Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Eating Disorders And Its Effects On Society - 1068 Words

For many of us, it is normal to have three meals per day with snacks in between, but for millions of other people in the U.S., it has been a routine for them to miss meals or consume over three meals per day. These people struggle with normal eating behaviors that result with negative effects on their emotional and physical health (Longe, 2008). These abnormal eating patterns are psychiatric illnesses known as eating disorders. People with the eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, have negative perceptions of their bodies, genuinely believing they are overweight, even when they are life-threateningly malnourished (Longe, 2008). As for people with bulimia nervosa, they often consume unreasonably large amounts of food in a short period of time,†¦show more content†¦Eating disorders commonly occur during preadolescence to adolescence and potentially during childhood or later in life. These disorders affect both genders, but women are affected two and a half times more than men (Na tional Institute of Mental Health, 2016). Although awareness of eating disorders is widespread, only a small percentage of people actually receive medical attention. In a recent study of a large sample of American people from ages 9 to 14, 34% of boys and 43.5% of girls were identified as having eating disorder traits. However, fewer than 20% of the cases of eating disorders have actually received treatment (Treasure, 2016). This number suggests that 80% of the eating disorder victims had refused treatment due to many reasons including the non-availability of financial assistance. In the U.S., the treatment cost of eating disorders without health insurance coverage ranges from $500 to $2,000 per day (Crow, 2014). For a month of inpatient treatment, the cost can extend to $30,000, and $100,000 for treatments such as therapy and medical monitoring (Crow, 2014). These are the average ranges that people, whose coverages are denied or inadequate, have to pay out of pocket. The costs of eating disorder treatments leave families in an ethical quandary that they cannot afford for essential care. When eating disorders are not properly monitored and treated, victims’ mental illnesses contribute to potential internal andShow MoreRelatedEating Disorders And Its Effects On Society1199 Words   |  5 Pagesreally take into consideration of what you’re eating, as it is something that you usually take for granted, that is, eating. Maybe that’s how it goes for you, eating without thinking. But for some people in the world, eating is something very difficult to do. Either they despise food because they feel that they are too overweight, or that they can’t stop eating because they are always hungry. These people are people who have eating disorders. Eating disorders mostly concern individuals that are usuallyRead MoreThe Influence Of Media Reporting On Society s Perception Of Beauty1730 Words   |  7 Pagessociocultural factors contribute to the development of eating disorders as well as how society s perception of beauty has been distorted. This paper wi ll further support the notion that societies perception of a female’s beauty is determined by their perceived body image, which in turn has a direct effect on teenage girls and plays a primary role in the development of eating disorders such as anorexia. There are two main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The term ‘anorexiaRead MoreEating Disorders : Eating Disorder1235 Words   |  5 PagesEating Disorders Eating disorders are a very serious psychological condition that affects your mind so that you are more focused on your food and weight than you are on everything else. The most known and most commonly diagnosed eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder; however, these are not the only eating disorders. Eating disorders cause psychical and psychological problems, which at their worst can even become life threating. Statistics show that more women are affectedRead MoreWhy Is Unhealthy Perceived As Sexy?1503 Words   |  7 PagesSecret Fashion Show, she doesn’t believe she has an eating disorder. She still believes she isn’t perfect, and that she is fat. This is a reality that girls have to face. The fashion industry s extreme focus on glamorizing skinny women makes average women feel insecure about themselves, leading to the development of an eating disorder. â€Å"Eating disorders affect and kill many people every single year. Whether it is anorexia, bulimia, or an eating disorder not otherwise specified, they aren’t somethingRead MoreMedias Effect on Eating Disorders1164 Words   |  5 PagesMedia’s Effect On Eating Disorders Symbolic Interactionism is a theory focusing on the approach that has evolved from social behaviorism and that stresses the symbolic nature of human interaction (p. 46). In society, there are norms and expectations that people are expected to follow and live by and trying to achieve this ideal self-image, people sometime behave in a self-destructing behavior. Because the media creates an image that we are suppose to fit, people will go to the extreme measuresRead More Anorexia and Bulimia - A Threat to Society Essay994 Words   |  4 Pages In a society that discriminates against people, particularly women, who do not look slender, many people find they cannot - or think they cannot - meet societys standards through normal, healthy eating habits and often fall victim to eating disorders. Bulimia Nervosa, an example of an eating disorder that is characterized by a cycle of binge eating and purging, has become very common in our society. Although it generally affects women, men too are now coming to clinics with this kind of diseaseRead MoreThe Medi A Helping Hand For Eating Disorders1279 Words   |  6 PagesHelping Hand for Eating Disorders The media has taken a majority of time in the modern world, while morphing the ability to influence thought processes and how the brain perceives things around it. Television, for example, and even more so relevant—the Internet are the most powerful forms of media as they are able to produce advertisements that reflect and are more relatable to the targeted audience. Since the beginning of the Internet, researchers have been trying to figure out the effects of the mediaRead MoreThe Between Media And Body Image1348 Words   |  6 Pagesdiscrimination, and condemnation. The thin ideal has been constructed by the society and by the media. But women are affected that kind of construction. Mass media give narrow definition about the standard of beauty. Delis noticed this massage everywhere, especially in the media, â€Å"I am so affected by Glamour magazine and Vogue and all that; I’m looking at all these beautiful women. They’re thin. I want to be just as beautiful. I want to be just as thin. Because that is what guys like† (Hesse-BiberRead MoreEating Disorders Are Abolishing People Day By Day1566 Words   |  7 PagesEating disorders are abolishing people day by day. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the United States. These mental monsters are not physical, but they are mentally destroying a person’s thoughts, which effect their overall actions. Not only are eating disorders caused by unrealistic societal expectations, but the monsters come out through the psychological aspectsRead MoreBinge Eating Disorder Essay examples939 Words   |  4 PagesIntroduction According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, binge eating is defined as uncontrolled compulsive eating, especially as a symptom of bulimia or binge eating disorder(BED). Individuals, who suffer from a (BED), usually, consume, abnormally large amounts of food, quickly. The condition causes sufferers to eat until they are painfully full. we live in a society that accepts encourages overindulging . Therefore, there are probably several occasions on which we eat more than we should

