Phoenician Management Team Essay

The senior management of Phoenician company in Phoenix, Arizona was involved in defining an ambitious $38 million spa and golf renovation program. They considered three options for the center for well-being spa Of which the first option was seen as short-term fix, while the remaining two were viewed as having longer-term potential. Since before any work activities start on the project, the project has to be defined; that work was successively completed by the Phoenician management team; and with assistance from Starwood field operations and corporate offices. The both together prepared an extensive analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threads to better understand the environment, which should define the project right away. Planning the project The corporate design and construction group developed architectural and engineering plans, as well as the work breakdown structure (which is an important part of the project plan) and diagrams showing the critical path for the possible project options. Monitoring and controlling the project The Planning process corresponds to the â€Å"plan† component. The Executing process corresponds to the â€Å"do† component. The Monitoring and Controlling process corresponds to the â€Å"check-act† component. The Initiating process starts the â€Å"plan-do-act-check† cycles. The Closing process ends them. It is the integrative nature of project management, which requires that the Monitoring and Controlling process interact with every aspect of the other process groups Project monitoring and control is the key process in the project management cycle. Properly executing this process will contribute significantly to successful project completion. Points to know The decision to renovate the golf course and existing spa became not a question of whether to undertake the projects, but to what degree they needed to be pursued. The Phoenician management team prepared an extensive analysis of strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats to better understand the environment. The result of this analysis was used by the team to identify the set of activities necessary for each option. The management team created a work breakdown structure in order to compare different project options. Reference Page Krajewski, L. J., Ritzman, L. P., & Malhotra, M. K. (2010). Operations management. (9th ed.). Pearson College Div. Marriott International, I. (2012). Meetings and events: Step–by–step planning guide . Retrieved from http://www.marriott.com/meeting-event-hotels/event-planning-guide.mi Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK ® Guide, 3rd Edition. Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Project Management Institute, 2004, p. 5.

Mis Answers to Cases Essay

MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology College of Business Administration and Accountancy School of Graduate Studies MASTER IN BUSINESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM Iligan City REAL WORLD CASE 1: Toyota Europe, Campbell Soup Company, Sony Pictures, and W.W. Grainger. Making the Case for Enterprise Architects Toyota Europe, Campbell Soup Company, Sony Pictures, and W.W. Grainger. Making the Case for Enterprise Architects Submitted to: Professor Adrian Galido, PhD Submitted by: Sandee Angeli M. Villarta September 4, 2013 Toyota Europe, Campbell Soup Company, Sony Pictures, and W.W. Grainger. Making the Case for Enterprise Architects Toyota Europe, Campbell Soup Company, Sony Pictures, and W.W. Grainger. Making the Case for Enterprise Architects REAL WORLD CASE 1: ————————————————- 1. What does the position of enterprise architect entail? What qualifications or experiences would you think a good enterprise architect should have? Support your answer with examples from the case. An enterprise architect position involves knowing the current technology in the enterprise in respect of its usage: efficiency both in material cost and output resulting in good productivity and finally huge gains, or whether the technology in use is still competitive or on its stage of fall such that when the technology is about to become obsolete or has outlived its usefulness to the enterprise, the enterprise architect has to tell it all to the top management and of course the new technology to be adopted in lieu of the old one. This is because among the job of the enterprise architect is to map, define/redefine, gather data, standardize technology and business processes and to translate these into an architectural approach (macro view) to make the business work as a whole, but able to work in individual projects within the macro, not only at present but also in the future. Experience gained from IT, Service, Distributors of Heavy Equipment, Marketing and Service companies are preferred. Courses such Engineering, IT, Business and Marketing and from Masteral Courses in Business Management are favored though other courses may also produce better enterprise architects. The case of Toyota Europe shows a good example that its enterprise architect was able to make its enterprise strategy worked in the present environment and successfully carried it into the contemplated future. That is why its Chief Architect Mr. Heinchkein was able to give a good account of what the job of the enterprise architect should be for that is exactly what he had done to Toyota Europe. The experience of Campbell Soup Corp. when it implemented the concept of enterprise architect found it very useful from its description that the enterprise architect’s work sees to it the best is served for the enterprise as a whole against the individual department and individual projects for things are being centralized and therefore harmonized with optimum efficiency as part of its architectural approach. Enterprise architecture (EA) is a contested term that refers to the architecture of an enterprise—an organized complex of people and technologies—and the activity of describing or designing enterprises. Enterprise IT Architecting. According to this category, the purpose of EA is the greater alignment between IT and Business concerns. The main purpose of EA is to guide the process of planning and design the IT/IS capabilities of an enterprise in order to meet desired organizational objectives. Typically, architecture proposals and decisions are limited to the IT/IS aspects of the enterprise; other aspects only serve as inputs. Goal: Create unity Qualifications: * Focus on four crucial C’s: connection, collaboration, communication, and customers. * UNITY – Establish IT that enables business strategy today and tomorrow * Must map, define, and standardize technology, data, and business processes to make that possible * Must have both Macro and Micro view. Macro: Understand the business strategy and translate this into an architectural approach Micro: Ability to work with individual projects and deliver very concrete guidance to these projects that focus on the successful delivery of the individual project within that macro view * Must know how to bridge silos * Transforms tech-speak into the language of business solutions * Knows what technology is needed to enable business strategy * Acts like a city planner Provide: Road maps, zoning, common requirements, regulations, and strategy, only that he does this in a company. * Desires to serve what is best for the enterprise vs. the individual department or project – Andy Croft, Campbell Soup Company’s VP of IT – shared services. * Holistic Approach: Looking at the bigger perspective – take a step back and try to understand what problem the proposed project will solve. Is there already a solution that covers the proposed area being researched? Does the proposed project fit into the wider picture? * Ensures that the pieces of the wider-picture puzzle fit together – Heinckiens * Should create compliance standards * Should provide the necessary data that are useful and relevant to everyone in the company. (blueprint) Who owns the data? Who should receive permission to access the data? * Must be a voice that many kinds of people can understand – Tim Ferrarell, CIO and senior VP of enterprise systems at W.W. Grainger. * Should think at a strategic level and all the way down to the operating level * Should understand how to move and down that chain of abstraction * Know how to deal with conflicts and trade-offs; * Has to gain the confidence of the senior leadership team. * Vision – Must understand how the company works, where it wants to go, and how technology helps or hinders. So that effective working relationships can bloom. Should have business and technical knowledge. * Enterprise architects continuously reinforce to business-side counterparts the expected returns on IT projects as the temptation to cut spending grows. * Architecture plan to ensure that IT provides a competitive advantage 2. Consider the different companies mentioned in the case and their experiences with enterprise architecture. Does this approach seem to work better in certain types of companies or industries than in others? Why or why not? Experiences of the four respective companies mentioned have worked successfully in their enterprises. It is submitted, however, that the difference of business nature and other factors attendant to specific line of business, while admitting that every enterprise indisputably needs to adopt current technology and may need enterprise architect, the degree of success attained thereof varies. The peculiarity of a certain business enterprise may require less the participation of enterprise architect. The old adage that â€Å"the only permanent thing in this world is change† truly applies to every enterprise. This being so, one business strategy may be copied wholly or partly with varying degree of success and sometimes even dismal failure. This also means that for a period of time this enterprise architectural approach may work but not for a lifetime as is approach or strategy may be outmoded or rendered obsolete with the advent of new environment and technology, among others. 3. What is the value derived from companies with mature enterprise architectures? Can you see any disadvantages? When the state of matured enterprise architectures is reached, it is also expected that the maximum benefits in terms of business profit margins, stability of the enterprise, expansion of business and formation of new enterprises, and even the production of new products and services are also attained with maximum efficiency and productivity. However, note must be taken of the fact that once maturity is attained there are accompanying disadvantages such as the deceleration of upward movement and may have even reached its peak. Once one is at its peak, the likely thing to happen is for to slide down. Maturity in any undertaking has also its corresponding negative aspect. Such as the lukewarm attitude towards going into new discoveries and therefore allow itself to be drowned into the depth of obsolescence. Or the belief that since these enterprises with matured architectures that they are at the top, they tend to rest on their laurels and think that nobody could outsmart them in terms of finding new and innovative ways to improve the lot of enterprises. When they are in on this stage, they are likely to suffer an imminent loss. REAL WORLD ACTIVITIES 1. Service-oriented architecture (SOA) is a recent approach to systems development and implementation that has much in common (and some differences, as well) with enterprise architecture. Go online and research the similarities and differences. Prepare a report to summarize your work. â€Å"Service-oriented architecture is a client/server software design approach in which an application consists of software services and software service consumers (also known as clients or service requesters). SOA differs from the more general client/server model in its definitive emphasis on loose coupling between software components, and in its use of separately standing interfaces.† both aim to address issues on the enterprise level (strategy and planning, reference architecture, and so on), and at the same time their governance models are similar. An enterprise that’s adopting SOA while developing EA and its governances may encounter problems if the similarities and overlaps between EA and SOA are not recognized and accounted for. Architecture domains: similarities and differences The following summarizes the similarities and differences when considering the concepts of architecture in both SOA and EA: Similarities SOA and EA domains share many similarities. For example: * Both address similar architectural domains. * Both are intended to closely align IT with business. * Both use input based on business objectives. * Both require similar strategies and planning activities. Differences While the focus of the EA architecture domains is on the macro level, the SOA architecture domains work on a micro level. More specifically: * EA focuses on defining business components, while SOA focuses on business services. * EA deals with application frameworks and enterprise applications, while SOA’s scope is on service modeling only. * EA deals with enterprise-level infrastructure including servers, databases, and so on, while SOA focuses on the infrastructure that supports services, namely the Enterprise Service Bus. * EA addresses enterprise integration patterns and when they should be used, including point-to-point integration;  file transfer, and other traditional application integration approaches Potential Problems Because of the overlap in the architecture domains of both EA and SOA, the following potential problems may arise when the two are developed in isolation: * If the enterprise focuses only on SOA, it’s possible that other EA aspects are ignored. For example, legitimate needs for integration approaches and standards other than those supported by SOA (for example, point-to-point interface) may be ignored and not addressed on the enterprise level. Also, without EA organizations may fall into applying the Golden Hammer antipattern (if a hammer is your only tool, then every problem looks like a nail) and attempt to use SOA for every solution, even the ones that don’t benefit from such architecture. * With parallel efforts to develop an SOA and EA concurrently, you might encounter inefficiencies as a result of duplicate efforts and missed opportunities to leverage existing architecture artifacts. It’s conceivable that two teams working on developing SOA and EA can spend unnecessary time and resources producing duplicate, and sometimes contradicting. Information models, infrastructure, system-management policies, strategies, and tools. 2. Have you considered a career as an enterprise architect? What bundle of courses would you put together to design a major or a track in enterprise architecture? Break into small groups with your classmates to outline the major areas that should be covered. (No need to break into small groups; just outline the major areas that should be covered) To become an enterprise architect, it requires more than having a degree in engineering, architecture, IT, and business. It demands years of hands-on experience. As a graduate of Entrepreneurial Marketing I can say that I have the knowledge on how to manage a business; in what ways will the business be more profitable; and by what means it can sustain in this competitive economy. Nonetheless, theories are not enough for the industry to survive. To qualify as an enterprise architect I must work for at least 8 – 10 years in an industry to be equipped with the right knowledge, skills, and experience on how the whole system works. The courses which may be bundled are: * Engineering Courses * Mechanical * Electrical * Civil * Industrial & Systems Engr (ISyE) * Business and Management Courses * Marketing * Economics * Accounting * Business Management * Investment & Financial Risk Management * Architectural Studies (Undergrad and Graduate Studies) * MArch/Master of Business Administration * MArch/Master of Computer Science * MArch/Master of Science in Civil and Engineering * Environmental Engineering (Construction Engineering and Management or Structures) * IT Courses * Master Degree Courses * Preferably MBA * Architectural Studies (cited above) * Trainings and Seminars on: * Six Sigma * Business Process * Process Improvement (Innovation and Continuous Improvement) * Cross-functional Team * IT – Management and Strategy * Marketing and Product Management * Quality and Business Planning * Enterprise Software * Enterprise Architecture * Security * Cloud Computing * Vendor Management * Consulting * Business Intelligence * Governance * Software Project * Outsourcing The courses which may be bundled are: Business Courses – Marketing, Accounting, IT with Industrial Psychology; Engineering (Mech., Automotive, Electl., Civil, Electronics, Computer) and technology courses may also be bundled with IT and Industrial Psychology. Then Sociology, Community Development, Political Science, AB English, Psychology with IT.

