Halesowen College Essay

This report is being written to the Human Resources Manager to support my application for the above stated job. Procedure: This report was compiled by analysing the job description for the above post. I have also analysed the skills which I have acquired in my current temporary post as well as from past jobs and college. Findings: These are the skills that are stated that I feel should be filled and how I am a suitable candidate for the job. I have itemised them under headings shown. Employability Skills Inputting data onto the computer systems – I have done this in my job in an opticians I entered the daily and weekly figures for the sales of glasses and contact lenses. Have good time management skills – This was proven when I had to use my time to liaise with customers and also when I had to do a required task by a set date, I also arrived to work on time and met any targets that were set. Qualifications – I have an English GCSE at a grade D and a Maths GCSE at a grade B. Be discreet and respect confidentiality of information – This was a must have skill as I was handling patients personal data on a daily bases at the opticians. Retrieval of information from computerised system – I had to retrieve information about the goods that were selling and that were not, I also had to get monthly profit sheets this was done on weekly and monthly basis, I have also retrieved work from my college work and copied it onto my memory stick. General administrative duties – I had done this on a weekly basis for example when I was posting appointment reminder letters which were to advise patients to book an appointment because they were now due, I also did the filing on a weekly basis and sent out any faxes to NHS trusts as required, I also did this when working in HR when I had to send out letters to students regarding exams or any other information. Setting up exam data on a computer system – I had done this while working in HR when I had to key in the dates and times that students had exams. Having fast and accurate keyboard skills – I have done this when working in HR when I had to send out emergency letters to the parents of students regarding the behaviour of students, I also did this when working in the opticians when I had to inform patients that their contacts lenses or glasses had arrived. Be able to show a good standard of literacy and numeracy – I have achieved this when I was in college as I have received G.C.S.E’s in Maths and English. Processing enrolment fees, including cash handling and using an electronic cash register – I had done this on a regular basis when working in the opticians as I was making sales on contact lenses and spectacles on a regular basis. I also did this while working in HR when I had to handle money for coach passes for students. Communication Skills Typing letters and memos – I had done this when working in the opticians when communicating with suppliers and staff regarding orders and they day to day running process I had also done this while working in HR when I had to write to students regarding exam times and any other concerns for the attention of their parents. Answering and making telephone calls – I had also done this frequently on a daily basis when reminding patients about their appointments and also regarding the completion of the spectacles, I also answered phones will working in Human Resources regarding people asking for application forms and prospectuses.

Iv Therapy

Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is when a patient is given liquid substances directly into a vein. The word intravenous means â€Å"within a vein†. Therapies administered intravenously are often called specialty pharmaceuticals. IV therapy is commonly referred to as a drip because many of the ways it is administered use a drip chamber, which prevents air entering the blood stream and allows an idea of how much is flowing in to your body. Compared with other ways of administration the intravenous route is the fastest way to deliver fluids and medications throughout the body.Some medications, as well as blood transfusions and lethal injections, can only be given intravenously. The simplest form of IV therapy is given through a hypodermic needle. This kind of needle is hollow and allows for the drip to be administered directly to the vein. The needle can be directly attached to a syringe or even to tubing that may be attached to a drip of whatever medication is needed. The need le is usually put into a peripheral vein, this is any vein not in the chest or abdomen. Any easily accessible vein can be used but most commonly veins in the hand or arm are used.In infants it is common to use the veins in the scalp. Central IV lines flow through a catheter with its tip within a large vein, usually the superior vena cava, or inferior vena cava, or within the right atrium of the heart. This has several advantages over a peripheral IV. It can deliver fluids and medications that would be too irritating to peripheral veins because of their concentration or chemical composition. These include some chemotherapy drugs. Medications reach the heart immediately, and are quickly distributed to the rest of the body.However central IV’s run a higher risk of giving you an infection, causing bleeding, and possibly even causing gangrene. A common reason to be hooked up to an IV is for dehydration therapy. Those unable or unwilling to drink or who have repetitive vomiting can receive fluid replacement IV. You are hooked up to a drip and your fluids and electrolytes are replaced through the IV in your hand or arm. There are two types of fluids that are used for intravenous drips; crystalloids and colloids. Crystalloids are aqueous solutions of mineral salts or other water-soluble molecules.Colloids contain larger insoluble molecules, such as gelatin; blood itself is a colloid. The most commonly used crystalloid fluid is normal saline, a solution of sodium chloride at 0. 9% concentration, which is close to the concentration in the blood. Ringer’s lactate or Ringer's acetate is another isotonic solution often used for large-volume fluid replacement. A solution of 5% dextrose in water, sometimes called D5W, is often used instead if the patient is at risk for having low blood sugar or high sodium. The choice of fluids may also depend on the chemical properties of the medications being given.

Church Pays Tribute to a Man Whose Home Was Its Steps

A vast majority of people are of the idea that homeless people should struggle to get a job, and that they are homeless because they are lazy. The reality is different from what is commonly thought. No one becomes homeless by choice. There may be a thousand reasons as to why a person is homeless. Instead of criticism, long-term assistance by those who can provide guidance is required. It is a fact that runaway criminals may disguise themselves as homeless, but not all homeless are criminals. Another misconception is that all homeless people are alcoholics or drug abusers.This again is a misunderstanding. The reality is that this can happen to any one of us at any stage in life, as there is no intention or will involved in becoming homeless. At the same time it is a fact that these homeless are in continuous struggle to carry on with their life, facing problems in abundance. A few things should be kept in mind before helping this class of society. Instead of helping them in the form o f money, the society should help them with things they need. Helping a homeless by buying for him his breakfast is better than giving him money to buy that breakfast himself.The reason is that many homeless are involved in unlawful activities or addicted to drugs and if money is given directly, the result is more drug addiction instead of satiety. Shelter is another problem, especially in the winter season. Provision of health services to the homeless is a challenge for the medical community. Those who are addicted to drugs, or are affected by an illness need to be managed properly. Just like the common people, these homeless have needs which in a sense are special to these homeless.It is not only the responsibility of the government to cater for these need, but the society is also under obligation to share this responsibility, for improving the living conditions of the homeless. Question 1: What kind of intervention, if any, would be appropriate here? The self-destructive behavior of Arthur Cafiero was perhaps promoted by his loneliness. A lot of people were around him, but perhaps he never felt close enough to anyone to share what he wanted, or simply to share the problems he was facing.His intentions for suicide were not taken seriously. Who knows why was he willing to commit suicide? Was he affected by a psychiatric disease? Depression? Or was it a feeling of being useless for anyone or doing anything? An attempt to look for the root cause of his problems was the first thing that should have been done. Justifying one’s death by saying that he was willing to die, clearly implies that no one showed interest in knowing the cause of his problems. He was offered shelter, but he refused it.Good counseling by an expert mental health care physician would have shown better results. Refusal can be converted to acceptance by letting a person realize that what is being offered to him, is nothing else but his own need which should be fulfilled under all conditio ns. Question 2: Do you agree with what Mr. Brashear says about Arthur Cafieros choices? Why or why not? Arthur Cafieros appears to be the kind of person who is very much limited to himself. He has a complicated personality.On one hand he dislikes taking favors by refusing to take shelter, but on the other hand he returns the burger saying it has less amount of meat. It appears that Mr. Cafieros is not clear about his preferences. Showing resistance against police officer’s actions may mean he was afraid of their actions or that he had no trust in them. Taking an action that defends one’s right does not make him proud as Mr. Brashear mentioned in his words. It might be his love for justice and an attempt to keep this matter in his control. Reference Newman, A. (2003). `Church Pays Tribute to a Man Whose Home Was Its Steps.` The New York Times.

Pay for Performance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Pay for Performance - Research Paper Example Therefore, effectiveness of pay for performance can be measured with surveys aims at findings about employee satisfaction and motivation levels (Gomez-Mejia, 2010). Furthermore, their on job performances and achievement of their goals may also help in knowing that whether or not certain pay for performance program is effective. Lastly, financial numbers and ratios, such as revenues, sales, expenses, profitability, operating income, profit margins, return on investment and others remain as major tool to measure their effectiveness. If any pay for performance plan is motivating employees but not adding to the financial success of the company then it is better for the company to revisit the plan and the processes (Schuler & Jackson, 2007). There are many advantages of pay for performance programs for the employees and that is why many companies opt for it. First, by paying employees for their efforts and performances, employers motivate them to improve their performances in order to ear n more (Gerhart & Rynes, 2003). Despite the fact that money is not the only motivator, it is biggest motivator, which means that employees are highly likely to work harder and bring more profits to the company to earn more.

Successful Communication in Organisation Research Paper

Successful Communication in Organisation - Research Paper Example Whether you are the manager or a regular employee at any organization, the better you communicate and interact with others –the better working relationships you will develop with others. It is important to understand that not all employees come from strong communication backgrounds and therefore new employees must be brought up to speed on the crucial communication methods (Guffey & Almonte, 2010). Effective communication is therefore built on some essential aspects or concepts that this paper is going to discuss. These concepts are crucial for any communication to succeed and accomplish the function it is intended for. The first concept is listening. This is paying attention to someone with who you are actively engaged in a conversation with. I believe that this is the most important concept in communication because individuals have to pay attention so that they are able to interpret the message from the sender of the speaker and provide feedback (Bovee, Thill, & Schatzman, 2 003). Poor listening will lead to the receiver misunderstanding a message or not getting the concept at all which is very bad in business. It is bad because chances of organization losing an opportunity that would have made a difference are high (Guffey & Almonte, 2010). ... Active listening therefore goes beyond the obvious and may also entail empathizing with the speaker and this makes you understand the speaker better and in so doing foster effective relationships which are essential in any organization. According to the Harvard Business Review, sensitive listening is the key to effective management and the busy executive spends 80% of his time listening. Psychologists say that listening is the greatest high touch value and this is because it gives the speaker a sense of worth. One may not be able to convince someone that you respect him by telling them so but you may be lucky in getting this message across if you behave in a respectful manner through active listening. Benefits of listening include improved office communication, better and improved relationships, cordial working environments and fostering peace and avoiding conflicts. The second concept is organizational culture. McQuail (2005) defines culture as a process but that it can also refer t o some shared attributes of a human group such as their physical environment, tools, religion, customs and practices or their whole way of life. It is therefore a set of assumptions that members of a given community share. Organizational culture can be defined as a pattern of shared basic assumptions that a group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid and therefore, be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems (Anaeto, 2010). An effective organization culture creates norms values and assumptions usually taken for granted but which exist in the day