Monday, December 16, 2019

Mass media Free Essays

How have the mass media affected human life? The role of mass media in the civilized society is still provoking much controversy. Some individuals claim that mass media converts the world into a better place to live in, others, in the meantime, argue that it brings us nothing but trouble. From my perspective, mass media is widely acknowledged for its merits regarding entertainment and information purposes. We will write a custom essay sample on Mass media or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the first place, mass media is considered a source of entertainment. To the present day, television and the Internet offer a surprisingly broad variety of ecreational forms such as films, music, games, comics and so on. This wide range, coupled with the blossom of multi-channel technology, facilitates viewers’s relaxation after a hard-working day. Such is the popularity of mass media that hardly any day goes by without tens of thousands of users turning to it for entertainment. In addition, mass media functions as a means of Information. It contains a truly large amount of information of all types: from economic, political to environmental news, which assists onlookers or subscribers in keeping up with the current affairs In the world. For example, It Is mass media that helps broadcast the Fukushima’s nuclear explosion all over the world, hence enabling us to be Informed of the catastrophe within seconds. But for the information purpose of mass media, human beings would have been kept In the dark about the outside world. Those holding the reverse view argue that mass media does more harm than good for utilizers. Overexposure to televisions, computers or even newspapers can lead to eye disorders, headache, backache, so on. Should their heath suffer, how can they live normally, let alone comfortably? Nevertheless, the majority of victims are seen In sers of young age whose awareness of the bad effects of the mass media has not been fully developed. As long as they are educated, the Impact of mass media will not be so Intense. On balance, mass media Is one of the focuses of todays concern. Although It possesses some drawbacks, It Is my strong belief that mass media play such an Indispensable part In human lives that hardly anyone can Imagine a world without Its appearance. In addition, mass media functions as a means of information. It contains a truly news, which assists onlookers or subscribers in keeping up with the current affairs in the world. For example, it is mass media that helps broadcast the Fukushima’s nuclear explosion all over the world, hence enabling us to be informed of the beings would have been kept in the dark about the outside world. ive normally, let alone comfortably? Nevertheless, the majority of victims are seen in been fully developed. As long as they are educated, the impact of mass media will not be so intense. On balance, mass media is one of the focuses of todays concern. Although it possesses some drawbacks, it is my strong belief that mass media play such an indispensable part in human lives that hardly anyone can imagine a world without its How to cite Mass media, Papers Mass Media Free Essays There are many researchres, the purpose is to find out about the influence of media on young people. It is undeniable that the mass media has a lot of effects in our everyday life, especially to young people who have not had enough maturity. (in the age of 12 – 21) Let’s find out what is the mass media. We will write a custom essay sample on Mass Media or any similar topic only for you Order Now The mass media is any medium that transmits mass communication, such as newspaper, books, magazines, etc. It also refers collectively to all media technologies, including computer games, internet, TV shows and radio. Both of these highly-tech countries, Singapore and United State of America, are the good examples to be discussed about the effects of some mass medias in this essay. Singapore is the well-known country as the communicative country. It is because Singapore is a small island, there is a wireless covers all areas in the island. Therefore you can easily access the website all over the world. Singapore’s government has the Media Development Authority to block the undesirable website, mainly targets sexual, political, violence, racial and religious issue. Although Singapore’s government has the authority to block, censor and control about private information on the internet, there are still some problems about the internet. Many teenagers in Singapore use technologies especially internet in a bad way. Some use internet in order to hack, gamble, prostitute through chatting room. This indicates that internet has an influence to young people today. The national internet advisory council of Singapore, the authority that controls the usage of internet, had held a project to campaign teenagers in Singapore to use internet in a valuable way. The name of this project is Cyber wellness. Michael Yap, the leader of this campaign said that teenagers spend the most of time playing game online, surfing internet and chatting, including the young people who have not had enough maturity. There are many danger related to the internet. In the same way in United State of America (USA), most youths spend a lot of time surfing internet. Their attitude is that the internet brings numerous advantages to them. However, internet does not bring only positive things, there are also negative things from the internet. USA is the developed country. Many authorities play the role of censorship on the internet. Programs such as censorware or web filtering software are used in some institutions. The influence of internet in USA is mostly internet addiction. Internet seems to separate youths from the real world. Almost communication is communicated through the website, such as Facebook, Yahoo, MSN, Skype and Myspace. They hardly communicate directly. This might loses their sensibility, feeling and emotion in relationship between interlocutors. Another media that obviously influence young people is the television. The teenagers will imitate their idol on the TV shows. Unfortunately, quite a few things that teenagers copy from their favorite idol are not really good. Fashion is one thing that stars and celebrities will be the model of dressing, hair style even though speech and behavior. Nowadays, K-POP or Korean Popular, the product from Korean, had put on the market all around Asia especially South East Asia. Singapore is one of these countries. Almost teenagers in Singapore copy the image from their Korean idols. They change their hair cut and use Korean product such as pencil case that has pictures of their idols screened on it. K-POP becomes the new attitude for the teenagers, they thinks that they are cool when they copy the Korean style. It is not only that, the fashion is changed all the time. Thus, the teenagers, who want to be up-to-date, have to buy new clothes all the time. This shows that the TV shows have an effect on the teenagers’ popularity. USA also has problems about TV shows too. It includes music and also movies that broadcast on television. Violence is one of the influences that have an effect on American youth. Rock stars are good examples. Rock Music began popular because of the distinctive clothes, hair style mixed with the line of the song that excites audience. Many people consider Rock Star as a hard-drinking, hard-living character. Drugs were also a big part of rock music life style. Moreover, the characteristic and environment of rock stars seem to relate with violence. The young people will gradually receive this violence. In America, many teenagers change their hair style and tint their hair follow the famous rock star. These are only a little part of the influence of mass media. In different countries, there are difference kinds of influence, depends on the environment and value of each country. The mass media has positive and negative influence. Everyone has a role to prevent the bad influence and encourage the good one. How to cite Mass Media, Essay examples Mass media Free Essays The twosome flow theory gave 4 | Page way to the multiples flow theory of mass communication or diffusion of innovation theory. Katz, Lieu (1973). The twosome flow of communication: an update report of an hypothesis. We will write a custom essay sample on Mass media or any similar topic only for you Order Now In Anis and Cox(des. ), Marketing Classics, Pl 751 93. Conceptual Framework In this framework, the source will be the local TV networks because they are the one who will dub the foreign cartoons. The message will be promotion of nationalism and patriotism to Filipino children who often watch Digitized cartoons. The mass media is the airing of Digitized cartoons. The opinion leaders 5 | page will be the parents of the children who often watch Digitized cartoons. They are the opinion leaders because the researchers will interview arenas from Magmata, Manila and Guenon City to know their opinion about Digitized cartoons and their opinion about it promoting nationalism or just to help children to understand the show better because it’s dubbed t our national language. Lastly the children are the public because they are the target audience of the local TV networks. Sass motion The reason why the local TV networks continue to air Digitized cartoons, is for Filipino children to understand the show better, because if the cartoons were in English, the people who use it as a second language far Outnumber those w ho speak it as a first language. It doesn’t promote nationalism because its setting is from western and Asian countries. The shows are Digitized because they only want to help children that are not yet familiar or incapable of speaking English h to understand the shows better. Many parents discourage their children to watch h Digitized cartoons because it doesn’t help them to enhance their English proficiency which is important nowadays because it’s the universal language. Depend will not consider this as a promotion for nationalism because Of its stet inning. Significance of the Study The researcher’s aim is to know the reasons why local networks intention to Digitize cartoons and do they really want to promote nationalism by 6 | page dubbing foreign cartoons in Filipino language and to know the advantages and disadvantages of watching Digitized cartoons. The significance of this study to local TV networks is to know their reason of airing Digitized cartoons, to parents, it’s significance is to understand the TV networks’ reason Of airing Digitized cartoons and does it really help their children to understand the show better, as per the children, it’s significance is to know the lessons or will they benefit if they watch Digitized cartoons. This duty will help the viewers to understand why they should or shouldn’t encourage their children to watch Digitized foreign cartoons. If they really want to promote nationalism, they should make a Toga sitcom or TV shows for children like Abbott, Sinkable and Heartwarming. Scope and Limitation The people that are involved in this study are the local TV networks like GAMMA, ABACAS and TV that air Digitized cartoons, Depend and the parents of the children who often watch Digitized foreign cartoons, the parents and children that the researchers will interview are coming from Magmata City, Patters, Tagging 7 | page ND Guenon City. In two months the researchers will be able to gather all the data that are needed in this study. Although this research is carefully prepared, there will be some unavoidable limitations like the limited availability of the local network and Depend representatives, weather and the location where the researchers will conduct their interview. The researchers will interview the parents of the children who often watch Digitized cartoons, their children and representatives from ABACAS, GAMMA and The researchers will interview them by the end of October. The researcher will conduct an interview with he parents and their children at their residence and the representatives will be interviewed at their office. Definition of terms Cartoons A cartoon is a form of dimensional illustrated visual art. While the specific definition has changed over time, modern usage refers to a typically nonrealistic or semanticist drawing or painting intended for satire, caricature, or Depth Department of Education (abbreviated as Depend; Filipino: Quarrelsomeness’s) is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for ensuring access to, promoting equity in, and 8 | page improving the quality of basic education. It is the main agency tasked to manage and govern the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Dubbed When videos from other countries have been translated. Foreign engage A language indigenous to another country. It is also a language not spoken in the native country of the person referred to. Mainstream It is the common current thought of the majority. It includes all popular culture and media culture, typically disseminated by mass media. Nationalism A feeling that people have of being loyal to and proud of their country often with the belief that it is better and more important Han other countries. How to cite Mass media, Papers Mass Media Free Essays This chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, research objectives, research questions, significance the study and limitation of the study. Background of the study Formerly perceived as an activity that only large companies in developed economies engage in, the reality is, success of every organisation, whether large or small is dependent on building a relationship with their customers (Kotler, 2002). Small businesses have used promotion to raise customer’s awareness and interest, announce new products, publicise an improvement and stay competitive (Garity, 2010). We will write a custom essay sample on Mass Media or any similar topic only for you Order Now The more people respond to promotion, the better it is for the business and the society in large. Promotion allows customers compare and contrast products and services to ensure they get the best (Kotler, 2002)Kayode (2007) defines promotion as the conscious effort that involves setting up mediums that a business can utilize in persuading customers to buy products or services, or even promote a concept. Promotion as a means to communicated existed in pre-historical times. Egyptian papyrus, waxed boards and roadside rocks were used in the ancient times to present upcoming sales to the citizens (Feofanov, 2004). Technological advancements gave way to expansion of product promotion through mass media. In 20th century, the era of industrial and production though technology and innovation to develop sophisticated and organized means of communicating with potential customers. With the help of radio, billboards, flyers, television, magazines, newspapers and brochures, small businesses were able to to create awareness of their products (Patino ; Pitta 2012) and communicate with their customers. Breirley (1995) explains further that small businesses also engage in promotion with an objective to influence behaviours, appeal to customers as well as motivate them to buy or not buy certain products. In developing countries, broadcast and print media remain the most preferred means of promotion due to its nature of information richness whose format allows text, animation and audio (Murmaan, 2013). According to Marmori (2009) radio and television give businesses the possibility to reach a sufficient amount of targeted audience as well as a high frequency of words in the message distributed. They have the ability to reach even illiterate people. Television and radio transmits locally, regionally as well as internationally giving the promotion a widest coverage. Although the most popular, radio and television are expensive media for promotion of products and services in comparison to short exposure time of their message. One’s message has to be brief, and sometimes considered a nuisance when aired in the middle of a program. With the creation of World Wide Web in the early 1990s, internet as mechanism of disseminating information between individuals, regardless of their geographical destination has had a landmark effect on how small businesses are promoting their products/ services (Leiner, Cerf, Clark, Kahn, 2017). Formerly regarded as a communication tool, internet in now a certifiably revolutionary technology that has enabled businesses a faster and better two-way communication between them and their customers. In the first era, internet belonged to individuals, an aspect that has long changed as businesses have taken over and are using social media to create awareness of their products or services (Kaplain Heinlein, 2010). The revolution in technology has changed how businesses are establishing and maintaining relationships with their customers (Breirley, 1995). Through websites and social media and increase of mobile phone, both small businesses and customers have a quick access to information, low promotional cost, multimedia enriched and limitless space (Stojkovi?, 2012). Internet has offered a global platform to sell and buy products and services for small business formerly limited by lack of sufficient budgets.In Tanzania, many small businesses are integrating social media as part of the promotion plan. Ayman’s Investment is a one such business that engages social media via Instagram to promote its services and products which includes a hair and beauty and bridal clothes respectively. Social Media Buettner (2016) describes social media as computer affiliated tools that enables users to share information in virtual networks, faster and effective. When adopted in business, Social Media offers a variety of benefits and opportunities for businesses to promote their businesses (Celine, 2012). Therefore, businesses cannot afford to bypass Social Media. Mehmood ; Shabbir (2016) acknowledges that indeed social media has transformed not only social interaction but the way of business. Whether websites, social networks or blogs, people are sharing their experiences and information. Smith ;Treadaway (2010) observed that the rise of social media has more or less coincided with the decline of traditional media with its acceptance rate continuing to increase as compare to traditional media. Social media allow users to create content by taking and sharing photos of their products as well as write captions to compliment the photos (Bui, 2014). Ben Long, a photographer and writer highlights the use of photos as a powerful tool to evoke a potent experience to viewers (Long, 2011). Through social media, businesses can generate, authentic conversations between them and customers and they are sharing their thoughts and experiences at no cost at all, unlike word-of-mouth which is limited in reach and broadcast media that is expensive (Evans,2008). They include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and SnapChat. Although less popular that Facebook, Instagram is rapidly becoming one of today’s top choices among small businesses. Launched in October 2010, Instagram had 800 million active subscribers in September, 2017. With 7 million internet users in Tanzania, small businesses are using Instagram as an online mobile photo, video-sharing and social networking service enabling them take pictures and videos, and share them other users who are potential and existing customers (Gross, 2010). Both small and large businesses are using Instagram is an ideal promotion tool (Keating, 2015). Small Investments Small Investments also referred as Small Businesses are also referred to as Small and Medium Enterprises or Micro, Medium Enterprises. In Tanzania, small investments are described as those with the ability to engage or employ up to 4 with a capital amounting up to Tshs.5.0 million (SME policy, 2002). Tanzania Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Commerce estimate that at least 95% of business in Tanzania are small businesses and contribute about 35% of the country’s Gross Development Product (GDP) making small business a crucial subject of discussion.This study is determined to find out how and why small businesses are adopting social media as a promotion tool. How to cite Mass Media, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Punishment of Crimes in the Us Criminal Justice System free essay sample

