Gender role Essay

â€Å"Bros before hos, The guy code†, is a piece by Michael Kimmel, published on the Anthology portable legacies on 2009; On this piece Kimmel explains what The guy code is and how these code defines guys masculinity in today’s society and how society expects guys to behave. Kimmel also explains that young boys are taught these rules by a male figure in their lives at a very young age and they grow up with the pressure of having to follow these rules no matter what. The guy code is a collection of rules, traits and values that make a man. â€Å"What is a man?† was the question asked to teenagers in their late teens and early 20’s. Where their answers were things like: â€Å"Boy’s don’t cry†, â€Å"Don’t get mad – Get even†, â€Å"Take it like a man†, and many more. Kimmel then proceeds and gives the four rules that have been summarized by Robert Brannon, a social psychologist of the 1970s. Some of these rules are: â€Å"No sissy stuff!†, â€Å"Be a Big Wheel†, â€Å"Be a Sturdy Oak†, â€Å"Give ’em Hell†. (655) These rules supposedly define masculinity and that one a man disobeys those rules, the risk is being bullied with words like â€Å"fagot† and â€Å"gay† that are used as an insult to describe a man’s weakness. The guy code also creates competition between most men, from playing the best sports, better jobs, pretties girl, nicer cars, etc. and it has been like this from a long time ago due to men wanting the power, respect, and that image of being better than the other man. Creating the image that all men are supposed to be unemotional, powerful and successful beings. Kimmel also claims that in the future, the guy code causes social and psychological problems for boys and young men. Renteria 2 Men have been taught this guy code ever since they were young boys; their uncles, grandpas, dad, coaches, peers or any male figure in a mans life are the ones that start tell little boys to â€Å"man up† or â€Å"don’t cry† and is no longer able to cry or show emotion, leading to their behavior in the future. The little kids learn to always hold in their emotion and to never show weakness. Kimmel then gives an example of how boys are introduced to the guy code: A three year old boy that was crying at the barbershop because he was burnt by hot chemicals. The barber said to the boys dad, he was a wimp for crying and he needed to stay away from his mom and the boys dad decided after that, his child was spending more time with him and less time with his mother because he was scared of his son  being a mamas boy. (659) As a child grows up and parents push them to be strong and tough by keeping them away from their mothers nurturing. Kimmel also talks about the â€Å"Gender Police† that is basically other guys around them who watch and judge how they act , what they wear and say even how they walk because with a little natural swing on their hips they could be called a â€Å"fag† making homosexuality seems as a weakness. The gender police makes them feel like they are ust waiting for someone else to screw up, for someone to wear something pink or acting a little bit feminine. and just putting standards for each other, forcing themselves and guys around them to create a fake cover where they act rough and manly around each other. This judgments make man feel like they are being watched because of the fear of being ridiculed and humiliated by their peers. Kimmel said that men are more about what other men think about them; however the judgment from girls because as a girl the social media taught us to be attracted to tough guys,for example in any Disney movie where the superhero is the dependable, ric h, handsome, muscular guy who takes care and provides everything for the girl, creating an idea that masculinity is success, wealth and power. Renteria 3 Peers are another big influence and problem of this â€Å"guy code†. Another example from the article is about Don,a former Lehigh College football player, who discuses the effects of always having to put up a front and act tough in front of his teammates and his coaches. He says that his coach would always make fun of or humiliate any one of his players for showing any sign of weakness or fatigue. Don says â€Å"I’m sure he thought he was building up our strength and ability to play, but it wore me out trying to pretend all the time, to suck it up and just take it.†(656) If a guy doesn’t follow the rules in the guy code he will be criticized by other man, often times bullied, and lose friends which leads to low self-stem. Men are scared of what other men will say or think about them regardless of the situation. While the Guy Code may have been meant to make men stronger it causes more harm than good turning out more self destructive in the end It causes them to grow up thinking that showing emotion is never an option, which leads them to depression, and emotion issues, aggression towards themselves and the ones around them. Kimmel’s article is really good, since it talks about a topic that need to be discussed more; it gives examples and  even talks about of where the problem begins; but it still seems quite limited to me since as Kimmel explains what the guy code is, it still does not apply to all man, for the reasons that for some guys, the guy code is just a challenge or a phase where they learn how to express their emotions, also the question that were being asked only cover white middle class man that live in a certain area, In America there’s a great variety of immigrants coming from places all around the world, also if Kimmel had questioned people from a less homophob ic part of the country, then there would be a better chance of getting a more gender equal survey. Work cited Kimmel, Michael. â€Å"Bros before hos, The guy code.† Anthology Portable Legacies 2nd edition. Ed. Jan Zlotnik Schmidt and Lynne Crockett. Boston, MA, 2009. 654 – 669. Print.

Kennedy vs. Nixon Essay

â€Å"Peace,† the overall message is about experience and knowing what to do during though times. Nixon’s campaign tried to convey this seriousness by shooting its commercials of Nixon perched on a desk and speaking directly to the camera. In JFK’s 1960 â€Å"Debate,† political ad, he addresses the people in a snappier way, and by â€Å"facing the issues squarely. † However, neither of the candidates’ ads was about issues; rather, they were more contrast in styles. The messages focused on the era as a dangerous time; it was really an election about change versus experience. In Kennedy’s ad, he expresses his ideas directly, specifically, and offers â€Å"new American leadership for the country. † His tone is very magnetic and appealing, and it is quite pleasing to an American to hear that Kennedy thinks that America is a great country, but â€Å"it could be a greater† one. Whereas Nixon speaks with such composure and a serious-minded tone in his ad, it almost seems he is not excited (or even cares) to be there. The way Kennedy carries himself while giving speeches is an especially confident, poised, and self-assured one, so much that he even comments on whether if people think that America was doing everything satisfactorily, that he agreed with them, that they â€Å"should vote for Nixon†! Furthermore, on the Kennedy-Nixon debate, Kennedy appeared looking â€Å"tanned, confident, and vigorous,† while Nixon was â€Å"wearing no make up and a light-colored suit that blended into the background looking exhausted and pale, and sweated profusely. Also, Mr. Nixon’s tone is exceedingly formal, thus making him look a tad bit uncharismatic, (unlike his likable contender). His way of speaking directly to the camera and giving detailed answers to an offscreen speaker, presented him â€Å"as a though, experienced leader able to stand up to the Communists. † In general, while Nixon was not as charismatic and pleasant as JFK, he was a seasoned, experienced, and mature leader ready to stand up to Khrushchev. Moreover, Nixon kept arguing that while Khrushchev was a â€Å"cold, hard, ruthless man,† that we won’t â€Å"be coerced, that we will not tolerate being pushed around,† that he’d continue to â€Å"deal with Communism and the Soviet leaders†¦firmly, and always with vigilance. † In contrast, Kennedy attempted to turn his youth into an advantage, proclaiming in his acceptance speech at the Democratic Convention, â€Å"We stand today on the edge of a new frontier. †

Chilean Mine

Over two months trapped underground waiting to be rescued their waiting had finally come to an end on October 13, 2010. Two months ago on August 5th, 2010, in the city of Copiapo, Chile, near the Atacama desert an underground mining had collapsed trapping 33 miners 2300 feet below the surface. Now, given under the circumstances that the mine had a history of previous accidents and deaths, this led everyone to believe that the 33 men underground had died in the rumble. What will become of them?Having to be open-minded in such a gloom situation, was difficult nowing that the miners were still alive and well. There had to be something done to help them. The first thing that needs to be done is understand the crisis or disaster, only after that can a decision is made as how to handle the situation. In a situation like this it is best to appoint someone who can handle the discussions that arise and control the media. someone who can think outside the box and be sincere In executing the ta sk at hand.Someone who Is not afraid to ask questions and Is well versed with business rule: When you cannot answer the question, get someone who can. (Crisis Management 5th Para. Not only will this be the best for the company but for the families of the miners as well. Some considerations to remember is that the audience may be emotionally distressed and when communicating with them about the topic that we are straight forward. There has to be control in such a chaotic situation. Their expectations want to be addressed.How quickly will this be resolved? When will their loved ones come home They want answers, The needs of the families receiving the messages of this incident would want to know that their families would be coming home safely and that there is a plan to get the know out I OF3 saTely. Also, Is tnere a support system to nelp out tne Tamllles going tnrougn t crisis? Some family members, such as the children of those trapped below may need therapy. The families may want to know as well if there will be any compensation for what had happened.Will the company do what's right or Just walk away? Another potential need about receiving a message would be that, is the company safe? What measures have taken place to ensure the safety of the employees? Have preventive measures been taken so it won't happen again? The people would want to know that the company is doing something for their fellow employees trapped below. They would want to see that the company is taking steps to show that they care about what happened to their employees and that something like this would not happen again.Actions that would be taken before delivering the message is make sure that the one person appointed is an expert to read a memo and handle any questions that arise in the public. Also, at times of chaos there has to some level of comfort, tell them what they would want to hear. Letting them know that their loved ones are well, and that all steps are being taken to bring them h ome safely can bring them some ease. In any crisis or tragedy there are precautions take and how to handle the situation.The main concern is, how is the message being delivered and how the audience will will react to it. The key component is to communicate and show sympathy for the employees and families. Such a message would be delivered in person, face to face especially with the families involved. Another way would be to broad cast it so that city sees your trying to do what is best to bring them home safely. To hide behind letters and not be a around shows no empathy or concerns for the individuals that are involved. Our thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by this tragedy.Memo to Family Members and Employees As you may have heard on August 5th, 2010, there was a tragic accident in the mines of Chile located deep in the Atacama desert. The mine had caved in trapping 33 of our miners 2300 feet underground. They are working diligently to find the men and ensure that they have enough food and water to help them while they wait to be rescued. There are three large teams including the expertise of N. A. S. A working on ensuring their safe return to their loved ones. We know that working in the mining usiness can often be hard and cruel but I assure we are doing everything possible to bring them home.As more information or changes develop, the families will be the first to be notified and if there are any questions or needs please feel free to contact us. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your loved ones.