Marijuana Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Marijuana - Essay Example The usefulness of marijuana cannot be denied its due right however as it is present within a number of medicines and in healing maladies and diseases. Therefore the negativities can easily be canceled out with the positives that surround marijuana in essence. The healing perspective is all the more necessary to state because it lists the main aspects that are present within marijuana. The perception related with marijuana needs to be altered in order to have a better viewpoint of the same within the society. The right side of marijuana must be propagated more than the drawbacks, because it is the need of the hour (Engs 1997). Moving on, the body effects of marijuana comprise of the redness within eyes, the decrease in intra-ocular pressure as well as the dryness within mouth. There is also the sensation of heat and cold within the skin with the addition of heart rate becoming faster and muscles becoming relaxed due to the intake of marijuana. Its usage develops anxiety and leads to d epression and psychosis. The causal mechanism has not been able to establish as of present times. There has been evidence available at certain places where heavy usage of marijuana has led to heart attacks as well (Graves 2005). More often it has been seen that marijuana users have reported certain abnormalities which have comprised of the likes of amygdale and hippocampus regions which are located within the human brain. A research by Dr. Sontineni demonstrated how chronic marijuana’s usage led to a form of compulsive bathing behavior by the patient. Furthermore, the benefits attached with marijuana include the fact that it has been able to assist patients with regards to their nausea and vomiting issues. It has addressed the issues that have come under the ranks of anorexia as well as weight loss. The individuals with movement disorders, asthma, spasticity, glaucoma and other painful conditions are facilitated with the usage of marijuana, as has been indicated through prope r research and evidence over the years. The benefits and good points related with marijuana seem to be hidden from all and sundry due to a number of different reasons. It indeed is a shame because this drug has a number of positives with regards to the entire society. People should have a soft corner for marijuana because it delivers help and assistance upon them (Cohen 2006). However the smoking of marijuana has eventually been a problem for quite a long while now and thus it resurfaces every now and so often. Researchers have shown through different studies on marijuana that its crude form has more than 400 chemicals that call for its usefulness. When smoked, the 400 chemicals break up into a number of chemicals which are varied in form and size. Much research has been based on the crude form of marijuana and indeed marijuana in essence, which depicts its usefulness in entirety. The medicinal role immediately ends when marijuana is smoked, thereby representing the fact that its us efulness has been at its lowest ebb (Kreit 2003). The social risks linked with marijuana are apparent nonetheless. The accidents that have been reported in media have more or less been blamed due to excessive usage of marijuana and its smoked form. It has played a very negative role at taking away the sheen from the usefulness of marijuana in its truest sense. People have generally blamed marijuana because of the different problems which come attached with it. The benefits have simply been ignored for all the wrong reasons. The role of

An analyst for the Bank of England and you have been asked to analyse Essay

An analyst for the Bank of England and you have been asked to analyse and critically evaluate the causes and consequences of the - Essay Example It is apparent that events in the previous years such as the dotcom crash, bankruptcies and frauds of large firms such as Enron and the sub prime crisis all lead to successive weakening of the financial markets. The money and capital markets showed extreme distress selling and in the crash, assets were depreciated to the extent of 300 trillion USD. Money supply and demand underwent some dynamic changes with banks reluctant to release funds to borrowers for fear of that the loans would not repaid. The UK government attempted to correct the problems by bring in a number of measures and methods. These included macroeconomic instruments and quantitative easing that was used for the first time in UK financial history. The market reacted in a diffident manner to these economic policies and some slight recovery is apparent in the GDP, inflation and other indicators. Table of Contents An analyst for the Bank of England and you have been asked to analyse and critically evaluate the causes and consequences of the world financial crisis of 2007/2008 in the UK 1 January 19, 2013 1 1. Introduction 5 2. Causes and consequences of the financial crisis 6 3. Response of capital and money markets 11 4. Response and effectiveness of the macroeconomic policies 16 5. Conclusions 26 References 28 List of Figures Figure 2.1. LIBOR-OIS Spreads (Kacperczyk and Schnabl, 2012) 7 Figure 2.2. Rise in risk premium (McKibbin and Stoeckel, 2009) 8 Figure 2.3. Euro Area Government Bond Rate (Kacperczyk and Schnabl, 2012) 10 Figure 2.4. The US housing bubble and crash (McKibbin and Stoeckel, 2009) 10 Figure 3.1. UK market index FTSE100 (Stockcube 2012) 11 Figure 3.2. Global financial assets value reduction (McKinsey, 2009) 12 Figure 3.3. Dispersion in Money Market Funds (Kacperczyk and Schnabl, 2012) 13 Figure 3.4. Asset holding and their spread (Kacperczyk and Schnabl, 2012) 14 Figure 3.5. M2 Multiplier and the ratio of M2 to reserves (Hodson and Mabbett, 2009) 16 Figure 4.1. GBP response to p olicies (Benford, et al, 2010) 17 Figure 4.2. UK Percent Change in GDP (Benford, et al 2010) 18 Figure 4.3. Central Banks Asset Holdings (Benford, et al 2010) 19 Figure 4.4. Transmission mechanism for purchase of assets (Benford, et al 2010) 20 Figure 4.5. Desired movement of the LM curve (Thomas, 2010) 21 Figure 4.6. Actual movement of the LM curve (Benford, et al 2010) 22 Figure 4.7. New equilibrium point in the IS-LM model (Athey, 2009) 23 Figure 4.8. Impact of QE on the economy (Joyce, et al, 2011) 24 Figure 4.9. UK Money Multiplier (Bank of England, 2010) 25 Figure 4.10. UK GDP growth (ONS, 2012) 25 Figure 4.11. UK CPI Inflation rate (Benford, et al, 2011) 26 1. Introduction The previous decade saw one of the worst and most widespread financial crisis in modern history when global financial markets crashed from 2007-2008. The financial loss across the world measured in terms of devaluation of assets, insolvencies of banks and asset depreciation is estimated at 290 trillion Doll ars (Barrel, 2011). According to a report by Rose and Spiegel (2009), the recession was fallout of the sub prime crisis that originated in 2005 and the market crash occurred in 2007. Mishkin (2008) is of the opinion that the years before 2007 that saw the dotcom boom and bust, the peak in crude oil prices and the high value of the stock market were signs that a crash was coming. Nothing was done to prevent the market

Case study 3... I have copy and paste the instuctions below

3... I have copy and paste the instuctions below - Case Study Example This has increasingly attracted much focus as the next target by majority of Asian automakers. According to current statistics, several young people aged between 22- 30 years plan to purchase motor vehicles. Further, the same statistical data indicates that about 64% of females within this age group have already purchased a motor vehicle compared to 44% of their male counterparts (Nickell, 2012). In this regard, Asian automakers try to fulfill the desires of Gen Y by availing them with what they need in a unique way. According to Beard (2003), Gen Y possesses purchasing power to a tune of $170 billion which is expected to continue growing as they progress in their careers. Moreover, by Asian automakers targeting Gen Y, this could be a sign of trust that Gen Y is a brand royal whose desires are not only to serve them as individuals, but the entire community. Marketers continue facing a big challenge in handling Gen Y who does not prefer advertising since they believe advertising cause s them to purchase products they do not require. Moreover, they view advertising as one way of increasing product price which goes contrary to their desire of lowest price possible. Analysis of the strategy behind Honda and Toyota creating new vehicles such as the Element and the Scion By both Honda and Toyota manufacturing motor vehicles such as Element and Scion, it shows their efforts in establishing a relationship with Gen Y with a view of improving their brand name (Rechtin, 2009). Notably, Honda’s strategy acknowledges Gen Y varied preferences. According to Keegan and Green (2011), Toyota and Honda are using adaptation and extension strategies to access the global market opportunities. Both automakers seem to have noted the increased purchasing power of Gen Y by becoming more innovative in meeting their needs. In this regard, they have introduced new automobiles in the market at a price within reach of majority of this age group. The rationale behind Toyota's decision t o limit the number of Scion vehicles available for sale In 2006, Jim Press, a top executive with Toyota, United States commented on limiting the number of Scion motor vehicles. He explained that any further increase in sale of this brand could only accrue benefits to the Japanese automaker although he stressed that this decision would not lead to loss of customer preference for Scion. Additionally, Jim Press said that â€Å"Scion is an incubator† that was meant to help Toyota understand the preferences of the younger generation. The rationale behind limiting Scion’s sale volume could be explained in various ways including: Scion brand could have attained maturity stage and, to remain popular with Gen Y, Toyota had to create exclusivity image for this brand (Mandel et al., 2006). If Toyota continued with production of more Scions, it could have suffered diseconomies of scales. This is because, as it continued pursuing the growing market demand, at some point the rate of input increase could equal the rate of output increase - leading to rise of unit cost. What this means is that Toyota could be needed to produce more to meet the market demand. This would also require the company to increase labor and build additional plants in order to produce more cars. More so, by limiting Scion sales volume, Toyota could build long-term brand loyalty from its existing clientele. This is

Style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Style - Essay Example James Joyce has also zeroed in on the psychoanalysis, whereby his mind has acknowledged the streams of consciousness within his work. It is a concise example of a writer who is trying his best to make do with the intrinsic realities of a heroine as well as her endeavors to deal with the surroundings. Hypotactic Style in Eveline The social conditions of the women within Ireland are highlighted within Eveline which they faced within the latter years of the 19th century (Gordon 1995). The hypotactic style has been presented from the thoughts of the heroine as these are being depicted through her mind whilst recalling events sitting in front of a window. The story seems to be non-linear in structure. James Joyce has been able to represent the hypotactic style through his interest on character thoughts. What one can understand from the short story Eveline is the ideology that James Joyce has given his best at making people understand the nuances of thinking and how perspectives are aligne d in a way that seems fit with the hypotactic style as is surely known through the aegis of James Joyce. What one can comprehend from Eveline is the fact that it centers on the premise of different characters living within Dublin who were having issues in dealing with the time period. Eveline is the advent between adolescence and maturity.