Punishment of Crimes in the US Criminal Justice System One of the greatest challenges facing the criminal justice system is the need to balance the rights of accused criminals against society’s interest in imposing punishments on those convicted of crimes. The U. S. criminal justice system deals with punishment of those in violation of the law in several ways; retribution, incapacitation, deterrence, and even the possibility of rehabilitation are all different options that are utilized by the U. S. today with those convicted of crimes. After reading selections from Emile Durkheim’s â€Å"Rules of Sociological Method†, I realize that although so much is done to prevent it and ultimately deter ordinary people and criminals alike from committing a crime, a society is unable to function without it. Durkheim makes a claim that although crime is â€Å"regrettable,† it is an â€Å"integrative element in any healthy society† (Durkheim: 98). It has been evident in almost every society around the globe that crime is an essential way in which we build social solidarity. The criminal justice system creates and maintains a powerful dynamic of solidarity through social exclusion of criminals and we can compare the different ways in which crimes are punished and their effect on that dynamic of social solidarity. Changes in U. S. politics have caused shifts in the theoretical purposes of sentencing and punishment. During the heyday of liberalism in the 1960s and 1970s, the judicial and executive branches (for example, parole boards) wielded power in sentencing. Legislators designed sentencing laws with rehabilitation in mind. More recently, during the politically conservative 1980s and 1990s, legislators seized power over sentencing, and a combination of theories—deterrence, retribution, and incapacitation—have influenced sentencing laws (Reynolds). Deterrence, incapacitation, and rehabilitation are all arguments that look to the consequences of punishment; they are all forward-looking theories of punishment. Retribution is just the opposite. The issue of retribution or â€Å"an eye for an eye,† is thought of as a key rationale for punishment. In our world today, there isn’t a society where it is not the rule that the punishment should fit the crime (Durkheim: 103). Retribution is a backward-looking theory of punishment, meaning it looks to the past to determine what to do in the present. Ideally, the harshness of punishments should be proportionate to the seriousness of crimes. In reality, it is difficult to match punishments and crimes, since there is no way to objectively gauge the moral evil of particular crimes and/or the painfulness endured by specific punishments. Although I don’t personally believe retribution is always the right way to go about the punishment of crimes, it creates an atmosphere of criminals getting what they deserve and helps to build solidarity in a society through that overall feeling of â€Å"let the punishment fit the crime†. Solidarity grows when we act against certain people and punish them for the extent of what they have really done and the crime committed. Retribution is viewed as a vastly accepted method of punishment, but probably the most prevalent method is in the form of incapacitation. Incapacitation has been largely accepted into the criminal justice system, and entails the removal from society. A popular reason for punishment is that it gets criminals off the streets and protects the public. The idea is to remove an offender from society, making it physically impossible (or at least very difficult) for him or her to commit further crimes against the public while serving a sentence. Incapacitation works as long as the offenders remain locked up. There is no question that incapacitation reduces crime rates by some unknown degree. The problem is that it is very expensive. Incapacitation carries high costs not only in terms of building and operating prisons, but also in terms of disrupting families when family members are locked up (Henry). Incapacitation as a punishment of crimes is able to build-up social solidarity in two instances, between those who are the victims of crimes, but also between those persons who actually committed the offence and those closest to them. When a multitude of people are singled out and separated, it builds the bond not only within those who remain, but for those individuals who have been isolated and other persons who either feel pity or unhappy about their isolation as well. One of the few downfalls of incapacitation as well as deterrence and all other methods of punishment to crimes, is that even if all crimes were to be abolished, new crimes would arise in some form or another (Durkheim: 98). However, where incapacitation is provided through actions after-the-fact, deterrence is rooted solely in fear of consequences. Can fear truly discourage crime? Deterrence assumes that people will weigh the costs and benefits of their actions and will not commit crimes due to the severity of their punishment and that of incarceration. There are two  different types of deterrence, general and specific. General deterrence uses the person sentenced for a crime as an example to induce the public to refrain from criminal conduct, whereas specific deterrence punishes an offender to dissuade that offender from committing future crimes. The limitations of deterrence are that some crimes can’t be deterred because the offenders don’t rationally weigh the bene fits versus the cost (which includes punishment) before breaking the law. Such limitations arise with criminal acts that involve crimes of passion and crimes committed while under the influence of drugs among others. Another point to be made is that deterrence doesn’t necessarily only apply to punishments, deterrence can also come from preventative measures taken beforehand. The general fear of consequence and punishment of the collective is the main component of social solidarity when pertained to deterrence. The almost exact opposite of deterrence and trying to prevent the criminal acts from happening in the first place, is rehabilitation. Rehabilitation as a form of punishment to crimes is a â€Å"let the punishment fit the criminal† mentality. The rehabilitative ethic is in place so criminals can learn for the betterment of themselves. Rehabilitation calls for changing the individual lawbreaker through correctional interventions, such as drug-treatment programs. We have seen that certain criminals, such as perpetrators of nonviolent crimes and first-time offenders, are more likely to be successfully rehabilitated than repeat offenders and violent criminals (Reynolds). The full effectiveness of rehabilitation has never truly been tested however with funding being, for the most part, inadequate. This method of punishment is another clear example of building social solidarity through the exclusion of criminals being entered into rehabilitation programs. As the smaller number of individuals is essentially outcast, the larger group comes together through this social exclusion of criminals. When looking at the way that our criminal justice system punishes crimes, there are many forms and shapes these punishments take on, but they all ultimately lead to the same end which is an increase in social solidarity. Through reading selections from Emile Durkheim’s â€Å"Rules of Sociological Method† and drawing comparisons to the different methods and reasons behind why we punish crimes I was able to gain perspective on how these punishments help to build social solidarity. Through the social exclusion of criminals, the U. S. criminal justice system is able to maintain the powerful dynamic of solidarity. Whether it be out of a need for retribution, deterrence, incapacitation or even a willingness to help and rehabilitate a criminal, crime is a key component to the solidarity of society as a whole and helps to bring together the larger group through the punishment of criminals. Bibliography

Saturday, November 30, 2019

RETELL BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AMAZON RAINFOREST AND OTHER RAIN