Feminism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Feminism - Essay Example The reason that female oppression goes unnoticed among many in the community is the fact that women are not actually a minority group which makes it hard for many people to view it as a major issue. A number of feminist factions have come up over the years fighting to safeguard women on the same opportunities and privileges as men in the society. Such include women being paid the same wage as men for the same job done, women having a say in the policies passed by the government and gives women an opportunity to expand their businesses and careers to levels they never could in the past. Feminism movements have received both the negative and positive reactions depending on the social context and the nature of the individuals themselves. These reactions range from anti-feminists to male chauvinists to pro-feminists. To most people’s surprise, there are men who have recently come out recently fighting for equal rights for men in their family, divorce settlements and in the anti-discrimination law. According to Emma Watson, most people view feminists to be â€Å"†¦too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive.† (United Nations, Para 2). This is often how men who are against the idea of female and man equality often perceive the notion. Recently, campaigns such as Women Against Feminism have come about which portray women fighting for equality to be man-hating. However, this is not the case. The main aim of the feminism movements that are underway all aim at ensuring that women get the same opportunity as men in the community. A number of feminist writers are in pact that pinpointing oneself as a feminist is a strong stand that any man in the community can take against the fight over sexism. It is important that men be given an opportunity to join the movement for feminism, which is the strategy that the UN is currently trying to incorporate in their recent campaign HeForShe, which purposes at

Case analysis Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 5

Analysis - Case Study Example In the United States McDonalds is considered responsible for the increasing rate of obesity in the country and is alleged of promoting unhealthy food products and thus it has created a threat for the company. For an effective sustainability of the company, it is essential to adopt an effective marketing strategy that would promote healthy food products as well as the health risks from their consumption (Currie, Vigna, Moretti and Pathania 1-41). McDonalds are taking steps to enhance its image through promoting healthy foods. McDonald’s is among the largest fast food companies that operate all over the world having its head quarter in the United States. For the past several years, company is facing several issues regarding their marketing strategy as well as harmful impacts on the people due to the consumption of their fast food. It has been found through survey that a higher percentage of obesity all over the world including the United States is caused due to increasing rate of consumption of fast food. This is creating a threat for McDonalds brand image in the USA. However, McDonalds is using various marketing strategies to promote its food as healthy. Obesity is generally a metabolic disorder through which excess fat is accumulated in the body that negatively affects the health condition of an individual, leading to other chronic diseases. Level of obesity is measured with the help of Body Mass Index (BMI) and an individual in the Western countries are considered as obese if his/her BMI exceeds 30 kg/m2 . The reason for the increasing rate of obesity in the United States is considered due to the high intake of fast food and less physical activity. However, the government of the United States considered McDonalds as the main culprit for the increasing rate of obesity in the country and implemented various policies for restricting the marketing activities that would make fool of the people. In the year 2003, two obesity suits were made

The Effectiveness Of Different Training Methods Commonly Used To Lab Report

The Effectiveness Of Different Training Methods Commonly Used To Increase An Athletes Speed - Lab Report Example Besides discussing the trining methods, I will emphsize the importnce nd subtle elements of thletes speed. Most tem nd individul thletes require good ccelertion. However, if we ignore trck sprinters for the time being, the gret mjority of teengers will only ever sprint over distnces less thn 30 metres during competition. This mens tht mximl speed will rrely be reched, nd tht ccelertion plys the most importnt prt in speed nd must therefore receive specil ttention in speed trining. Two spects significntly contribute to ccelertion: first-step quickness nd correct body position. First-step quickness is the bility to move in certin direction s quickly s possible. Often, significnt speed improvements over ten metres cn be mde by eliminting flse step. This is commonly seen when n thlete, wishing to run to his or her right, either rocks bck on to his or her left leg, or, even worse, tkes step bck with his or her left leg, before then beginning to run to the right. By teching the thlete to run immeditely in the intended direction, with low, fst first step, time-wsting movements re voided. s different open field sports require vrying strt positions, it is essentil tht most thletes cn strt sprinting from either foot. (Blzevich, 2005) Body position for ccelertion is different from the ... While mximl speed running requires runner to be firly upright (which llows the legs full rnge of movement through the hips), the idel position for ccelerting is between 45 nd 60 degrees. If sprint begins from stnding strt (s in, for exmple, bsebll nd softbll), the ngle should pproch 45 degrees. However, if the thlete is moving immeditely before the sprint (such s running to receive pss), there is less need for such low position. (Blzevich, 2005) Open field running is where n thlete begins by jogging, but then ccelertes rpidly to mximum speed. In footbll, this sprint my involve chnge in direction, physicl contct in pushing, being pushed, or breking tckle. Fctors importnt in this form of speed re the bility to correctly position the body for ccelertion, nd the bility to initite fst leg turnover. One drill tht cn trin this is clled the 'in/out' drill, where n thlete increses speed over, for exmple, 15 metres, then sprints mximlly for distnce of 20 metres. He or she then slows down over similr distnce before re-ccelerting nd sprinting for further 20 metres. It is lso possible to incorporte chnges in direction for improving sidewys speed. dults usully rech mximl speed during sprint t round 40 metres; it cn then only be mintined for limited distnce before decelertion sets in. Depending on their ge, children re likely to rech mximl speed t between 25 nd 40 metres. For most gmes plyers, mximl speed will rrely be determining fctor in their performnce, nd sprint trining over distnces longer thn 40 metres will usully be unnecessry. However, given tht some thletes (for exmple, trck sprinters) require speed over 100 nd 200 metres, trining will need to concentrte

Global Poverty Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Poverty - Research Paper Example Extreme poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa however increased to 46% in 2001 and it combined numbers of individuals living in extreme poverty (World Bank, 2004). Some of the transition economies of Eastern Europe and Central Asia suffered a sharp decline in income in the 1990s and the breakup of the Soviet Union also caused a significant reduction in their Gross Development Product per capita (Radio Free Europe, 2012). Poverty rates in the region increased as a result; improvements were gradually seen in the following years with per capital incomes recovering and poverty rates dropping. The World Bank also declared that poverty rates would start improving in Georgia and Ukraine in 2007 (Radio Free Europe, 2012). World Bank figures also indicate that based on 2004 figures, percentage of people living in poor households in East Asia and the Pacific region are at 9.07%; in Europe and Central Asia at 0.95%; in Latin America and the Caribbean at 8.64%; Middle East and North Africa at 1.47%; in South Asia at 30.84%; and Sub-Saharan Africa at 41.09%. There are also other indicators which are being used to indicate poverty, including life expectancy, child mortality, food supplies or calories taken per day, wage, literacy, and access to clean water (World Bank, 2004). ... Africa is also predicted to suffer even worse conditions in the years to come. Economic aspects of poverty highlights material needs, mostly those which include the necessities of daily living, like food, clothing, shelter, and safe drinking water. Poverty is therefore understood as the condition where a person or community does not have the basic needs to support the minimum standards of well-being, mostly due to the lack of a continued source of income (Townsend, 1979). An assessment of the social elements of poverty considers scarcity and elements of distribution resources as well as power forces in society as determinants of poverty levels. The social elements of poverty include lack of access to information, education, health, as well as political power. Poverty may also be considered in terms of unequal social conditions and social relationship including dependency, social exclusion, and failure to participate or to establish connections in society (Townsend, 1979). This social exclusion can be reduced via higher connections in the general society. The World Bank discussed that based on their assessment of about 20,000 poor individuals in 23 countries, they identified the following elements as determinants of poverty: unstable livelihoods, excluded locations, physical restrictions, gender relations, issues in social relations, limited or reduced security or safety, abuse of power, limited capabilities, disempowered institutions, and weak community organizations (Blastland, 2007). Under these conditions, poverty can be as significant problem, restricting opportunities as well as capabilities among the population affected. The main individuals affected by this issue are the people in developing countries,

Answer these questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Answer these questions - Assignment Example Since Brazil dependent on primary commodities, it experienced a case of Dutch Disease during this time. Another obstacle towards Brazilian development was the elastic supply of labor. Initially Brazil took advantage of the import of slaves from Africa but with the abolition of slavery that Brazil tried to ignore for as long as it could, Brazil began to gain labor from Southern Europe. The plantation owners began to press the government to transport labor from southern Europe at low costs. Thus an elastic supply of labor was maintained which resulted in a stable labor costs. While labor costs should have increased with the abolition of slavery, Brazil managed to keep them down through its lax immigration laws. One obstacle to the development of Brazil was the high cost of transportation. The country depended on waterways for the transportation of labor and other commodities. But the topography is Brazil is such that these waterways are not strategically placed within the country. Also the flow of certain rivers did not allow for an advantage through water transportation. The other option available to Brazil was land transportation. Unfortunately, land transportation was not a feasible option as most roads were broken and vehicles could not pass by them. The high cost of transportation therefore led to a limited interregional and international trade. Agriculture producers were only limited to market in their immediate vicinity. The surplus that was being produced in certain areas could not be transported in such a manner as to profit the crop owners. The inelasticity of supply that generated as a result meant that prices would increase every time the demand of advanced products increased i n the market. Thus the domestic agriculture sector of Brazil was unable to flourish as a result of the inelastic transportation system within the country. Even though the government realized the impact of the under development