Article review one Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Review one - Article Example In teaching business ethics, it is not necessary that the virtues are built from scratch but already developing students can be helped into becoming ethical business people. The article is informative in personal development and showcases the tactics used by business schools into grooming young people in developing the skills to excel in the corporate world. The article discussed the Aristotelian point of view of personal development and how the upbringing in a particular environment is responsible for the building of character and virtues. The type of upbringing and the scenarios that are faced by an individual during early life make a larger impact and direct the behavior of individuals accordingly. For example, if successful people are asked to change something about their life they tend to say that, they would rather spend more time with their families than on their business. The article further depicts how human behavior constantly keeps on changing with time and age. Perspective widens and a more open approach towards issues leads to better decision making or alteration. The incorporation of business example with everyday scenario makes the article gripping and coherent in conveying the view of point that how personal development can happen on any scale. This can apply to business as well where business students are given case stu dies that help them broaden their perspective and achieve goals. The article discusses character building and reshaping of virtues in business schools. The main point is how from an Aristotelian point of view, people develop their morals and virtues. Business ethics are far more different with respect to the fact that every client is different and needs to be dealt with in a different manner. There is a question of personal goals and then the ways through which it can be achieved. The

Access to abortion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Access to abortion - Essay Example Though there is a law that legalized, but once the Health Minister in the country, during the Liam Fox, in 2001, had called for alternatives to abortion legalization in UK, if its cannot entirely abolished.The proclamation done by Fox in 2001, has been seen as an effort by the conservative to seek the support of people on the religious basis on tackling the issue, being he is among members of the Tories. Many other Conservative leaders in UK have continued to disparage on the abortion issue, such as William Hague, who had also known as anti-abortion personal that also spoke on the need to introduce strict Laws against abortion.Meanwhile, the UK's women in recent years who have adapt to accept Abortion as an alternative in their lives, have gotten to continue to maintained the subject matter, under 'a woman right to choose', which has giving them the mandate of choosing their destiny in life.Investigation conducted, has shows that most of the British citizens were supporting right for choice for the women in their pursuit to self legal abortion. The investigation further noted that about 77percent of the citizens are in the support for that. However, the investigation on this matter further quoted some facts from a source, which has encourages women in the United Kingdom who have the interest of making abortion to be more courageous over their zeal. Their campaign for legalization of abortion in the country, has gained the support of some dignitaries within the country, health practitioners, organizations, union and many others that are playing significant roles to humanity. A (Press Release) for the Campaign for modern abortion law, states "The Campaign which is backed by many peers, doctors, nurses, sexual sex organizations, trade unions, artists, and students, is calling for: Abortion to be available at the request of a woman And end to unacceptable delays in service provision And end to minority anti-choice attacks on current abortion right" All the encouragement that women in the UK get to remain on their zeal to abortion is derived from the Pro-Choice Organizations, while they adapt to such campaigns to ensure they do not allow themselves to become victims of pregnancy and delivery. Women on their arguments and facts in seeking for self legal abortion in UK, states that as human beings, they should be given the right to make their self decision on how to take care of their lives. Additionally, they argued that by legalizing the use of contraceptive and the abortion right, they would now have a very wider opportunity to vow on toward seeking for education without interruptions, social, and economic goods for themselves. Another argument from the women and those that are supporting the act of abortion in the UK, states that female should be allowed to choose whether to bear pregnancy or abort it, which according to them, only by doing so, there will be no gender Equality as it has been propagating worldwide. Further more, they argued that as long as women are restricted from

Summary Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary - Assignment Example The authors work with Elizabeth Brainerd is based on two hypotheses. Firstly, competitive industries do not have discrimination, so in case of an exogenous shock (increased trade) the effect of discrimination is negligible. Secondly, in less competitive industries, scope of discrimination is more, so in case of the same exogenous shock narrowing the gender wage gap would be considerable. Since theoretically, the wage differential in competitive industries is nil, by providing for increased trade, the authors could compute the gender wage gap in concentrated industries. The survey covering the period 1977-94 used data from Current Population Survey. The population comprised of individuals aged 18 to 64 and working as full time. First log wage of all individuals was regressed on education, age, agesqaured and nonwhite dummy variable. Then the residual gender wage gap was computed from difference in average residual wages for male and female at industry level. The industry level results were matched to trade level results, with trade measured as import shares. The findings show that an increase in import share leads to reduction in gender wage gap in concentrated industries. However overall increase in trade have a negative impact on relative wages of women. These results can also be factored on decline in unionization and not discrimination impact.