RETELL: BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE AMAZON RAINFOREST AND OTHER RAINFORESTS The Amazon rainforest is the world's largest tropical rainforest. It covers approximately 2 million square miles in the Amazon River Basin of South America (Lyman 1998, 61) About two-thirds of the rainforest lies in Brazil. The forest also covers parts of Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Columbia, and Venezuela (Lyman 1998, 32) In the Amazon rainforest it contains a wider variety of plants and animal life than any other place in the world. It supports millions of plant, animal and insect species it is a virtual library of chemical invention. Deforestation is a vital issue that is playing a great role all around the world today. Deforestation robs the world of countless species, destroying crucial biodiversity and losing species with potential uses in medicine, agriculture, and industry. Over half of the world's tropical rainforest is being destroyed, most of which are in Brazil, and they are continuing to be destroyed today (Silver 1998,11). The topic of rainforest destruction raises the thought of biodiversity and cures for cancer, both of these thoughts are very important reasons to end deforestation but it has not yet come to and end. Global climate and the greenhouse effect both have an impact on the atmosphere and as well as the biosphere. Due the rainforest it has found drugs for quinine, muscle relaxants, steroids and cancer drugs (Hadden 1995, 27). Tropical forest are destroyed for several reasons, there is an increasing demand for both farm and grazing land which results in burning and clearing of the rainforest for agriculture production. Unbelievably over 200,000 acres of rainforest is burned every day in the world ( Silver 1998, 29). Another reason of deforestation is the continued urbanization of the world and the need for construction of roads and industrialization. The need for fuel and timber for construction is another major factor leading to the destruction of the rainforest (Hadden 1995,45). Deforestation has serious effects on the planet. These effects have negative consequences on the Earth's biosphere, the biodiversity of the planet, and greatly threatened the physical survival of people who heavily rely on the forest. Effects of deforestation are too great to continue destroying the forest. Deforestation by burning lets out carbon dioxide, which accounts for at least half of the greenhouse effect, in which atmospheric gases, mostly produced by human activities, trap the sun's heat, slowly warming the Earth. At least three-quarters of deforestation in the tropics are due to burning, which release about 2.4 billion tones of CO 2 into the atmosphere each year ( Lyman 1998, 16). The greenhouse effect will have several affects on the Earth. One problem is that it will cause a rise in sea levels due to the melting of glaciers. This could cause frequent flooding. Also greenhouse gases can also have an affect on climate change which can also affect the future agriculture (Silver 1998, 32). Also some studies have showed that there may be a decrease in rainfall and an increase in surface temperature. In the rainforest the trees protect the soil against erosion and reduce the risks of landslides and avalanches. Soil erosion then leads to greater amounts of run off and increases sedimentation in the rivers and streams. Besides, protecting the soil from erosion, the trees create a canopy that regulates how much rainfall and sunlight reaches the rainforests floor (Hadden 1995,22). When trees are cleared high sunlight and heavy rainfall quickly damages the topsoil. Tragically, rainforests once covered 14% of the earth's land surface. Now they cover 6%. In less than 50 years, more than half of the world's rainforest has been burnt down with fire and cut down with chain saws (Silver 1998, 44). Experts claim that the current rate of destruction, the last remaining forests could be consumed in less than 40 years. Experts also claim that they are losing approximately 130 species of plants, animals and insects every single day as they become extinct from the loss of rainforest land and habitats. How many possible cures to devastating diseases have we already lost? ACTION PLAN This project has made me realize the true value of how important our rainforest and any other forest is to our planet. I have learned a great amount of

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Geography essays

Geography essays Every community has a means of production and consumption for goods and services. The amount of goods and service in a community or town vary depending on where the town is located and what manufacturing features the particular town has, including the number of people who help to manufacture and sell the services. By surveying towns, such as Ottawa, Ontario and Aylmer, Ontario, one can discover the underlying economic base of these towns. They are two very distinct towns with very different economies, yet are both located in the province of Ontario, Canada. Ottawa a metropolitan area located in Canada lies near the Ontario and Quebec border. Its early economic staple was a result of the Ottawa River, which allowed for explorers and traders to use it to travel. Shortly after, Ottawa became the fastest growing political city in eastern Canada. However, today Ottawas economic base has drastically changed. Ottawa, being the capital of Canada has now become a tourist attraction and computer related industry. The federal government is its major employer. 17.9% of the Ottawa labour force works in public administration, which is almost 3 % of Canadas total labour force in public administration. As a result, many commercial and financial associations are located in Ottawa. In addition, Ottawas information and culture industry, as well as the science and technology industry have a high labour force. Within the province, 12.3 % of Ottawas labour force is employed in the science and technology industry. Therefore, this industry, along with pub lic administration is considered to be important in benefiting Ottawas economy. Moreover, Ottawa has a very good education system resulting from the 3 major universities that are situated there. In conclusion, Ottawa is mainly a city where business is its primary staple industry. Its physical geography did not influence its economic industry, but rather people have shaped ...

Friday, November 22, 2019

How to Create a Rubric in 6 Steps

How to Create a Rubric in 6 Steps How to Create a Rubric: Introduction Perhaps you have never even thought about the care it takes to create a rubric. Perhaps you have never even heard  of a rubric and its usage in education, in which case, you should take a peek at this article: What is a rubric? Basically, this tool that teachers and professors use to help them  communicate expectations, provide focused feedback, and grade products, can be invaluable when the correct answer is not as cut and dried as Choice A on a multiple choice test. But creating a great rubric is more than just slapping some expectations on a paper, assigning some percentage points, and calling it a day. A good rubric needs to be designed with care and precision in order to truly help teachers distribute and receive the expected work.   Steps to Create a Rubric The following six steps will help you when you decide to use a rubric for assessing an essay, a project, group work, or any other task that does not have a clear right or wrong answer.   Step 1: Define Your Goal Before you can create a rubric, you need to decide the type of rubric youd like to use, and that will largely be determined by your goals for the assessment. Ask yourself the following questions: How detailed do I want my feedback to be?  How will I break down my expectations for this project?Are all of the tasks equally important?How do I want to assess performance?What standards must the students hit in order to achieve acceptable or exceptional performance?Do I want to give one final grade on the project or a cluster of smaller grades based on several criteria?Am I grading based on the work or on participation? Am I grading on both? Once youve figured out how detailed youd like the rubric to be and the goals you are trying to reach, you can choose a type of rubric. Step 2: Choose a Rubric Type Although there are many variations of rubrics, it can be helpful to at least have a standard set to help you decide where to start. Here are two that are widely used in teaching as defined by DePaul Universitys Graduate Educational department: Analytic Rubric: This is the standard grid rubric that many teachers routinely use to assess students work. This is the optimal rubric for providing clear, detailed feedback. With an analytic rubric,  criteria for the students work is listed in the left column and performance levels are listed across the top. The squares inside the grid will typically contain the specs for each level. A rubric for an essay, for example, might contain criteria like Organization, Support, and Focus, and may contain performance levels like (4) Exceptional, (3) Satisfactory, (2) Developing, and (1) Unsatisfactory.​ The performance levels are typically given percentage points or letter grades and a final grade is typically calculated at the end. The scoring rubrics for the ACT and SAT are designed this way, although when students take them, they will receive a holistic score.   Holistic Rubric:  This is the type of rubric that is much easier to create, but much more difficult to use accurat ely. Typically, a teacher provides a series of letter grades or a range of numbers (1-4 or 1-6, for example) and then assigns expectations for each of those scores. When grading, the teacher  matches the student work in its entirety to a single description on the scale. This is useful for grading multiple essays, but it does not leave room for detailed feedback on student work.   Step 3: Determine Your Criteria This is where the learning objectives for your unit or course come into play. Here, youll need to brainstorm a list of knowledge and skills you would like to assess for the project. Group them according to similarities and get rid of anything that is not absolutely critical. A rubric with too much criteria is difficult to use! Try to stick with 4-7 specific  subjects for which youll be able to create unambiguous, measurable expectations in the performance levels. Youll want to be able to spot the criteria quickly while grading and be able to explain them quickly when instructing your students. In an analytic rubric, the criteria are typically listed along the left column.   Step 4: Create Your Performance Levels Once you have determined the broad levels you would like students to demonstrate mastery of, you will need to figure out what type of scores you will assign based on each level of mastery. Most ratings scales include between three and five levels. Some teachers use a combination of numbers and descriptive labels like (4) Exceptional, (3) Satisfactory, etc. while other teachers simply assign numbers, percentages, letter grades or any combination of the three for each level. You can arrange them from highest to lowest or lowest to highest as long as your levels are organized and easy to understand.   Step 5: Write Descriptors for Each Level of Your Rubric This is probably your most difficult step in creating a rubric.Here, you will need to write short statements of your expectations underneath each performance level for every single criteria. The descriptions should be specific and measurable. The language should be parallel to help with student comprehension and the degree to which the standards are met should be explained. Again, to use an analytic essay rubric as an example, if your criteria was Organization and you used the  (4) Exceptional, (3) Satisfactory, (2) Developing, and (1) Unsatisfactory scale, you would need to write the specific content a student would need to produce to meet each level. It could look something like this: 4Exceptional 3Satisfactory 2Developing 1 Unsatisfactory Organization Organization is coherent, unified, and effective in support of the papers purpose andconsistently demonstrateseffective and appropriatetransitionsbetween ideas and paragraphs. Organization is coherent and unified in support of the papers purpose and usually demonstrates effective and appropriate transitions between ideas and paragraphs. Organization is coherent insupport of the essays purpose, but is ineffective at times and may demonstrate abrupt or weak transitions between ideas or paragraphs. Organization is confused and fragmented. It does not support the essays purpose and demonstrates alack of structure or coherence that negativelyaffects readability. A holistic rubric would not break down the essays grading criteria with such precision. The top two tiers of a holistic essay rubric would look more like this: 6 Essay demonstrates excellent composition skills including a clear and thought-provoking thesis, appropriate and effective organization, lively and convincing supporting materials, effective diction and sentence skills, and perfect or near perfect mechanics including spelling and punctuation. The writing perfectly accomplishes the objectives of the assignment. 5 Essay contains strong composition skills including a clear and thought-provoking thesis, but development, diction, and sentence style may suffer minor flaws. The essay shows careful and acceptable use of mechanics. The writing effectively accomplishes the goals of the assignment. Step 6: Revise Your Rubric After creating the descriptive language for all of the levels (making sure it is parallel, specific and measurable), you need to go back through and limit your rubric to a single page. Too many parameters will be difficult to assess at once, and may be an ineffective way to assess students mastery of a specific standard. Consider the effectiveness of the rubric, asking for student understanding and co-teacher feedback before moving forward. Do not be afraid to revise as necessary. It may even be helpful to grade a sample project in order to gauge the effectiveness of your rubric. You can always adjust the rubric if need be before handing it out, but once its distributed, it will be difficult to retract.   Teacher Resources: Creative Writing Prompts for High School Students14 Ways to Write Better in High SchoolThe Top Reading Skills to Teach Your StudentsGreat Books to Recommend To Teens

