Socius Meaning And The Neighbor

The socius and the neighbor are two ways of relating with others. The socius pertains to the relationship with a group or a person through social function. In my understanding, this is a functional kind of relationship based on one’s label such as a student, for example, for being a part of an organization. Thus, in other words, the socius is the arbitrate relationship I have with others. The neighbor however, is a personal way of encountering the other as a person. It’s a relationship that develops deeper in degrees. It usually starts from an initial encounter that develops into a higher level of intimacy. Therefore, the neighbor is the abrupt relationship with others. On The Level of Astonishment: In the parable of The Good Samaritan, the Levite and the priest were surprised by the event they encountered before them but since they had a prior commitment and being a responsible member of an institution, they were unavailable to entertain the man. The traveler however did not have any institution to answer to which makes him available for the man in need. Through the encounter, the traveler became present to the man. His behavior is his natural character because he’s doing such an act without an institution being a catalyst. The Last Judgment on the other hand unveils the prophecy regarding the encounter of the Samaritan with the man. It is astonishing for the Samaritan to know the meaning of his simple, compassionate act. The Samaritan symbolizes the great acts of humans and encounter Christ in a way. Through this the message â€Å"Go and do likewise† is made known. On The Level of Reflection: There is no such thing as a â€Å"neighbor† if we base it on Sociology because according to its definition, Sociology is the systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and collective behavior of organized groups of human beings. That is why in this point of view, the neighbor is called a â€Å"man of regret, dreams and myth† meaning it doesn’t exist. The socius would refer the neighbor as outdated. The parable of the Good Samaritan would bring us to the reflection that if there are no beggars to be given charity in the future where humankind will no longer suffer or experience hunger, because of men’s ability to evolve technology, then there’s no place for a neighbor. People will be a part of an association and the parable and the prophecy will have lost its meaning. This would bring us to the understanding that the socius is the â€Å"man of history† meaning he can mold the olden times. On The Level of Meditation: Both the socius and the neighbor are two dimensions of relating with others, an encounter. It shows how human relationship is in the current society. The neighbor is the private relationship we share with others and the socius is the publicity we make with our colleagues. In reality, there is no safe abode in our private lives without the protection of a public administration. Therefore the neighbor emerges from the socius. But also, man is awakened when he is socially stripped. Charity is humble. It is the common intention of the socius and the neighbor, their common ground. The socius and the neighbor are the two faces of charity. It is charity that gives meaning to the social interaction and to the event of the encounter. An encounter is not dependent on history with its disputation between the socius and the neighbor. But history ropes the extent of charity.