Discuss the impact of raising minimum wages on minimum wage earners Essay

Discuss the impact of raising minimum wages on minimum wage earners and economy as a whole - Essay Example Increment of minimum wage has been a hotly debated issue not only by economists but also by the non-economist public (Neumark & Adams 6). On this issue, the non-economists have been largely pitted against the economists with the non-economists believing that raising minimum wage benefits employees and prevents employee exploitation by employers. On the other hand, economists are of the opinion that raising minimum wages actually hurt the very employees it is purported to help (Card & Krueger 20). This paper explores the effects of raising minimum wages for both the economy and minimum wage earners. Impacts of Raising Minimum Wages The first reason raising of minimum wages hurts the same people it is intended to help is that increasing these wages and creating laws that set them does not guarantee the public any more jobs. On the contrary, once minimum wages are increased, low-skilled workers are faced with the danger of being thrown out of the job market (Neumark & Adams 26). The rea son for this scenario is that employers will raise the skill requirements and the levels of competencies and experience and align them with the newly increased wages. In other words, employers are not willing to pay more for an employee if he or she does not increase or add value to a product in a manner commensurate with the wage increase (Card & Krueger 20). In the opinion of economists such as David Bradford of Princeton, raising minimum wages is tantamount to asking an employee to look for a job that would guarantee the said minimum wage (Neumark & Adams 15). Otherwise, such an employee may not find any job, depending on his level of skill. According to time-series data from decades of studies, it has been proved that raising minimum wages has the effect of reducing employment (American Enterprise Institute 3). This assertion is true if the rate of job losses in the current economy is anything to go by. According to current job estimates, a 10% increase in minimum wages could tr anslate into a decrease of between 1% and 2% in employment (American Enterprise Institute 4). Especially affected in this regard are young and unskilled workers, especially those from vulnerable and less academically and economically-endowed segments of the population. Besides increasing unemployment and job loss, minimum wage increment, especially the relevant laws, change workers’ systems of compensation. For instance, benefits such as free room and board, subsidized child care, on-the-job training, low-cost insurance, which are essential to low-waged and low-skilled worker compensations, are always negatively affected in cases of minimum wage increments. Employers have the tendency of controlling these benefits after minimum wage increments (American Enterprise Institute 4). In worse scenarios, when laws set minimum wages, some employers change full-time low-paying jobs into part-time high-paying jobs. Regrettably, there is rarely accompanying benefits such as reduced work ing hours. On-the-job training is the other aspect of low-wage employees that suffer reduction due to minimum wage increments (American Enterprise Institute 4). Hence, low-skilled workers lose their chance of improving their skills and opportunities to rise in rank. One benefit of reduced minimum wage, as opposed to increased minimum wage is that many employers prefer hiring unskilled workers and then

History week 7 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

History week 7 - Assignment Example At this time, individual liberty and responsible government was evident. His administration combated party tension and slavery most. Madison faced problems with conflicts with Britain, especially the interception of American merchant ships and impressing sailors, believed to be British, for service in the British Navy. He also had to face economic problems that resulted from the War of 1812. He also faced a divided cabinet and a militia that refused to fight outside their state. There was a serious problem in national and administration unity. During the American Revolution, the fight for independence brought a rebellion fighting against Britain. However, since there was lack of a professional army and navy, it has become a challenge for the Americans. During the Revolution, to face the problem against the Barbary pirates, the United States entered and alliance with France to protect their merchant ships and other American vessels from all violence and attacks. However, eventually the United States also faced a quasi-war or an undeclared war against France when it started to seize American ships trading with Britain, when America and Britain declared a neutrality of conflict. With this, a more diplomatic stance was taken to lessen the war

Television in the Modern Media System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Television in the Modern Media System - Essay Example As a matter of fact, in this rapidly-evolving world where media has spread across the globe, issues that come with media’s operations should be extensively documented. Here, the point of your argumentative claim becomes relevant. Your type of support includes reason and emotion. Hence, in order to raise the persuasive ability of your article, the intensity of emotion and the clarity of reasoning need to be maximized. In fact, the actual body of the article contains some points worth discussion. The first statement of paragraph 10 is perhaps the most vivid expression of your stance. I would like to appreciate this since you made a clear claim about your argument here; you mentioned how media has become an omnipresent activity and parents are helpless when it comes to monitoring sexual exposure towards children. The benefit of this is that most readers are not fully attentive throughout the whole reading process, so the writing must possess simple straightforward expressions of your principle idea. If one fails to do that, the reader might not be able to understand your point of view and your idea might be camouflaged by wordy expressions and complex structuring. Therefore, it is highly critical to organize and outline the viewpoint, especially in argumentative essays (Writing Position Papers). Often, you have used research statistics and figures to support your claim. You have mentioned research findings of the American population, which is reasonable since your audience is American; however, there feels a slight insufficiency of supporting statistics in your writing. This is because when one writes about an issue concerning the whole society and people, regardless of demographics, there needs to be a substantial amount of information to notify the scale of the issue and also to support one’s claims.  

Contract Negotiations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contract Negotiations - Research Paper Example Finally, the conclusion will sum up the thesis as well as the findings. A contract is a lawful agreement involving two or more parties. This means that contract negotiation is a process of talking about the stipulations of the agreement to reach a specified goal. Before attempting to negotiate a contract, one need to identify the main objectives for entering into the agreement, research on the present contract laws, build trust with the negotiators, and prepare for the entire negotiation by getting important figures and facts. Contract negotiators have immense skills and knowledge that help them to acquire a more appropriate and constructive contract for their clients (Garrett, 2005, pp. 18-21). Therefore, under the theoretical foundation, this treatise aims at describing the main areas of knowledge and skills that are important to ensuring success of a contract negotiator. It also details one strategy that an effective negotiator ought to consider to achieve a favorable contract. In addition, under the discussion part, relevant implications in regard t o contract negotiation will be analyzed. This discourse concludes that effective communication, critical thinking, active listening, legal and technical understanding, management, and social perceptiveness are some of the skills and knowledge that are required to guarantee a constructive contract. Research shows that the main job of a contract negotiator is to maximize value for their employers. Therefore, they need to be highly competent and possess particular skills and knowledge that are in accordance to their line of work. For instance, one of the main qualifications that they need to have to ensure a favorable contract is impeccable communication skills. This means that they must effectively articulate the needs of the organization and be in a position to win more clients. Moreover, they need to have a rich ground for knowledge and be critical thinkers. In that

The History of Religion in the US Essay Example for Free

The History of Religion in the US Essay When you think of religion in the United States and how it started you may think of the first settlers. These were not the first being to worship a higher power in the United States. The Indians believed in and worshiped The Great Spirit. Despite the many tribes like the Sioux and Iroquois they all had the same belief in The Great Spirit. The Great Spirit could be present in animals as well as inanimate objects. They all developed great ceremonies to on it. Then came the colonists, the first settlers, who were predominantly protestant these settlers left their home countries because of religion. They did not want to be told how to worship their God. These colonists were Christians but as they began to settle, those with different beliefs separated themselves and developed new segments of religion. The puritans left their country to escape religious prosecution. They later developed the religions of Baptist and Congressionalist’s. Their religion was based on the teachings of John Calvin, and was thought to purify the religion of the Church of England. Their religions eventually lead to self isolation and witch hunts of people who did not follow their religion. The Methodists were a group of Oxford University Students. They were not fleeing religious prosecution when they arrived. The Methodist Church as become the second largest Protestant Church in the United States today. The History of Religion in the United States Christa Hart Lutherans were like no other American Christian denomination; their national origin did play an important role in their history. Members came from Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway. The Lutherans settled on the East Coast and American Midwest, and celebrated worship services in their native tongues. Presbyterians who bore little resemblance to the liturgy, structure, and tradition associated with the Roman Catholic Church, the Presbyterian and Reformed churches share a common origin in the teachings of John Calvin. Their belief structure and practices are centered on the Bible and â€Å"the sovereignty of God.† Presbyterians make up one of the largest branches of Protestant Christianity today. The next religion, the Quakers, were founded in 1647 by English preacher George Fox, the Society of Friends emphasized a direct relationship with God. One’s conscience, not the Bible, was the ultimate authority on morals and actions. The state I live in Pennsylvania was founded by the Quakers, specifically William Penn, as a religious sanctuary. Quakers did not have a clergy or dedicated church buildings, and therefore held their meetings in which participants deliberated silently on issues and spoke up when â€Å"the Spirit moved them.† Dressed in plain clothes, Quakers preferred a simple life over one enjoyed by the aristocracy of England and the burgeoning merchant class in the colonies. They also shared an abhorrence of violence. I find my beliefs, even though I The History of Religion in the United States Christa Hart follow or believe in no God, similar, that if you were to need the faith in religion, you should not need to have a specific building, life style or presence in society to practice that religion. That doing so just creates a difference among people creating more separation in a race that should be united. And violence should never be tolerated, growing up in a house hold where violence and abuse was common place, this is a rule that people in my life need to abide by. The oldest Christian churches: Roman Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Eastern Orthodoxy, have left their unique stamp on the history of religion in America. Called liturgical for their adherence to an elaborate, set form of ritualistic worship practices, most of those churches observe seven sacraments throughout their members’ lives, whereas later Christian denominations usually celebrated only two. Anglicanism, The Church of England (later the Episcopal Church in the U.S.) was first planted on American soil at the ill-fated Roanoke Colony in Virginia, when their first services were held on August 13, 1687. Since that landing, they grew and experienced numerous schisms. Their worship services are similar in some ways to those of Roman Catholicism, and their clergy orders are the same: bishops, priests, and deacons. The History of Religion in the United States Christa Hart Eastern Orthodoxy in America consists of more than a dozen church bodies whose national origin is reflected by their names, such as the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese, Romanian Orthodox Episcopate of America, and the Russian Orthodox Church outside Russia. Eastern Orthodox beliefs are based on holy tradition, or doctrines from early Christianity, and the Bible. Utopian communities were established in America as places where followers would not waiver could achieve a perfect religious, political and social system. The first community was established by a group of Dutch Mennonites in 1663 near what is now Lewes, Delaware. When the constitution was written it stated in the first amendment which is called the â€Å"Establishment Clause†, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.† Also, the relationship between religion and politics was established in the Article VI of the First Amendment that states, â€Å"No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.† The definition of the separation of church and state found in the U.S. Constitution has caused more disagreement than any other in the nation’s history. The History of Religion in the United States Christa Hart This is a continuously tried amendment, to be challenged by people of religion who try to push their religion or a religion on anyone and everyone who would listen. Just like prayers in schools are constantly pushed by religious politicians. It should not be anyone’s choice on what to believe, it is for a person to decide solely on their own through age and experiences. Religion has continued to change over the decades as more and more immigrants of different religions come to the United States such as Muslim, Buddhists, Jewish, they have been joined by more modern religions like Scientology and Mysticism. More and more people have also chosen, like myself, to have no religion but to base their lives on scientific beliefs in the way the earth and its creatures were created. However religious people also have this similar belief just stating their God would have to have their hand in this somehow. This would contradict most Christian religions.