Apple Inc. Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Apple Inc. Paper - Essay Example lifornia. The company was founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in the year 1976 as Apple Computers Inc. Apple Inc is involved in the manufacturing of digital electronics and computer hardware equipments. The company’s name was changed to Apple Inc in the year 2007. The company is listed on NASDAQ and New York Stock Exchange. Apple Inc has become the synonym for innovation with its cutting edge technology (Apple, 2012). The company has been constantly delivering products and services as per its mission and vision. The mission and vision for the Apple Inc is to be the most innovative company and design and manufacture products that are innovative, unique and provides the customers a whole new experience. The company can be referred to as the pioneer of technology. Apple Inc has made the technology look simple yet distinctive through its products and services. The product of the company includes iPhone, iPod, iPad, Mac, iTunes, speakers, printers, etc. All the products of the company possess unique features and have become hugely popular amongst the people. The company has so far been able to increase the level of eagerness of customers with every product launch. Every product of the company set a new bench mark both in technology and sales across the globe. The products of Apple Inc are sold worldwide through its retail outlets, direct sales, online store, and through third party sellers as well (YahooFinance, 2012). Apple Inc may be leading the way in the technology field but still faces stiff competition from some major players such as Google, Research in Motion and Hewlett Packard. These companies are no less innovative with their products and services. They are amongst the most admired companies in the world and significantly have large number of customer base as well. To have an edge over its competitors Apple Inc has been following a generic strategy. The company’s generic strategy can be discussed below: Competitive Advantage Apple Incâ₠¬â„¢s competitive advantage over its competitors lies in providing high value to its customers which justifies the high price of its products. Cost Leadership Strategy Apple Inc’s cost leadership strategy has always to set average price of the products to garner maximum profit. This strategy has been successful because of the high value company offers to the customers through its innovative products. Example: Recently launched iPad offers great value to its customers through differentiating features such as 5 megapixel iSight camera, 4G connectivity for faster browsing (Apple, 2012). Differentiation Strategy The prime generic strategy followed by Apple Inc is the differentiation

Great Expectations Essay Example for Free

Great Expectations Essay Great Expectations by Charles Dickens is a novel that focuses on the life of Philip Pirrip and his expectations. Throughout the book these expectations change and as they do, the reader comes to realise the key theme of how a characters upbringing and environment can dehumanise them. This essay will examine this key theme and how it demonstrates and helps the reader understand Pips growth as a character.  Initially, Pip is a very compassionate and sensitive character. We see this right from the start as the first scene describes him at his families grave crying. The reason for this behaviour at this stage of the book is Pips sister and guardian Mrs Joe Gargery. She concluded by throwing me- I often served her as a connubial missile-  This quote shows that Pip feels in most ways inadequate to his sister and that this domination is the reason for his sensitive and compassionate appearance at this stage of the book.  However, when Pip receives his expectations from Mr Jaggers, and he moves into lodging with Herbert, this domination is no longer valid. As Pip falls deeper and deeper into debt with his flippant spending, he moves further away from Joe and his old home. This gap becomes more apparent after Mrs Joes funeral, when Pip has an awkward conversation with his used to be good friend Biddy. In this conversation Pip presents himself as much more of a selfish and uncompassionate young man: Biddy, said I in a virtuously self-asserting manner, I must request to know what you mean by this?  This quote demonstrates Pips growth as a character as it shows the speed at which he has changed into more arrogant and self-righteous Pip since his childhood. It helps the reader understand the theme of how a characters upbringing and environment can dehumanise them, by showing that in his new, wider-boundary environment, Pip has become somewhat dehumanised. This dehumanisation is demonstrated in this conversation, as Pips manner is made to seem selfish and arrogant to underline the gap between Pips humanised place of upbringing and his somewhat dehumanised state in London. After Mrs Joes death, Pip seems more compassionate and thoughtful. This is because his visit back to his place of birth has helped him realise the change that he has undergone while he has been away by showing him the emotional distance he has put between himself and his family, and the consequences these distances have had on his relationships with his friends and family back home. This compassionate change is reinforced when he sets up Herberts job in a bid to see his friend more financially stable. I did really cry in good earnest when I went to bed, to think that my expectations had done some good to somebody.  This quote shows that Pip has realised the main theme of how a characters environment and upbringing can dehumanise them, by acting in this compassionate and thoughtful way. Also by referring to Herbert as somebody at the end of this quote, Pip shows the reader that he does not believe that his expectations have done himself that much good. In conclusion, Pip reacted throughout the novel towards his environment and upbringing in both negative and in the end positive ways. At the beginning of the novel, he seemed a very modest and sensitive young boy. However when he receives his expectations this marks the beginning of the changes and dehumanisation that he undergoes whilst he is in London. Thankfully though, after his experience at Mrs Joes funeral Pip realises these changes that he has undergone and endeavours to be more compassionate and thoughtful. This shows the reader that Pip has almost completed a full circle of growth, in terms of his behaviour in relation to his upbringing and environment, and this was reinforced by the main theme of how a characters upbringing and environment can dehumanise them.

Brand Identity Prism Kapferer For Nike Running Shoes Marketing Essay

Brand Identity Prism Kapferer For Nike Running Shoes Marketing Essay According to Kapferers model, the brand identity prism for Nike running shoes has six dimensions which are physique, relationship, reflection, personality, culture and self-image. First, physique is the physical aspects and the main purpose of the brand; tell consumers what the product is, what the product actually does and what the product carries value in the eye of customers (Krishnamurthi 2007). The physique of Nike running shoes is sport- running because that is what the running shoes being made for. It includes all the tangible things of Nike running shoes including Nike running shoes feature, look, color, design and quality which these add values to buyers as it wears for running. The second dimension is relationship. Customers can have a relationship with the brand because the brand often involve with transaction and exchange between people, particularly in the service and retail sector (Garg 2008). According Kapferer (2008), brands exist in the market because of communication, such as advertising and direct consumers communication. For our Nike running shoes prism, Nike maintains a good relationship with customers by creating memorable award-winning campaign such as Nike running marathon. Furthermore, Nike sponsors the athletes (focusing on individual athlete and their success) as well as sponsors the game, such as the Olympic game. The third dimension is reflection which means how the individual in the intended group of customers identify himself as a person in relation to the brand (Kochhar 2007). Therefore, every brand tries to design the product to meet the need for the targeted customer group as customer reflection is a good factor for being a strong brand image, so brands should control their customer reflection (Kapferer 2008). In this case, customers will be reflected Nike running shoes for dynamic lifestyle, for winning with cool fashion. Over time, Nike will use advertising to continue address our customer reflection, so as a result of buying Nike running shoes, customers will perceive their own identity to be dynamic and fashionable and certainly to win. The fourth dimension is personality which refers to when brands talks about its product and what kind of person it would be if it were a human being (Krishnamurthi 2007). Brand personality is described by using the features of customer personality which are directly related to the brand and is closely linked with self-image (Slideshare 2009). For our Nike prism, Nike brand personality may be that of confident, arrogant, aggressive and energetic. Examples of person it could be are Maria Sharapova and Roger Federer since these two tennis players have the personality of confident, arrogant, aggressive and energetic which these character can represent the Nike brand. Nike gives the attention to a specific sport, such as tennis, basketball and golf (Slideshare 2009). The fifth dimension is culture which is a set of values that the brand is inspired or originated from (Kapferer 2008). It can be said that brand is representative of its culture, including communication (Krishnamurthi 2007). For our Nike prism, Nike takes its culture from the American culture. Nike is a global brand that reveals its culture by which symbolizes the American way which is being individual and aggressive like Michael Jordan (Garg 2008). Nike has aggressive winner attitude that can be related to the American sport attitude. This culture will help Nike in the way to differentiate Nike from other competing brands, such as Adidas, as the brand culture indicates what values are included in the Nike products and services. In addition, Nike communicates with their people by relating it with cultural values by creating a provocative attitude by encouraging them to let loose (Just do it) (Slideshare 2009). Finally, the sixth dimension is self-image which means how the individual in the targeted group identify the brand in relation to himself and it is the internal version of reflection (Kapferer 2008). It is a certain attitude toward a certain brand. Customer self-image is important as customers are attracted to the brand in which they see their own traits (Kochhar 2007). For Nike prism, the person who identifies himself/herself as fun, smart and sport person will buy our Nike running shoes since customers buy shoes corresponding to their self-image. Nike shoes now have more fashionable running shoes rather than being only traditional running shoes, buyers of Nike running will try to prove themselves too that they are in-fashion, having their own style, as well as they are fit and sport person and feel fun and cool. When they wear Nike running shoes, they belong to a fashionable sport society. In conclusion, brand identity of Nike running shoes can be described by six dimensions of brand identity prism by Kapferer. Nike running shoes physique is sport (running) and Nikes relationships are campaign and sponsorship. Customer reflection for Nike are dynamic, winning and fashion, whereas, Nikes cultures are American and Just do it. Nikes brand personality can be represented by Maria Sharapova or Roger Federer and finally Nikes brand images are fun, smart and sport person. All of these six elements of brand identity prism help to understand the perceptions of the brand, Nike running shoes, in the customer minds which thus help to build a better brand image and position of the Nike running shoes at a better level. Word count: 1028