American Indians

American Indians is a term that is used to refer to people whose have Indian roots but are American citizen or live in America. This citizenship is a result of early migrations of people from their mother land in search of greener fields in the United States. However, these people were not appreciated by indigenous Americans in the 18th century since they were seen be inferior compared to indigenous Americans. Short essay 1 The long term study preferred by social cultural anthropologist can be the most effective in deciding someone’s culture.This is because a long term study would address changes that occur in long period of time in a society. Cultures do change with time and so along time study could be used in solving this. This experience that is gotten in the field makes the anthropologists come into direct contact with the issues in the society and this makes them write exactly what is on the since they experience it themselves. It’s worthy noting that this approac h is totally different from that used by a journalist or a historian.Historians and journalists do not get into that direct contact with the society and so they do not get the real idea like the anthropologists. Journalist’s historians do not spend much time studying the cultures of a particular society and in most cases they study or rely on the findings of other people. Short essay 2 According to Horseman the new racial ideology of the 19th century are racial ideologies that are supported by the principles of free democratic republicanism other than innate superiority of the American Anglo-Saxon group of people who were of Caucasian race.The previous ideologies placed American Anglo-Saxons a class above other races and they believed that they were destined to bring good governance, commercial prosperity as well as Christianity to America and to the world at large. This meant that the other races were inferior and they were reduced to a subordinate status failure to which th ey were faced with a possibility of racial extinction. This new racial ideology was very different from the earlier Euro-American view of Indians. Previously, both American and Europeans took some races to be superior to others for different reasons.These reasons included biblical theories and they followed these theories despite their inconsistencies and their contradictions since they believed that they had a special continental and world mission to accomplish as a race. Both Americans and Europeans both shared a belief in the political and individual freedoms as well as a need for uniqueness in language and racial origins unlike the new racial ideology which advocated for free democratic republicanism. In the 19th and 20th century, these views towards American Indians did not change either since they were subject to enslavement.At this time, many social scientists thought that native people were inferior to the Native Americans and so were subject to them and they went ahead to p rovide the much needed scientific proof for racial distinctions. During this time also, many government officials too felt that it was the descendant of the Anglo-Saxons who played great roles in the establishment of free government and hence the justification for their superiority altitude. Due to this, the government passed policies that bound the immigrants to conform to the prevailing political, economic and social systems .These new polices from the American government led to the justification of sufferings and deaths of blacks, Mexicans and even Indians since any feelings of guilty which would come afterwards could be assuaged by assumptions of both historical and scientific inevitability. The general public also felt that Americans were the people who were destined to shape the destiny of the world and the other races were inferior and were doomed to permanent subordination or risk facing extinction. Lastly it’s worthy noting that the representation of native people he ld by social scientists, early anthropologists, the U.S. government, and the American public are not contradictory since they seem to place them high above all the other races in all aspects of life. Short essay 3 The Indian country is today faced with an uphill task of determining who true Indians are and who are not. This task has not been easy since it has been surrounded by a lot of controversies. Many criteria’s have been proposed as the best to apply when determining who the true Indians are. First, there are those who believe that the true measure of how Indian one is through the amount of ‘Indian blood’ in them.This criteria has been largely criticized since some people argue that there no true measure of the Indian blood that is present in someone since there are people who are born of one Asian parent while the other parent is from anther ethnic group. Secondly, there are others who believe that the true marker of a true Indian identity should be geneal ogy, private property and competence in civilization. This group of people argues that the true evidence of a true Indian should be based mostly on shared history between a person and other people who are known to be of an Indian background.Social ties with people from Indian or who have Indian blood in them could be acceptable as a true claim to one being an Indian. This means that one needed to trace his ancestors and prove that his roots are Indian by tracing his ancestors. Attachment to Indian culture was proposed to be criteria too for determining who true Indian was. This required someone to be aware of all cultural believes and behaviors of the Indian people. Early practices like hunting and others were argued to be very effective criteria for identifying who real Indians were.The ability to communicate in traditional Indian language was also advocated for by the people who shared this view. This controversy in the best criteria for separating true Indians and fake ones has b een a big challenge to the Indian country since there still need for identifying who the true Indians. The American government is responsible for determining whether one is an American Indian or a Native American. The blood quantum criterion is used by the American government in the administration of Indian schools and land allotments.In census reports, this method of separating Indians and non Indians is applied. The society also can decide who a true Indian is through the application of cultural believes of indigenous Indians as well as their life styles. Scholars have not been left behind either and they too can use their knowledge and principles to differentiate between the two. The federal government of America uses several methods in determining whether someone is a Native American or not. Blood quantum is one of these criteria’s and it applies the idea of determining how much of American blood a person has in their body.In America, there is a settlement that is set asi de for people of Indian origin. Any new person who may claim to be an Indian must have a proof of relationship with the already settled Indians in this land allocated to people of Indian backgrounds. The ability of some one to speak in Indian language and display cultural practices of Indians are acceptable by the federal government as true claims for an Indian. These criteria’s that are used by the government are not very different from those used by Native Americans in determining who a true Indian is.To begin with, the native communities look mostly at the cultural connection between a person and the community in question. This criterion requires someone to practice Indian cultural practices and have some ties with well known Indian families. Physical appearances as well as the ability to communicate in Indian languages are used too. Non-native Americans on their side, identify the native ones by the kind of lifestyles they lead. The language they communicate in as well as their accent too. This identity of ones race is very important in many ways.First, it’s used by the federal government in allocation of many services like education and social welfare. All these efforts in trying to determine who true Indians are pits at risk the identity of persons who are of a mixed ancestry because it makes them feel that they belong nowhere. All socialcultural anthropologies ideas have not offered any solution to solve this problem. People may have mixed ancestry hence making it hard to pick out their true identity. References 1. Deloria, Vine (1969) Custer Died for Your Sins: an Indian Manifesto, New York: Macmillan.2. Calloway, Colin G. , (1995) The American Revolution in Indian Country: Crisis and Diversity in Native American Communities ,Cambridge University Press 3. O’Donnell, James, (1973) Southern Indians in the American Revolution ,University of Tennessee Press 4. Hirschfelder, Arlene B. ; Byler, Mary G. ; & Dorris, Michael (1983) Guide to research on North American Indians, American Library Association 5. Johnston, Eric F. (2003). The Life of the Native American. Atlanta, Tradewinds Press 6. Jones, Peter N.(2005 Respect for the Ancestors: American Indian Cultural Affiliation in the American West, Boulder, CO: Bauu Press 7. Nichols, Roger L. (1998) Indians in the United States & Canada, A Comparative History, University of Nebraska Press 8. Snipp, C. M. (1989). American Indians: The first of this land, New York: Russell Sage Foundation. 9. Sturtevant, William C. (Ed. ). (1978) Handbook of North American Indians , Smithsonian Institution 10. Tiller, Veronica E (1992) Discover Indian Reservations USA: A Visitors' Welcome Guide. Council Publications, Denver, Colorado