Deliberative Democracy Essay Example for Free

Deliberative Democracy Essay To what extent is deliberative democracy an appropriate approach for resolving public policy problems? Definition of democracy. Deliberative approach as a type of democracy. Types of cases, when deliberative democracy is substituted by other types of democracy. The power of majority or the power of nation The power of minority or the power of representatives of interested parties The power of elite or power of professional politicians Deliberative forum as an important instrument of deliberative democracy. The deliberative democracy as continuation of traditions of former concepts in legal government. The deliberative democracy in works of Dewey, Cohen and Rippe. Cohen and his postulates of discourses. Habermas and his approach to deliberative democracy. Critical opinions regarding deliberative politics. Conclusion. Definition of democracy. We hear word â€Å"democracy† quite often in our everyday life. The main meaning of this word is easy to understand. But still, there are a lot of types of democracy. Let’s examine the most interesting kind of democracy – a deliberative democracy and find out, to what extent is deliberative democracy an appropriate approach for resolving public policy problems. Deliberative approach as a type of democracy. It is well known that democracy as a kind of organization of social-political life of the society is a preferable policy for any country. Still, we need to underline that democracy, as well as any other social-political system, is able to show it in different forms, depending on conditions. One of such forms is so-called deliberative democracy. It is such kind of â€Å"democracy, where citizens play the main role in political processes of society† (Barber Winter 1998-1999, p.588). Quite often it is called also a civil democracy. Actually, almost any nation in the world knows what it is, because such social-political system is quite ancient. Almost any nation had tradition of community, where they discussed problems and the ways how to solve these problems, as well as discussion and adoption of practical ways out. The role of citizen starts exactly from this point – from mutual discussion and action in politics within the limits of deliberative democracy. Such type of democracy supposes that a citizen is the effective political actor at the political scene of his country. It is also supposed that active citizen has a number of qualities, which are determined to define quality of his effectiveness. Such citizen has to be able to find out, to discuss and to feel responsibility for problems of his society and to be able to unite with other citizens in order to take decisions. It is also important to take into account all sides of political events, interests and values of other citizens and to find a common base to take effective and preferable decisions. Nevertheless, although such kind of democracy is very interesting, it is very difficult to develop and to maintain its vitality. Types of cases, when deliberative democracy is substituted by other types of democracy. One of the main conditions of existing of deliberative democracy is high level of political and legal competence of its citizens and their desire to participate in political process of their country. Deliberative democracy is changed into other types of problematical democracies when it is impossible to have such conditions. Let’s examine several types of such cases. a) The power of majority or the power of nation One of them is the power of majority or the power of nation. Such type of democracy is often called a direct majority system. The decisions are taken on the base of opinions of majority. The elements of such democracy are referendums, different kinds of Gallup polls and one-stage elections. As a result, process of politics becomes simpler and ability of society to solve difficult social problems is decreased. The power of minority or the power of representatives of interested parties The other kind of democracy is the power of minority or the power of representatives of interested parties. The main demand of this type of democracy, which is called a representative democracy, is that all layers of population have their representatives in the institutions of governing. The problem is that such kind of democracy often becomes anamorphous. In particular, separate groups, who have their interests, start to dominate in political system. As a result, politics, which is brought into society, becomes highly specialized and oriented on only those groups, whose representatives were able to lobby their interests at the governmental level. The power of elite or power of professional politicians Another type of democracy is the power of elite or power of professional politicians. Such type of democracy means that citizens â€Å"almost don’t take part in politics and become cynical in relation to political process† (Finley 1972, p.78). Such politics seems to be the matter of chosen (professionals and specialists) – politicians, managers of election campaigns, image-makers, lobbyists, sociologists, pressmen, etc. Technocratic approach makes this kind of democracy different and almost displaces the citizens from political scene. Deliberative forum as an important instrument of deliberative democracy. Deliberative democracy in comparison with these types of democracy is completely different. It brings into politics voices of citizens, which are ale to change something in political processes of their country. This voice is not associated with simple public opinion, defined by the Gallup polls, simple voting or protesting. Instruments, which help deliberative democracy to function in the modern society, are various. The â€Å"most important instrument of deliberative democracy is so-called deliberative forum† (Honig 1993, p.2). Such forum represents not a simple discussion of a problem, but strictly regulated discussion accordingly to a definite form. Before such forum takes place, its organizers – often it is a kind of initiative group from the number of active citizens – work out the form of problem’s discussion. Participants of this forum obey to the form of discussion with help of qualified moderators (people, who are responsible for the forum). The stages of forum are as follows: The participants share their experience of personal attitude regarding to the problem discussed. Moderator explains to the participants the essence of problem and gives three-four main approaches to solve it. He explains also possibilities to solve it practically, advantages and disadvantages of each approach as well. We have to note that approaches of variants of problem solving are prepared before the forum takes place and are made on the basis of dozens of small forums, Gallup polls, interviews with citizens, governmental authorities, different organizations and other parties, who are involved in problem, etc. The participants discuss approaches of problem solving and reach consensus basing on the most preferable position. It is also very important that participants of such a forum listen to discussions of their partners and can â€Å"change their opinion in the process of discussion† (Bohman 1997, p.343). The practice of such forum shows that situations, when participants of forum change their opinion and prefer other approach, represented by other working group, are quite often. It proves once more that deliberation (discussion) is very strong and important instrument of political influence on citizens and is very important in resolving political public problems. We need to note that deliberation is different from debates. Debates are based on principle that it is very important to prove your own opinion, your own point of view by proving ineffectiveness of your opponent’s opinion. Deliberation presupposes enrichment of your own opinion and gives possibility to reexamine it in the light of discussions and opinions of other participants. The participants work out practical actions for realization of chosen approach and decide when they have to meet the next time to continue chosen practical measures. Moderators make report on results of the forum and present the report to the parties which can be interested and which are able to influence resolving problem. Such report is presented to mass media as well. The deliberative democracy as continuation of traditions of former concepts in legal government. The deliberative democracy is opposed to the kinds of aforementioned democracies. It is also opposed to aggregative democracy, which reflects the results of compromises between the group interests. It is based not on the â€Å"balance of interests, but on the power of arguments for the sake of the good of all citizens† (Bohman, J. Rehg 1997, p.IX). The public sphere is examined as the scene of wide discourse of citizens and reproduces the base for idea of public sovereignty. This civil reflection is not limited by any pre-determined principles. It acts only within the limits of known procedure rules. Actually, the deliberative process is used as the democracy, which allows discovering the sense of taken decisions and their consequences for society in common. Such concept represents a reaction on crisis condition of modern forms of Western democracy. The model of deliberative democracy seems to be idealistic and very interesting. Such concept arouses the question of organic interaction of society and government. It focuses attention on modification of public sphere as the important point of civil activity and influence of civil activity on the governmental politics as well. The deliberative democracy continues traditions of â€Å"former concepts of legal government and is examined as democracy of rational discourse, discussion, conviction, argumentation and compromise† (Connolly 1991, p.1). It is based on the statement that a modern human is a citizen, who takes active part in the life of society. His roles in society as a client and consumer are mixed together with roles of participant in political and public processes. The modern human has tendency to non-belonging to any political party, because he is ready to make compromise and to refuse from his preferences to reach compromise. When we use tradition of legal government conception (particularly, the conception of Kant), we suppose that governmental-legal sphere should be examined to the maximum flexibility. It should be possible to take into account any new theme of discussion, opinions and re-examination of results. First of all we need to solve such problems as role of majority, opinions of minority, parliamentary responsibility and corporatism. The deliberative democracy in works of Dewey, Cohen and Rippe. Deliberative democracy is a concept, used by J. Dewey, which is examined in the modern political theory by such authors as Cohen, Rippe, Habermas, etc. Dewey proposed to refuse from usual understanding of democracy as political domination of majority and to examine the process from the other side, as way to obtain power by the majority of citizens. It can be done with help of public discourses and lobbying interests by social groups and minorities in different discussions and forums. â€Å"The rule of majority is as stupid, as critics speak about it. Still, it had never been only the rule of majority†¦ The means with help of which the majority becomes the majority, are much more important: debates, modification of opinions, discussions with minority, etc†¦ BY the other words, the efficient necessity of democracy is in improvement of methods and conditions of debates, discussions and forums†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Dewey 1954, p 207) So, the very concept of publicity of politics has more important results that the results of politics itself. The idea of deliberative democracy is based on intuition of publicity. It became an independent concept, which doesn’t understand the aim of politics to satisfy interests of all people separately as liberal doctrine. On the contrary, it is the model, oriented on forum, where â€Å"concepts about â€Å"good† for all people is discussed by means of mutual discussion of citizens† (Rippe 2001, p.141.). Cohen explains the method of constitution of the political society. He explains the concept of deliberative democracy by means of a definite ideal procedure of consultation and taking decisions in political institutions. â€Å"The concept of deliberative democracy is based on the intuitive ideal of democratic association, where the justification of rules and conditions of such association is made with help of public arguments and reflexion between the equal citizens. Deliberative politics stipulates that the parties should present grounds for their proposals, support or criticism The grounds should be presented clearly, and all participants can accept the proposal or refuse from it, presenting their critical points of view by means of free discussion between the equal† (Cohen 1989, p.25) Cohen and his postulates of discourses. In such a way, we can define a number of discourses, which are examined as political function and are able to constitute political public society. Cohen speaks about several postulates of such procedures: Such consultations should be made in argumentative form, i.e. by means of well-ordered information between the parties; Consultations should be open and public. Nobody can be excluded from the number of participants; Consultations are free and nobody can force the partner to accept a proposal, except by force of arguments; Consultations have the aim of rationally motivated agreement and can continue as long as possible. Still, the majority can take decision to stop them temporarily; Political consultations first of all should be the subject of discussion of problems, which are the most important and interesting; Political consultations also can be used for â€Å"interpretation of demands and pre-political postulates† (Cohen 1989, p.22). They shouldn’t be limited by valuable consensus, based on common tradition and practice. Habermas and his approach to deliberative democracy. We can see that postulates of deliberative democracy are, actually, the reflexion of discourse theory into politics. So, it is no wonder that the concept of deliberative politics was accepted by Habermas and examined in his book â€Å"Faktizità ¤t und Geltung†, basing on the concepts of discourse theory (Habermas 1998, p.35). Habermas examines new concept of civil society, taking closer concepts of civil society and political public. He retains world orientation, which is resulted on liberal political culture. At the same time he focuses attention on forms of communication, organization and institutionalization of people in communities, where they form opinions, ideas, ideals, motives, values and orientations of different kind. Such conception allows forming new civil society, â€Å"plural, effective and responsible†. Habermas tries to find the principles and values of new civil society in many-sided communication of individuals, groups, countries and regions. We can find also the motive of ambivalent attitude (inheritance and refusal at the same time) to Utopian tradition of modern as consensus of free individuals being the basis of righteous civil order, and with institutional problems of real capitalism. Habermas examines ideals of bourgeois humanism, such as self-organization, rational forming of political will, personal and collective self-determination, self-organization of society – at the background of cynical reality of the modern society. He changes the conceptual pair ideal-reality by the search of potential of rationality in everyday communicative practice. The last one is the basis of ideas, which finds expression in ideals of classical philosophy and continues to be important nowadays. He examines the concept of â€Å"public opinion† as formal structure of communication and presupposition of possibility to reach consensus. What are the ways to form political consensus, which is important for society self-organization? The model of deliberative democracy, supported by Habermas, supposes the ideal of society, consisting of free and equal individuals, who determine forms of mutual life in political communication. The concept of discussion and procedure of political problems and taking decisions is taken as criteria of democracy of the real political process. The procedure of forming opinions and will of the nation should be understood as democratic self-organization. The decision, which is supported by the majority of citizens, should be understood as the legal. Political communication should rationally form the will of participants. The problem of relations between the government and civil society should be examined through the prism of liberal and republican political traditions. The concept of society as a political value (societas civilis) equalizes democracy with political self-organization of society as the one body. It is based on republican tradition, which supports the ideas of Aristotle and Rousseau. The government as bureaucratic administrative mechanism should become a part of society as a whole. Deliberative democracy is not a simple power of citizens’ opinions. It is rather the possibility of power of reason, which is a result of citizens’ discussions. Coordination of plans of activity among the citizens supposes the constant standards of behavior, which stipulate and stabilize mutual social expectations. Stabilization of social character is executed thanks to mutual participation of citizens as well as communication, which coordinates activity of individuals. The aim of communication is to reach consensus. Critical opinions regarding deliberative politics. Still, there are some critical opinions regarding deliberative democracy. Let’s examine some of them. Critics write that the discussions can focus attention on different problems, which are found in the process of discussions. Those problems can influence on â€Å"positive taking decisions, because they can worsen situation by arousing different disagreements† (Held 1995, p.92). Even if the discussion helps to reach agreement, sometimes there are cases when such agreement is undesirable. People are able to get satisfaction from feeling of their â€Å"unevenness† and â€Å"difference†. And, on the contrary, they can think that consensus can lead to mediocrity. Such participants of discussion can understand the competition of ideas – dispute – to be vitally important for their personal freedom. Such institutional embodiments of thought lay on the basis of different attributes of democracy. So, we can resume, that the discussion not always leads to consensus. Also, when a discussion leads to consensus, it is not always can be examined as the advantage. The deliberative approach is criticized also because its aim is based on optimistic pre-suppositions regarding the government. Nevertheless, any theory has its weak points. Conclusion At the same time deliberative model of society focuses attention on personal rights of citizens, the principle of equality and practice of government. The ability to actualize those rights can be understood as ability to be a citizen in such deliberative society. Sharing position of Habermas, we can suppose that democratic society prepares the establishment of status of a liberal citizen. Such kind of participation in political processes of society is very important and actual in forming of â€Å"conscious† citizen and gives him possibility to participate in taking politically important decision and resolving public problems. In such a way, deliberative democracy presupposes education of responsible citizen, able to estimate difficulty of problems. Such citizen is able to accept legal interests of other interested groups (including traditional opponents). Principle of deliberative democracy generates the feeling of united nation and can be called an appropriate approach for resolving public policy problems. Works Cited: Barber, B. (Winter 1998-1999). Three Scenarios for the Future of Technology and Strong Democracy, â€Å"Political Science Quarterly†,vol. 113, â„â€"4 Bohman, J. (1997). â€Å"Deliberative Democracy and Effective Social Freedom: Capabilities, Resources, and Opportunities† in Deliberative Democrac, Essays on Reason and Politics, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts-London Bohman, J. Rehg, W. (1997). (ed.) Deliberative Democracy, The MIT Press, Cambridge, Massach.-London, England Cohen, J. (1989). Deliberation and Democratic Legitimacy, Hablin A., Pettit B. (Hrsg.), The Good Polity, Oxford Connolly, W. (1991). Identity / Difference: Democratic Negotiations of Political Paradox, N.Y. Dewey, J. (1954). The Public and its Problems, Chicago Finley, M. (1972). Democracy, Ancient and Modern. New Brunswick Habermas, J. (1998). Faktizità ¤t und Geltung, Frankfurt a.M. Held, D. (1995). Democracy and the Global Order, From the Modern State to Cosmopolitan Governance, Cambridge, Great Britain Honig, Ð’. (1993). Political Theory and the Displacement of Politics, N.Y. Rippe, K.-P. (2001). Ethikkommissionen in der deliberativen Demokratie, Kettner M. (Hrsg.), Angewandte Ethik als Politikum. Frankfurt