Thursday, November 21, 2019

David Dabydeens Rewriting of Turners Painting Essay

David Dabydeens Rewriting of Turners Painting - Essay Example st enjoys the self-acclaimed freedom of distorting the reality in order to work out another reality that is greater and that lies beyond the capability of plain eyesight. J. M. Turner’s (who was an abolitionist) primary purpose was to draw the viewers’ sympathy for the slaves. But either because the limitation of visual art or simply because he is not one of the slaved society, he has failed to delve deep into the core of a slave’s existence that is his cultural identity. But Dabydeen has to focus primarily on this particular but relative truth or meaning of the art, rather than simply rewriting it, while overcoming Turner’s limitation. Yet since a visual art is often subjected to multiple interpretations depending on the multiplicities of individuals’ viewpoints, throughout the whole rewriting the painting Dabydeen has to maintain a poetic abstraction of the visual imagery of the his poem. Indeed, for Dabydeen Turner’s art is not more than an objective reality, of the 19th Century, and a part of history that he interprets from his own viewpoint. Hence what Dabydeen deals more with the reality of Turner’s art is his subjective interpolation that evokes picture and imagination of a civilization out of an instantaneous portrayal of a singular reality that might have evaded Turner’s eye, that is, J. M. Turner as well as his society fails to perceive the cultural identity of the slaves. Dabydeen has tried to evoke a cult ural identity out of the forgotten past. Dabydeen views that the slave thrown into the sea is floating for â€Å"centuries†, and his memory of his origin has faded away, though not completely.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act Research Paper

Family Violence Prevention and Services Act - Research Paper Example They formed movements through which they spoke in one voice about the evils that were going on in their lives. Quite a number of acts were proposed, including the â€Å"Domestic Violence Prevention and Services Act† but they did not see the light of day. The Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) was officially enacted in 1984. It was later â€Å"reauthorized and amended† in 2010. The act can be regarded as a life-saving financial measure driven by an objective to offer emotional support to the victims2. The main idea behind such programs is to effectively secure mental stability and safety of the respective victims in addition to preventing incidences of violence in future. The act was focussed on providing the necessary awareness and prevention of domestic violence. It should be noted that this act is the sole source of funding that is meant to support life-saving initiatives through domestic violence programs. These programs include hotlines, counselling , emergency shelters and relevant legal services3. The act has made tremendous steps in relation to curbing sexual and domestic violence. Consequently, increased awareness of the above mentioned crimes and a developed justice system have led to swelling demand for the services. In the United States alone, up to 2 million children and women succumb to domestic violence save for approximately 15 million children who are exposed to physical abuse and torture by their parents/guardians.4 The effects of the current state of the economy are being felt by victim service agencies as they try to handle the ever increasing demand by the American population. It is evident how the existing resources are being stretched to the limit. Situations of job loss and eviction cases of either the victim or the abuser have been factors that have contributed to the increasing demand for the respective services5. FVPSA is important in the sense that it is at the forefront of sustaining or rather maintainin g crisis hotlines, effective safety planning, appropriate preventive education to victims, counselling and emergency asylums.6 This act is necessary to bridge the gap between the limited available resources and the ever increasing demand for these services. Many regard this act as the heart and soul of the country’s response to pertinent issues of domestic violence, thus its importance. The act ensures that community resources are well coordinated and distributed through effective and comprehensive programs. In relation to the impact of this legislation, the funding has been able to assist many victims despite the limited resources. Many lives have been saved through various programs. A typical example of this scenario was in September 2008 where up to 60,800 victims benefited from the respective program. In essence, when a victim is provided with shelter it means that he or she is at a safer place far away from the abuser, thus a life-saving initiative. Another impact of the act is that the demand for these services has significantly increased. The government has, in turn, realised that closer attention should be paid especially in the area of funding so that more people can benefit from the program. The act has created significant awareness about what it can do so that in the event of an incident like an emergency, the victims know where to turn to for

Saturday, November 16, 2019

After the Ratification of the Declaration of Independence Essay Example for Free

After the Ratification of the Declaration of Independence Essay After the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, establishing the united colonies as Free and Independent States, the Continental Congress set to work on the task of drawing up a document that would provide a legal framework for that Union, and which would be enforceable as the law of the new land. The Articles were written during the early part of the American Revolution by a committee of the Second Continental Congress of the now independent thirteen sovereign states. The head of the committee, John Dickinson, who had refused to sign he Declaration of Independence, nevertheless adhering to the will of the majority of the members of the Continental Congress, presented a report on the proposed articles to the Congress on July 12, 1776, eight days after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Dickinson initially proposed a strong central government, with control over the western lands, equal representation for the states, and the power to levy taxes. Because of their experience with Great Britain, the 13 states feared a powerful central government. Consequently, they changed Dickinsons proposed articles rastically before they sent them to all the states for ratification in November 1777. The Continental Congress had been careful to give the states as much independence as possible. The Articles deliberately established a confederation of sovereign states, carefully specifying the limited functions of the federal government. Despite these precautions, several years passed before all the states ratified the articles. The delay resulted from preoccupation with the revolution and from disagreements among the states. These disagreements included quarrels over boundary lines, conflicting ecisions by state courts, differing tariff laws, and trade restrictions between states. The small states wanted equal representation with the large states in Congress, and the large states were afraid they would have to pay an excessive amount of money to support the federal government. In addition, the states disagreed over control of the western territories. The states with no frontier borders wanted the government to control the sale of these territories so that all the states profited. On the other hand, the states bordering the frontier wanted to control as much land as they could. Eventually the states agreed to give control of all western lands to the federal government, paving the way for final ratification of the articles on March 1, 1781, Just seven and a half months before the surrender of Lord Cornwallis and his British Army at Yorktown, October 19, 1781, the victory ended fighting in the War of Independence and virtually assured success to the American cause. Almost the entire war for five long years had been prosecuted by the members of the Second Continental Congress as representatives of a loose federation of states with no resources and reputations. Under the Articles, on paper, the Congress had power to regulate foreign affairs, war, and the postal service and to appoint military officers, control Indian affairs, borrow money, determine the value of coin, and issue bills of credit. In reality, however, the Articles gave the Congress no power to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops, and by the end of 1786 governmental effectiveness had broken down. Nevertheless, some solid accomplishments had been achieved: certain state claims to western lands were settled, and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established the undamental pattern of evolving government in the territories north of the Ohio River. Equally important, the Confederation provided the new nation with instructive experience in self-government under a written document. In revealing their own weaknesses, the Articles paved the way for the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the present form of U. S. government. The Articles were in force from March 1, 1781, to March 4, 1789, when the present Constitution of the United States went into effect. During those years the 13 states were struggling to achieve their independent status, and the Articles of Confederation stood them in good stead in the process and exercise of learning self- government. The articles created a loose confederation of independent states that gave limited powers to a central government. The national government would consist of a single house of Congress, where each state would have one vote. Congress had the power to set up a postal department, to estimate the costs of the government and request donations from the states, to raise armed forces, and to control the development of the western territories. With the consent of nine of the thirteen states, Congress ould also coin, borrow, or appropriate money as well as declare war and enter into treaties and alliances with foreign nations. There was no independent executive and no veto of legislation. Judicial proceedings in each state were to be honored by all other states. The federal government had no judicial branch, and the only Judicial authority Congress had was the power to arbitrate disputes between states. Congress was denied the power to levy taxes; the new federal government was financed by donations from the states based on the value of each states lands. Any amendment to the articles required the unanimous approval of all 13 states. In attempting to limit the power of the central government, the Second Continental Congress created one without sufficient power to govern effectively, which led to serious national and international problems. The greatest weakness of the federal government under the Articles of Confederation was its inability to regulate trade and levy taxes. Sometimes the states refused to give the government the money it interstate commerce. The government could not pay off the debts it had incurred uring the revolution, including paying soldiers who had fought in the war and citizens who had provided supplies to the cause. Congress could not pass needed measures because they lacked the nine-state majority required to become laws. The states largely ignored Congress, which was powerless to enforce cooperation, and it was therefore unable to carry out its duties. After the Colonial victory in the Revolutionary War, it became obvious to the Founding Fathers that the original attempt would not be equal to the task of providing the equitable law which they sought. Congress could not force the states to adhere to the terms of the Treaty of Paris of 1783 ending the American Revolution, which was humiliating to the new government, especially when some states started their own negotiations with foreign countries. In addition, the new nation was unable to defend its borders from British and Spanish encroachment because it could not pay for an army when the states would not contribute the necessary funds. Leaders like Alexander Hamilton of New York and James Madison of Virginia criticized the limits placed on the central government, and General George Washington is said o have complained that the federation was little more than a shadow without substance. On February 21, 1787, Congress called for a Constitutional Convention to be held in May to revise the articles. Between May and September, the convention wrote the present Constitution for the United States, which retained some of the features of the Articles of Confederation but gave considerably more power to the federal government. The new Constitution provided for executive and Judicial branches of government, lacking in the Articles, and allowed the government to tax its citizens.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The Dilemma of Cloning Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics

The Dilemma of Cloning      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Man is quickly approaching the reality of cloning a human being. Once regarded as a fantastic vision dreamed up by imaginative novelists, the possibility of creating a person in the absence of sexual intercourse has crossed over the boundaries of science fiction and into our lives. While genetic engineering has helped improve the quality of life for many people, it poses many ethical and moral questions that few are prepared to answer. The most current and volatile debate surrounding human cloning seemed to surface when the existence of Dolly, a clone-sheep, was announced on February 23, 1997 by Ian Wilmut and colleagues at the Roslin Institute in Scotland. The cloning technique, which had never been successfully performed in mammals before, involved transplanting the genes of an adult male sheep with a differentiated somatic cell and transferring them into a female sheep's egg, of which the nucleus had been removed. Since Dolly contained the DNA of only one parent, she was deemed the "delayed" genetic twin of a single adult sheep (1). Since the spring of 1998, several other genetic clones have been announced, including the Massachusetts cell research firm's claim of "designer cattle" and the talk of a cloned mouse in June (2). Skeptics wondered, if such animals as mice and sheep can be cloned, what frontiers remains except for.....us? Recent legislation by the Clinton Administration, following the announcement of Dolly's birth put a ban on any funding whatsoever in support of science dictated toward human cloning. "Personally, I believe that human cloning raises deep concerns, given our cherished concepts of faith and humanity", the President said in a June 1997 national radio address (3)... ... of doing so, and the prospect of cloning a human being is an issue which must be carefully weighed by scientists and legislators alike. It is an event that can shape the history of mankind, but it is also an event that can create history in itself.    Works Cited (1) http://bioethics.gov/pubs/cloning1/executive.htm (2) http://www.reason. com/biclone.html (3) http://www.reson.com/biclone.html (4) http://www.reason.com/opeds/eibert.html (5) http://www.nejm.org/content/1998/0338/0013/0905.asp#tref-6 (6) http://www.nejm.org/content/1998/0338/0013/0905.asp#ref-6 (7) "Cloning: Legal, Medical, Ethical, and Social Issues". Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Health and Environment of the Committee on Commerce. Serial n. 105-70. February 12, 1998. Pp. 14 (8) http://cgi.pathfinder.com/time/magazine/articles/0,3266,17681,00.html

Monday, November 11, 2019

Family Therapy Essay

The whole issue of preferred family structure in the United States is complex with potential debates ranging from human rights issues to personal preferences and compliance with societal requirements. Several issue under lies this interest in a human context. For instance, the perception that the nuclear family is the best family structure which should feature in all human societies and is the only family structure that can fulfill the requirements and functions of a family is facing a lot of challenges in the modern society (McGoldrick, & Carter, 2005) this paper is written. It identifies and discusses the reasons why single parented family is more preferable to nuclear family in the United States. Nuclear family is defined as a traditional family which is made up of father, mother and children (McGoldrick, & Carter, 2005). It was traditionally conceived after marriage and developed ties across generation to an extended family, which accommodated cousins, uncles, aunts and grand parents. The nuclear family is associated with many advantages which range from emotional to social and economical support. However, numerous studies indicate that in the recent past, the nuclear family structure has lost the originality and substance it deserved and alternative family structures are becoming more prevalent (McGoldrick, & Carter, 2005). Several proposals have been put forth to explain this transformation top on the list being high divorce rates, same sex marriages and adoption of children. Current sociological statistics shows that nuclear family is losing prevalent in the United States because of its inadequacy to accommodate the diversified modern family arrangements. Available research shows that single parent family structure is increasingly high and 75% of all children in the United States spend a considerable amount of their life time in a single family (Stebbins, 2001). In a single family, there is only one parent in the family raising the children. In many a time, single parent family consists of a mother and the children. But to avoid being branded a feminist, the author of this paper finds it important to mention here that the number of single male parents is on the hike and cannot be ignored in this discussion. Several reasons have been put forth to explain why many people in United States prefer single parent family structure. From available statistics, many of the single parents are women who have never been married (Stebbins, 2001). The modern society has given women equal opportunities to pursue their careers. This is evidenced by the increasingly high number of women who have excelled in different careers including the male dominated ones. These women spend a considerable amount of their life time nurturing their careers to a point where if they have to wait until they get a potential partner, it mate be late for them to bear children. Advance in technology has enable women to bear children in absence intimacy with there male partners through artificial insemination (Sharp, & Yarber, 2010). They are given a chance to select a male partner who is willing to father the child without being emotionally attached. They raise the children according to their plans, values and standards and they stands to benefit from their parenting effort. The high rate of divorce in the United States has contributed heavily to the increased number of single parent families (Stebbins, 2001). Psychological research result indicates that conflict between parents creates the worst environment for the well being of children. Children built their characters from their parents and therefore domestic violence, for instance is emotionally and psychologically destructive to the children. Divorce and hence single family gives a solution to this problem and may guarantee the children a good future. Available information shows that despite the emotional feelings of loneliness, single parent families have many opportunities for the growth of children than in a two parent family (McGoldrick, & Carter, 2005). References McGoldrick, M., & Carter, B. (2005). The Expanded Family Life Cycle: Individual, Family, and Social Perspectives. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. Sharp, P., & Yarber, A. (2010). Focus on Single-Parent Families: past, present, and Future. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO. Stebbins, L. (2001). Work and Family in America: A Reference Handbook. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Decoding Apple’s Balance Sheet Apa Format Essay

Decoding Apple’s Balance Sheet In March of 2009, Apple had its best March quarter revenue and earnings in Apple history (Apple). In order to see how this occurred, it is important to look over the financial statements of Apple. There is a lot of information available to investors who are interested in investing in a company. By looking specifically at the balance sheet of Apple I am going to determine if investing in Apple is a good idea or a bad idea. Some things I am going to consider are Apple’s assets, liabilities, and shareholder’s equity. These areas should give me insight to how the best quarter in Apple history ame to be. Looking at the current assets of Apple, cash and cash equivalents went down from 1 1. 8 billion dollars to 4. 4 billion dollars. This may look bad at first, but all of the other assets must be added to this in order to get an overall picture of the assets. Short- term marketable securities went up from 10. 2 billion dollars to 20. 5 billion dollars. This helped Apple’s assets grow tremendously. Accounts receivable fell to 1. 9 billion dollars from 2. 4 billion dollars. With the rest of the current assets fgured in, inventories, deferred tax assets, and other current assets, the total current assets ose to 33. billion dollars from 32. 3 billion dollars. That was a rise of 1. 5 billion dollars (Apple). It is important to take into account the rest of the assets. For example, long-term marketable securities rose 1. 5 billion dollars, property, plant and equipment rose 0. 91 billion dollars, goodwill stayed the same, acquired intangible assets fell 0. 017 billion dollars, and othe r assets rose 0. 56 billion dollars. Now that we know how each asset was affected during this quarter, we come to the final numbers, which are total assets rose 3. 6 billion dollars. Apple grew its assets substantially during this quarter. I would think Apple would be a good company to invest in. Before I made any decisions I would investigate the balance sheet further in order to compare liabilities and shareholder’s equity with the previous quarter. This will give me a better understanding of the financial situation of the company (Apple). Current liabilities are in the first section of liabilities and shareholder’s equity. The following accounts are current liabilities and how they fared. Accounts payable went down from 5. 5 billion dollars to 3. 9 billion dollars. Accrued expenses went down 1 billion dollars. Deferred revenue went up from 4. 8 billion dollars to 7 billion dollars. The total change in current liabilities was a decrease of 0. 4 billion dollars. The other two liabilities categories, deferred revenue (non-current) and other non-current liabilities, rose collectively 0. 7 billion dollars. This gives the total liabilities a rise of 0. 3 billion dollars. This amount compared to current assets is not as significant. So far Apple is still looking like a good investment because the assets of Apple rose 1. 5 billion dollars whereas their liabilities only rose 0. billion dollars. It is now time to take a look at the final category of the balance sheet, the shareholder’s equity (Apple). The value of shareholders equity, common stock, rose from 7. 1 billion dollars to billion dollars. Accumulated other comprehensive income rose . 07 billion dollars. Total shareholder’s equity rose 3. 3 billion dollars. So adding together the rise of 0. 4 billion dollars in liabilities with the 3. 3 billion dollar rise of the shareholder’s equity, we get the same amount, 3. 7 billion dollars, as we got for the rise in total assets. The balance sheet balances (Apple). With the rise in assets, which led to the rise in retained earnings, I think Apple would be a good company to invest in because they are growing their business. I would want to look at past financial statements, specifically the balance sheets, in order to compare assets, liabilities, and shareholder’s equity from past quarters, but from the information presented on the balance sheet from this quarter I would be willing to invest in Apple. References Apple reports second quarter results. (2009, April 22). Retrieved August 29, 2010, from http://www. apple. com/pr/library/2009/04/22results. html

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Impressionism and Postimpressionism essays

Impressionism and Postimpressionism essays Impressionism was a form of art in the late nineteenth century that used luminosity, subtlety of tone and preoccupation with sensation. The impressionist subject matter preserved the romantic fascination with nature and the realist preoccupation with late century French society. An example of an impressionist work would be Claude Monet's Impression: Sunrise. Impression: Sunrise is a seascape that shows more of what one sees than the sea. The painting had no real strong lines because there were no lines in nature. Postimpressionism describes the western artists who followed the impressionist. They believed in art for arts sake aestheticism, they prized pictorial invention. An example would be Van Goghs The Starry Night. This is a landscape view of the small French town of Saint-Remy. The paintings sky rolls like ocean waves. The moon appears to burn like the sun. He uses color to express his vision of nature. ...