Andrew Jackson Democracy

Andrew Jackson and his supporters have been criticized for upholding the principles of majority rule and the supremacy of the federal government inconsistently and unfairly. The validity of this statement varies in the cases of the re-charter of the Bank, the nullification controversy, and the removal of the Native Americans. In the case of the re-charter of the bank, the statement is not valid. He did uphold the principles of the majority rule and not of the supremacy of the government.The bank and its branches received federal funding and they were to be used for public purpose by serving as a cushion for the ups and downs of the economy. Biddle, head of the bank, managed it effectively. But his arrogance led many, including Jackson, to believe that Biddle was abusing his power and was serving the interests of the wealthy. As a result, Jackson declared the bank to be unconstitutional even though it was previously said to be constitutional.In the election of 1832, Clay wanted to cha llenge Jackson on the issue by trying to persuade Congress to pass a bank re-charter-bill. Jackson vetoed it, saying that it was a private monopoly and that it favored the wealthy, and in turn led to the backfire of Clay’s plan. The majority of the voters agreed on his attack on the â€Å"hydra of corruption. † And as a result of this issue, Jackson got the majority of the votes and won the election. In his second term Jackson killed the national bank by vetoing its re-charter and by removing all of its money.In his veto message Jackson said â€Å"But when the laws undertake to add to these natural and just advantages artificial distinctions, to grant titles, gratuities, and exclusive privileges to make the rich richer and the potent more powerful, the humble members of society who have neither the time nor the means of securing like favors to themselves, have a right to complain of the injustices of their government†. He then took the money and put it into so c alled â€Å"pet banks† that were located throughout various state banks. He did this because he did not uphold to the ideas of the federal supremacy.Jackson is usually for state’s rights, but not if it leads towards disunion. That is exactly what happened in the issue of nullification. Around 1828 the legislation of South Carolina declared that the Tariff of Abominations, which was and increased tariff, was unconstitutional. According to Calhoun, Jackson’s vice-president, and his nullification theory, each state had the right to decide whether or not to obey it or to declare it void. Daniel Webster, of Mass. , debated against Hayne and attacked the idea that any state could leave the Union.Jackson believed that the Union should be preserved. South Carolina held a convention to nullify both the tariff of 1828 and the newly formed tariff of 1832. The convention determined that the collection of tariffs within a state is against the constitution. Jackson didnâ€⠄¢t like this, so he forced military action by persuading the Congress the pass a so-called Force bill to give him authority to use military action in South Carolina. But the troops did not go. Jackson decided to open up for compromise and to lower the tariff.Jackson did not uphold to the principle of majority to rule in this case because it only dealt with one state, but he did for the supremacy of the federal government. In the case of the removal of the Native Americans, the statement is valid. Jackson’s view on democracy did not extend to the Native Americans. Like the majority he did sympathize with the land-hungry citizens who desperately wanted to take over lands held by the Indians. Jackson thought that the reasonable answer was to require the Native Americans to leave their homeland and head towards west of the Mississippi.He signed the Indian Removal Act in 1830, which forced a resettlement of many thousand Native Americans. In 1831 the Cherokees challenged Georgia in the courts, but the Supreme Court ruled in this case (Cherokee Nation vs. Georgia) that the Cherokee’s where not a foreign nation and couldn’t sue in a federal court. In a second case, Worcester vs. Georgia (1832), the Supreme Court ruled that the laws of Georgia had no force within the boundaries of the Cherokee territory. In a dispute between state’s rights and federal courts, Jackson sided with the states.He said, â€Å"John Marshall has made his decision, now let him enforce it. † In a statement by Edward Everett, he said, â€Å"The Indians, as was natural, looked to the United States for protection. They came first to the President, deeming, and rightly, that it was his duty to afford them this protection. They knew he had but one constitutional duty to perform toward the treaties and laws – the duty of executing them. He informed them that he had no power, in his view of the rights of the States; prevent their extending their laws over th e Indians. This shows that he upheld the principle of the federal supremacy because he abided. Many presidents that have served in the U. S. have had criticisms against them because of the actions they have performed, Jackson being one of them. The validity of the criticism against Jackson varies with the issues regarding the re-charter of the bank, the nullification crisis and the removal of the Native Americans. His presidency changed the way that we look at presidents today.