PGs Core Competencies

PGs Core Competencies A business must possess some competitive competencies for success in the field of the business world. I would like to give a brief account of Procter and Gamble (PG) in order to elaborate its core competencies which have resulted in the successful running of the business of the PG. CHALLENGING YET OBTAINABLE OBJECTIVES PG sets objectives that are challenging but yet attainable for its short term as well as long term plans. For example, PG has shown enormous gain in the productivity of human resources because of the HR policies of the company. It hires competitive people, takes measures for training and development, and grooming of the HR. THE STRATEGY PG has proven its self as unmatched and exceptionally well as an organization in formulation, implementation, and controlling of strategies. Both short term and long term strategies are devised, implemented, and controlled through the HR. THE LEADER IN INNOVATION The PG has been a leader in innovation and creation of new product lines. Most of its products have been as a consequence of its innovative strategies. PG invest more than twice invested by its competition in the field of innovation. PG has been a bran-building leader. The companys billion-dollar brands have been successful to keep sustained the growth of sales at 11% rate per year for the decade. THE GROWTH STRATEGY Many strategies have been adopted by PG but this decade the strategies in terms of growth include: tope line, bottom line, and shareholder growth. PG has demonstrated a considerable growth in personal care, baby care, and beauty products. PG takes serious account of its finances for the growth of the business. The following table summarizes the growth result for PG from the year 2001 to 2009. Average Annual Goals 2009 2001-2009 Organic sales growth 4-6% 2% 5% Earning per share 10% 8% 12% Free cash flow productivity 90% 102% 112% LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES PG behaves just like a leader in the business world. So is the case with the management of the company as well. PG has been lucky to find its top management laden with leadership qualities. Its leadership has taken serious steps now and then for the success of the organization. For example, in year 2000, the PGs president took necessary and challenging measures to put the organization back on track. The actions that were taken resulted in sustainable growth of the organization as well as recovery of the lost business activity. THE CONSUMER AND MARKET RESEARCH PG has been a leader in market research investment. The company interacts with more than five million consumers each year in 60 countries around the world. PG invest 350 million dollars and more in consumer understanding. Hence the organization takes necessary measures for finding the tastes, needs, and wants of the consumers and customers. The investment in the field of research on consumers pays back much in terms of high sales and satisfied customers. RIGOROUS COST AND CASH DESCIPLINE PG has increased its cash productivity to the extent that it has reached 100% for the decade. It has resulted in high earning per share, high credit rating of the company, and allured the potential investors to invest in the businesses of PG. The company has maintained a strong cash management vis-Ã  -vis working-capital management. Sales per employee have grown from $363,000 to $585,000 while profit per employee has increased from 32,000 dollars to 84,000 dollars from the year 2000 to 2009. Similarly the productivity of RD Organization have doubled from the year 2000 to the year 2009. THE ON TIME ACTION PG takes decision as and when needed. This has been the core competency of the company among its core competencies that the company enjoys as a competitive advantage of the PG. A right decision in the wrong time will prove useless. Therefore, it is very important to take preventive as well as corrective measures in order to cope with the potential problems well before the time of incidence. PG has been much active to take preventive and corrective steps to address problems and devise solutions to the problems. THE HR, A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE PG makes plans for careers. The company tries to hire the best Human resources. It works on business and functional leaders activity on how to recruit, teach, and coach. THE MARKETING STRATEGY Apart from working on the present consumers and customers, PG keenly strives on improving its competencies in the field of under-served and un-served consumers. PG invests twice that of its competitors in marketing. For example, when one of its competitors was market testing its liquid soap, PG launched the Tide in Europe market to win over the market from its competition. In a nut shell, the history has show that PG has proved its self a leader in marketing strategy formulation, implementation, and control. Therefore, PG has beaten its competition by virtue of competitive marketing strategies. PG has been successful in putting forth marketing strategies that ensure how to win! THE MARKET LEADER PGs well known, trusted brands touch the lives of consumers in more than 180 countries. Some of its brands have crossed the billion dollars target. PG has been successful in launching innovative products with a competitive edge over its competitors. PG top 43 brands are responsible for 90% profit and 85% sales. Therefore, PG has proven its self as leader in brands. For example, PGs market leader products include: Pampers, Tide, Ariel, Cest, head and shoulders, etc. DIVERSIFICATION PG has attained high level of diversification in its lines of products. Some important ones have been shown below in terns of its sales, segment of products, and the category of products. CBU Segment Key Products Billion-Dollars Brands Net Sales (in Billion Dollars) Beauty Beauty Cosmetics, Deodorants, hair care, cleansing, Fragrances, skin care HS, Olay, Pantene, Wella $26.3 Grooming Blades and Razors, Hair Removal devices,Shave products, Home appliances Braun, Always, Gillette, Mach3 Health and Well-being Health-care Feminine care, oral care, dish care, fabric care, surface care Lams, Pringles $16.7 Snacks and Pet care Pet food, Snacks Ariel, Dawn, Downy, Duracell, Gain, Tide Household care Fabric, home Baby Wipes, Bath tissue, Diapers, Facial Tissue, Paper Towel Bounty, Charmin, Pampers $37.3 OFFERING BRAND FOR THE BRANDED PEOPLE An overview of product line has been given in terms of % net sales and % net earning of PG. GBU Segment % of net sales % of net earning Key Products Billion-Dollars Brands Beauty Beauty 23% 22% Cosmetics, Deodorants, hair care, cleansing, Fragrances, skin care HS, Olay, Pantene, Wella Grooming 9 13 Blades and Razors, Hair Removal devices,Shave products, Home appliances Braun, Always, Gillette, Mach3 Health and Well-being Health-care 17 21 Feminine care, oral care, dish care, fabric care, surface care Lams, Pringles Snacks and Pet care 4 2 Pet food, Snacks Ariel, Dawn, Downy, Duracell, Gain, Tide Household care Fabric, home 29 26 Baby Wipes, Bath tissue, Diapers, Facial Tissue, Paper Towel Bounty, Charmin, Pampers TARGET MARKETING PG uses target marketing. To put in other words, PG innovatively launches products for specific segment of the society. Therefore, it offers a wide range of products in its product line on demographic basis. For example, the shampoo range covers many brands that target different people of the society. Head and shoulders shampoo for dandruff while Pantene for shiny and soft hair as the company claims. The segmentation is made on the basis of demography, psychographic, and geography. PROMOTIONS PG has established its position as a leader in promotion campaigns. The company utilizes and invests a considerable amount annually for promotion of its brands. Advertising costs include advertisement on TV, Dish, Cable, Net, Radio, Magazine, and other media. PG utilizes the local media as well to advertise its brands on the local Television, Radio, and other print media. STRIVING AGAINST THE STRIDES PG has had bad times during the course of its history. However, it has fought against the tides successfully by virtue of un-defatiguable efforts, effective plans, post mortem analyses, and taking necessary corrective steps to over come the shortcomings, and putting the company back on the business tract ensuring efficiency and effectiveness.

Movie Essay - The Film Based Upon of Amy Tans The Joy Luck Club :: Movie Film Essays

Joy Luck Club - The Movie! "I am waiting like a tiger in the trees, now ready to leap out, ready to cut her spirit loose." The Joy Luck Club, an Oliver Stone production, depicts four women and their strife bringing up their American born daughters. Directed by Wayne Wang, this rated R movie featured actors and actresses such as Ming-na Wen, Rosalind Chao, Russell Wong, and Lisa Lu. The Joy Luck Club is an emotional tale about four women who saw life as they had seen it back in China. Because the Chinese were very stereotypic, women were treated as second class citizens and were often abused. Through sad and painful experiences, these four women had tried to raise their daughters to live the American dream by giving them love and support, such things which were not available to them when they were young. These women revealed their individual accounts in narrative form as they relived it in their memories. These flashbacks transport us to the minds of these women and we see the events occur through their eyes. There were many conflicts and misunderstandings between the two generations due to their differences in upbringing and childhood. In the end, however, these conflicts would bring mother and daughter together to form a bond that would last forever. The setting played an important role in the effectiveness of the movie. The setting of The Joy Luck Club was set in various locations. Some were filmed in San Francisco and others were taken in China. Because the story dealt with the Chinese people and their customs, it would be logical for the producer to direct the film in China where it all started. The producer moved the setting back to the United States when they dealt with the daughters. Because the movie moved back and forth from the forties to the sixties and to the nineties, the producers had to use various symbolic signs to tell its viewers the period of time. For example, songs, costumes, and hair-do's help us determine the time. The Joy Luck Club displayed a variety of costumes. They used Chinese garments and clothing to give its viewers a sense of the Chinese tradition and culture.

Analysis of COVERGIRLâ„¢ Advertisement Essay -- Advertising, Blond

Introduction I have examined and analyzed the COVERGIRLâ„ ¢ NatureLuxe advertisement that uses common feminine stereotypes. In this advertisement, COVERGIRLâ„ ¢, which runs in Seventeen magazines, targets women through their choices of colors, fonts, and images used. Certain stereotypes are used; such as, those who are more feminine tend to prefer lighter, happier colors, such as pink. Also, the use of a celebrity, who many young women look to as an icon, assists in the advertisement of the COVERGIRLâ„ ¢ product. COVERGIRLâ„ ¢, more than likely, is able to successfully market their lip-gloss product in the United States by using common gender stereotypes to show femininity and how those, mainly women, should be presented in today’s society. Target Audience This advertisement appears in the Seventeen magazines, whose readers range in age between thirteen and twenty-five. The visual shows a young, blonde, Caucasian female who is attracting the readers to the COVERGIRLâ„ ¢ product. Placing this sort of ad in the Seventeen magazines is appealing to most young women due to the beautiful celebrity, Taylor Swift, who uses the same product. Also, the colors used, such as the pastel pinks, draws in the reader since they are very feminine colors. Finally, the product itself is appealing to the audience of Seventeen because younger women like to look their best, and to do that, lip-gloss is a handy accessory. Layout There are several aspects to the layout of this advertisement. Women, regardless of age, tend to be drawn to the use of beautiful, younger women in an arrangement, which makes this design effective. Firstly, Taylor Swift (the young woman in the picture) has been properly dressed so that the lip-gloss she is using matc... ...e lip-gloss product. By using this advertisement to examine common womanlike stereotypes, and to see what women are drawn to in the United States, we notice that choices of colors, fonts, and images used can be appealing to those who are more feminine. The details presented to each reader of this magazine advertisement are shown a multitude of feminine stereotypes, which are targeted towards younger women in America. Works Cited Kimmel, Michael. â€Å"Men Will Be Boys.† The New York Post. 7 Sept. 2008. Rpt. in Writing Communities & Identities. Ed. Cynthia Debes et al. 6th ed. Plymouth, MI: Hayden-McNeil Publishing, 2009. 56-64. Orenstein, Peggy. â€Å"What’s Wrong with Cinderella?† The New York Times Magazine. 4 Dec. 2006. Rpt. in Writing Communities and Identities. Ed. Cynthia Debes et al. 6th ed. Plymouth, MI: Hayden-McNeil Publishing, 2009. 50-54.

Free Narrative Essays - Why Cant We All Just Get Along?