The Human Impact Of Climate Change

The Human Impact Of Climate Change Climate change concerns to a statistically momentous deviation in either the mean state of the climate or in its variability, remaining for an extensive period (normally decades or longer) (What is climate change, 2001). Climate change is term that adverts to any major and long-term change in average weather in a specified region or whole Earth. Fundamentally important variability of average weather over longer time period can be depicted as climate change. Climate change is due to natural internal procedures or external pressures, or to relentless anthropogenic alterations in the composition of the atmosphere or in land utilization. Earlier in the beginnings of earths history climate changes were normally induced by different vibrant processes on earth but recently it is caused by human activities. This is the reason that in our everyday talks the term climate change refers to climate change caused by global warming. The most disposed signs of climate change are glaciers that are presently melting at rapid level which entails climate change has already began. This time, climate change is only due to the recent human activities and had resulted in global warming process. Today, Global warming has become synonym for climate change due to its role in climate change. Undue emission of injurious greenhouse gases into atmosphere is causing a raise in average temperature that in turn is affecting the climate on Earth (What is climate change, 2001). The use of fossil fuels as a dominant aspect is continuing to emit CO2 and other greenhouse gases into atmosphere that is causing even more grave effects to climate change. With the rise in temperature globally effects like severe changes in weather patterns, climbing sea levels and increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather is been experienced. The world most susceptible areas are around Earths poles and Africa and these areas had already started experiencing momentous increase in average temperature. The depressing fact is that one cant stop climate change and can only make attempt to adjust to it and not making it worse with its own activities. Our own activities induced global warming and at this time all of us are confronted with the climate change as our most prominent environmental challenge. Although, all of us are already aware of climate change but still lacking in our activities to stop further increase of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. For dealing with this present environmental challenge, there is a need to work vigorously for a global agreement to control climate change and to take possible domestic actions to attain satisfying diminutions in our own contribution. Discussion Significance Scope of the Issue The management of the severe environmental challenge is essential as otherwise it could direct us towards drastic results. Already climate change is responsible for 300,000 deaths a year in accordance to former UN secretary general Kofi Annans think tank, the Global Humanitarian Forum. The study generated by the Global Humanitarian Forum also claims that approximate 300 million people in a year are affected by the outcomes of climate change (The Human Impact of Climate Change, 2009). Climate change is not only an all-encompassing menace but it is also an arbitrary threat-multiplier. With the affects of climate change a number of vulnerable communities of this planet can get destroyed (2009 Forum-Human Impact of Climate Change, 2009). The devastating effects of our development and measures for national, regional and global security are not measurable presently, but slowly or gradually its affects will start appearing along with destruction. The different studies done in this field projects that the increasing severity of events, like flooding and storms due to climate change will be accountable for approximately 500,000 deaths a year by 2030. Currently climate change is stimulating losses of over $125bn a year that is greater than the last year total of world aid. Anticipations exhibit that by 2030, losses could be around $600bn a year. With this weather related disasters problems like hunger, disease, poverty and lost livelihoods can increase (The Human Impact of Climate Change, 2009). If within coming 25 years, emissions are not brought under control the 310 million more people will start suffering with unfavourable health consequences connected to temperature gains, 20 million more people will fall under poverty and 5 million more people will be expatriate by climate change (The Human Impact of Climate Change, 2009). These statistics regarding the effect of climate change demonstrates that in present this is most significant environmental challenge that the world is facing. This need to be managed as soon as possible for everyone as otherwise it could lead to pressurize food production, decrease sanitation, and block economic development and degradation of ecosystems. Specific causes of Climate Change Climate change is the result of both the natural and human factors, but from some past decades it is mainly due to the subsequent human factors: The most prominent reason of climate change is releasing of greenhouse gases and aerosols into the atmosphere. From last two hundred and fifty years, the concentrations of greenhouse gases and carbon dioxide have increased due to the burning of fossil fuels for energy production. The more the countries are moving towards industrialization and development, the more they are affecting their environment, which is resulting in the climate change (Climate Change, n.d.). Another prominent reason of climate change is deforestation, which is related with agriculture and urban development and harvesting timber for fuel, construction and paper. When the ecosystems are altered and vegetation is either burned or took out, the carbon stored in them is relinquished to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (What causes global climate change, 2005). Sulphate Aerosols and Black Carbon are other two crucial instances of anthropogenic forcings. Current industrial activities have recently increased the concentration of sulphate aerosols and black carbon in the atmosphere that is making imperative effect on our climate in the form of drastic weather events. Critical Analysis Evaluation of Environmental and Ecological Consequences Earlier, the Earths atmosphere was changed very little. The temperature and the equilibrium of heat-trapping greenhouse gases were appropriate for humans, animals and plants to stay alive but presently everyone is confronting problems in maintaining the balance due to increasing industrialization and development activities. For our own comfort of life and economic development, all of us are making increasing use of fossil fuels from heating our homes to creating energy (Shah, 2009). This is adding more and more greenhouse gases to the atmosphere that in turn is raising the warming potentiality of the natural greenhouse effect. This enhanced greenhouse effect is causing environmental and ecological concerns as it has the potency to warm the planet at a range that has never been went through in human history. This warming of the climate is resulting in more extreme weather patterns, chances for several ecosystems to adapt naturally are decreasing, sea levels are rising, glaciers are melting, ocean acidification is increasing and agricultural outputs are failing resulting in hunger. All these consequences are related with the use of fossil fuels that is the significant reason for CO2 emissions. The use of fossil fuels in turn is closely linked to economic growth, lifestyle and our culture. In present every human being is contributing to the CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere (Climate Change, n.d.). Though, the persons lifestyle and culture determines the amount emitted by him. The more flourishing a countrys economy is the superior is its fossil fuel consumption, ensuing in higher greenhouse gas emissions. Success of Solutions Proposed Applied Climate change is affecting the whole world. Number of developed and developing countries are working together to discover the solution of environmental challenge of climate change. From the time, this issues has emerged a number of efforts had been done some of which had attained success and some had failed. In June 1992, 154 countries signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) that corresponded to alleviate the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere at levels that would not cause destruction. In Kyoto, in December 1997, Japan, Canada and 160 other industrialized nations committed to cut down their greenhouse gas emissions, as component of an international agreement on climate change identified as the Kyoto Protocol. This eventually came into force throughout 2005 (Climate Change, n.d.). Till the time these efforts had not attained immense success but with these efforts modest emission reductions had been encountered from industrialised countries. Countries are trying to reduce their emissions as now they had become aware with its severe results. Conclusion With the detailed discussion it can be said that in present climate change is with us. A decade ago, it was only an assumption but currently the future is unveiling before our eyes. Canada is experiencing it in the form of vanishing Arctic ice and permafrost. Latin America and Southern Asia is seeing it in lethal storms and floods whereas Europeans are experiencing it in melting glaciers, forest fires and disastrous heat waves (Pearce, 2006). All these experiences of different countries disclose that the consideration regarding this environmental challenge is imperative as otherwise more and more countries of the world will start experiencing its effects. The present drastic change in the climate needs to be controlled for assuring an appropriate level of CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere as otherwise it could bring unpredictable changes in our environment and ecological system. For controlling this environmental challenge staying educated about climate change and supporting attempts to deliberate its progress are the things that everyone can do and should do. Our efforts regarding the climate change could make our economy more internationally competitive by creating expansion and jobs while raising less waste, pollution and greenhouse gases.

BigBrother Big Sister Essay -- essays research papers

The main two types of mentoring are natural mentoring and planned mentoring. Natural mentoring occurs through friendship, collegiality, teaching, coaching, and counseling that is formed from un-constructed planning (Newman, 1990, p. 41). In contrast, planned mentoring occurs through structured programs in which mentors and participants are selected and matched through formal processes (Newman, 1990, p. 43). There are many different ways to describe mentoring, but they all boil down to one thing: a positive, supportive relationship between a young person and a caring adult. The most compelling data that we have shows the change in our American family structure. Day there are alarming number of children with mental disorders and children being raised in single parent homes has increased. In both areas it is shown that we need more preventive care (Petersmeyer 1989). Other statistics are equally troubling: each day in the United States, 3,600 students drop out of high school, and 2,700 unwed teenage girls get pregnant (Petersmeyer 1989). As a society we have a responsibility to our youth to help them become strong adults. My grandmother was always telling me that it takes more then the immediate family to raise a child well, if a child is to be rear well it takes a whole community contribution. This paper is a comparison of two agencies, Big Brother Big Sisters of America and Compeer. Big Brother Big Sister of America focuses on youth that are from single parent homes. Compeer focus is on children with a mental disorder. The reason why I have chosen these agencies are to show how the success of both and how each is similar to each other but also how each agency focuses on a different area. I do believe that it shows as a member of society and being a mentor we can make a difference in our youth today and our future leaders of tomorrow. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America was started over ninety years ago. Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) agencies have provided supportive, one-to-one relationships between adult volunteers and youth living in single-parent homes. Today, BBBSA provides about 75,000 young people with one-to-one supports (Public /Private Ventures, 1995a). In a presentation of the BBBS services, Public/Private Ventures (1995a:4) stated the following: Volunteer screening is a must and is a very strict procedu... ...ntaged High School Students. New York: Manpower Demonstration Research Corporation, 1990. ERIC Number ED 325598. Flaxman, E. Evaluating Mentoring Programs. New York: Institute for Urban and Minority Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, 1992. Haensly, Patricia A., and James L. Parsons. (1993) â€Å"Creative, Intellectual, and Psychological Development Through Mentorship: Relationships and Stages.† Youth and Society. 25(2), 202-221. Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam Webster. Newman, Michael. Beginning a Mentoring Program. Pittsburgh, PA: PLUS (Project Literacy U.S.), 1990, pp. 34-43. Petersmeyer, C.G. "Assessing the Need" in M. Newman, Beginning a Mentoring Program. Pittsburgh, PA: One Plus One, 1989, pp. 5-25. Public /Private Ventures. (1995a) Grossman, Jean Baldwin and Joseph P. Tierney. Making a Difference. September 2000. Philadelphia. Public /Private Ventures. (1995b) Morrow, Kristine and Melanie Styles. Building Relationships with Youth in Program Settings. May 1995. Philadelphia.

Military Police Corps :: U.S. Army

The Military Police Corps has a long and glorious history to be proud of. Listed on U.S. Army Info (2011), Military Police Corps was officially recognized as a military occupation on the 26th of September 1941, but their work can traced back even further. According to U.S. Army Info (2011), the first use of the Military Police was during the American Revolution in 1776. Military Police have been deployed and used in conflicts such as: "World War 11, Korean War, Vietnam conflict, Desert Storm, and Iraqi Freedom" (Wright, 2001). Today, Military Police have a variety of different tasks they are expected to perform, much more than just arresting criminals. "Military Police Corps officers lead units in performing five major functions associated with the branch-area security, maneuver and mobility support, police intelligence operations, internment and resettlement, and law and order," according to U.S. Army Info (2011). They are also charged with protecting troops and watching equipment overseas and at home stations across the United States (About, 2011). MP's are sent to Fort Leonard Wood to receive the training they are required to have, there they learn certain skills that are crucial to their occupation (U.S. Army Info, 2011). Several of the skills they learn while at Fort Leonard Wood are: "basic warrior skills, military and civil jurisdiction, use of firearms and arrest and restraint of suspects," as stated in GoArmy (2011). Each individual has to already have certain skills to be successful as a MP, such as: "being physically fit, ability to interact well with people and ability to remain calm in stressful situations," according to GoArmy (2011). Educational requirements are slim to none, the Army looks to enlist anyone who has a high school diploma or GED. If you have a bachelor's degree in any major, you can apply for an officer spot. Salary ranges are varied because it depends if your an enlisted soldier or an officer, how many years of service you have under your belt and if you receive hazard pay or separation pay or any other kind of pay benefits (GoArmy, 2011). Selection process for a MP is long and rigorous procedure. First, an individual has to qualify through MEPS to get into the military and pass all basic medical test, background checks and drug tests. Second, the individual has to complete basic training to even make it to their Advance Individual Training. After basic training is completed they are sent off to Advance Individual Training, where they are pushed through one last test, if they complete AIT, then you will be a certified Military Police soldier.