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Periodicity Definition in Chemistry

Periodicity Definition in Chemistry Periodicity Definition In the context of chemistry and the periodic table, periodicity refers to trends or recurring variations in element properties with increasing atomic number. Periodicity is caused by regular and predictable variations in element atomic structure. Mendeleev organized elements according to recurring properties to make a periodic table of elements. Elements within a group (column)  display similar characteristics. The rows in the periodic table (the periods) reflect the filling of electrons shells around the nucleus, so when a new row begins, the elements stack on top of each other with similar properties. For example, helium and  neon are both fairly unreactive gases that glow when an electric current is passed through them.  Lithium and sodium both have a 1 oxidation state and are reactive, shiny metals. Uses of Periodicity Periodicity was helpful to Mendeleev because it showed him gaps in his periodic table where elements should be. This helped scientists find new elements because they could be expected to display certain characteristics based on the location they would take in the periodic table. Now that the elements have been discovered, scientists and students used periodicity to make predictions about how elements will behave in chemical reactions and their physical properties. Periodicity helps chemists predict how the new, superheavy elements might look and behave. Properties That Display Periodicity Periodicity can include many different properties, but the key recurring trends are: Ionization Energy  - This is the energy needed to completely remove an electron from an atom or ion. Ionization energy increases moving left to right across the table and decreases moving down a group.Electronegativity - A measure of how readily an atom forms a chemical bond.  Electronegativity increases moving left to right across a period and decrease moving down a group.Atomic Radius - This is half the distance between the middle of two atoms just touching each other. Atomic radius decreases moving left to right across a period and increases moving down a group. Ionic radius is the distance for ions of the atoms and follows the same trend. Although it might seem like increasing the number of protons and electrons in an atom would always increase its size, the atom size doesnt increase until a new electron shell is added. Atom and ion sizes shrink moving across a period because the increasing positive charge of the nucleus pulls in the electron shell.Electron Affinity - This is a measure of readily an atom accepts an electron. Electron affinity increases moving across a period and decreases moving down a group. Nonmetals usually have higher electron affinities than metals. The noble gases are an exception to the trend since these elements have filled electron valence shells and electron affinity values approaching zero. However, the behavior of the noble gases is periodic. In other words, even though an element group might break a trend, the elements within the group display periodic properties. If youre still confused or need additional information, a more detailed overview of periodicity is also available.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation Research Paper

Martin Luther and the Lutheran Reformation - Research Paper Example Martin Luther, the German monk, initiated reformatory ideas into the context of Christian faith in Europe. One can see that the Lutheran Reformation or Protestant Reformation provided ample importance to the concept of salvation and individual faith in god. On the other side, the Christian church considered that donating money to the Church as a proof of one’s faith can help one to attain salvation. These differences between the Christian Church and Lutheran ideas related to faith and salvation eventually led to Lutheran Reformation. To be specific, Martin Luther was not ready to agree with the concept of the sale of indulgences as the source of revenue to the Church. Instead, his aim was to inculcate innovation to Christian faith in Europe. Thesis statement: The Lutheran Reformation unveiled the difference between individual faith and religious salvation, it bridged the wide gap between the believers and the Christian Church, and it is important because it’s socio-poli tical, religious and cultural impact unleashed the possibilities of individual faith in god, especially in Christianity. Martin Luther and Lutheran Reformation One can see that Martin Luther’s influence is not limited to the sphere of religious reformation because it extends to other fields like education, culture and literature. His deep knowledge in Latin was helpful to translate works in Latin to German language. Luther’s graduation and post-graduation were at the University of Erfurt. Later, he decided to study law, but lost interest in the same and joined a monastery in Erfurt. But he was not ready to give up his education and became a professor of Theology. John Scott makes clear that, â€Å"The one is, that his learning, genius, and capacity, were of the first magnitude: the other, that his life was without blemish.†1 While he was serving as a professor, he became interested in the idea of salvation and faith in Christianity. Besides, Luther made use of his acceptability as a professor to spread his ideas among the mass. Alister E. McGrath states that, â€Å"The Lutheran Reformation was initially an academic mo vement, concerned primarily with reforming the teaching of theology at the University of Wittenberg.†2 For instance, in the year 1517, Luther declared his opinion on the difference between salvation and faith in Christianity. The Lutheran interpretation of faith in God was entirely different from the interpretation of same by the Christian Church in Germany. This difference in interpretation of faith forced Luther to undergo excommunication from the Pope (say, in the year 1521) and disagreement from the Emperor Karl V. All these factors eventually led to the initiation of Lutheran Reformation as an attempt to reform the Protestant Church in Germany. Martin Luther’s role as a religious reformer Martin Luther’

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Change mangement Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Change mangement - Case Study Example This identified the country among the best countries with air airline facilities until after the Second World War. Airline industry in the country started operating in the year 1910 and offered diversified services such as transporting passengers, commodities, parcels and even medical supplies. Development in the industry however begun with construction of aircraft models in the late 19th century but the models were only constructed in the 20th century and approved in the year 1909 before the first flight occurred in the year 1910. Military application of airlines followed two years later and the services were used in many European countries. A number of aviation colleges were also established in the same decade. In the following decade, flight trials were conducted across international airlines before diversified airline services were offered. The country’s airline industry has however continued to experience changes in its internal and external environments to warrant notabl e changes. Qantas is one of the significant developments in the industry (Australian Government, 2008). Competition within the industry is partially regulated by the country’s political environment. The Trade Practice Act is an example. The industry however allows for market forces’ effects, in competition, such as â€Å"predatory pricing† that offers large firms an advantage over small firms in the industry (Parliament of Australia, n.d., p. 1). The industry’s competitive environment has also shifted from its previous duopoly system to a competitive market system. Some of the major players are Qantas, virgin Blue, and Ansett group among others and the firms use product differentiation as the major tool to attracting and retaining their customers. Qantas however remains the largest controller of the industry’s market in Australia (Parliament of Australia, n.d.). Qantas, one of the major players in the Australian airline industry, has a rich history that extends

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Unemployment in the UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 3

Unemployment in the UK - Essay Example In this regard, the objectives of this essay are four-fold, to wit: (1) to present a clear definition of unemployment; (2) to state and determine how it is measured; (3) to identify the different types: seasonal, frictional, cyclical, structural, among others; (4) to state and clearly explain the nature of economic, social costs of unemployment and cost to the individual; and (5) to determine the ways to solve unemployment. (c) "seeking work", i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified reference period to seek paid employment or self-employment. The specific steps may include registration at a public or private employment exchange; application to employers; checking at worksites, farms, factory gates, market or other assembly places; placing or answering newspaper advertisements; seeking assistance of friends or relatives; looking for land, building, machinery or equipment to establish own enterprise; arranging for financial resources; applying for permits and licences, etc.† (ILO, 2009). As indicated, the basic criteria for being classified as unemployed are: people without work, currently available for work, and seeking work â€Å"in the last 4 weeks and are available to start work in the next 2 weeks† or â€Å"out of work, have found a job and are waiting to start it in the next 2 weeks† (ONS, 2009, 4). Unemployment is measured by the ONS through survey, the Labour Force Survey (LFS). According to ONS (2009), their office conducts the LFS every three months using 53,000 households as samples. The survey focuses on questions inquiring about personal circumstances and activities in the labour market. Then, the unemployment rate is computed first on a residence basis by determining â€Å"the proportion of economically active who are unemployed† (ILO, 2009, 7). The frictional unemployment has been defined as â€Å"the amount of

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Understanding and analysing how Next Retail Ltd (Next) delivers its logistics