The Russian Folklaw Of Baba Yaga English Literature Essay

The Russian Folklaw Of Baba Yaga English Literature Essay One of the most well known figures from Russian folklore is that of Baba Yaga. Baba Yagas name can be roughly translated as Granny Yaga; or Old Hag. In Russian Myths Baba Yaga brings many of the dominant themes of Russian fairy tales together: she travels on the wind, occupies the domain of the leshii, the forest spirits, and is associated with death. Also known as Baba Yaga Kostinaya Noga, or Baba Yaga Bony Leg she possesses gnashing steel teeth, and penetrating eyes, and, in short, is quite enough to intimidate even the most courageous (or foolish, depending on the tale) hero or heroine. Like the witches of other cultures, her preferred method of transportation in the folktale is an implement commonly used for household labor, though unlike the witches of the West, rather than traveling upon a broom, she chooses to ride in a mortar, rowing with a pestle, and using a broom to sweep away the tracks or any trace of herself that she may leave. Her home is a mobile hut perched upon chic ken legs, which folklorist Vladimir Propp had once said might be related to the zoomorphic izbushkii, or initiation huts, where neophytes were symbolically consumed by the monster, only to emerge later as adults. In his book An Introduction to the Russian Folktale, Jack Haney points out that Baba Yagas hut has much in common with the village bathhouse à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the place where many ritual ceremonies occurred, including the initiatory rituals. This corresponds to the role that her hut plays in the fairy tales of Russia but the nature of the initiation differs from story to story, dependent upon the circumstances of the character, Baba Yagas presence customarily serves as a signifier of change. Baba Yagas domain is the forest, widely acknowledged as a traditional symbol of change and a place of peril, where she acts as either a challenger or a helper to anyone who ventures into her space. In Western tales, these two roles are typically split into different characters stereotyped as either witch or fairy godmother. Baba Yaga, however, is a complex individual: depending on the circumstances of the specific story, she may choose to use her powers for good or ill. One of the aspects of Baba Yaga that makes her fairly threatening even when she plays the helper role is that, like the witch of Hansel and Gretel, her culinary habits leave something to be desired. She is a cannibal: children who fail to observe proper etiquette in her home find themselves serving as examples to the audience, and served to the witch as meals and then made into fences used to warn others of the dangers within. Theorists connect these tales to a Russian ritual of healing referred to as perepekanie (rebaking) in which newly born or ill children were placed in a warm oven with the incantation: Just as the dough rises, so let the body of this child rise, too. Jack Haney notes that this rite finds its analogue in those tales in which a witch, the Baba Yaga, captures a small boy, Ivanushka, and prepares to eat himà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ She tells him to lie down on the oven panel. He lies down; hands and feet straight up, and therefore does not fit into the oven. He asks her to sh ow him how to lie on the oven panel correctly. She lies down, and he pops her into the oven and roasts her. Its interesting Haneys use of the in reference to Baba Yaga indicates her authoritative positioning in the chain of command in Russian myths. Unlike other villains, who may be defeated once, never to be heard from again, Baba Yaga is not permanently conquerable, for Baba Yaga is far more than just another witch. In such stories, typically, the heroes fall into Baba Yagas hands by breaking some rule of the forest, or abusing her hospitality, and are assisted or advised by woodland creatures whom they have met and befriended along the way. Vladimir Propp compared Baba Yagas role as mistress of the forest and its creatures to a parallel figure from the Indic Rig Veda: it is likely that Baba Yaga is a combination of numerous archetypes, incorporating elements of rulers of the forest and underworld mistresses in a single entity. Scholars of Slavic mythology have also linked her to the ancient Indo-European goddess of death. The forest of Baba Yaga symbolizes more than the forest; it is al so the otherworld, the land of the living dead, also known as the thrice-nine kingdom. The land of the truly dead, also known as the thrice-ten kingdom, is separate from her realm. Frequently, the boundary between the two lands is symbolized by a river of fire which she cannot cross though the hero or heroine often must and in those cases, Baba Yaga crosses the same bridge as the hero or heroine, only to have it break: she hurtles, not to her death, because she appears in other stories, but certainly out of the current story. When she does return, she is unchanged, indicating one of the fundamental beliefs of the Russian fairy tale: that while humanity may enact changes for the better, there will always be forces working against them. Baba Yaga utilizes the same basic beliefs of her personality made obvious in many traditional Russian stories: her hunger, her cunning, and her wickedness. When confronted with Tims assurance that his protector will find them, Baba Yagas reply is simply that Baba Yagas little house is in the heart of the wild forest. And it will not be found in the same place two days running à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Her emphasis upon heart serves to emphasize the ravenous nature of the running monologue concerning what it is that shes found Whats Baba Yaga found for herself? Is it a stew? Is it a roast? Is it blood pudding? Oh yes. All of them. Juicy and meaty and tender and sweet. When she speaks, in the traditional manner, of her anticipated feast, saying Ohh. Such feasting I will make. The grease will run down my chin, and I will crack your bones with my iron teeth to suck the marrow from within à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, the combined effect of text and illustration flawlessly demonstrates the unique appeal of the genre, culminating in a presentation of Baba Yaga that manages to convey her threat as few other works have done. Interestingly enough, the heroic character in the myth does not himself defeat Baba Yaga, pointing either to a remnant of the Comics Code or, more likely, to an ongoing immaturity in the character, requiring a longer story arc to resolve the situation properly. The method that he does choose to force her to surrender her claim has interesting repercussions, however: his Rose threatens Baba Yaga with the vocalization of her true name, a technique successful in other cultures, but not one used with any regularity in Russian lore. It implies a cross-cultural set of rules at play within this Otherworldly melting pot which is well worth considering. That assumption is supported by the precise wording of the threat: Rose asks Baba Yaga, Do you wish me to shout it now, so that all of the animals of the forest, all of the birds of the air, every passing nixie and boggart will know it? Despite the fact that the nixes and boggarts come from entirely different mythic systems, it is apparent tha t Baba Yaga does not: she surrenders her claim.

The Reconstruction of African History

The Reconstruction of African History This context will analyze the contribution of historian B.A Ogot in the reconstruction of the African History. It will explore Kenya as one of the African nations and/ or countries where the work of B.A Ogot has contributed a lot in historical reconstruction. His significance in history can be accredited to the fact that his life was surrounded by the major events with specific reference to the independence period among other events that has built the history of this nation. In order to understand his contributions to the study topic, both his past and current dispositions will be analyzed by reviewing his literature that he has produced over the years. Following this, this study will also highlight various historical processes from the pre-colonial time to colonial administration in Kenya based on the Mau Mau organization, composition and its impacts. His reconstruction of Africans History The work of B.A Ogot presents various aspects of both pre-colonial history and colonial era in Africa. According to the researches conducted based on his contribution into the African history with reference to Atieno (2002) in The challenges of History and leadership in Africa, his main role was to offer defense for humanity, durability, historicity, complexity and wealth of African societies together with their culture. He offered criticism on studies based on African institutions and customary practices that were said to have failed in offering any defense to African history through adherence to African ideas of the universe, destiny and its existence. He examines the main aspects of Nilotic societies and cultures based on the concept of Jok  [1]  . This term is found in different forms of Nilotic languages whose meaning is God, spirit, Ghost among others. Ogot had immense interest in the institutional practices and the history of African thought for instance religion which was captured in his three essays he wrote. On making of a sanctuary is the essay that examines padhola religion that has been said to be contented in Jok concept and cannot be understood beside Nilotic culture. Ogot trace changes imposed in Padhola religion by the migration of Nilotes to the south, establishment of Bura shrine as a worshipping place, other denominational rivals and the infiltration of strangers among padhola in nineteenth century. Ogot embarked on effects of European religiosity on the lives of the Luo people, which led to religious contradictions in Nyanza. According to Ogot, there exists a complex process of converting first African Christians based on their motivations, training, sacrifices and evangelical activities among others. He presented how the first African Christians faced troubles from the European missionaries, African chiefs and the c olonial government. The religious struggle led to the establishment of Anglican Church in which Mango broke and founded his own church the holy ghost church. Both religious contradictions and conflicts resulted to the murder of Mango in 1934 during an attack that sprouted on the village he belongs. The essay A community of their own Ogot looked at both the rise and effects of the Maria legion of African church that resulted from a reformation of Roman Catholic Church in Nyanza. Ogot is argued to have been normalizing African initiatives, cultural systems, choices, activities and adaptations through analyzing religious based on their terms. He also showed how religion resisted toward the colonial rule in Africa. The emergence of the Nomiya Luo church and Church of Christian Africans offer a better indicator of resistance to colonial rule and/ or power. In his essay on Kingship and statelessness Among the Nilotes, he challenged the racist hypothesis that holds that, there exists a correlation between degr ee of political evolution and the peoples hamitic blood. Based on this hypothesis, he suggested that the establishment of both Shilluk and Bunyoro kingdoms was based on factors such as political, economic and military. In his work, Ogot identified segmentary states that were observed to be less advanced as compared to the Bunyoro Kingdom. Examples of these segmentary states include the Ruothships that belongs to Luo and Acholi and the stateless societies of the Dinka and Nuer. The work of Ogot showed that the process of state formation comprises different groups of people and other historical contexts. Ogot produced many essays that enable one to trace his contribution to the reconstruction of the African history from Kenyans independence to date  [2]  . There was only one essay that concentrated on the colonial state alone while others lay emphasis on the anti-colonial resistance: For instance, the Mau Mau movement that was Kenyas liberation movement during the colonial period or era. Ogot highlighted the colonial rule and its contradiction nature in Kenya and Africa as a whole. His work presented the view that the colonial state and/ or the conquest were observed to be both authoritarian and weak as it lacked legitimacy. Another contribution of Ogot is that through his work, he describes how illiterate and incom petent officials in Africa struggled to cope with colonial version of administration, the missionarys roles, impacts of both the first and Second World War, religious movements and the reformist political associations that resulted from the educated elite. Through the work of Ogot, it is clear that a connection exists between local and national manifestations of what was referred to as nationalism. Ogot explains why the nationalist party KAU failed to establish itself in Nyanza. He argued that Kikuyu leadership in KAU was the major cause of its failure in Nyanza since they only focused on land grievances in kikuyu, which had little connection with Nyanza. According to Ogot, Mau Mau movement had historical significance since it was based on Kenyas decolonization. The goals of this movement were to make Kenya a nation in other words, to nationalize Kenya but we cannot call this movement a national movement since it was confined to one part of Kenya that is the Central Kenya. In addition, B.A Ogot focuses on both the ideology and social composition of Mau Mau and its origin in the context of African imagination and colonial era.  [3]  His writing focused on the people especially those who supported the movement and who opposed it amon g the kikuyu community. He indicated that the class and ideological divisions among kikuyu people mainly implicated the variations between the loyalist and fighters. These variations were based on access to land, affinities to Christianity and traditional culture, attitudes based on constitutionalism among others. He further showed that the differentiation of memories, age, political ecologies in terms of location and dreams about the future accounts for variations. It has been argued that, songs played a major role in peoples culture because people use songs to express their visions, problems, social values and appropriate possibilities. It was therefore through songs that the Mau Mau movement came into practice in Kenya as people expressed their demand for decolonization after a long period of suffering from the colonial states. Through songs, people were able to mobilize each other therefore reinforcing their strength and spirits of other supporters. According to him, the use of songs implicated that the Mau Mau movement was anti-colonial movement fighting for the decolonization of Kenya. These songs were sang in kikuyu language, symbols, history and legends and this explains why they were said to limit their accessibility and their national appeal. Another contribution of B.A Ogot in the reconstruction of African history is showed on his analyses of The birth of national language. During colonial era most of Africans in Kenya lacked national language since the European language used by the elite lacked nationality in it The researches conducted by B.A Ogot on national language showed that kikuyu was first made a national language because the origin of Mau Mau movement took its roots in Central Kenya  [4]  . The elites borrowed their language from the European and/ or colonial state but were few to make the language a national one. Mau Mau left behind legacy in Kenya based on the inherent biases and propaganda that its still in practiced in Kenya of today. He analyses how different and important figures of Mau Mau movement were arrested and detained with unintended outcomes. Ogot has addressed several critical issues that faced African societies from the colonial period to independence. He examined Africa in terms of politics, leadership, culture, development, identities, and functions of universities and impacts of globalizalisation on Africa. Through his work, Ogot urge writers to investigate more into the social realities that resulted to the current forms of leaders and treat Africans as evil.  [5]  The corruption presented by the modern African elite began during the colonial period with writers such as Elspeth Huxley who was said to have had distrusted the over educated African elite. It was argued that most of African nationalist used political slogans of the western during their struggle against the colonial states. In conclusion, the African history is a complex process of historical events that occurred from colonial era to date. The study highlights that the struggle for African history began with the view of Ogots generations and continue s to the current generation meaning that as we come up with new topics, theories and methodologies we must adhere to the mission that Inspired Ogott generation.