I recall an incident back in my elementary school days, when I was on the playground during an afternoon recess. My friends and I were intensely involved in a emotional game of basketball. I had been playing miserably, so after my fourth brick, I spiked the ball, super bowl touchdown style against the solid pavement. It began a long process of ricocheting off the walls of the coverd area and amidst it's air born flight it somehow managed to collide with the jawbone of a rather thuggish looking 5th grader. At this time, an ominous dark cloud of rage began spouting from the disgruntled upperclassmen's nostrils. A large crowd began chanting, "fight! fight! fight!" that was slowly forming around us like vultures circling to pick at the bones of the unfortunate loser. Realizing that the odds of me emerging alive from this mess weren't very good, I began to think of a strategy that would enable all my major organs to remain intact. I decided to use humor to defeat this barbaric beast. I must have ridiculed and made fun of myself over 200 times. I told him that even if he passed out, in a full body cast , and suffered from leprosy, he still could wipe the floor with my feeble body. I told him if he didn't disfigure me, that I would offer to be his own personal reusable toothpick for as long as he wished. Violence and nonviolence are two very effective ways to solve problems, but for people like me whose brains are stronger than their fists, nonviolence seems much more practic... ...y major origans. After the crowd began laughing at my foolish self- directed jokes, the enraged 5th grader quickly switched from steaming in anger to chuckling along with the rest of the observers. Eventually he lost interest and went along his way, just in time for me to sharpen my basketball skills before the bell rang. Much like the example of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X, I too had the choice of taking one of two roads. I knew that taking a violent stand would only lead to a dead end. I chose the road in which many of the most memorable leaders have taken, a road that has been traveled by few. The nonviolent road. There are many ways to solve a problem. As a wise man once said, "A coward strikes with his fist, a warrior strikes with his mind."

The Role Of The Learner In His Development Education Essay

In this essay I will be comparing two different theories and looking at how they contrast against each other when studied and applied towards the function of the scholar. The country we will be looking at in peculiar is development, and how these theories create two opposing political orientations that suggest separate waies the scholar takes. The first theory I will discourse is Behaviourism which views the function of the scholar as a inactive and ductile signifier that is the consequence of the environments input ( Bee, H. & A ; Boyd, D. , 2010 ) . Behaviourism classifies most actions as behavior, such as feeling or thought, therefore opening them up to observation of alteration. Behaviorists believe we learn through a rewarding procedure that emphasises our behavior and whether or non it was right ( Bee, H. & A ; Boyd, D. , 2010 ) . Not needfully opposing the first theory but my 2nd theory of Constructivism takes a different stance on how it perceives the scholar. Alternatively o f being a inactive being, constructivists feel the scholar plays an active function in his/her ‘s development. This is possible, as the theory suggests that we create different systems to get the better of day-to-day experiences and thenceforth an understanding upon contemplation ( Woolfolk, A. , Hughes, M. , 2008 ) . It is besides implied that we learn through a more synergistic attack, which includes job resolution ( Woolfolk, A. , Hughes, M. , 2008 ) . From both of these theories I will pull out the thoughts that form either a inactive or active attack and use those properties to compare the two. Within Behaviourism there are two immediate different types of conditioning. There is Classical conditioning and Operant conditioning. Classical conditioning believes larning takes topographic point between a stimulation and a response. This is a automatic response which in bend topographic points the environment in control – rendering the scholar as inactive, whereas operant conditioning expressions at behavior specifically and its links between different results. This means that through variable behaviors the scholar can derive different results – leting the scholar a grade of pick, but still inactive to the fact that the scholar can merely move upon an event driven by his/her ‘s environment ( Bee, H. & A ; Boyd, D. , 2010 ) . This is non a split within the theory, but instead it is two different signifiers of behaviorism. Even though we have these two separate thoughts, we can still see a big similarity that bonds them together, due to the environment itself st ill keeping a certain sum of control in the scholar ‘s development. This theory utilises the thought that human existences are an 'empty vas ‘ or in the words of John Locke â€Å" Tabula Rasa † ( A Blank Slate ) that is waiting to be filled by experience and cognition ( Woolfolk, A. , Hughes, M. , 2008 ) . Although, behaviorism does non concentrate on cognition as being the key to the scholar ‘s development, it observes alteration of behavior as the true key ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . This is interesting as it therefore can merely analyze discernible events – including those that are unwilled. By unwilled I refer to the thought of being incognizant during the procedure of development and attainment of cognition or experience. This brings me onto another factor in the scholar ‘s function as inactive. Due to how random these events can happen, the scholar has little or no clip to be after in front and hence, as Classical conditioning suggests, has to move instinctively ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . The lone clip contemplation occurs is when the scholar realises they have been developing. This can be a slow procedure and is the ground it is referred to every bit conditioning as it is physically and mentally exciting the physiological reaction system to be able to run better with the input and end product. Operant conditioning uses several different supports to distinguish between the acquisition processes. The three conspicuously used results can be ; positive support, negative support and penalty ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . Using these, it is observed and so ready to be broken down into events on a simple flow chart to see the input, procedure, behavior and end product. This peculiar thought can be seen in the experiment ‘The Skinner Box ‘ ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . Merely as the carnal receives positive support in the signifier of nutrient for executing the right action, such as pressing a button to let go of it, or finishing a ma ze – as does the scholar in a similar manner through footings of working within their environment. If the scholar carries out an action and receives a enjoyable result, the scholar is most likely traveling to execute the same action once more, in hopes of the same consequence. This once more adds to the inactive function of the scholar as he is still at the clemency of the environments boundaries and restrictions. Now that I have outlined the rudimentss of Behaviourism, I shall travel onto constructivism which believes the scholar is born with basic, natural and cardinal accomplishments. Therefore through geographic expedition of the environment and by manner of different phases in each person ‘s development, the scholar begins to get the better of the challenges that present themselves by utilizing experience and cognition ( Schaffer, H. R. , 2008 ) . It is through this that the scholar begins to besides understand his/her function as active, and acts suitably. A term used here is Adaptation – this refers to the ability that worlds have to alter and accommodate harmonizing to the environment through use of it ( Schaffer, H. R. , 2008 ) . By this I mean the scholar is able to use what it has around him and do it better. This is a large phenomenon as it challenges the behaviorists ‘ thought of the scholar being inactive to the environment, and alternatively the environment is the ductile signifier used by the active function of the scholar. Through ripening the scholar is able to develop through different phases that are set out in the constructivist theory – this is based on the cognitive theory that was designed by Piadget. It is really elaborate and distinguishes between different ages and different abilities. Sensory-motor ( 0-2 ) , Pre-Operational ( 2-7 ) , Concrete operational ( 7-12 ) and Formal operations ( 12+ ) ( Schaffer, H. R. , 2008 ) . Harmonizing to Piadget, merely like a design at birth, this is all preset and we can non travel frontward to another phase until we are at the right age and have completed the anterior phase. For illustration we can non get down to run before we begin to walk. This may look like a restriction, but in existent fact it ‘s still analogous to our input to the environment and how we choose to research our universe through sing it. To further reflect the thought that the function of the scholar is act ive, we can get down to look at how constructivism breaks down larning into scheme ( which is an internal representation of actions we can execute ) and utilize it to explicate assimilation. Schemas are either a group or individual action that compile together to execute an overall action, and the scheme refers to them as a whole ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . The thought of assimilation is that with scheme that we already possess we are able to research different objects and obtain different experiences. The scholar is invariably constructing upon what we know and seting together a different method for each possible state of affairs ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . An illustration of this is the sucking action performed when suckling. This scheme can subsequently be adapted to a bottle as the kid needs to imbibe. The possibilities are infinite and we develop more complex scheme as we grow and develop through life. This once more puts the scholar in a function th at is active and invariably moving upon his/her environment. Aside from Piadget ‘s theory of constructivism is Vygotsky ‘s theory of Social Constructivism. This takes into history the societal context of the development. The scholar is non merely challenged by his environment physically but besides intellectually in society. He viewed civilization as a major portion in the scholar ‘s development such as the linguistic communication they use, the history and societal context ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . A construct that relates to the function of the scholar that once more shows how active they are is the construct of the Zone of Proximal Development. This concept positions instructors as the accelerator in the development of the kid. If the kid is in their comfort zone and is pushed farther than usual – the result is eventual scheme building to get the better of the challenge ( Doherty, J. & A ; Hughes, M. , 2009 ) . This construct causes the sc holar to be seen as far more dimensional character other than an object at the clemency of his/her environment. I will now get down to contrast between the two theories get downing with their differences and traveling onto the little similarities. As we saw, the two chief differences are that both take a strong side with the function of the scholar. In Behaviourism the scholar can merely be inactive ( albeit with little pick operant conditioning ) , and Constructivism views the scholar as an active participant in his pursuit for cognition. This spread is non merely caused by the function of the scholar, but merely as important is how the theory places the environment. It seems that the environment is the key to understanding the function of the scholar. In behaviorism the environment is seen as the active member that through doing different events forces the scholar to have and react through physiological reactions. In constructivism it is close plenty opposite with its theory on the function of the environment. Alternatively the environment is seen as a governable variable that the scholar us es to their advantage. It besides ties in with the construct of ripening and that as we develop we obtain several different schemes that we use to get the better of challenges in life. This can be every bit simple as larning the alphabet to every bit hard as larning a new linguistic communication. The chief function of the scheme that we develop is to help us in sing and researching our universe exhaustively. On the other manus, Behaviourism takes a different attack. The theory suggests that we use our physiological reactions to cover with state of affairss we meet twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours. This can alter with clip and finally operant conditioning takes topographic point where we use our experience to derive preferred results. This may look to suggest that the function of the scholar is slightly active, but in existent fact it is still dependable on the environment to derive the experience and even put the scholar in a state of affairs that requires them to construct upon what they already know. Both theories are at either side of the spectrum and go on to stand as cardinal constructs for looking at the function of the scholar and their development. As we discussed, Behaviourism is more interested in detecting events that can be seen. The alteration in behavior is seen as the lone variable that is utile when analyzing development of the scholar. This may look like an uneven attack as human existences are believing animals, but we are besides natural. It is these physiological reactions that we unconsciously condition suitably to our environment. However on the other side is the theory of constructivism which looks at the ability of version and ripening. Through these two thoughts there is a platform created for analyzing development non merely physically but mentally. Using scheme it brings out an even more active function, as it shows us that we ever researching and larning to get the better of anything we face. I believe by utilizing a in-between land there could be infini te to larn more about natural physiological reactions alongside those that are constructed. Furthermore I would besides wish to raise a inquiry as to the importance of cognition and behavior between the two. It seems behaviorism is far excessively focused on detecting what can be seen, and yet most of our development, aside from obvious alterations in behavior, happens internally. Can it genuinely observe every alteration internally as an discernible event? Constructivism ‘s return on cognition and assimilation besides leaves a batch left to be desired. Schemas are one manner of depicting things, but I believe there should besides be consideration for anomalousnesss and that some people wo n't follow the same ripening form. Is this still natural, even though it goes against the cognitive attack adopted within constructivism? Both these theories are every bit of import in the perusal of what function the scholar takes and should be treated as such, side by side.