Main topic is Markets Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Main topic is Markets - Term Paper Example This abrupt actualization of counterparty accident has artlessly arctic the markets beyond the western countries. With no bank adventuresome abundant to accommodate to other banks, deleveraging has larboard its blister on the market: affairs of assets in wish of capital leads to abatement in prices to even lower levels, which agency added and added charge for beginning capital. This has acutely added anchored lending to absolute economy-producers and consumers-which agency abatement in investments by businesses and bead in demand. This has added slowed down the advance of the economy. As advance drops, businesses are abiding to aim at cost-cutting exercises, which agency layoffs. The confused consumers will further abate their spending. That is how the financial crisis is feared to advance itself to the Wall Street-the absolute economy (Brown P, p. 105, 2005, Journal of Financial Economics). In the light of these, this paper deals with one topic entitled ‘new expectations in th e U.S. Market’ in detail and three other related topics as subtopics. The morphing of the financial hailstorm, which started about 18 months aback as the US subprime crisis, into bread-and-butter arrest is all but over: consumers are arise beneath the burden of non-availability of acclaim on the one hand, and abrupt abatement in application on the other (R.T. Baillie et al, p. 23, 1996, Journal of Applied Econometrics). To arrest the further spread of economic crisis and its intensity, the central banks and governments on either ancillary of the Atlantic accept redoubled their efforts, with bolstering from banks, by pumping in added capital, accouterment greater budgetary bang to jump-start the economy, and cut absorption ante added down. Of course, action moves are accepted to crop after-effects alone afterwards a time lag. In the US, capital injection conceivably adored the banking system, but its non-banking area