Anorexia and Bulimia Essay -- Causes of Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia

Bulimia Nervosa I sat there staring in the mirror filled with disgust at the figure on the other end. I thought â€Å" another day, another day living and thinking of nothing else but the way that I look naked, the way I look with clothes on, and the way other people look at me.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I was 17 years old when I began to have the premature symptoms of Bulimia Nervosa. I was a cheerleader for a national competition squad, and was worried about being able to tumble to my full potential because of the extra weight that I was carrying. But more importantly I was uncomfortable with the way I felt with myself. I had a low self-esteem and was constantly worried about what others thought of me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I tried many different strategies to lose weight. From starving myself to exercising constantly, nothing was working. I was desperate and wanted nothing else but to lose weight. As I became more and more worried about my weight the more depressed I became. With the onset of depression I started to eat even more. I ate, one day, to the point that I was sick, and felt miserable about myself, so I threw up. Afterward I felt great about myself. I had found some way hat I could control my weight, which in hand was my life. It became a lifeline for me; I was addicted to the feeling of throwing up once a day. The feeling of being hungry was for me happiness; I was disgusted and felt huge physically when I wasn’t hungry. I went from a solid size 12 to a solid size 6 in less than two months. I lost 20 pounds, and still was not happy with myself. I was suprised that no one questioned me or asked how I did it. All I heard was how great I looked.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"1%-3% of adolescent and young adult females develop bulimia,† (Hales, p.250). And the statistics seem to be rising. One theory of why this is happening is that bulimia is influenced by fashion pressures to be thin and the social fixation on the idea of thinness is beauty. This fixation is the same, says John Matthews the author of Eating Disorders, as those suffering from anerexia. There is also an increase in numbers of bulimics due to the social expectance of the disease and the urgency of the disease to be treated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The awarness of what Bulimia Nervosa is and the symptoms of the disease are becoming more common place in our society.... ...an Psychiatric Association, is 90% female, more likely white in race, and is from a more industrialized country, for example the United States, Canada, Europe, or Australia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Individuals with Bulimia Nervosa have been compared to those who suffer from alcoholism. We both encounter the day to day battles to stay healthy and not relapse. We both learn to talk about our problem to others whether it is a group such as AA, or in my case with my family. An individual with Bulimia Nervosa needs support just as an individual with alcoholism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The help that is out there is enormous for any individual suffering with the battle of an eating disorder. The problem is not the availability of help; it is we as a society. We need to become more comfortable talking about the symptoms of the individual with the eating disorder, and the different ways to over come the disorder. One solution that helped my treatment was the understanding of exercise, and a healthy diet. Sometimes in our busy life’s we forget to teach our children about healthy living, however we have the expectation that they will be perfect on the inside and the outside.

Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess and The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Sai

Dramatic Monologue in Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess and The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed’s Church The general public knows Robert Browning as the writer of â€Å"The Pied Piper† a beloved children’s tale, and the hero of the film The Barrett’s of Wimpole Street. Most recognize him for little else. The literary world recognizes him as one of the most prolific poets of all time. However, his grave in Westminster Abbey stands among the great figures in English history. At his death at age seventy-seven, Robert Browning had produced volumes of poetry. He had risen to the heights of literary greatness. Robert Browning received little acknowledgement for his work until he was in his fifties. â€Å"He had been following a blind alley. Now he had reversed his direction, and by so doing, had come in sight of his true destination, the dramatic monologue. In the dedication to Strafford he had correctly analyzed the bent of his genius; it was to treat Action in Character, rather than Character in Action†(Johnson 4). Browning used the dramatic monologues as his artistic vehicle. In â€Å"My Last Duchess† and â€Å"The Bishop Orders His Tomb at Saint Praxed’s† he presented characters with varying degrees of sympathy or satire as he took incidents from the past and made them come alive through his skillful use of the dramatic monologue. He rose to his position from rather modest beginnings in the south London village of Camberwell. Browning was born in 1812, to middle-class parents, his father, Robert, Sr., was a clerk for the Bank of England, and had refined artistic literary tastes. His mother Sarah Anne Widedemann, a devout Christian, pursued interests in music and nature. Browning read at age five and composed his first poetry ... ...wn.edu/victorian/books/alienvision/browning/2.html. Karlin, Daniel. The Courtship of Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett. New York: Oxford University, 1985. Langbaum, Robert. â€Å"The Dramatic Monologue: Sympathy versus Judgment.† Modern Critical views Robert Browning. Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House, 1985. 23-44. Odden, Karen. â€Å"Robert Browning.† World Poets. Ed. Ron Padgett. Vol. 1. New York: Scribner’s, 2000. 163-173. Ryals, Clyde de L. â€Å"Browning’s Irony.† The Victorian Experience: The Poets Ed. Richard A. Levine. (1982): 23-46. Rpt. In Poetry Criticism. Ed. Robyn V. Young. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, 1991. 90-97. Wagner-Lawlor, Jennifer A. â€Å"The Pragmatics of Silence, and the Figuration of the Reader in Browning’s Dramatic Monologues.† Victorian Poetry. 22 Apr. 2001. http://vp.engl.wvu.edu/fall97/wagner.html.

Falling in Love with Fall Essay

A cool, crisp breeze with just a tinge of warmth brushes my face. The pearl-grey sky and sound of leaves twisting and twirling – I watch as they dance carelessly through the air. My favorite season is autumn because of the many changes and feelings of gratitude it brings, the festivities, and fashion. One of the main reasons I enjoy autumn is because of the many festivities and activities. Not only is the weather cooler, especially in Texas, for outdoor fun but people’s spirits seem brighter. Every year there are so many things to do, festivals and carnivals to picking pumpkins and haunted houses. For me, it’s the sound of kids crunching through the leaves with laughter filling the air; their excitement is contagious and reminiscent of my childhood. The competitive feeling of who can get the most candy and the anticipation of shuffling through it all and scarfing down the best pieces. Because fall allows me to socialize with loved ones and new friends alike, it is my favorite season. Another reason I love the autumn are the feelings of change and gratitude. It might seem like a New Years idiom, but for me autumn is the most perfect time to mark new beginnings and reflect on the year that’s gone by. Maybe it’s the transition the environment makes, the colors of the leaves and the warm air turning cool. It’s intoxicating. As I crack open my bedroom window and curl up on my bed draping a cashmere throw over my legs, the smell of the leather from my journal mixes with the cool air and aroma of a newly opened bottle of wine. I sit and write about the year behind me, the memories and thoughts the ideas of my future. A nice counterpart to enjoying time with loved ones, it’s a perfect atmosphere to enjoy time alone; this is why it is my favorite season. I’ve saved the best for last, another great reason to love fall – fashion. Gone are the days of strappy tops and sandals, fall bring in a fresh cozy style. It’s a new excuse for shopping! Every year, come mid-September I make my way to the mall. With a delicious pumpkin spice latte in hand I fill my arms with an arsenal of clothing and accessories for fall. Tall boots and heeled booties are first on my list then its flowing cardigans,  poncho and double breasted jackets. The warm tones of purple and gold fill my bags and I can’t wait to show off my new collections at the many gatherings and festivities fall will bring. It is especially because of this, that autumn is my favorite season. With so many reasons to love fall, the best are those that engage your heart. It’s magical that even with the cool air; autumn can make a person feel warm. New beginnings at school and the gathering of loved ones, the smell of burning fireplaces hitting the cold air, watching as the trees shed their leaves. You can’t help but to feel a calm sense of hope this time of year.

Should the minimum age for alcohol consumption in India be reduced?