Internal Conflict in Barn Burning by William Faulkner Essay

The works â€Å"Barn Burning† by William Faulkner and â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† by John Steinbeck at first glance may seem to have no connection, but in spite of different plot they focus on similar ideas. The story â€Å"Barn Burning† by William Faulkner discusses the inner conflict within Sartoris Snopes, a young boy who faced a dilemma. He tries to make a decision of choosing between to lieing in the court under his father’s pressiure who does not want to get into the jail and acting against his father by telling the truth. The main character is influenced by Abner, his father, who tells him, â€Å"You got to learn to stick to your own blood or you ain’t going to have any blood to stick to you.† ( P 496). I think this quote reflects the main issue of the story, which is about blood ties. And we clearly see how Sarty is affected by these blood ties. Faulkner depicts the inner conflict and dilemma that the main character faces. We start to understand the moral dilemma of the main character from the beginning of the story. I think Faulkner make us think about the question: at what point should a person make a choice between what his parents and or family believes and his own values? The situation in which Sarty’s conflict is developeded is a trial. In this trial Sarty is asked, † I reckon any boy named for Colonel Sartoris in this country can’t help but tell the truth, can they?† ( P 154). The young boy, Sarty, somewhere deep in his heart has a feeling that he wants to act in a right way, but as he is oly 10 years old, I think it is hard for him to make firm decisions. His feelings and thoughts are influnced by his father, who pressures him, trying to prevent himself from punishment in the court. We also understand that Abner makes his son struggle with himself by the way Sarty describes him. Abner does not speak much. We see this in the way he communicates with his family and other characters. He is a person with so much pride that he is ready to do anything to revenge those who do something wrong to him or try to own him, even if he has to break the law. The choice that a young boy has to make stands between his family and conscience. When Sarty Snopes considers that he has to make a decision of choosing between blood, which is his duty to his family, and his own morality.  Sarty’s father stesses the value of loyalty to the family. He states,thatif he does not stick to hi blood, he will not have any blood to stick to. Sarty tries to make himself believe this and even starts a fight with a boy for insulting his father. At first Sarty wants to be a moral person. He is very very upset that he has to lie speaking to the judge, but he is still going to do that, knowing his father wants him to do so. As Sarty respected Abner for his values, he thought he could back up him. The boy believed his father was a brave man in the war, and that he wanted to send a warning beforehand with a slave so that no one was hurt. The battle between listening to his own heart and deciding to follow his family is the hardest struggle of Sarty’s life. He understands that it is not correct to agree with his father’s suggestions, but he is not interested in disreputing his father by disagreeing with him. The author explains that if he was older he would â€Å"resist the world and try to change the course of its events† ( P 379). Sarty learns that he does not necessaruly need bulk in irder to refuse Abner; at first he defends his father, but finally his decided to listen to his heart, which wants to help those who were harmed by obstinate and dogmatic Abner. Sarty warns the people in the big white house and goes down the road. Soon Sarty hears a a few shots, and he thinks that his father and brother are caught by the landlord and are shot by him. Regardless of what indeeed happened, he understands he can never return. The boy just continues to walk, and he does not look back. At this moment Sarty’s blood ties are broken, and he gets rid of the fear of his father’s wrath. The main character is free now. But his freedom requires paying some price. I think that the boy still feels some kind of blood tie, described by the author, and he made this choice with a lot of feelings on both sides of the issue. Sarty still cares for his family in some sense, he still feels love towards his father, even though he understands that what his father’s deeds are wrong and he really had to stop them and cease to be a part of them. The fact that the boy is not able to come back home is not a question of his  choice, I think he just canont go back. So, Sarty’s heart still suffers from some conflict that is not really resolved, even though the situation has really changed. As I have already discussed, at the beginning of the story Sarty feels a strong allegiance to his father, however, finally we learn that his views change radically. The point of culmination is at the end of the story when Sarty has warned Major de Spain of Abner’s intentions to burn the barn. I think that the main character experiences the burst of emotions, running down de Spain’s drive and hearing Major’s horse galloping behind him. The resolution to the conflict comes when Abner and his elder son are shot. But the real solution happens at night after Abner’s death, when Sarty is sitting upon the crest of a hill thinking about his actions and future life. Faulkner proves us that it is impossible to sruggle with one’s own heart . The moment when Sarty decided to choose morality over the blood pool and warned the de Spain’s revealed his true character. Though this meant the death of his father, Sarty didn’t regret of warning de Spain. Instead, it looked like the boy was trying to subsitute his memories of his father by some honorable, good person, who had strong convictions. In his story â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† John Steinbeck also reveales the conflict of a human heart, which is connected with women’s unfulfilled needs and desires. The author stresses that as human beings we have to appreciate each other, otherwise eventually we will make our lives dark and tragic. The main character, Elisa Allen, is frustrated with her present life. She is plagued with no children and her husband is not able admire her romantically as a woman. The only thing that helps her to calm down is her flower garden where beautiful chrysanthemums grow. Steinbeck shows Elisa’s thoughts nad feelings about her inner self by depicting those chrysanthemums. The story presents the idea that appreciation by the people who we love is an element of human existence. When Elisa was acknowledged by her husband, said, â€Å"maybe I could do it, too. I’ve a gift with things, all right. My mother had it. She could stick anything in the ground and make it grow† ( P  1261). At this moment the woman feels her husband’s appreciation for commenting on her wonderful flowers. This idea of recognition is shown by John Steinbeck to demonstrate the need for a felling of acceptance. Feeling a strong need for acceptance, Elisa turns to a stranger and makes attempts to be appreciated. While Elisa talks to this stranger, their conversation connects to the realm of Elisa’s flowers. â€Å"Elisa’s eyes grew alert and eager. ‘She couldn’t have known much about chrysanthemums. You can raise them from a seed'† ( P 1264). This depicts Elisa’s happiness and passion, as she has an opportunity to be appreciated through her flowers again. By undestanding the value of Elisa’s flowers, the stranger really accepts the woman, as her flowers are in some sense the expression of herself. They are everything Elisa possesses, being sometimes valued by her husband and also being valued by the stranger. â€Å"†¦ her eyes shone. She tore off the battered hat and shook out her dark pretty hair† ( P 1264). In this quote we see that Elisa opens her heart up to the stranger. She â€Å"tore off† the hat to free herself from the work which was not appreciated, and revealed her real beauty to the stranger. By acting so, Elisa is prepared herself to get the gratitude from the stranger, the gratitude that she did not receive often from her husband. . After the tinker departs, Elisa is looking forward to her evening with her husband. She hopes Henry will recognize her needs as a woman and provide her with the romance and passion which she desires. But this hope is quickly broken. The best best compliment on her appearance that Henry makes after she has changed is, â€Å"You look strong enough to break a calf over your knee, happy enough to eat it like a watermelon† ( P 393). This unflattering comment on her appearance does not do much for Elisa’s ego as a woman nor toward her feelings toward her husband. Elisa’s hope is finally destroyed, as she finds the flowers on the road. The woman feels that her soul is completely emptied by the tinker’s thoughtless rejection of her feelings. Just like her husband, he has failed to value the qualities that make her unique as a woman. This symbolic act has vanished her hope. Elisa realizes that her life will not change. Henry will not fully appreciate or understand her femininity and sexuality. She has to l earn to be content with such  unthoughtful husband and her awful marriage. She realizes that her devastation is really complete and leaves her â€Å"crying weakly-like an old woman† ( P 394). The chrysanthemums stand for the symbol of Elisa’s role as a woman. At the beginning they symbolize her children, later they represent her femininity and sexuality. Elisa feels that her life destroyed her soul because she lacked children and romance in her marriage with Henry. Eventually, her husband fails to appreciate her feminine qualities and her emotional needs. The encounter with the tinker reawakens her sexuality and Elisa starts to hope that she still has a chance for a more exciting and romantic marriage. However, seeing the flowers on the road she realizes that there will not be any changes in her life. Finally, her soul is devastated by such a miserable and uhhappy life. I think that in contrast to the inner conflict, which Faulkner’s Sarty experienced at the beginning of the strory and resolved at the end, Steinbeck’s Elisa faced different situation. She had some hopes that her life will go in the desirable way, but all her expectations failed. In my opinion, in spite of the conflicts which different natures, both authors proved in their works that if human heart comes into the conflict with itself, it brings suffering. But I think that it is worth to suffer like Sarty for the sake of resolving the conflict; however, life turns into the tragedy, when the conflict, like in Elisa’s case, is the final of a person’s dreams and expectations. Bibliography 1.Faulkner, William. Barn Burning. Bedford Introduction to Literature. Boston; Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2002. 2.Billinglea, O. Fathers and Sons: The Spiritual Quest in Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning. Mississippi Quarterly: The Journal of Southern Culture 44.3 (Summer 1991). 3.Fowler, Virginia C. Faulkner’s ‘Barn Burning’: Sarty’s Conflict Reconsidered. College Language Association Journal 24.4 (June 1981). 4. Steinbeck, John. The Chrysanthemums. Fiction: A Longman Pocket Anthology. Ed. R.S. Gwynn. Second Ed. New York: Longman, 1998. 5.Beach, J. John Steinbeck’s Authentic Characters. Readings on John Steinbeck. Ed. Swisher, Clarice. San Diego: Greenhaven, 1996.