Think negative experiences

As a child, Josh Mahayana grew up in a poor family (and having total of 8 billings) all the way in Gambling, Subway and came face-to-face with poverty at a very young age. He began to realize this while as he was walking everyday seeing his neighbors watch televisions and listening to the radio, thinking to himself why his family did not do the same things other people did. But this did not hinder him from doing what a normal child should do. â€Å"Maharani nag Kim. Insist OK an gung Hindi aka mage-oral at massaging, wall tale Kong page-as an abashing nag Kinshasa OK. , he proclaimed. In fact, growing up, his mindset was focused on graduating, and he did, despite he 10-kilometer walk that took him at least 2 hours everyday to go to school. It became a constant reminder to him to hold on to his dreams and education. In elementary, he only put his school supplies in a plastic bag. He would go around knocking on different sari-sari stores everyday asking for a new plastic bag because h is plastic bag would rip off due to his pencils. He even mentioned that there were times that he did not even get the chance to eat nor was given allowance.He thought it was a blessing for him to be able to listen in his classes and walk going to school despite the lack of food in his yester. He was indeed very determined to learn and to finish his studies as his parents would always tell him that they never got the opportunity to study like he did. He finally graduated, even as the Valedictorian of his batch. It was a great feeling for him and his parents to be able to graduate, even as Valedictorian, despite the status of their family. But then, going to college was quite a struggle for him.Having a total of 8 siblings, it is very common in the Filipino culture to have the oldest to be sent to college first before the others. But then again, Josh found a way to send himself to college. In that summer, he worked in a mining place and used his salary to travel to Swamis City. It was a blessing for him to graduate as Valedictorian, but even more of a blessing to be offered a scholarship in Misaims University and did not have to pay for his tuition. He had dreams of becoming a lawyer and also an executive in a building in Magmata. Taking chances and exploring possibilities, after graduating, he traveled to Manila at 19 years old.A generous individual gave him 10,000 pesos from his college that believed he deserved the life he dreamt of living; which was to help others, especially his family. He then rented a small place in Cuba, having only one set of old business attire, looking for a job. He even experienced being holdup, having taken his wallet and cellophane. Luckily enough, he was ranked 3rd from all the applicants that applied to the job that he did. He knew that he did not pass all the qualities that the job was searching for but this did not hinder him from taking a chance.He studied law and after happily and thankful working for that company for 3 years , he traveled to the United States. He knew he had to work hard because his siblings and family were not earning enough to supply hat they needed and his mom sick as well. 250,000 pesos were lent to him to have the opportunity to travel to the U. S. He worked, as a cleaner for 3 years, cleaning 15 rooms a day, and a room was limited to be cleaned in a span of 30 minutes. Paying a visit to the Philippines after 3 years, he did not know that one simple thing would change his life plans.He saw a little boy walking in the rice field of his province, and it reminded him of what he was before. He was once that kid. That encounter made him realize that it was a sign from God. â€Å"l was once that kid. My life story is not just about a kid overcoming poverty but I realized that the story of my life was about the concept and mindset of poverty in the Philippines. The problem about poverty in our country is not poverty itself, but the mindset that it cannot be changed. And if I saw that cha nge in education and effort in myself, it is possible to happen to other poor children in this country. He flew back to the U. S and eventually sold all the things that he did not usually use. He also passed by Vietnam because he was interested on the manufacturing. He met a woman that helped him pursue the business that he anted to put up in the near future. The woman was generous enough to help him and lent him money from the company. Bringing home a total of 200 bags back home to the Philippines and sold it only in a span of 2 weeks. According to him, a bag is very symbolic. It stands for education. And this is how Bag was formed.Not only Bag by the object itself but also by the acronym Be A Giver. Instead of having a buy 1, take 1 promo, instead was a buy 1 , give 1 promo. Each bag you buy, a bag is given to the needy. It is a project that is very close to his heart because he claimed that if he wanted to ruse something, he wanted it to also be relevant to him and the bag was th e perfect representation of it. â€Å"l think it is amazing that while a Bag giver uses his bag every day, he knows that a kid somewhere in the Philippines carries a bag, too, that he gave, trying to accomplish his dreams.In the same way, that while a kid strives every day to go to school in pursuit of education and his dreams, he knows that somebody out there actually cared and thought about him. † Josh claims, â€Å"Every time I hand over a bag to a kid now, I am actually handing over a bag to myself. I want them to feel the inspiration and encouragement felt when a distant relative gave me a bag when was in Grade 4. The simple act of giving propelled me to dream the same kind of dreams my classmate had, or even bigger. He eventually stopped manufacturing in Vietnam and was inspired by a public official to start manufacturing here due to the fact that it would be proudly made in the Philippines, would create local jobs and have an easier quality tracking. The generous indi vidual that lent him 10,000 pesos now works hand in hand with Josh and is an operations manager at Bag. She claims that it is an amazing feeling to not only work because of needing a job but the Overwhelming feeling of giving to those who are in need each time someone purchases one bag.As of 2014, there are about 3,000 bags that have been made by this company in the Philippines. They give out bags to different chosen public schools. This serves as a motivation for them that in spite of their hard status in life, they have that little hope to hold on to. The most heart-warming part of the interview was seeing how Josh's project made an impact to the children in need as they thanked him for the bag and owe it motivates them to be exactly like him. And yet again another project called The Yellow Boat of Hope (HOB) movement led by Dry.Anton Limit as Josh's giving partner. This project started from the discovery of seeing children in Gambling City literally swimming their way to school. It was a very heartbreaking fact for them to know that some kids still do not have an easy access to education. HOB provides boats for children in order for him to go to school and not having to swim anymore. Now, they expanded their projects to include livelihood for the parents as well as the building of lassoers, dormitories and even bridges. â€Å"What I am doing right now is a product of what people did for me. FL am able to give, it is because I had been given. It is the right thing to do. † Josh even said that he does not need to be bayed for what he does, because the overwhelming feeling of seeing kids happy is enough for him. Remember my grandmother once telling me that should always be humble. In whatever I do, humility is a virtue should always retain. Should always be generous and always be kind, for whatever I give, will be given back to me. Not always by material objects, but by kindness and generosity as well. I've stood by that saying for almost how many years now.My grandmother will always be someone I will look up to because she has gone through many challenges to be who she is now. She may not always have it all together in her career, but she is always happy full of content. Not only she is happy, she shares that happiness to the family and to others. She is the best grandmother anybody could possibly have and I am blessed that she is mine. She is beautiful, she is smart and she is generous. She started off just like Josh, in a poor state. With 7 siblings, and her as an only girl.Education will always be a priority in our family because my grandparents know how important education is in one's life. My grandmother worked hard to reach her dreams. She married my grandfather and became successful in life. Not only successful but, happily successful. She never forgot where she came from and now helps also the students in need for an education by giving them jobs. I remember one of the working students sending her a text message saying â €Å"one day, I will give you anything you want just to repay you for your kindness† and my grandmother replied with finishing your education will be enough†.She will tell that to my siblings and me as well. She still has dreams on putting up a school and a home for children in need. She will always inspire me in whatever I do. I really do believe that we should never be selfish with what we have. And I also believe that success will always depend on you, yourself. The success of Bag would have never been possible if Josh decided to be one of those kids that just stayed at home and did not push himself to study. Think that if everyone has a mindset like him, poverty would lessen in this country. Because what you dwell on is whatnot become.How you see things will always affect the things that you do and the decisions you make. Nowadays, I think it is so hard to stumble upon humble people like Josh. People usually do not realize the fact that they are very much blessed. Jo sh was blessed with generous people to help him achieve success along the way. Think negative experiences in your life can determine what kind of a person you are: that is if you are a person to give up or the person that stands back up and try again. Content. This is what this interview is also trying to point out. Contentment.

The Help (Kathryn Stockett) Important Character

The Help written by Kathryn Stockett is a beautiful but shocking look into the racism towards coloured maids in Jackson Mississippi during the 1960's. An important character who helped to develop much of the plot-line is Hilly Hilbrook. Hilly becomes an important character through her talent for nasty gossip, her power over people and the insecurities she has about herself . She somehow manages to still seem cute and innocent and is described as, † One a those grown lady's that still dress like a little girl with big bows and matching hats and such. She ain't my favourite. † The main reason Hilly becomes such an unforgettable villain is because of her talent for gossip. Part of Hilly's personality is her ability to make people listen and once that happens, (even if its only whispered ), it spreads through the town like wildfire. â€Å"She give one a her little ‘a-hems'; she got this way a clearing her throat real delicate-like that get everybodies attention without them even knowin she made em do it†. I think this is also something that people can easily relate to, especially at High School where instances like this happen every day, with a horrible after affect. There is one character in particular who gets the sting in tail of Hilly's gossip and that character is Minny Jackson, known as ‘the best cook in Mississippi. † The only reason she isn't the most popular choice for someone looking to hire a maid is because of Hilly spreading vicious rumours. Hilly wanted Minny to work for her, so she falsely spread it round town that Minny stole from Hilly's mother who was Minny's old employer, causing everyone to turn their noses up when Minny applied for a job, therefore forcing her back to Hilly. Hilly makes all the rules. If she has something, then everyone else wants that something too – † Hilly was the first of the girls to have a baby, and it must have come out of her like the forth commandent, because once Hilly had one, all them other girls had to have one too. † She started the â€Å"Home help Sanitation Initiative' that required white houses to have a separate bathroom for the black help, ‘as a disease-preventative measure. ‘ One of her closest followers knew she couldn't afford it, but in order not to issappoint Hilly, pulled money out of her daughter's college fund in order to pay for the new bathroom. Hilly is terrified of losing her status and her title as top dog – ‘Chairman of the Jackson Junior League' . Her fear rules her life so in turn rules everybody elses. The hero of the story wants to be a writer, so she writes a book about their town from the maids point of view. In the book some awful things are written abou t Hilly that are for the first half of the book simply referred to as â€Å"the terrible alful' committed by Minny who was seeking revenge once she knew Hilly had beaten her. Hilly knows that this would completely destroy her reputation if anyone ever figured out it was about her. This causes her to use all her power to try and convince everybody that â€Å"the book is not about Jackson! † The Character of Hilly is made memorable through Kathryn Stockett unique style of writing. She allows the reader to visualise the town of Jackson with all it's colourful characters, of which Hilly was one of the most vivid.