The contribution of customer satisfaction of after sale service Dissertation

The contribution of customer satisfaction of after sale service - Dissertation Example Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturing company and is one of the largest car manufacturing companies in the world. The stated vision of Audi is â€Å"Audi – the number one premium brand†. As per a strategy document released by Audi named Strategy 2020, Audi aims to achieve the leadership position in premium segment, and wants to consolidate its leadership position in that segment (Audi USA, 2009, p.27). After sales service is one of the most important factors influencing brand loyalty. According to a survey conducted by Bain and Co, â€Å"one of the most powerful techniques for converting buyers into die-hard fans is providing exceptional after-sales service† (Flees & Senturia, 2008). This report will aim to evaluate the existing customer satisfaction level of Audi customers, identify how critical is after sale service towards overall satisfaction, and identify possible areas in after sale service where there is a scope of improvement. These will be eval uated by analysing data collected by administering a questionnaire to the customers who come to the Audi dealer for after sale service. This questionnaire will capture both qualitative and quantitative data. The data collection process will also include interviewing customer facing staff in the dealership and the service manager of the dealer shop. I will be able to have access to Audi Company through my friend who holds a position as a service manager. I will be able to provide a confirmation letter from the company with their approval, in order to carry out the project research proposal. 2. Research questions Explanatory Objectives RQ1: Investigate levels of customer satisfaction with Audi? (This objective will assess and quantify the level of satisfaction that an Audi customer has.) RQ2: Which specific factors in the provision of after sales service affect customer satisfaction? Explanatory Objectives RQ3: identify main reasons for low customer satisfaction of after sales service RQ4: identify the factors that influence customer service from after sales service Developmental Objectives RQ5: evaluate methods that can potentially improve customer satisfaction 3. Research Ethics â€Å"Ethical issues are present in any kind of research. The research process creates tension between the aims of research to make generalizations for the good of others, and the rights of participants to maintain privacy† (Orb, Eisenhauer & Wynaden, 2001, p.1). The entire data collection process will be voluntary in nature where all respondents, including customers, dealer staff and the service manager, will share their responses after explicitly agreeing to participate in the survey. Before the survey is conducted, each respondent will be informed about the nature and goal of the survey. Each respondent will be informed about their nature of involvement in the survey process. Additionally, each respondent will have the right not to participate further at any point of time. In dividual responses as well as the final results of the survey will kept strictly confidential, and all response forms as well as stored data will be destroyed once the analysis is completed to ensure complete privacy of participants. 4. Literature Review RQ1: Investigate levels of customer satisfaction with Audi? There are a multitude of factors that influence the levels of customer satisfaction for a premium, life style brand like Audi. Audi, as discussed above, is a premium car brand that sells high value cars. Till the late 1990s after sale service had been viewed by manufacturing

Data Communication assignment - 4G Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Data Communication assignment - 4G - Essay Example It all started with 1st generation mobile communications that were focused on analogue means of communication, this was followed by 2nd generation which resulted in a total shift of medium from analogue to digital(Palanivelu & Nakkeeran 2009). Ever since the introduction of digital sources of communication there has been no looking back, and the current standings are at 3rd, 4th generation and beyond. Furtherance and change being natural phenomena, mobile communications have seen a revolution in the manner in which they are operate today. State of the art technology exists in the field of mobile communication that has made the once impossible, possible. 4G is a generic term that represents a family of number of standards that are around in use. The family encompasses all those elements that are beyond 3G, namely Wimax, L.T.E, Wimax 2.0, HSDPA, Advanced L.T.E and all other standards that fulfill the demands and specifications being presented by International Telecommunication Union (W ang, Kondi & Luthra 2009). 4G standards provide data rates nearly ten times higher 3G (Aktas & Ismail 2004) with focus on resolving the last mile issues once for all by reaching to even the most remote of areas across the globe. The most prevalent of 4G family is Wimax. It has been around for 6 to 7 years now and has made inroads into the market on commercial scale. More promise is being shown by L.T.E which is termed as the true representation of 4th generation technologies that will set the platform for coming generations in telecommunication world. The journey towards 4th generation technologies started with Wimax in early 21st century. Wimax is an acronym for World Wide Interoperability Microwave Access. It is another name for ubiquitous internet connection, be it on the go or under the roof. Work was in place for last few years and it was first introduced on commercial scale for public use in South Korea. Many more countries have joined the caravan and have implemented 4G on co mmercial scale. The recently published requirements for a true 4G system specified by I.T.U, demand more than Wimax and L.T.E initial versions offered, Wimax 2.0 and L.T.E Advanced fulfill the requirements being stated by I.T.U as the just members of 4th generation(Cox 2012). Wimax has made rapid progress in last few years and has a cluster scattered in various parts of the world already. Few of the companies that have implemented Wimax include Sprint, Etisalat, and Nexter to name a few. T-Mobile is aiming at L.T.E implementation on fully commercial scale in coming days. 802.16d vs. 802.16e: Improvements have been made in the Wimax technology periodically, the initially launched version was 802.16d which provided limited or no mobility. In order to capture large scale market and attract customers to itself, a new version 802.16e was introduced later in 2005 which provided ease of movement and had focus on mobility Features of Wimax: Wimax provides large number of features compared t o its predecessors and few of them are: OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing Access): An interface aimed to overcome the short comings of OFDM, provides the feature of entertaining multiple users at the same time and brings about more stability and reliability in the network. The use of Fast Fourier Transform (F.F.T) by the incumbent allows increased number of bits being transformed from one source to another (spectral efficiency) .802.16d made use of OFDM while the later version (802.16e)