Dear Honorable Prime Minister Australia call it 18, Canada call it 18, Argentina call it 18. Why not India? I am writing to you to express the views of many Indian citizens under the age of twenty-five as the new law implemented by your government declares that the public consumption of alcohol by anyone under the age of twenty-five is illegal. If young adults in India at the age of eighteen are entrusted with the right to take a bullet for the country; the right to vote for whom they believe should be a potential leader of a billion people; the right to choose their life partners, why shouldn’t they be allowed to buy and consume alcohol in their social environment? Your government claims that the new legislation has been implemented because young adults are not responsible enough, and that keeping them away from alcohol at this tender age will help them lead a better life. In the eyes of your government young men aged 18 must be kept aloof from the temptation of alcohol. But should not the statesmen of our country remember that the forbidden fruit looked sweeter and more luscious to our mother Eve only because it was forbidden? Your government should take a precept from what happened in America in 1919 when the 18th amendment to the U.S. constitution implemented such a ban. Quoting S. B. Duke and A. C. Gross (1993), â€Å"if consumption of alcohol was reduced, it wasn’t by much; the costs of enforcement, in money, corruption, crime, disrespect for the law, alcohol and related poisonings far exceeded, by virtually anyone’s measurements, the tiny gains in alcohol control.†1 in my opinion such a measure is only going to boost the sales of alcohol. What happened in Gujarat is evident. The state with a prohibition saw an upsurge of alcoholism, and the climax came when hundreds of people died after consuming poisoned liquor in 2009. Thus prohibition does not serve anything. Old dogs can indeed learn new tricks. Law experts like advocate Swapnil Kothari said that the age restriction is â€Å"ludicrous, arbitrary and suffers from a vague interpretation of wisdom of youth†. 2 And so far being responsible is concerned I believe that responsibility comes with experience, realization, and social maturity, not just age. Legend has it that force hardly succeeds in giving desired results. It would be foolish to deny that India with its vast population of 1.15 billion, accounting for 17.31% of the world’s population, has, unfortunately, been witness to an increasing alcohol-related death rate per year. However, enacting a law where young people of age 18 can be imprisoned for ‘chugging’ a glass of beer, or ‘downing’ a shot of vodka in a pub is hypocritical because at the same age, here in India people are allowed to start their own enterprises, which include permission to open a club or bar, and work in them. If young adults, as bartenders are allowed to twirl vodka and whiskey bottles in fancy clubs, serve people alcohol all night, but not allowed to take a small sip of what they are serving, is that not hypocritical? If denied permission to drink in public, young adults under the age of twenty-five will not only perceive alcohol to be a â€Å"forbidden fruit†, but also be eager to bite into this â€Å"forbidden fruit†, as they want to see what has been kept away from them. This eagerness may lead young adults into committing serious criminal offences, they may buy fake licenses, or bribe bartenders as well as police! Do we really want the youth of India to indulge in such criminal acts, just for alcohol? A wide consideration should be given to the impact of this restriction on the 18 year olds when they start drinking stealthily to escape the consequences of being caught. Won’t this sneaking out be detrimental to their behavior and morale? In a country where so many rapists are not convicted; killers are not sentenced; jails are jam-packed and murderers are left scot- free, do you really think putting them into jail for such a relatively mediocre crime is an appropriate judgment? It is important for young adults to be familiar with their limitations but by rising the age limit so high does nothing but trigger the curiosity, inquisitiveness and craving for this â€Å"forbidden fruit†. We know young adults drink alcohol anyway, but what is your government doing to help them out? How are you controlling young adults from turning up highly intoxicated to parties? If your government fears excessive drinking at the age of 18, why is no support being provided? What your government can do is install CCTVs in liquor stores, and make harsher punishments for alcohol vendors for serving alcohol to young adults of age 18. According to your government an 18 year old can get married, in that case would the marriage get raided as the couple picks up a glass of champagne to celebrate? Why are 18 year olds barely allowed to their right to freedom of choice and responsibility of their own body and mind? When an 18-year-old woman has the right to marry and beget a child, what stops her from taking a sip of liquor to enjoy the first birthday of her child? Does not the age restriction look absurd in such a case? It is time the politicians understood that prohibition, unless backed by strong and relevant data, does not serve any end; sometimes the reverse may just occur. 1. http://www.albany.edu/~wm731882/18th_amendment_final.html 2. articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com †º Collections †º Alcohol

Luxury Brands in India Essay

A luxury brand is a brand for which most of products offered are luxury goods. Luxury goods in general refer to products or services which are not fundamental and can be described as affluence. The three words which compliment luxury brands are high price, high quality and prestige. These brands create and set the seasonal trends and are also capable to pulling all of their consumers with them wherever they go. India being the second-fastest growing economy is believed to be one of the most sought after market by the luxury brands. Designers around the world have been taking inspiration from India’s rich fashion history with bright Bollywood colours, exotic saris, elegant embroidery and stunning jewellery. The growing number of Indians in the billionaire’s club coupled with a evident rise of the urban elite class has seen many international luxury giants queue up to woo the Indian customer who has a peculiar culture of â€Å"status†. A big brand like Chanel launched its 2012 Paris-Bombay Collection. in December of 2011 and Hermes put out a limited-edition line of saris, which instantly drew the world’s attention to the glamour and glitz of India. Luxury brands have thoroughly considered the significance of understanding India’s spending power and rituals as there are definite times when luxury spending isn’t welcome, but other times like weddings and festivals which are prime times for offering high-end, luxury items. As per Millward Brown Optimor consulting company the top 10 luxury brands are: 1. Louis Vuitton- $25. 9 billion, 2. Hermes- $19. 1 billion 3. Rolex- $7. 2 billion 4. Chanel- $6. 7 billion 5. Gucci- $6. 4 billion 6. Prada- $5. 7 billion 7. Cartier- $4. 8 billion. 8. Hennessy- $4. 6 billion. 9. Moet & Chandon- $4. 2 billion. 10. Burberry- $4. 09 billion. Features of Luxury market in India: ? India is the second fastest growing region in Asia Pacific for Luxury Products. ? The Indian market is expected to grow at the rate 25% over next 5 years. ? At $4. 8 billion, the luxury retail market has place for everyone. ? Apparel, jewelry & personal care are the biggest sells in the luxury market. ? Indian Luxury Market is worth $4. 9 Billion, it forms only 2% of global share thus there is a huge scope for expansion. ? There are 103,000 millionaires in India, 16,000 are added each year. ? Luxury and prestige brands such as Rolex, Louis Vuitton and Cartier represent the highest form of craftsmanship and command a staunch consumer loyalty that is not affected by trends. Now that India has emerged as a hot market for Luxury Brands it is important for these brands to market themselves well to the Indian consumer. Most of the Luxury Brands attract a new consumer by indicating high brand worth. With introduction of several Luxury brands in India, Luxury Brand marketing has emerged as a significant ancillary service. Luxury marketing strategies are developed in a unique way which ensures success; some of the strategies are listed below: ? Brand needs to be â€Å"expansive†- it needs to be full of modernization opportunities for the marketer for satisfying the divergent needs of the luxury consumer ? Brand must always tell a majestic story heritage & performance or other aspects that goes on to build the aura of a brand over time. The story always accentuates the identity of the brand. ? Brand needs to be relevant to the needs of consumers-Depending upon the mindset of the luxury class, it is imperative for a brand to satisfy those needs, whether they be catering to recognition or functional use etc. ? Brand must always align itself with consumers’ values-A brand that does not concur with the basic values of a consumer’s society has a small chance of succeeding because luxury items are forms of expression or identification for a luxury consumer. ? Brand needs to perform-Irrespective of which category the brand belongs to, a performance assurance is a must. For all the above mentioned strategies to work there is a strong need for specialized marketing & PR function. These two services have become backbone of the Luxury Brands in India. Through my research I shall try to find out the role played by these agencies and also the activities under taken by various Luxury brands to establish themselves in India. A RESEARCH ON Fashion shows [pic] Assignment on research problem INTRODUCTION Research can be defined as a formalized curiosity. It is â€Å"The systematic investigation into and study of materials, sources, etc., in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions† Oxford English dictionary. In other words it can also be defined as â€Å"A process of finding out information and investigating the unknown to solve a problem† according to Maylor and Blackmon (2005). The topic of my research problem is FASHION SHOWS. My research shall revolve around answering questions like: 1. What brings about the success of these shows? 2. How it affects the fashion trends in a society? 3. How it affects the sales of a country? A fashion show is an event put on by a fashion designer to showcase his or her upcoming line of clothing during a Fashion Week. Fashion shows are fun and creative way of highlighting some of the ethical issues surrounding the fashion industry. There is a lot to be considered so it is well worth planning ahead. This is where the latest fashion trends are introduced to the people at large. In a typical fashion show models walk down the ramp dressed in the clothing created by the designer. Fashions shows enjoy a good amount of media coverage which is essential for spreading trends across the globe. History In the 1800s â€Å"fashion parades† periodically took place in Paris couture salons. American retailers imported the concept of the fashion show in the early 1900s. The first American fashion show likely took place in 1903 in the New York City store Ehrlich Brothers. By 1910, large department stores such as Wanamaker’s in New York City and Philadelphia were also staging fashion shows. These events showed couture gowns from Paris or the store’s copies of them; they aimed to demonstrate the owners’ good taste and capture the attention of female shoppers. Magazines like Vogue and Harper’s bazaar, whose editors were obsessed with French fashion began to feature more work by American designers. American designs became the new modern trends and made their place in the industry. Many designers began to hold their own shows in private functions but some shows turned out to be mishaps. Some locations were hazardous like that of Michael Kors show where a part of the ceiling began falling on the models. Mishaps like these made the designers to send the collection to Bryant Park and Fashion Week as we know it today was born. Advantages:- †¢ Fashion shows gave many aspiring designers a platform to show their collection. †¢ It gave opportunity to see the best garments and meet the best international designers. †¢ It helps in introducing new trends and make people aware of them. †¢ It amalgamates different trends and presents an overview of seasonal trend. What brings out the success of these shows? †¢ Careful selection of the theme of fashion show. It should be in sync with the collection that the designer shows. Theme along with collection leaves an important impact on its audience. †¢ Venue that can accommodate many people and one which can efficiently handle a fashion show. It should have good lighting system, backstage area, adequate parking and also easy to find. †¢ Proper display of Collection. It should be appealing and attractive. †¢ Models that effectively and beautifully carry the designs. †¢ Proper advertisement by creating a media buzz. . World’s most talked about & influential Fashion Shows: †¢ Berlin Fashion Week – Berlin, Germany †¢ Haute Couture- Paris, France †¢ Sao Paulo Fashion Week- Sao Paulo, Brazil †¢ Copenhagen Fashion Week- Copenhagen, Denmark †¢ New York Fashion Week- New York, US †¢ London Fashion Week A/W- London, UK †¢ Tokyo Fashion Week A/W- Tokyo, Japan †¢ Milan Fashion Week S/S- Milan, Italy †¢ Paris Fashion Week S/S- Paris, France.