Comparison and Contrast of the Devil and Tom Walker and the Devil and Daniel Webster

A comparison and Contrast of â€Å"The Devil and Tom Walker† and â€Å"The Devil and Daniel Webster† Well to start off, these two stories were tall tales and they were very similar and also very different on the same account. In one case these stories are very similar because both of the stories as just mention are tall tales; also they both include the devil as a main character and men that were very poor. Also both stories have men as the main character who tries to get out of a deal with the devil which they have agreed to. But at the same time both stories are very different. Because in the story â€Å"The Devil and Daniel Webster† the man is not greedy, but just merely down on his luck. Also the man in â€Å"The Devil and Daniel Webster† sticks to his word. While in the story The Devil and Tom Walker the man is greedy hearted, mean and also does not stick to his word. So to sum this up, the devil and Tom Walker is very different and similar to the devil and Daniel Webster. The stories are very similar in the way that both men are poor and both of the men makes a deal with the devil that they soon regret. Then the stories are very different in the personality of the two men. With Jabez not being a greedy and mean man man and Tom walker being greedy and mean who makes a deal with the devil.

Salvia Divinorum

Salvia Divinorum is a hallucinogenic Mexican herb known as â€Å"diviner’s mint† in the US and is typically a natural substance that has the ability to cause intense hallucinations â€Å"out of body† experiences, and a short-term memory loss. Although this substance is legal in the United States despite of the herb’s hallucinogenic properties, this stuff is generally not considered as therapeutic despite of the notion that it was also used for curing by the Mazatic, and is more likely to be use as recreational drugs by adolescents because of mind altering properties of this substance. Because of these properties, Salvia Divinorum should be classified as a potential source of restricted drugs along with Marijuana or the Cannabis sativa and products derived from this herb should be considered as restricted drugs. A mysterious plant that is both puzzling and perplexing, this herb was described botanically by Carl Epling and Carlos D. Jativa in 1962 through the help of two Americans, Albert Hofman a chemist, and Gordon Wasson, an ethno mycologist investigating Mazatic rituals (Clebsh & Barner p. 06). Growing only in the territory lived in by the Mazatic Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico; the Maztic Indians use this plant along with other ingredients for their hallucinogenic properties â€Å"in divinatory rituals† (p. 106). According to Clebsch and Barner, It was reported that if this salvia was ingested â€Å"it would produce an illusory experience† (p. 106). Apparently, this stuff when ingested produces strange feelings that could be similar to the effects of p articular drugs such as Marijuana and other prohibited drugs. Daniel J. Siebert pointed out that the effect of taking Salvinorin A(an encapsulated product from salvia divinorum), includes seeing visions of people, objects, and places, and with doses above one mg user will experience out body experiences and may get up or move around with no clear awareness of their actions or behavior (p. 55). Furthermore, during the most intense phase of the experience, Siebert noted that user of this substance speak nonsense and even laugh hysterically. Siebert summarized the feelings experiences that could be had by any taking substance derived from salvia divinorum as follows: User sees objects such as yellow plaid French fries, a drawer and even ferries wheel; a visions of various dimensional objects; body loss and even identity; uncontrollable hysterical laughter; and different feelings of motion, or being twisted or pulled by forces of some kind (p. 55). From this feelings and experiences resulting from the use of salvia divinorum there is a considerable evidence that this substance could produce drugs that with effect similar or might even harmful than the effect of marijuana. The irony is that this drug is not restricted in the United States thus companies promoting drugs derived from this herb are free to promote these types of substances on the internet sites targeting younger adults and adolescents. According to information released by DEA, Drug Diversion Program entitled â€Å"Drugs of Chemical Concern: Salvia Divinorum† this substance is being smoked and its effect are described by users similar to other restricted drugs (WWW. Streetdrugs. org). Based on new pharmacological findings and the description of users of this substance, salvia divinorum should be classified as potential source of restricted drugs and that government authorities should closely monitor and act decisively against the liberal use of this substance. Just like other restricted substance that causes potential harm to the user when taken liberally, this substance are prone to abuse and may also cause potential harm to the users. While, there seems to be no clear physical benefit on the use of this stuff aside from the notion of relaxation, the abnormal behavior of the person when at the peak of experience of this drugs, is a clear indication of the potential harm this substance may cause on the users. Work Cited Clebsch, Betsy & Barner, Carol D. The New Books of Salvias USA: Timber Press, 2003 â€Å"Salvia Divinorum† WWW. Streetdrugs.org http://www.streetdrugs.org/salvia2.htm Siebert, Daniel Salvia divinorum and Salvinorin A: new pharmacological findings Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd., 1994 http://www.sagewisdom.org/siebertjep94.pdf

Direct Mail and Email Advertising Research Paper - 1

Direct Mail and Email Advertising - Research Paper Example The report examines direct marketing as a method of sending advertising messages to potential and existing customers through direct mail. It highlights the major advantages and disadvantages of this method as a traditional method of advertisement. This method is costly and customers may not read the intended ad message. Email advertising involves the conveyance of advertisement messages through email. With the rise of internet technology, emails are becoming easy and fast methods of sending emails. It is less costly and generates more customer response than direct mail advertising. Email marketing is considered as the most suitable method of advertisement because it is less costly, easy, fast and effective. It generates more customer responses than direct mail and earns more returns on investment. However, the retailer should avoid sending email messages too often and send only relevant information targeted at specific individual customers who demonstrate an interest in the companyâ €™s products. Working as a marketing consultant in Big Consultant Company, my aim is to advise a retail marketer in the High Street who has approached our company for consultancy services. The client wants to choose the best method to advertise his retail products to target customers. He is faced with a rhetoric situation in which he has to choose between direct mail and email advertising to advertise his products. The retailer sells electronic devices including computers, mobile phones and tablets to customers on order. He already has a large number of customers within his neighborhood, but he wants to expand to other neighborhoods. He has already generated a large database of potential customers including university and college students. He is now wondering which method he should use to communicate with them. Direct mail and email advertising are his most preferable methods.

Is Technology an Addiction or an Essential Device in Our Everyday Research Paper

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Managing Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing Diversity - Essay Example ze my environmental footprint by generating less trash, burning less oil, and wisely utilizing the resources, including the Earth’s water supply, that I have at my disposal. In a word – no. Deadlines themselves are put in place as a means to ensure that the process is both fair and equitable to all parties involved. As was the case with Broward Taxi Company, the firm was able to submit their documentation for a very long period of time; however, they procrastinated on this until the last possible moment and ultimately had to face the consequences of failing to meet such a deadline. Thought he extenuating circumstances of the monopolistic competition that exists within the Ft. Lauderdale taxi industry are disheartening, the fact remains that the deadline was missed and according to procedure the firm is no longer able to compete within the market for the following calendar year. A sense of inequality would likely exist between the shareholders that followed procedure due to the fact that they did all that was necessary but the latecomer was able to submit after the deadline without any penalty whatsoever; thereby making the deadline itself all but superfluous. As one might assume, different cultures throughout the world place a different emphasis on the importance of being timely and meeting deadlines. Although there is always room for a degree of acceptance and cultural accommodation, the fact of the matter is that when it comes to deadlines the rules cannot be bent for mere cultural reasons due to the fact that this would represent an inequality and unfair practice across the board to all shareholders involved. No, simple disagreement with a process in and of itself does not mean that it is somehow unfair. Moreover, a process does not have to necessarily be unfair if it does not meet the needs of the individual or group in question. Fairness is not a determinant of convenience; rather, it is a measurement of equality among all individuals or groups

Internal and external (domestic and foreign policies) changes in the Essay

Internal and external (domestic and foreign policies) changes in the US since 1980 - Essay Example When George bush was appointed president, he appointed an experienced team that runs all matters of foreign policy (Beisner 90). He rejected many of Clinton’s policies and adopted others that were from a unilateralist approach. In his term, several international treaties were not implemented, and new realism was adopted as the new policy. The terrorist attacks of September 2001 on the United States led to major changes in the foreign polices of the country, and adopted an overwhelming priority, which was war on terrorism (Beisner 91). The domestic policies that were in place during the cold war focused on supporting businesses and expansion of opportunities of people who fall in the middle class. As a country, the United States has a history of promoting and disregarding human rights abroad; however, it has a mixed record at home (Beisner 49). The federal branch of the government continues to support the use of abusive counterterrorism policies. The criminal justice system employs policies that are marred with racial disparities and harsh sentences (Beisner 57). The US has undergone several changes in the foreign and the domestic policies. These policies are implemented with the aim of establishing better lives and security for American citizens. This paper has been a discussion of the changes that have taken place in the domestic in addition, the foreign policies of the country since

