For example, although there may be only have a 2 mega pixel camera integrated into an iPhone and this camera could not satisfy any user to take photos, the moment it is necessary for people to take a picture, the camera is ready and gives full scope to photography. (Schumacher 2009) Finally, the cohesion of hardware and software brings the success of Apples products. Apple Inc. not only focuses on developing the hardware but also developing the software, which enhances the performances of these products. For example, in order to improve iPods performances and provide convenience to users, Apple Inc. developed the software named iTunes, which is a software supporting a Mac or a PC. It arranges and plays audio and video files on a computer. Moreover, all media stored on a computer can be synchronized with an iPod, an iPhone and an iPad. In the meantime, it is a digital store on a computer and other apples products with a large quantity of music and movies (What is iTunes? n.d.). Additionally, iTune is updated on Apples website regularly, so that users can use newest version to enhance their iPods. In brief, Apple Inc. insists on improving and innovating on the product line to develop brilliant products constantly. And these products offer friendly user interface and simple design style for users who can operate these products easily. Moreover, high quality components are integrated into Apples products to enhance their performance. In addition, Apples Inc. develops software to support their products in order to providing convenience to users. Therefore, Apples product development is the basis of Apples success. Apples s marketing Assuredly, Apples product development is a necessary premise to Apples success. On the other side, Apples extensive marketing plays an important role as well. Apples marketing strategies can be summarized as two primary sides. One is advertising; the other is the communication style. Firstly, the success of Apples market could be caused by Apples advertising strategy. The slogans for Apples products can be seen in almost every place, such as in the streets, at the bus stops and on the large screens of squares. With Apples products, the slogans are creative and attractive, for instance, The first music player that talks to you (iPod shuffle n.d.) and Soon there will be 2 kinds of people. Those who use computers, and those who use Apples (Alex 2006). Due to these dense and eye-catching advertising with memorable slogans, Apples products are deeply rooted among the people quickly and accepted by people. Secondly, one of the most brilliant points of Apples marketing strategies is the communication style. Midgley and Midgley decribe a successful communication style as Golden Circle in the following words: If a company aligns itself with the customers values and consistently delivers its product or service in accordance with those values, then the customer will consistently utilize the companys offering. Consistent utilization of a companys offering will ensure a healthy top line. A healthy top line, in turn, produces healthy cash flow. (Midgley and Midgley 2005, 6) Apple Inc. is performing this kind of communication described in Midgley and Midgleys book. Apple Inc. develops their products based on consumers requirements and values, and then transmits its ideas and service to consumers in various ways. For example, in Apples stores all over the world there are lecturers propagating their products and explain why these products are consistent with consumers requirements and values. Besides the open lectures, Apple stores hold a series of events regularly to show the brilliant ideas integrated into Apples products. Via the interaction between Apple Inc. and consumers, how Apples products satisfy consumers values is accepted by consumers in global scope. There is a diagram about the golden circle theory, which illustrates the marketing strategies of Apple Inc. vividly. According to the description in the figure below, Why, How and What means Beliefs, Tactics and Results, respectively (Gartland 2010). At first, Apple Inc. establishes the beliefs to meet consumers values, and then it realizes the beliefs via the development of its products. At last, Apples products are world wildly accepted by consumers. Therefore, Apple Inc. communicates with users in an inside-out way which is a remarkable way and has achieved huge success across the world in marketing. Figure1: the golden circle Source: (Gartland 2010) In sum, Apples products infiltrate into peoples daily life via dense advertising, and these products, which benefit from the communication style of Apple Inc, are accepted by people. Hence, the marketing strategies of Apple Inc. are another key reason that brings about its success. Effects on Society The reasons mentioned above have led to Apples success. Two consequences may emerge, owing to Apples success, which are fashion style and changing peoples habits. Fashion Style With the increasing popularity with Apples products, an iPod or an iPhone is not only an mp3 player or a mobile phone but also a fashion symbol. Especially an iPod has become a synonym for an mp3 player. Lavey described the effects of Apples products on fashionable style as the words below: After the iMac came out, suddenly things werent cool if the product name didnt have a lower-case i in it, and the word pod after the iPod became popular. (Lavey 2009) Thus, the names of Apples products have become fashionable words. Moreover, the exquisite and simple design style has also become the world trends being pursued by people. Changing Peoples Habits Another effect brought by Apples products is the change of peoples habits. The Nike/iPod Sport Kit (Nike + iPod n.d.) is a typical example. It can track individual exercise performance of jogging and verbally report their results the moment users have progress. So that users can supervise their pace and distance circumstantially. While people usually use a stop watch record the total time they have run and then roughly calculate their average speed before using the Nike/iPod Sport Kit. Following this further, people used to prefer jogging with partners in order to motivating each other; however, it is not easy to find a partner who runs at the similar pace and duration (Shannon, Florian 2007). In order to resolve this problem, a piece of research was conducted in 2006 and showed that technology is helpful to motivate people to be active and allow for social communication (Consolvo et al. 2006). The Nike/iPod Sport Kit has realized the research theory because of the interaction betwee n users and it. Therefore, according to the example mentioned above, we can see that Apples products have changed peoples habits in some aspects. Conclusion In conclusion, Apples product development and its extensive marketing have resulted in the success of Apple Inc. As a premise factor of the success, Apple Inc. persists in developing innovative products with friendly user interface and simple design style. Moreover, high quality components integrated into Apples products ensure the stable performance. In addition, coherent software and hardware of these products provide more convenience to users. Besides brilliant products, the marketing strategies of Apple Inc. are remarkable as well. peoples daily life is infiltrated by Intensive advertising of Apple Inc. and then its communication style is also approved by consumers in global range. Owing to the success, Apple Inc. have guided a new fashion style and changed peoples habits in some fields. Therefore, it is evidently reasonable to consider that Apple Inc. is one of most outstanding companies in the world currently.