Since beginning

Since beginning, we are enjoying great client feedback, excellent customer service and have loads of satisfied customers. This is because of your hard work and enthusiasm to perform your individual tasks. L, as a Owner of restaurant, observed that cleanliness in our restaurant during closing times not top of things. As per our hotels food manager he is expecting this situation to be resolved immediately because the food inspector has scheduled a visit for sometime in the near future. Suggest the following actions to be reformed by all employees in order to keep the restaurant clean. Freeze bulk meat right away Sanitize your rubbish bin Wash surfaces people touch. Keep kitchen floors clean Divide the refrigerator by food groups Decide to keep or discard Items. Preserve the organization flow when placing appliances or foods back into the empty space. Examine each item and decide to place it back or toss in the trash. Empty the entire section. Clean the area thoroughly with a solution m ixture of warm water and dish soap. Wipe with a damp cloth and wipe again with a dry cloth .Gas range has to be clean properly. Clean your deep fryer as needed. If you use your deep fryer frequently, changing the oil and cleaning it every few days will help prevent a buildup of grime that can be much harder to remove. If you only use your deep fryer every couple weeks or less frequently, clean it after each use. Do not put your fryer In the sink or dishwasher. Immersion In water may cause an electrical short and damage the fryer. Although cleanliness In the restaurant Is the duty of all employees, we have to recognize our Individual responsibility for a clean and sanitize our environment.We have to follow HACK so please understand your individual responsibility for the cleanliness of restaurant which will result into a quick growth of our company and consequently a high increment in salary. Thank you all. Omit Giuliani, Managing Director Bolos 33 Duncan street Toronto,MAMMAL (999) 9 99_9999 MEMO By Unitarianism Dear Team Members, I anticipate that you all are fine and taking pleasure from your work at Bolos restaurant which is in Ultimate Resort and Spa. Since beginning, we are enjoying restaurant during closing time's not top of things.As per our hotels food manager he scheduled a visit for sometime in the near future. ‘ suggest the following actions to be Decide to keep or discard items. Preserve the organization flow when placing frequently, clean it after each use. Do not put your fryer in the sink or dishwasher. Immersion in water may cause an electrical short and damage the fryer. Although cleanliness in the restaurant is the duty of all employees, we have to recognize our individual responsibility for a clean and sanitize our environment.

Contract Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contract Assignment - Essay Example With at least two forms –the vendors and the purchasers—vying for legal standing the courts find themselves adjudicating a battle of the forms. They must determine what form applies, if any, or, alternately, that neither form applies and by default, a given contractual dispute must be resolved by recourse to the Sale of Goods Act rather than by the terms and conditions set out by either firm. (â€Å"Sale of Goods Act C. 54† 1979) his was the judgement that the court arrived at in â€Å"GHSP INC v. AB ELECTRONIC LTD† [2010] EWHC 1828 (Comm) Case No: 2008 Folio 1353. Neither the form of the seller AB Electronic Ltd. nor that of the purchaser, GHSP Inc. was held to be valid In lieu of a specific contract the court relied on the â€Å"Sale of Goods Act, 1979†. This issue is of considerable importance for both buyers and sellers. Understandably, the sellers standard form will contain terms that are beneficial to the seller while the purchasers form will favour the purchasers interests. Often the determination of which contract is applicable will resolve the dispute, implicitly, in favour of the party whose contract is accepted by the courts. It is for this reason that a battle of the forms can have such great importance. For more than thirty years the courts have relied on Butler Machine Tool Company Ltd. v. EX-CELL-O Corporation (England) Limited† [1977] EWCA Civ 9 Case No. 172 B. No. 234 when confronted with a battle of the forms. Briefly, Butler contracted to produce a production machine for EX-CELL-O Corp. They produced a contract for production of said machine with a price, terms and delivery details. EX-CELL-O responded with acceptance of the price on their own form that contained different details, particularly as they related to additional costs incurred prior to their receipt of the machine. Butlers contract contained a clause allowing them to charge any price increases

Islamic accounting and financial reporting Essay - 1

Islamic accounting and financial reporting - Essay Example 16). On the other hand, IFRS was enacted to harmonize the universal accounting procedures and processes into a harmonized system. This study will cover the implementation of the IFRS by the country of Malaysia. The paper will have a candid review of the adoption of the IFRS by Malaysia, and the conflicts that this move presents to the application of the AAOIFI standards. As a start off, the paper evaluates the financial and accounting system in Malaysia. AAOFIFI and IFRS are then evaluated with respect to their components, procedures of application and treatment of various financial transactions. The paper then compares and contrast the accounting treatment of both standards before discussing the procedures that are used by the Malaysian authorities to implement IFSR and overcome Conflicts with AAOIFI (Schoon 2009, p.50). The study finalizes by analysing the effectiveness of the IFRS implementation strategy in Malaysia. The financial system of Malaysia is made up of Islamic and conventional financial institutions which operate in parallel. The apex of financial and monetary structure in Malaysia is the Bank Negara, which is the Malaysian Central bank. The financial system comprises the banking and non-banking system. The banking system is made up of 21 Islamic banks, 25 commercial banks and 15 investment banks. To compliment banking institutions are the non-banking financial institutions. In Malaysia, there are 43 insurance and re-insurance companies, 13 Takaful Operators, four retakaful operators and six development financial institutions. The Islamic financial system in Malaysia has continued to grow and develop. Currently, the Islamic financial system comprise of Takaful, Retakaful, Islamic Capital Market and Islamic Interbank Money market. MIFC (International Islamic Financial Centre) was opened in the year 2006, with the aim of strengthening

An essay about busness Strategy from a.Profitability b.Marketing

An about busness Strategy from a.Profitability b.Marketing c.Expected local response - Essay Example Brookside products manufacturers had maintained long working hours developing products that were not going to perceived as good as Fresh Milk Company’s products. Some local consumers thought stopping the manufacturer from developing the products could affect the morale of developing the new product. However, comparing the morale of the product team in relation to the profitability and the market demand, it was not a good idea for introducing the new products that were already inferior to that of the Fresh Milk Company. Brookside wisely stopped working and developing the inferior products and developed new market strategies and the environment to develop new products that outperformed Fresh Milk Company’s products (Caramia & Guerriero, P. 132). The pricing or selling effort strategies would be dealt with effectively when the Brookside company follows an appropriate skimming strategy that seek to be the first company to introduce high quality and good performance products. In addition, the Brookside Company should sell its brands to the market segment innovators that charge a premium price for its products (Tidstrà ¶m & Hagberg-Andersson, P. 340). For this reason, the brand or products would produce as much profit as possible. Nevertheless, the company should move on or change its operative strategies when the competitors arrive since the prices are likely to fall as a result of competition for the available potential and reliable customers. For this regard, the skimming strategy in conjunction with the pricing penetrative strategy would gain a significant market share by undergoing short-term profits in favor of long-term benefits (Thomas & Andrew, P 57). Competitors’ strength and abilities should be dealt with probable response by evaluating and assessing all the competitors influence in the market environment. For the business to succeed effectively, the companies must leverage its mechanisms of producing unique and

Can stem cell research promise any improvement in autoimmune diseases Paper

Can stem cell promise any improvement in autoimmune diseases - Research Paper Example Stem cell research promises improvement in autoimmune diseases. The immune system is the body’s main line of defense against invasion by infectious organisms. The body has many cellular components, and the immune system must be able to differentiate components of invading organisms and of its self to conduct its protection functions effectively. Through this, it only attacks the invading components and not its own components. The immune system may fail to recognize and eliminate invading components on time, and this result in infections. However, autoimmune diseases, such as type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis,  occur when the immune system fails to distinguish its own cells or components and attacks them by mistake (Ra, Kang, Shin, Park, Joo, Kim, Kang, Lee, Nakama, Piao, Soh, and Kurtz, 2011). Stem cell research helps explain why the bodys immune system, for some reason, turns against itself. Stem cells helps heal damaged tissues. Researchers have established the use of Haematopoetic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) in the management of malignant and non-malignant diseases (Holbro, Abinun, and Daikeler, 2012). Currently, research indicates that stem cell therapy induces intense healing action in animals with different forms of autoimmune disorders. Stem cells have the unique ability to adjust the immune system to avert pathological responses while at the same time maintain its ability to repel disease (Hugle and Daikeler, 2010). Stem cells and particularly, mesenchymal stem cells, produce anti-inflammatory agents in inflamed tissues. They do not suppress the immune response of the patient’s whole body like immune suppressive agents such as methothrexate and steroids, which present lasting unfavorable effects, and need for lifetime treatment. Instead, the stem cell mediators act locally. Alan Tyndall confirms that more than 1500 patients have received HSCT as

Are Drug Courts in United States Successful in Reducing Drug Crime and Term Paper

Are Drug Courts in United States Successful in Reducing Drug Crime and Recidivism - Term Paper Example Drug related crime is a vital issue which leads to injustice and curtails socio-cultural and economic development in the society. Within this context, drug related crime in America curbs the development process of the society as a whole. When individuals indulge in drug related crimes, the best possible way to get rid of the same is rehabilitation and follow up programs. One can easily identify that severe punishment cannot reduce drug crime because the individuals who are indulged in drug related crimes is not aware of its seriousness. Within this context, the drug courts in United States play an important role in reducing drug crime and recidivism. Thesis statement: The innovative measures adopted by the drug courts in United States prove successful in reducing drug crimes and recidivism (special references to the measures adopted by the drug courts to reduce drug crime and recidivism). I. Brief introduction to drug crimes and drug courts in US As pointed out, drug abuse leads to a number of crimes but it is not the grass root level cause for crimes. In general, illegal drugs like crack-cocaine, morphine etc leads to a number of criminal acts within the society. Within this context, drug trafficking, production and distribution leads to increase in organized crime. Stimmel (1996) opines that â€Å"Among the most prominent social effects of both illicit and licit drug use is its relationship with crime† (p.13). When more and more individuals consider drug trafficking as an easy way to earn money, the problems related to the same show increase. From a different angle of view, the drug crimes in US are interconnected with lack of economic and social support to the needy (say, the victims of drug abuse). But the traditional mode of treatment provided to the defendants is insufficient to meet their needs because it is based on punishment and long time sentencing in prisons. But Goldberg (2009), opines that â€Å"In gene ral, people are in favor of treatment for drug abusers but do not want drug treatment centers in their neighborhoods† (p.299). Besides, the victims of drug abuse are not in need of sympathy. But effective treatment can help them to the re-enter the mainstream society without further problems in their personal and public domains. Within the context of drug crimes in US, the drug courts play an important role in reducing drug abuse related crimes. Franco (2010), states that â€Å"Drug courts were quickly adopted by communities and states struggling with the challenges that stemmed from the growing abuse and trafficking of illegal drugs† (p.5). The drug courts in US consist of number of committees, which help the offenders to have easy recovery. For instance, the judiciary, mental health department, social service organizations etc co-operate to help the offenders to be away from the clutches of drug abuse and crimes. The history of drug courts in US is interconnected with the drug court in Miami- Dade County, which was established in the year 1989. One can see that the primary aim of drug courts in US is to provide drug treatment services to the needy and to promote public safety. Besides, rehabilitation services and evaluation of the measures adopted to reduce drug related crimes are other functions of drug courts in US. Within this scenario, local support and community support are important for the smooth functioning of drug courts. In short, the drug courts aim to provide treatment facilities to the non-violent offenders and help them to re-enter the mainstream society. II. Measures taken by drug courts in reducing drug crime and recidivism First of all, the traditional legal processing in US was inefficient and inadequate to reduce drug crime and recidivism. For instance, the traditional legal processing system in US gave importance to punishment, not treatment for the victims. Within this context, treatment provided by the traditional system wa s effective, but high rate of dropping out reduced the