Geometry in Everyday Life Essay

A solar water heater is the most competitive alternative to conventional water heating methods such as electric geysers and fuel-fed boilers. It makes an attractive and sustainable option, with its global distribution, pollution free nature, virtually inexhaustible supply and near-zero operational cost. Solar water heaters run on a free fuel (i. e. sunshine), thus saving on energy costs that help recover its initial cost in just 2-4 years. Hot water throughout the year: the system works all year round, though you’ll need to heat the water further with a boiler or immersion heater during the winter months. Cut your bills: sunlight is free, so once you’ve paid for the initial installation your hot water costs will be reduced. Cut your carbon footprint: solar hot water is a green, renewable heating system and can reduce your carbon dioxide emissions. Solar water heating systems use solar panels, called collectors, fitted to your roof. These collect heat from the sun and use it to heat up water which is stored in a hot water cylinder. A boiler or immersion heater can be used as a back up to heat the water further to reach the temperature you want. There are two types of solar water heating panels: evacuated tubes (as in the picture above) flat plate collectors, which can be fixed on the roof tiles or integrated into the roof. Larger solar panels can also be arranged to provide some contribution to heating your home as well. However, the amount of heat provided is generally very small and it is not normally considered worth while. Maintenance costs for solar water heating systems are generally very low. Most solar water heating systems come with a five-year or ten-year warranty and require little maintenance. Once fitted your installer should leave written details of any maintenance checks that you can carry out from time to time, ensuring everything is working properly. Perhaps the most important thing you can check for yourself from time to time is whether there are any leaks. If there are any leaks of anti-freeze (even if you can’t see any liquid) this will have a strong smell. If you notice this you should contact your installer. In general you should keep an eye on your system to check that it is doing what it has been designed to do. If you are not getting hot water or the solar pipework is cold (when the pump is running) on warm, sunny days then again you should contact your installer. For peace of mind some installation companies offer an annual service check. You should have your system checked more thoroughly by an accredited installer every 3-7 years, or as specified by your installer. It is likely that after this period of time the anti-freeze that is used to protect your system in the winter months will need to topped up or be replaced as it breaks down over time reducing the performance of your system. Anti-freeze lasts better if the solar water system is used throughout the year and not left unused during the warmest weeks of the year. This cost of replacing the anti-freezer is usually around ? 100. The other thing that your installer should check is the pump. In a well maintained system, pumps can last for ten years plus and usually cost around ? 90 to replace. Solar water heating systems can achieve savings on your energy bills. Based on the results of our recent field trial, typical savings from a well-installed and properly used system are ? 60 per year when replacing gas heating and ? 5 per year when replacing electric immersion heating; however, savings will vary from user to user. Typical carbon savings are around 230kgCO2/year when replacing gas and 500kgCO2/year when replacing electric immersion heating. Spherical reflector type cooker Spherical mirrors are the simplest type of concentrator and are easy to build and use. It is easy to focus sun rays, and if one opts for a moving vessel to meet the focus, cooking can also be done very easily. Such a design was suggested for the first time in the year 1961 by Stam (1961). He suggested a large reflector of 4. m diameter made of local material which could even include mud, and the reflector surface suitably smoothed with fine mud/cement and coated with aluminized polyester. An appropriate technology handbook describes a simple method of construction of the spherical mirror in the ground (a tall tripod with a long string to which a stone is attached at the tip, will act as a guide for excavating a hollow in the ground) and after finishing and stabilizing the interior, the reflector material could be stuck to make it into a spherical mirror. Such a mirror, of about 2. m in diameter, would do useful work for at least five to six hours a day. The cooking vessel could be hung from the tripod or a suitable stand and positioned to meet the focus. Dan Halacy (1974) suggests a similar design. He uses two full and several half cardboard ribs to fabricate the base and attaches mylar film as a reflector. This device was meant mainly for campers. Bamboo and/or other locally available materials could be used to fabricate such hemispherical baskets. Recently Prof. Quintone of the United Kingdom has taken up this design and is trying to popularize it in places likePeru. In his beautifully designed and illustrated site he presents detailed instructions on fabricating the design and using it. The cooker below is a simple steel bowl used for carrying sand, is coated with a reflector foil and a blackened cooking vessel is put in it. The entire assembly is covered over by a flat sheet glass. The design is very similar toSuryakund cited by Kuhnke et al in their book Solar Cookers in the third world. In Suryakund, the vessels are kept in a inverted glass jar. Like Suryakund, this cooker too would suffer from limitation of size. Unfortunately, this simple design has not attracted much attention, but on a very big scale, like in power generation (as in Marseilles, France), such a hemispherical mirror is being used (Jet Propulsion Laboratory 1981). Scientists ofAustralia (Anon. 1979) have presented a similar design. Margaret Koshoni developed the Cone Cooker to suit the needs of Nigerian women. Most people live in flats with balconies; the structure of the balconies will shade the CooKit and make a shadow. The Cone Cooker being placed on a stand has the advantage of elevation and the stand can be moved about without disturbing the cooking. Medved et al. , propose an interesting design (1996) called a ‘SOLAR BALL’. It is an inflatable plastic ball with lower part of reflective material. The cooking vessel is kept at the base. It is an interesting variation but there appears to be some serious limitations with reference to size of the ball as well as size and handling of the cooking vessel. Recently, the spherical geometry seems to have made a come back, and we see that at Auroville in India a 15 meter diameter mirror cooks food for over 1500 persons. A similar large solar bowl was built at the University of Mexico. photovoltaic solar cells PV cells are made from layers of semi-conducting material, usually silicon. When light shines on the cell it creates an electric field across the layers. The stronger the sunshine, the more electricity is produced. Groups of cells are mounted together in panels or modules that can be mounted on your roof. The power of a PV cell is measured in kilowatts peak (kWp). That’s the rate at which it generates energy at peak performance in full direct sunlight during the summer. PV cells come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Most PV systems are made up of panels that fit on top of an existing roof, but you can also fit solar tiles. Solar tiles and slates Solar tiles are designed to be used in place of ordinary roof tiles. A system made up of solar tiles will typically cost around twice as much as an equivalent panel system, although you will save the money you would have spent on roof tiles or slates. Solar tile systems are not normally as cost-effective as panel systems, and are usually only considered where panels are not considered appropriate for aesthetic or planning reasons. Solar PV needs little maintenance – you’ll just need to keep the panels relatively clean and make sure trees don’t begin to overshadow them. In the UK panels that are tilted at 15 ° or more have the additional benefit of being cleaned by rainfall to ensure optimal performance. Debris is more likely to accumulate if you have ground mounted panels. If dust, debris, snow or bird droppings are a problem they should be removed with warm water (and perhaps some washing-up liquid or something similar – your installer can advise) and a brush or a high pressure hose (or telescopic cleaning pole) if the panels are difficult to reach. Always be careful if you are working above the ground or near the top of a ladder. Alternatively, there are a number of specialist window cleaning companies who will clean solar PV panels for you at a cost (of around ? 30 based on our research in March 2012) depending on the size of your array and location. Many of these companies use a water fed pole system which does away with the need for a ladder. Once fitted, your installer should leave written details of any maintenance checks that you should carry out from time to time to ensure everything is working properly. This should include details of the main inverter fault signals and key trouble-shooting guidance. Ideally your installer should demonstrate this to you at the point of handover. Keeping a close eye on your system and the amount of electricity it’s generating (alongside the weather conditions) will familiarise you with what to expect and alert you to when something might be wrong. The panels should last 25 years or more, but the inverter is likely to need replacing some time during this period, at a current cost of around ? 1,000. Consult with your installer for exact maintenance requirements before you commit to installing a solar PV system. Photovoltaics is the direct conversion of light into electricity at the atomic level. Some materials exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect that causes them to absorb photons of light and release electrons. When these free electrons are captured, an electric current results that can be used as electricity. The photoelectric effect was first noted by a French physicist, Edmund Bequerel, in 1839, who found that certain materials would produce small amounts of electric current when exposed to light. In 1905, Albert Einstein described the nature of light and the photoelectric effect on which photovoltaic technology is based, for which he later won a Nobel prize in physics. The first photovoltaic module was built by Bell Laboratories in 1954. It was billed as a solar battery and was mostly just a curiosity as it was too expensive to gain widespread use. In the 1960s, the space industry began to make the first serious use of the technology to provide power aboard spacecraft. Through the space programs, the technology advanced, its reliability was established, and the cost began to decline. During the energy crisis in the 1970s, photovoltaic technology gained recognition as a source of power for non-space applications. A number of solar cells electrically connected to each other and mounted in a support structure or frame is called a photovoltaic module. Modules are designed to supply electricity at a certain voltage, such as a common 12 volts system. The current produced is directly dependent on how much light strikes the module. Photovoltaic solar plants work like this: As light hits the solar panels, the solar radiation is converted into direct current electricity (DC). The direct current flows from the panels and is converted into alternating current (AC) used by local electric utilities. Finally, the electricity travels through transformers, and the voltage is boosted for delivery onto the transmission lines so local electric utilities can distribute the electricity to homes and businesses. Solar-Thermal plants work like this: Solar collectors capture and concentrate sunlight to heat a synthetic oil called therminol, which then heats water to create steam. The steam is piped to an onsite turbine-generator to produce electricity, which is then transmitted over power lines. On cloudy days, the plant has a supplementary natural gas boiler. The plant can burn natural gas to heat the water, creating steam to generate electricity. Solar power plants use the sun’s rays to produce electricity. Photovoltaic plants and solar thermal systems are the most commonly used solar technologies today. ` Solar cells such as these are used in photovoltaic solar technology There are two types of solar power plants. They are differentiated depending on how the energy from the sun is converted into electricity – either via photovoltaic or â€Å"solar cells,† or via solar thermal power plants. Photovoltaic plants A photovoltaic cell, commonly called a solar cell or PV, is a technology used to convert solar energy directly into electricity. A photovoltaic cell is usually made from silicon alloys. Particles of solar energy, known as photons, strike the surface of a photovoltaic cell between two semiconductors. These semiconductors exhibit a property known as the photoelectric effect, which causes them to absorb the photons and release electrons. The electrons are captured in the form of an electric current – in other words, electricity. Solar thermal power plants A solar thermal plant generates heat and electricity by concentrating the sun’s energy. That in turn builds steam that helps to feed a turbine and generator to produce electricity. There are three types of solar thermal power plants: 1) Parabolic troughs This is the most common type of solar thermal plant. A â€Å"solar field† usually contains many parallel rows of solar parabolic trough collectors. They use parabola-shaped reflectors to focus the sun at 30 to 100 times its normal intensity. The method is used to heat a special type of fluid, which is then collected at a central location to generate high-pressure, superheated steam. 2) Solar power tower This system uses hundreds to thousands of flat sun-tracking mirrors called heliostats to reflect and concentrate the sun’s energy onto a central receiver tower. The energy can be concentrated as much as 1,500 times that of the energy coming in from the sun. A test solar power tower exists in Juelich in the western German state of North-Rhine Westphalia. It is spread over 18,000 square meters (194,000 square feet) and uses more than 2,000 sun-tracking mirrors to reflect and concentrate the sun’s energy onto a 60-meter-high (200 foot high) central receiver tower. The concentrated solar energy is used to heat the air in the tower to up to 700 degrees Celsius (1,300 degrees Fahrenheit). The heat is captured in a boiler and is used to produce electricity with the help of a steam turbine. Solar thermal energy collectors work well even in adverse weather conditions. They’re used in the Mojave Desert in California and have withstood hailstorms and sandstorms. 3) Solar pond This is a pool of saltwater which collects and stores solar thermal energy. It uses so-called salinity-gradient technology. Basically, the bottom layer of the pond is extremely hot – up to 85 degrees Celsius – and acts as a transparent insulator, permitting sunlight to be trapped from which heat may be withdrawn or stored for later use.