Sunday, October 13, 2019

Compare Aeneas and Odysseus as Heroic Figures :: The Aenied, The Oddessy

Odysseus and Aeneas are very alike in some ways and very different. They are both epic heroes except that one is Greek and the other is a Trojan. Odysseus is from the Greek tale The Oddessy, which was written by the famous Greek poet Homer. His quest is to find his way back home after a long journey. Aeneas is from the roman tale The Aenied, written by Virgil a famous Roman poet. Aeneas’s mission is to find a new home for him and his family. Both these characters had many similarities and differences in their ways of fighting.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both Odysseus and Aeneas were helped by different gods. Odysseus was helped by Calypso in a way. She held him captive, but was forced to release him from the father of all Greek gods,Zeus. Athena, goddess of wisdom, helped Odysseus find out whether or not Penelope still loved him, she disguised him to look like an old man so he could go into the town without people knowing who he was. He got help from the god of wind as well who helped him by giving him a bag of wind so he could sail back to Ithaca. Poseidon did not really help Odysseus, he was just trying to convince him that he was nothing without the gods.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aeneas was never held captive by any of the gods as was Odysseus. Aeneas got help from Venus (Goddess of love), his mother. She convinced him to stop fighting because she wanted him to rescue his family which was a lot more important. Jupiter also helped him because Aeneas’s wife told Jupiter that Aeneas was going to kill himself, so she wanted him to send Aeneas a sign telling him not to kill himself. Aeneas was going to do this because he found his father almost dead and decided to take his own life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both of them are really great fighters, but they have differences in how they do things. Odysseus plans things out before he attacks and has a good plan as well. Aeneas however does not plan things out and just jumps right into things.

Saturday, October 12, 2019

Maine is More Family Friendly than California :: Free Argumentative Essays

Maine is More Family Friendly than California I moved to California three years ago from Maine. I really like it here. But when my husband and I start a family, I want to move back. Quite simply, Maine is a better place to raise children than California. There are many reasons why Maine is superior. Take the crime rate, for example. According to the United States Census Bureau, the 1992-crime rate per 1000 people in Maine was 131; California's was 1120! Some could argue that these crimes might have no impact on children, so let's look at the child abuse rates. Maine's rate was five per 1000 people, compared to 326 in California (1). These numbers portray a safer environment in Maine. My parents only began locking their homes front door a few years ago; they now lock it but leave the key in the mailbox just two feet away. I never lost my car keys in Maine because I always left them in the ignition; try that here and see how long you have a vehicle! The crime rate isn't the only difference-how about poverty? 1996 statistics from the United States Bureau of the Census show 13.8% and 18.2% rates for child poverty in Maine and California, respectively (1). Money isn't everything, but certainly a poverty-level lack of income won't help in child rearing. Education is another important factor to consider. The United States Department of Education reported the national average percentage of high school seniors who graduated during the 1992-1993 school year was 71.1%. Maine's percentage was 74.3, while California posted 67.9% (1). I believe this is due to a much smaller population, which, in turn, produces smaller schools. Student-to-teacher ratios tend to be much smaller. I graduated with a class of thirty-six students. My school's total enrollment (grades 6-12) was around 130. Individual attention was not a problem. Maine schools (and perhaps Maine families in general) also do a better job of educating their teens on sex and birth control. Pregnancy rates per 1000 teenage girls in 1996 prove this. Maine's rate was a low 57 as compared to California's 125 (Alan Guttmacher Institute 1). Preventing teen pregnancies will help keep the high school graduate level high and, consequently, keep the poverty level low. There are also benefits of growing up in Maine that cannot be measured by statistics. There is a sense of community evident, even in Maine's larger towns and cities.