Comparison of health and safety aspects between Bahrain & UK Essay

Comparison of health and safety aspects between Bahrain & UK - Essay Example This research paper identified the main reasons as to why OSH regulations and standards in Bahrain are not at par with that of United Kingdom. The research paper also identified the main problems that face Bahraini OSH standards. The paper has also given some suggestions with regard to improving OSH standards in construction sites. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.INTRODUCTION 4 2.RESEARCH OBJECTIVES/AIMS 5 3.RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT 5 4.LITERATURE REVIEW 7 4.1 Hazards and risks associated with construction of sites 7 4.1.1 Factors that increase risks in construction sites 7 4.1.2 Types of health and safety hazards associated with construction sites 8 4.2 Occupational Health and Safety in construction sites in Bahrain 10 4.2.1 Reasons why Occupational Health and Safety in construction sites in Bahrain are not in at par with those of United Kingdom 10 4.2.2 Current status Health and Safety in construction sites in Bahrain 12 4.3 Occupational Health and Safety in construction sites in United King dom 14 5.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 18 5.2Primary Data Collection 19 5.3Secondary Data Collection 19 6.RESEARCH RESULTS 20 6.1 Primary Data analysis 20 6.1.2 Responses from Bahrain 20 6.1.3 Responses from United Kingdom 27 7.ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION OF THE RESEARCH RESULTS 30 7.1 Comparison of OSH aspects in United Kingdom and United Kingdom of Bahrain 30 7.2 Risk Management 33 7.2.1 Risk Assessment and Management in Construction sites in United Kingdom 34 7.2.1 Risk Assessment and Management in Construction sites in Bahrain 35 8. RECOMMENDATIONS 36 9. CONCLUSION 36 10. References 38 1. INTRODUCTION Working in construction sites is amongst the most hazardous occupations in the entire Universe. This is due to the fact that workers in these construction sites are at great risks of being exposed to various health hazards (Sambidge 2009). These hazards may result into workers’ disability, injury, death or illness (DOSH 2011).Another factor that makes working in these construction sites even worse is that protecting workers against these hazards is amongst the greatest challenge facing the managementof these construction sites.The challenge of protecting workers against these hazards is due the risks involved, anddynamic nature of construction activities(DOSH 2011). Due to hazards in involved in construction sites and activities, construction occupational safety and health have been developed by various nations and internationally. Even though it is the responsibility of every construction company in every country to ensure that the safety and health of its workers are upheld, the standards at which th

Discussion 4C Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion 4C - Assignment Example It is important for people working together to get along at their work places as they require each other at some point during work. When people get along in workplaces, it is easier and faster for them to help each other finish tasks and deal with deadlines. The video is about a talk on email etiquette and how the email works. It was good to learn the don’ts involved when sending a single mail to multiple people. I also learned that I can be in a position to prevent computer viruses spread through emails. An important lesson learnt from the video is that it is valuable to respect other workers whom you working with. The times when an individual does not feel like working should be spent outside the office rather than making noise for others. It is important for people working together to respect each other. Hacking into people’s machines and emails to get vital, and secretive message is one of the risks of electronic communication. Sensitive information meant for specific individuals could get into the wrong

Fixing Urban Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Fixing Urban Schools - Essay Example This project concluded that members of the school board, mayors, foundation leaders and city council need to have an idea on how to improve school systems. One of the vital elements of reform policies that can transform performance in schools is giving responsibility to other school members other than just superintendents. Most superintendents maintain their jobs for approximately three years. The school officials normally hire a different superintendent serious and confident enough to advance a school and raise the performance of students. Three years is not enough to achieve set goals. When a superintendent leaves, he or she leaves behind partially implemented plans and unfulfilled goals. This report declares that big city leaders face issues of political and intellectual types. The political issue is the complexity of developing and maintaining a strong coalition that can conquer the resistance to change that many large organizations face, whose constituency consists of opposing civil employees and interest groups. Only a number of communities have enjoyed the advantage of both a system of political support and strong ideas. Political support is important because it plays a huge role in making ideas come to life. It is not clear how to solve the issues faced by city schools. Without proper direction, the millions of young people’s future living in the city are at stake. This is because they need the public school system to shape their employment ability and their entry into society. (Hill & Celio, 1998). Apart from teachers, members of the school board, mayors, foundation leaders and city council need to have an idea on how to improve school systems. One of th e vital elements of reform policies that can transform performance in schools is giving responsibility to other school members other than just superintendents. Most superintendents maintain their jobs for approximately three years. The school officials normally hire a different superintendent serious and confident enough to advance a school and raise the performance of students. Three years is not enough to achieve set goals. When a superintendent leaves, he or she leaves behind partially implemented plans and unfulfilled goals (Hill & Celio, 1998). The reasons why public schools face these issues is poverty, racial isolation, social instability and labor unrest. It is also helpful if local leaders can gather the needed administrative and political support to attain such reforms. The biggest challenge faced by urban schools relates to the reality that the term connotes worries concerning experiences of education for minority and poor youth. Improving public schools hence communicate s the idea of conquering inequalities in occupational, educational, and social opportunity throughout economic and racial groups. Overview of Current Policy: The policy of fixing urban schools encourages school restructuring as a way to allow improvement in the achievement of students and the effectiveness of an organization. This happened with the appointment of state officials and local appointed boards to run schools. The move prevented any bureaucracy in the management of urban schools. Because of bureaucracy, schools normally have a poor relationship with community and parental networks. This relationship is important because it helps facilitate the effective education of children. Creating a sense of community for public schools is a suggestion by many scholars. They claim that this is what separates different schools socially. For example, catholic schools run based on functional communities. This means that the

Servicescape Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

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Determination of Interest Rates Essay Example for Free

Determination of Interest Rates Essay Interest rates are the payments one makes to another as the cost of borrowing funds. Interest rates should be equal to different borrowers under the same prevailing economic conditions. Various factors come into play to determine the interest rate to be paid by a borrower. This paper explores the factors used in determining the prevailing interest rates. Among the factors used to determine interest rates are credit quality, local and world economic and political conditions (Lando 143). In addition, the demand and supply of funds also determine the interest rates set on borrowings. The borrower always has a feeling that the interests charged are the best deal and that better returns will accrue from the funds borrowed. In the same manner, the lender should also feel the interest charged would have the best returns. Credit quality refers to the capability of investors to pay under a given economic situation. Interest rates are charged in direct proportionality to credit quality (Singleton et al 56). Big businesses and government can easily pay for the loans borrowed plus the interests charged. An investor may also compare the opportunity cost of money over a given period. The economic condition may be in a state of either inflation or deflation, forcing the lender to consider the opportunity cost of funds over a given period. An increase in inflation rate results in an increased rate since the expected inflation rate is also accounted for in the rates set (Sullivan et al 505-506). For instance, if in a situation without inflation, the interest rate is 4%, then this becomes 7% if the inflation rate is 3%. The declining value of collateral due to inflation may affect a borrower’s ability to pay. This will increase the risks associated with the repayment ability of the borrower. The higher risks are therefore included in the interest rate charged. Political subsidies by governments also influence interest rates. Governments can lower the interest rates on borrowers by subsidizing certain loans such as college student loans, public housing loans, and other public work program loans. Conclusion Interest rates, the excess on a borrowed money paid to the lender by the borrower, is determined by many factors. The main factor is the prevailing economic conditions. These could be inflation or deflation. The government may also subsidize certain type of borrowers to motivate them to borrow. The ability of the borrower to pay, the credit quality, is also a vital determinant of interest rates.