Mind and body Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Mind and body - Essay Example Freud believed that the mind is structured into two parts: the conscious and unconscious mind. The conscious mind represents the things which can be brought into awareness easily or those we are aware of while the unconscious mind represents the things outside our awareness but influence our behavior (Cherry, nap). Out of these parts, personality is formed which comprises of three components: id, ego and superego. Id is part of the unconscious mind; it is the most primitive and source of all libidinal energy (life instincts) and death instincts. It operates on pleasure principle hence seeks immediate gratification of needs. The ego mediates between the id and superego and operates on reality principle. Its work is to ensure demands are satisfied in acceptable ways hence delayed gratification is preferred (Austrian 15). The superego on the other hand, acts according to the moral standards. The ego in its mediation works encounters difficulties leading to anxiety. This prompts it to de velop defense mechanisms such as rationalization, repression and denial to protect itself from anxiety. Freud also believed children develop in stages (psychosexual stages) with energy focused on different parts of the body at each stage and failure to progress to next stage leads to fixation while success leads to healthy development. For example, getting fixated at phallic stage can lead to Oedipus for boys and Electra complex for girls. These include: oral, anal, phallic, latent and genital stages (Cherry, nap). Freud also developed a theory of dreams to explain the unconscious mind. For him, dreams are â€Å"a royal road to the unconscious† (Austrian 14). They reveal repressed memories from childhood desires unfulfilled. He emphasized on the role of instincts especially sexual instincts in driving people to dream. He interpreted dreams through free association whereby women would narrate their experiences revealing their hidden truths. He enumerated

Botticelli's spring and Michelangelo's creation of adam Essay

Botticelli's spring and Michelangelo's creation of adam - Essay Example Botticelli’s Primavera and the Birth of Venus are mythological paintings where storyline is seriously pursued with due respect to its mythological lineage. Goddess Venus is depicted as Virgin Mary in unique style. Michelangelo Buonarotti 1475-1564 was the most gifted painter of the Renaissance times, outshining other artists in fine art, sculptor, and architecture. The Creation of Adam – is central to his Sistine Chapel frescoes . Michelangelo’s faith in the outward beauty is reinforced through the Creation of Adam. This can be seen in his early poetry as well where he links beauty to divinity. The Creation of Adam is a wonder in art in the sense that he has made the touch of the Divine hand central to the picture and symbol of the power of the Creator. Michelangelo was responsible for transforming the history of culture. As Wolfff\lin in Classic Art, Trans. 1952 comments: â€Å"If any one man may be held responsible for major changes in the history of culture, that man was Michelangelo, who brought about the generalized heroic style and caused place and time to be disregarded’(Stokes, 1955: 106). The delineation of Sixteenth century dress and architecture was exaggerated not at the cost of characterization but to provide dignity in presentation, it was enlarged as ‘its flowers grew from the old soil, but they waxed bigger’(Stokes, 1955: 106). It was a period of resurgence of interest in the art and culture of Greece and Rome by European civilizations. It was a reaction to the rigidity of feudalism and Church of the medieval period where individual interests were subservient to society, ruled by feudal lords for material needs and Church for spiritual aspirations. The Renaissance started in the creation of city states like Venice, Florence, and Milan, self-sustaining and creating Franciscan humanism. Such states provided economic means to keep both ends meet to the

Three questions for corporate social responsibility Essay

Three questions for corporate social responsibility - Essay Example The ability of large corporations to influence how the economy is moving is perhaps one of the most important reasons why their governance should be taken seriously. The administrations of these corporations should always be put under the microscope and watched closely so that they do not end up doing business which is unethical and which might end up making investors lose confidence in it. Consequently, it has become necessary for corporations to have strong boards to oversee their activities since without them they would lack direction. While this should be the case, most corporations are often lax in their governance since their major aim often tends to be to make profits at any cost (Morrison 2004, p.122). There is the suggestion that companies only take their governance seriously when they feel that they are at risk of not only losing their customers, but also their clients as well. Companies need to find proper validation for their actions and to ensure this; they have to take their governance seriously. It is a fact that those companies or corporations that have strong principles of governance are the ones that are the most successful and this is the reason why this matter should be taken most seriously (Leighton and Garven 1996, p.809). Without strong governance, corporations are likely to cause their own collapse because it is often too late for them to correct those mistakes that they have made, and a major example of this is the current financial crisis caused by financial institutions. Corporate governance is not all about public relations and corporate social responsibility but is separate activities that should be evaluated separately. However, the latter activities are often used by corporations to promote an image of good governance, often ignoring the fact that it any crisis, such as the financial crisis, occurs, then these activities would be of little significance in saving the corporation. Q2 The agency dilemma is a situation where individua ls place their money in the hands of directors of the companies in which they are investing, since these directors are better placed to watch over the money. While this is the case, the agency dilemma states that these managers are not likely to give the money the attention it needs since it is not theirs but belongs to someone else (Letza et al 2008, p.21). This means that they would not care whether the owner of the money gets a profit or a loss as long as they get their commission out of it. Such a situation would therefore put the investor in a dilemma because he would not know whether to trust others with his money or not since the possibility of being protected against sustaining losses would be low indeed. Agency theory is similar to the agency dilemma because it involves shareholders signing a contract with those who run the company that they are investing in to take care of their interests. While this is the case, it means that the shareholders have to let go of any decisio n-making authority towards their investment and trust to the directors or managers to act in good faith on their behalf. Consequently, it is not often easy for the shareholder to gauge whether the manager of a company will act in his best interests or not. In fact, according to the agency theory, while directors are obliged to act in the interests of their clients, this is not often the case and the former will often work for their

The American Dream Essay Example for Free

The American Dream Essay What is the American Dream? The American Dream is an idea people have that they can have happy and successful lives if they work hard enough. Since the Mayflower brought over the first settlers, America has attracted people all over the world to relocate to our country just to start a new and free life. They all had a dream, something we call the â€Å"American Dream†. We may think the American Dream doesn’t mean much but for some it could mean everything. The American Dream can mean different things to each individual. For example, in the novel Of Mice and Men by Steinbeck, George and Lennie mentioned that they wanted to live on the fat of the land. This was their dream because George doesn’t want anybody around telling him what to do and Lennie wants to tend many of his own rabbits. Whereas, in the nonfiction story Of Plymouth Plantation written by Bradford, the pilgrims are brought to America to seek better lives. They wanted to escape religious persecution. Their dream was to be able to worship God and find land to own. America is known as the land of opportunity. People from other countries dream of bringing their families to the United States of America. They just want to own their own home and have stable jobs. We Americans don’t realize how lucky we are to be free. Other countries would give up anything to be given the opportunity to come here. The desire among many parents is for their children to lead happy lives. This is especially for immigrants because many of them left their home countries die to difficult living conditions. Although the concept of the American Dream is well known most people don’t realize how long it’s been around. Back in the 1900’s it was about being free and treated equal. Being free and treated equal meant more to African Americans because they were done with being so discriminated against. They worked so much harder than whites and got little to nothing in return. For example, Langston Hughes’ poem, â€Å"I, Too, Sing, America† is about an African American that gets mistreated. He has to eat dinner away from everyone else when company comes over. He finally plans to stand up for himself by eating at the table no matter what anyone says. His dream was to be free of racism and treated equal. Now days, it’s difficult for people to capture their American Dream. The economy has gotten so bad overtime to where people have to get more than one job to bring in enough income. In reality, your income decides your way of living which is utterly ridiculous. Money shouldn’t have to play such a big role in our lives. I think one job should be enough to buy all the necessities and then some but, unfortunately its not. My mom has 3 jobs with loads of stress piled on her shoulders and it’s still not enough to 100% support us. Her American Dream shouldn’t be about having less stress and more money but should be about her living a happy stable financial life. In other words, the American Dream can mean so many different things but in the end it all related in some way. Everyone wants to be successful with no worries. Not everyone is as lucky as us Americans to have a dream that we at least have an opportunity to achieve. People all over the world dream about coming to America for better lives. If you try hard enough, you may be lucky enough to achieve your dream.