Understanding and analysing how Next Retail Ltd (Next) delivers its logistics 1.1 Introduction This report is based on understanding and analysing how Next Retail Ltd (Next) conceives, supports and delivers its logistics and the supply of its products. Next is an international company based in the UK that offers quality fashion clothes and accessories for men, women and children and home ware. It is a subsidiary of Next Plc which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Next Plcs total revenue was  £3.4b in 2010 and profit before tax was  £505 million (Appendix 1). While Next Retail is present in over 500 stores in the UK and Eire, it manufactures its products outside Europe. For international companies like this, logistics and supply chain management is an important factor in the success of their businesses. This report will describe and analyse Nexts logistics and supply chain strategies. It will also attempt to understand the rationale behind these strategies and whether they have been successful. Based on the report findings, recommendations will be made. The sources of information for this report will be mostly secondary; they will include the company website, company reports, economic reports, journals and textbooks. It is expected that a thorough analysis of this information will be sufficient to produce a high quality report. 1.2 The nature of logistics. There are several definitions of logistics depending on the nature of the organisation (Rushton et al 2006). For some, it is the management of all activities which facilitates movement and the co-ordination of supply and demand in the creation of time and place utility (Hesket et al 1973 cited in Rushton et al). Rushton himself defined it as the efficient transfer of goods from the source of supply through the place of manufacture to the point of consumption in a cost effective way whilst providing an acceptable service to the customer (Rushton et al 2006). It can be broken down into two major components materials management and physical distribution (figure 1.1). The two components can be further broken down into transport, warehousing, inventory, packaging and information of goods and services. The way that each company makes its decisions on the various aspects of logistics management is a function of many things such as the nature of products or services it offers, the countries in which it sources its materials and sells its products, the international and local laws and regulations, the type of customers it targets, resources available etc. Figure 1.1. A comprehensive diagram of logistics (Rushton et al 2006). 2.1 Supply chain strategies Supply chain strategies are different from supply management. They define how the supply chain should operate in order to be competitive. It is a process that has to be repeated in order to measure the cost benefits of the operational components (UPS 2005). Supply chain management, on the other hand, is the management of upstream and downstream relationships with suppliers and customers to deliver superior customer value at less cost to the supply chain as a whole (Christopher 2004). Supply chain strategies depend on the companys corporate strategies which are the blue print for what the company wants to achieve (Mangan et al 2008). The figure below shows how the logistic and supply management strategies depend indirectly on the corporate strategy and directly on the business unit strategy. Figure 2.1 The link between SCM Strategy and Corporate Strategy (Mangan et al 2008). According to Mangan et al (2008), there are two major types of supply chain strategies; the lean and the agile strategies. With lean strategies, the emphasis is on reducing and if possible eliminating waste the in the production of the goods and services e.g. there is no time lag in the factory and the products are ready just in time for use. This strategy depends on having all the resources and information necessary for production and distribution; it also depends on being able to predict customer demands so that there is no waste of products. The agile strategy pioneered by Christopher (2003) is borne of the fact that when there is high volatility in the demand and production process, it is not always possible to have accurate resources and predict customer demands. The agile strategy helps the business to be able to cope with any demands made on it by embarking on mass production and differentiation. Both lean and agile strategies are not mutually exclusive and businesses can choose to use both of them for products with different lead times, product cycles and customer demands. Nexts supply chain strategies Nexts primary objective is to deliver sustainable long term growth in earnings per share and its business strategies to achieve these include: Improve its product ranges Increase the number of its customers and their average spend. Improve product sourcing, reduce cost and manage stock levels efficiently (Next 2011). The dominant buying behaviour of Nexts customers is not always predictable because the fashion market is characterised by high volatility, low predictability and high impulse purchasing (Christopher et al 2004). Fashion stores used to change their stock only twice a year, with up to eight fashion seasons in a year, the stores have to constantly change their stock. In fact, fashion trends have been observed to last for only six to eight weeks (Collins 2003). This leads to complications in the supply chain for most fashion companies. The consequent volatility requires an agile supply strategy. Mass customisation is one key technique in the agile strategy. This involves mass production of the business products but configuring them slightly so that there are some variations in the products. The customers then have different products to choose from even though the products are essentially the same. Next adopts this strategy by offering mass produced clothes in variety of colours, sizes and styles to accommodate the differences in its customers tastes (Next 2011). On the other hand, as seen from its business strategies, there is a strong desire to reduce cost and manage stock levels efficiently. This corresponds to the lean supply strategy which eliminates wastes and increases efficiency. Next handles its inventory management accurately with the use of sound IT systems (NEXT Annual Report 2010). This ensures that there is a good balance between having additional products at hand and the risk of not having them when the customers need them (Gourdin 2000). Its warehousing and distribution operations are constantly reviewed to maintain efficiency and reduce risks such as physical property damage, reduce fabric waste, warehouse breakdowns, capacity shortages etc. Care is also taken to make sure that the products are transported to the retail stores on time (Next 2010 Annual Report). As a result of this, in 2010, the company was able to increase gross profit margin by 0.5% through reduction in warehousing and distribution costs (Figure 2.2). Figure 2.2. Next Plcs profit margins in 2010. Logistic Service providers (LSPs) LSPs are companies who handle other companies transport and distribution networks. Recognising the cost-effective prospects in international transport and logistics entails dedication and resources (Rushton et al 2008). Thus, many businesses outsource the transportation of raw materials and finished products to LSPs and focus on their own core competences to save resources and increase profits (Mangan et al 2008). Some companies, on the other hand, provide its own transportation and distribution services. While some others come together as agencies to organise their logistics needs, thereby getting the services at cheaper rates (Mangan et al 2008). Some LSPs also provide integrated logistics services and act as a one stop shop for companies. They are called third-party logistics companies (3PLs) or even fourth-party logistics companies (4PLs). They provide transportation, warehousing and packaging and distribution for other businesses. Examples of such companies are DHL, Kuehne and Nagel Logistics. Choosing the right LSP depends on several factors including the services provided, the geographical location, costs, speed, services needed, LSPs history etc (Mangan et al 2008). Next Plc falls under the categories of company who provides its own logistics services. It boasts of over 20 years of transporting, warehousing and distribution and has invested over  £66 million on its network over the past few years (Stanton 2007). Next Plc considers itself so experienced in these functions that it is now offers 3PL services to other retail businesses with 100 to 150 stores under the umbrella of Ventura Network Distribution (Stanton 2007). The company has two major networks; primary retail and two man network (Ventura 2009). Primary Retail: which comprises of 8 sites, 800 staff, depot space of about 1 million feet, warehousing space of about 5 million feet and over 200 vehicles. Two Man Network: this comprises of 11 sites, 220 staff and about 150 vehicles. In addition, it also offers the mail order fulfilment services (Ventura 2009). Ventura is doing well with a profit of  £6m in 2010; an increase of  £1m from the previous year (Next 2010 Annual Report). More growth is expected in the coming year. 3. Procurement and Outsourcing Procurement is the process of buying and acquiring the materials and services needed for a business. The materials and services procured by businesses will vary according to each business needs. A business like Next that sells clothing and accessories will need to buy fabric, sewing equipment, labour skilled in sewing and manufacturing clothes while a business who sells processed foods will need the food ingredients, the cooking equipment and skilled cooks. The art of procurement is increasingly more complex because of the differences in the cost and quality of materials and services across the world. In order to remain competitive, companies have to buy their materials from areas with greatest value for money and so save on costs of production. International regulations on buying and selling across the world also mean that businesses need to factor in laws, custom and excise duties when choosing where to buy their materials. The identification of right source of supply, purchasing right quantity, right quality, at the right time and at the right prices are important elements of procurement functions (Saxena 2009). Procurement can be direct and indirect. Direct procurement is applicable to manufacturing companies since they need to buy raw materials and equipment for their goods. Indirect procurement is applicable to all companies since it focus on the purchases of company facilities that are necessary to run the company such as labour, marketing, buildings/offices, office supplies etc. As with many other non-core business functions, some companies decide to outsource the procurement function to specialised companies that deal with this. For instance, they might engage recruitment agencies to fill a vacant position within their companies instead of spending time sifting through many CV and conducting interviews. Next Plc has several subsidiaries, one of which is called Next Sourcing Limited (NSL). NSL handles its procurement and sourcing operations. It is present in China, India, Hong Kong, Romania, Sri Lanka, Turkey and the UK. Its function is to design its fashion clothes, source the necessary materials, buy these materials and maintain the quality of the companys products (Next 2011). This subsidiary is doing well and last year recorded a profit of  £35.7m. However, with increasing competition from external suppliers, it is expected that profits will drop to about  £30m in the present year (Next 2010 Annual Report). For its indirect procurement, Next uses its subsidiary Ventura to handle all its customer service requirements and it offers this service to business who engage its service. This service is very important because increasing customer satisfaction is the output of good logistics (Gourdin 2000). At the moment, Next has 6 call centres in the UK, another one in India and employs over 7,000 employees (Next 2011). In addition, the company also recruits its own staff through its websites and advertisements on job sites like Indeed.co.uk which lead the applicants back to the Next website. 4.1 Conclusion Logistics is especially important to international companies. It involves how the company sources its products, manufactures, transports and stores them. The strategies embarked on by the company are a function of its business objectives and strategies. Next is determined to be profitable by increasing the demand of its products and reducing costs. Therefore, it uses a combination of both the lean and agile supply strategies to manage its logistics and supply chain. Next has created subsidiary companies to manage the different components of its logistics and supply chain. It is evident that the company wants to have total control over its business. In addition, it has commercialised these subsidiary companies and offers their services to other businesses, thereby increasing its revenue. Next has been quite profitable including the subsidiary companies that manage its logistics and supply chain. However, according to its 2010 annual report, the profits from Next Sourcing Ltd is likely to see a decline in the following year as a result of competition from external suppliers. 4.2 Recommendations Based on the findings of this report, the following recommendations have been made: It might be necessary for Next to outsource some of its logistics functions to independent companies so that it can focus on its core competencies which are to provide quality fashion clothing and software. At the moment, in trying to do so many things, the company might be losing the expertise and focus they need to build their brand and make even more profit. For instance, because of the large number of employees needed for the company and its subsidiaries, Next can outsource its recruitment functions to recruitment agencies. If the profits from NSL start to fall as predicted, it can also consider outsourcing this function. It is necessary for the company to realise that outsourcing procurement does not necessarily mean that it loses total control of its sourcing and buying processes. It could still have a department in charge of this function but work with third parties to ensure that it uses the expertise necessary for competitive advantage. The department can monitor the procurement process so that Next can be assured of its quality. 5. References and Bibliography Christopher M., (2003). Creating Agile Supply Chains. In: J. Gattorna, ed. 2003. Gower Handbook of Supply Chain Management. 5th edition; Gower Publishing Ltd. 283 291. Christopher M. (2004) Logistics and Supply Chain Management: Creating Value Adding Networks. 3rd ed; Financial Times/ Prentice Hall. Christopher M, Lowson R. Peck H. (2004). Creating agile supply chains in the fashion industry. International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management. Vol 32(8) 367 376 Collins J.L. (2003). Threads: Gender, Labor and Power in the Global Apparel Industry. 2nd ed; University of Chicago Press. Frazelle E. (2001). Supply Chain Strategy: The Logistics of Supply Chain Management. McGraw-Hill Professional. Gourdin K. (2000). Global Logistics Management: A Competitive Advantage for the New Millennium. Wiley-Blackwell. Mahadevan B. (2009). Operation Management: Theory and Practice. Prentice Hall College Div Mangan J, Lalwani C Butcher T. (2008). Global Logistics and Supply Chain Management. John Wiley Sons Next (2010). Annual Report. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nextplc.co.uk/nextplc/financialinfo/reportsresults/2009/jan10/jan10-c.pdf Accessed 02 March 2011. Next (2011). Next About us. [Online]. Available at: http://www.nextplc.co.uk/nextplc/aboutnext Accessed 02 March 2011. Saxena J. (2009). Production and Operations Management. McGraw Hill Education Stanton J. (2007) Next Goes into Third Party Logistics. [Online]. Available at: http://www.roadtransport.com/Articles/2007/10/31/128885/Next-goes-into-third-party-logistics.htm . Accessed 12 March 2011. Ventura (2009). Ventura Distribution Network [Online]. Available at: http://www.venturadistribution.co.uk/default.asp. Accessed 10 March 2011.