Learning Difficulties Encountered By Efl Students English Language Essay

Learning Difficulties Encountered By Efl Students English Language Essay Recently, listening has gained more and more attention in foreign language learning. In learning a foreign language, it is suggested that the most important step should begin with an effort to listen. (Rubin Thompson, 1994) Listening provides input for learners to make learning occur and listening exercises draw learners attention to new forms in language, such as new vocabulary items. (Rost, 1994) Listening can be regarded as a necessary skill in the diagnosing and preparation of foreign language students and can even be served as a good predictor of language achievement. In consequence, listening comprehension acts as a pivotal role in foreign language learning. (Oxford, 1993) In this essay, three issues are discussed. Issue 1 states listening difficulties in second language acquisition. Underwood (1994), Chiang and Dunkel (1992) and Rubin and Thompson (1994)s viewpoint are discussed. Issue 2 proposes taxonomies of the factors affecting listening difficulties. Boyle (1984), Yagang (1993) and Rubin (1994) s point of view of the factors affecting listening comprehension are referred to. Issue 3 mentions studies in listening difficulties of L2 listeners in foreign countries. Tauroza and Allisons (Rubin, 1994) study is about speech rate. Boyle (1984)s study is factors most frequently mentioned in listening comprehension. Lynch (1997)s study is a case study of a intermediate-level learners progress in listening comprehension. Goh (2000)s study discusses listening comprehension problems. BODY Chapter 1 Listening difficulties in second language acquisition Underwoods (1994) point of view ¼Ã… ¸ Underwood (1994) identified seven potential difficulties in listening comprehension as: (1) lack of control over the speed at which speakers speak, (2) not being able to get things repeated, (3) the listeners limited vocabulary, (4) failure to recognize the signals, (5) problems of interpretation, (6) inability to concentrate, (7) established learning habits. Many language learners believe that the greatest difficulty with listening comprehension is that the listener cannot control how quickly a speaker speaks. (p7) They feel that the utterances disappear before they can sort them out. http://nccuir.lib.nccu.edu.tw/bitstream/140.119/33414/7/95100307.pdf They are so busy working out the meaning of one part of what they hear that they miss the next part. Another difficulty is that listener is not always in a position to get the speaker to repeat an utterance. This is particularly likely to be the case when students are on the edge of conversation outside the classroom. For people listening to a foreign language, an unknown word can be like a suddenly dropped barrier causing them to stop and think about the meaning of the word and thus making them miss the next part of the speech (p 17). And students need to learn to listen for the signals in order to be able to connect the various utterances in the way the speaker intended them to be connected. (p18) Students who are unfamiliar with the context may have considerable difficulty in interpreting the words they hear even if they can understand their surface meaning. (p19). Inability to concentrate can be caused by a number of things, but in listening work it is a major problem, because ev en the shortest break in attention can seriously impair comprehension. (p19) Outside factors may well make concentration difficult, too. An inferior machine or poor recording can make it very hard for the students. As for establishing leaning habits, when the learner can more readily accept the frustrations involved, he will be more prepared to strive for a partial and incomplete understanding of what is being said. (pp16-19) Rubin and Thompsons (1994) point of view Rubin and Thompson list three common problems in learning to listen to a foreign language. The first problem is that the speaker talks too fast. If the listener can not follow the speaker, the listener can let the speaker know that he is not following. He can ask for repetition and slowing down the speed, seeks clarification, rephrase, and repeat. The listener can pay attention to intonation and tone of voice, focus on question words such as who, what and when and assume that the here and now are relevant. That is, the sentence is directly related to the subject they have just been discussing. Assume that what a person says is directly related to something he or she is experiencing at that very minute. The second problem is that the listener is not getting anything out of foreign language TV and movies. If the listener could not understand the foreign language TV and movies, they should try to take control of his listening by predicting what he was likely to hear. For example, use vi sual clues and use his background knowledge. Anticipate information in a segment by relying on your knowledge of what such a segment is likely to contain. Listeners could also use information from the segment itself and determine the genre of the segment. Knowing the genre of a segment will help you determine how best to approach it. For instance, if it is an interview, then concentrate on the questions. If it is a news report, a who, when, where strategy will work best. If it is a drama, look for the story line. Listeners could listen to familiar elements, listen to familiar-sounding words, listen to and jot down repeated words, learn to recognize numbers and learn to recognize proper names. The third problem is that the listener tends to stop listening when he hears an unfamiliar word or phrase. Many learners, particularly in the early stages of language learning, panic and lose their concentration when they hear an unfamiliar segment. As a result, they miss portions of the passag e that might have helped clarify the unfamiliar word or segment. The listener should concentrate on familiar elements and keep listening. Understanding something is better than getting nothing at all. If you continue listening, chances are that you will comprehend at least some parts of the massage. It is possible that the portions you missed were not very important after all. Chiang and Dunkels (1992) point of view Chiang and Dunkel (1992) pointed out that listeners comprehension in English may be thwarted by a number of cognitive and linguistic factors as well as academic and cultural issues, including: (a) inability or lack of opportunity to engage in communicative interaction with the second/foreign language teacher or lecture; (b) inability to detect the main points of the lecture or to grasp the usual goals of particular genres of discourse situation of which the discourse is a part; (c) unfamiliarity with the structure and type of the discourse ; (d) inability to apprehend discourse markers and logical relationships in the English lecture; (e) inability to comprehend lecture speech delivered at faster rates of speed; (f) limited short-term memory for English input; (g) failure to use appropriate cognitive or learning strategies; (h) poor inference abilities in English; (i) limited proficiency in English; (j) lack of prior knowledge about the content of the spoken or written text; and (k) inability to process L2 input devoid of speech modification such as elaborations or redundancies. Of these difficulties confronting L2 learners, Chiang and Dunkel explored the effect of three of them. The first situation was when the listeners had limited listening proficiency in English, the second situation was when they lacked prior knowledge about the topic of the L2 lecture, and the third situation was when they were not supplied with modified speech. The results revealed a significant interaction between prior knowledge and text type. Chapter 2 Taxonomy of the factors affecting L2 listening difficulties Boyles (1984) three categories of factors Boyle (1984) began with a survey of the factors most frequently mentioned in the literature on listening comprehension, including three categories of factors. The first category referred to the listener factors, including experience in listening to the target language, general background knowledge of the world, educational background and type of school, knowledge of the target language in its various aspects, memory, powers of analysis and selection and motivation and attitude of the listener to the speaker and to the message. The second categories, the speaker factors, contain language ability of the speaker: native speaker-beginning level non-native speaker. Speakers production: pronunciation, accent, variation, voice affect, too. Speed of delivery and prestige and personality of the speaker count. The third category, factors in the material and medium, comprise difficulty of content and concept, especially if the material is abstract, abstruse, highly specialized or technical, len gthy or poorly organized. Acoustic environment such as noise and interference and amount of support provided by gestures, visuals also have influence on listening comprehension. Yagangs (1993) four aspects of factors http://eca.state.gov/forum/vols/vol31/no1/p16.htm Instead of three categories, Yagang (1993) proposed that the sources of listening difficulties came mainly from the four aspects: the message, the speaker, the listener, and the physical setting. The message factors comprised content and linguistic features. In content which is not well organized, listeners cannot predict what speakers are going to say. And if listening materials are made up of everyday conversation, they may contain a lot of colloquial expressions, such as guy for man. Students who have been exposed mainly to formal or bookish English may not be familiar with these expressions. The speaker factors consists of redundant utterances, such as repetitions, false starts, re-phrasings, self-corrections, elaborations, tautologies, apparently meaningless addition such as I mean or you know and speakers personal factors such as their accents. Learners tend to be used to their teaching accent or to the standard variety of British or American English. They find it hard to und erstand speakers with other accents. The listener factors played a more important role in EFL students listening. For example, foreign language students might be not familiar enough with clichà © and collocations in English to predict a missing word or phrase. For example, they can not be expected to know that rosy often collocates with cheeks. EFL students might be lack of sociocultural, factual, and contextual knowledge of the target language.   (Anderson and Lynch 1988).It can present an obstacle to comprehension because language is used to express its culture. Factors in physical setting included noise, both background noises on the recording and environmental noises, could carry the listeners mind of the content of the listening passage. Listening material on tape or radio lacks visual and aural environmental clues. Not seeing the speakers body language and facial expressions makes it more difficult for the listener to understand the speakers meaning. Unclear sounds resultin g from poor quality equipment can interfere with the listeners comprehension. Rubins (1994) five categories of factors Rubin (1994) classified these listening factors into five categories: text, interlocutor, task, listener and process characteristics. Text characteristics referred to acoustic-temporal variables, acoustic-other variables and morphological and syntactic modifications (including restatements). Acoustic-temporal variables are speech rate, pause phenomena, and hesitation. Acoustic-other variables are level of perception, stress and rhythmic patterning perception and L1 and L2 differences. Variables of morphological and syntactic modifications are redundancy, morphological complexity, word order and discourse markers. Text characteristics referred to text type. Visual support for texts is also an important variable. Interlocutor characteristics referred to variations in the speakers personal characteristics, such as gender, pronunciation, accent, expertness and so on. Listener characteristics are listeners language proficiency level, memory, attention, affect, age, gender, learning disabi lities in L1, and background knowledge as well as aptitude, processing skills, background biases, motivation, and confidence level. Process characteristics referred to how listeners interpret input in terms of what they know or identify what they dont know. Top-down, bottom-up and parallel processing is being examined in L2 contexts. Current views of listening comprehension propose that listeners actively process language input. Two types of processing have been discerned: cognitive strategies and metacognitive strategies. Research on listening strategies includes: work on several languages; work contrasting strategy use at several proficiency levels; work with interactive or transactional listening; work with cognitive and metacognitive strategies; work considering the relation of strategy use to text, task, and setting. Chapter 3 Studies in listening difficulties of L2 listeners in foreign countries Tauroza and Allisons ( )studyspeech rate Griffiths suggests that different language have different normal rates and the rates defined in studies using English can not be applied exactly to studies of other languages. Most research quotes a normal speech rate of 165 to 180 words per minutes for native speakers of English. On the other hand, while Foulke reports a threshold (the rate at which comprehension begins to decrease rapidly) level between 250-275 w.p.m., others states that comprehension decreases as a function of mental aptitude and difficulty level. Tauroza and Allison compare normal speed of British speakers for four types of speech. They found that while the mean for radio and interview speech events lies within the range of 160 to 190 w.p.m., the means for conversation and lecture categories are outside this range. The mean rate for conversation in words per minute was 210, while for lectures, 140. They note further that thirty-three percent of their lecture data was slower than 130 w.p.m. and twenty-three percen t of the conversation data was faster than 220 w.p.m. The issue of normal speech rate is one that still needs a great deal more research that takes into account all of the variables mentioned above. (Rubin, 1994) Boyles (1984) study-factors most frequently mentioned in listening In Boyles (1984) study, 30 teachers and 60 students in Hong Kong were asked to list the six factors which they considered the most important in aiding or hampering the effectiveness of listening comprehension. It was interesting to know that the students gave much more importance to vocabulary than teachers did. It was surprising that the students mentioned two factors, memory and concentration, barely mentioned by the teachers. In addition, the students considered that there was a possible relationship between their reading habits and their listening comprehension, which was not mentioned by the teachers. On the other hand, the teacher seemed to specify the linguistic factors more sophisticatedly. The teacher would specify the factors as ability to pick up clues, complex syntactical structures, stress and intonation and interference from Chinese. On the contrary, the students just indicated that the lack of general language ability or the difficulties in English listening comprehens ion. Lynchs (1997) study-a case study of an intermediate-level learners progress Lynch (1997) conducted an ethnographic study of a Japanese student who attended English language courses at the Institute for Applied Language Studies, the only one taking an undergraduate course in economics at the University of Edinburgh. His scores on the listening tests were relatively low in comparison with his reading and grammar scores with the other students in class. A number of possible reasons were found to explain his difficulties in listening comprehension. First, he was the youngest member in his class so that he was unwilling to engage in negotiation with his seniors. Second, he was the only undergraduate student with an economic background in his English class so that he viewed himself as insufficient in some general background knowledge. Third, he joined Course 3 in the EAP program, skipping the basic class, Course 1 and 2. Therefore, he thought he needed more time to get used to negotiate with others in English. Fourth, his lowest listening score disappointed him gr eatly. The perceptions of the subject had made a substantial influence on his English learning. Gohs (2000) study-listening comprehension problems Goh (2000) investigated the comprehension problems of second language listeners in a cognitive perspective. She identified real-time listening difficulties faced by 40 Chinese undergraduates and examined their difficulties within the three-phase model of language comprehension proposed by Anderson. (1995). The data were collected from learners self-reports in their diaries, semi-structure interviews and immediate retrospective verbalizations. The data revealed 10 problems that occurred during the cognitive process phases of perception, parsing, and utilization. She also, made a comprehension between two groups, high ability listeners and low ability listeners. Each group consisted of eight students selected according to their grades in a post-instruction standardized proficiency test, the SLEP test of Educational Testing Service 1991. She found that listeners with highly ability and low ability both had a perception problem with recognizing words they knew. Another problem they both shared was parsing problem that they quickly forgot what they thought they had understood. In addition to these two problems, high ability listeners reported a utilization problem that they were often unable to extract the meaning out of the message even if they had understood all the words. On the other hand, low ability listeners reported another perception problem that they often did not hear the next part of a text because they spent too much time thinking about what they had just heard.