PhD Proposal Writing | Contributing to knowledge

PhD Proposal Writing | Contributing to knowledge To define an original contribution to knowledge in the context of PhD studies is complicated. In one sense, it can be seen as something which someone else has not done before and requires a large amount of innovation and commitment from the researcher. Gall et al. (1996:47) noted that the imagination and insight that goes into defining the research problem usually determines the ultimate value of a research study more than any other factor. This definition however may be construed as too broad and can be complimented by the reasoning given by Grix (2001) who says that a substantial contribution to knowledge means you must have produced original research on a given topic and embedded it firmly in the received wisdom of a particular field To pin point a definition for an original contribution to knowledge is difficult. However, Madsen (1983:25) offers the following as a possible start: Original means the potential to do at least one of the following: uncover new facts or principles, suggest relationships that were previously unrecognized, challenge existing truths or assumptions, afford new insights into little-understood phenomena, or suggest new interpretations of known facts that can alter mans perception of the world around him. It is widely agreed within academic fields that a contribution to knowledge may be achieved through a number of ways. Frances (1976) pinpoints eight ways in which originality can be achieved. However, Estelle and Derek (2010) only concur with six of these points which are as follows: Setting down a major piece of new information in writing for the first time; Continuing a previously original piece of work; Carrying out original work designed by the supervisor; Providing a single original technique, observation, or result in an otherwise unoriginal but competent piece of research; Having many original ideas, methods, and interpretations all performed by others under the direction of the postgraduate; Showing originality in testing somebody elses ideas. Fundamentally, an original contribution to knowledge can be seen as an ambiguous statement or process as it can be interpreted by different people in a variety of ways. Dunleavy (2003) expresses concerns regarding overstating the originality of the research and emphasises the need to balance innovation against the subject context. He goes on to suggest that the best way to proceed in research is to think of the contribution as value-added. He clarifies this by saying, Focusing on your own value added means keeping a critical eye on the extent to which you have transformed or enhanced or differentiated the starting materials of your analysis. He also goes on to say that, It also means retaining strong relational patterns of argument in which you appropriately acknowledge the extent to which you draw on the existing literature. The importance of reading literature in the chosen area of research cannot be over emphasised. Without this fundamental grounding of knowledge, a serious student cannot begin to propose an original contribution to knowledge. Without having a working understanding of the literature in their field, it is made more difficult for students to refine a researchable topic and then subsequently contribute original knowledge. Knowledge of the field is critical and includes knowing what has already been done, what the current hot topics are and projected issues and trends. Ultimately, researchers need to understand what has already been accomplished before attempting to add their own contribution to the field. Consideration must be given to any personal relevancy the proposed topic holds for the student and what area of their study would represent the biggest contributions of their work. When researching the literature, it is important to keep in mind such questions as: Is there any controversy or inconsistencies in the research or data? Does a deficiency appear in the literature on a particular topic? From a historical perspective, how has the field arrived at its present level of understanding the phenomenon that is being pursued? Broader topics are probably more helpful because the broader the topic is, the more numerous are the kinds of research questions that can be asked (Crowl, 1996:20). During the processes of PhD studies and writings, students can only make initial proposals as to what they perceive as original contributions. However, as time progresses and more literature is explored, these initial proposals will change if it is discovered that there has already been some research of a similar nature, and therefore if the initial proposals do not adapt, new ones are creased in their place. Put succinctly, it means not just passively following the authors train of thought but more importantly, it means anticipating where the authors line of argument leads, considering alternative extensions and constructing your own framework that covers these possibilities. Some of the best ideas are born this way. (Krathwohl, 1994:29) Relating this contextually, my PhD research is in the area of Dyslexia in the public and private sectors and its affect on policy making and implementation. The topic chosen is still broad in terms of the area I may investigate. However the focus of my research is narrowing as more literature is read and evaluated. After discussions with my Supervisor who is a specialist in Diversity and Equalities, my research will also attempt to grasp what the perceptions are of dyslexia in the public and private sectors and will see how these mind sets influence the decisions of various departments and relationships within the business and public sectors. An area I am also keen to investigate is the education of staff and the general public through schooling and awareness programmes and other media. From the literature that I have reviewed to date, I know that there has been little research undertaken with regards to dyslexia policies in the educational sector. What has been researched quite extensively is the educational policies which relate primarily to primary and secondary education. There has been little discussion relating to dyslexia during college and university participation. Therefore, I know that any theories I have surrounding higher education and any research I wish to initiate will most likely result in an original contribution to knowledge. There has been next to no academic writing about dyslexia policies in the private sector which gives me, as a researcher, a good opportunity to offer some original contribution to knowledge to this field. What has been written in this field focuses primarily on what is required to comply with national legislation and European law. Drake (1999) summarises policies and laws simply by stating, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ prevailing norms and values reflect the interests of the majority and may subordinate those of the minority. I agree with this statement but wish to find out just how much this holds true in the context of public and private sectors. What has generally been written about dyslexia in the public and private sector areas has been more from a social sciences view stemming from definitions of dyslexia as opposed to stemming from the more business minded and practical view which focuses more on a persons ability to do jobs and the influence this has on company and or educational policies. Therefore, in an area which has been under explored and scrutinised, the research I propose to carry out will be original as it will produce new theories as to why dyslexia is barely acknowledge in these areas, along with new insights into how the current policy systems are produced and operated and possibly where new systems and legislation would be beneficial. There will be an obvious flourish of new ideas and arguments which accompany any original contribution, as well as an opportunity to apply any existing ideas in general literature to the new area of study. This is important in my field, as dyslexia in itself, as a form of disability can be controversial and any new ideas and hypothesis made will be cause for debate and allow past discussions to be revisited. This is also important in the development of original contributions as this will allow any theories created to adapt and grow. Apart from my own literature search, by speaking with other academics in my specific field, I can gain access to a whole new level of expertise and academic knowledge. This will give me the opportunity to test their knowledge of my chosen area of diversity and tap into their resources. Additionally, they will also be able to aide in identifying if my chosen topic has been previously mentioned in any literature that they have read. Academics will not be the only resource I will be able to tap throughout my investigations, as I will also have access to many other resources such as peers, advisors, supervisors, university staff and government offices. Other resources will follow as my research develops. Despite the obvious views of original contributions to knowledge, other questions still remain. One example of this is when a student continues a previously original piece of work, is it truly original? The answer would be in the affirmative in the following cases; for example, if the direct result were to produce new theoretical interpretation to an already given state; to extend, qualify, elaborate existing work; or even create a new research design and/or methodology for research. The latter example would clearly have an impact on any work that I was to produce. This form of original contribution to knowledge is popular when covering an already highly researched area. This allows the researcher to explore areas which have already been explored but have the possibilities to be interpreted in different ways. Also, when a theoretical model is brought from one discipline and applied to another discipline, it can create many interesting results. In the context of my research, there has been one author who has looked generally on policies surrounding disabilities, all be it more substantially from a political (government) viewpoint. However he does not go into detail on dyslexia specifically as this is not the focus of his research when making the general link to companies. What he has passingly touched on in the case of dyslexia would be something I would like to investigate further in my own research. The specific case is the reactions of the managers in companies towards disabled employees. In my research however, I would more specifically want to look at dyslexics. Another area of interest in my chosen topic has been that indirectly covered by wildlife experts. There have been many links made regarding the relationship that exists between mankind and animals, and I believe there are still many more links to be made. For example, if one animal is perceived to be different, then it is often excluded from the group or pack. This link can be made with people. When someone is perceived as different, they can often be persecuted directly or indirectly. This may involve a lowering of self worth or esteem and lead to social exclusion. There can be many assumptions as to why this is, and there are already existing theories with regards to animal behaviour. Therefore I would like to use these theories in a different field/context which again substantiates an original contribution to knowledge. Other areas of originality can be highlighted with fresh data which can lead directly into critical appraisal of previous work. Care needs to be taken not to re-create previous works, or have something which is too closely associated with a previous research specimen. A whole new stance needs to be taken. When a student, using fresh data, undertakes further research of a topic previously covered ten years earlier, there is a strong chance that the results now would differ. This could tentatively lead on to a new theory being uncovered as to the reason behind the change and would thus be considered as another original contribution to knowledge. If during my research I find that an area I wish to explore has already been covered, and yet I find myself disagreeing with the outcomes from the findings I have made, I would gather more data, if time permitted, which would allow me to critically appraise that piece of work with new findings. For example, if twenty years ago research formulated a theory covering managers reactions to disabled people in the banking industry, I would have no hesitation in contemplating further research in this area considering the drastic change in law, disability policies and banking practices over the intervening years. However, if all the work presented is relatively recent, yet I find myself disagreeing with the analysis, my original contribution could be a new analysis and new outcome from the existing data. This in turn could lead onto a fresh theoretical interpretation and even prompt a new analysis and new results derived from the old data. No matter how a research student deduces whether or not they have made an original contribution to knowledge, what matters is that there is a support structure in place to help and guide them. Mauch and Birch (1989) constructed a series of questions to guide researchers when trying to determine the relative strength of research topics, which in my opinion goes hand in hand with original knowledge contribution. Some of the questions highlighted by Mauch and Birch are as follows: 1. Is there current interest in this topic in your field? 2. Is there a gap in knowledge that work on this topic could fill? 3. Is it possible to focus on a small enough segment of this particular topic to make it manageable? 4. Can you envision a way to study the topic that will allow conclusions to be drawn with substantial objectivity? 5. Is the data collection (i.e., test, questionnaire, interviews, etc.) acceptable to your advisor and in your department? 6. Is there a body of literature relevant to the topic? 7. Is a search of the topic manageable? 8. Are there large problems to be surmounted in working in this topic? Can you handle them? Do you want to handle them? 9. Are the needed data easily accessible? Will you have control of the data? Placing the above in context, I can determine whether or not my own research ticks the boxes of this checklist and therefore can ascertain, in another way, whether or not my own work can be considered an original contribution to knowledge. In the instance of the first question, this is irrelevant to an original contribution. However, it does help make the process of PhD writing easier if there is interest and it is therefore a good starting point for a structure. The answer is yes. Interest in disabilities, although diminishing into the background of public awareness over recent years, is still there in the academic world. The second question is vital to original contributions to knowledge as previously discussed. Again, the answer is yes. The area of research I have chosen has been under researched and is therefore a treasure trove waiting to be explored further. Questions 3 to 5 along with 7 and 9 are more focused in and around managing the actual research and data collection. Although not immediately linked to the original contribution to knowledge, they do play a factor in deciding whether or not an area should be further investigated. Question 6 focuses on literature which we have established as being paramount to ascertaining an original contribution to knowledge. In my context, there is literature surrounding dyslexia but more from a sociological perspective. So far in my literature investigations I have not uncovered anything alluding to the subject area I wish to investigate. The final relevant question, number 8, can challenge a researcher when confronted with an original contribution to knowledge in a controversial area. Is it something a first time researcher wants to investigate or is it best left until another opportunity arises in the future? Not only is this an issue, this question also raises further questions about other issues. For example, ethical issues. When thinking about an original contribution to knowledge, a researcher must also take other factors into consideration. Ultimately, the topics surrounding What is an original contribution to knowledge are still quite broad and all encompassing, but with guidance from supervisors and the numerous books available, researchers, including myself, should not have any serious difficulty finding an original contribution to knowledge. A succinct summary for the process of thinking about an original contribution to knowledge is nicely stated by Rojewski in Farmer, E. I., Rojewski, J. W. (2001), Its been almost two weeks now. You spend what seems like, every waking moment thinking about it. And yet, still nothing. In a cruel twist of fate, it seems that the more time you spend thinking about it the more elusive the answer becomes. Why cant someone just give it to you already and then you can be done with it!