Latin American Cinema (cuban, Strawberry and Chocolate) Essay

Latin American Cinema (cuban, Strawberry and Chocolate) - Essay Example Describing those days, the film under discussion qualifies as a Cuban cinema with certain typical traits. Mr. Gutierrez Alea, the maker of this film, has always been sensitive towards â€Å"Cubanness†. This Cubanness finds expression through a social commitment, which must also culminate at a social resonance. People must be able to identify themselves with the characters of the film, and further reflect on the subject and predicate of the presentation. Memories of Underdevelopment effectively portrayed the identity factor of the Cuban society and thus it accomplishes as a typical Cuban film. Mr. Gutierrez Alea was critical to the revolution but not destructive towards it. Hence, Memories of Underdevelopment can be defined as a portrait of the Cuban society created by a critical insider of the Cuban Revolution itself. The film covers the humanistic aspects of the revolutionary outlook through the heart and mind of a sensitive filmmaker. Hence, it becomes a descriptive monologue of the Cuban Revolution as a whole. The film has a radical expressionist approach towards the Cuban Revolution and the society. It particularly seeks to point out the stringency and confusion in the post revolutionary Cuba during the 1960s. The film is about an intellectual who strives to find out his place in the post-revolutionary social framework of Cuba. Thus, the director enters a world of inter-contradiction, where we find both revolutionary commitment and humanly hesitations in one go. In the process, the critique becomes pretty innovative. The film does not attack one’s humanly weaknesses. Rather, it portrays this factor of weakness sympathetically. The assertive masterpiece is meshed into the picturing of this sensitive feature of the human mind. The weakness or hesitation actually develops from the internal mind, where subconscious reasoning often takes control of a man’s

Reflective Learning Account (Ref) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Reflective Learning Account (Ref) - Assignment Example This essay stresses that working in a team where the members have different backgrounds in terms of gender, age, ethnicity and religion can be a very hard undertaking. This is due to the fact that each member portrays a certain kind of behavior, which the other party may deem to be inappropriate. This in the long run affects the overall performance of the team. Moreover, it might cause conflicts, making it difficult to accomplish the goal and objectives that brought the team members together. To avoid such situations, the team must possess certain qualities and adopt some behaviors that will ensure that they succeed in the undertakings. The group must be made up of members who have the appropriate requirements for the projects. This paper makes a conclusion that just like in developed countries, the developing nations have embraced and incorporated IT into their practices. However, there are some challenges that continue to be experienced which impact negatively on the success of those companies using such technologies. This study on the use of ICT in an NGO in the developing world provided a clear picture on the state of the field in these areas. Among the things identified to affect the use of IT include the size of the organization, organizational overheads, different expectations on ICT infrastructure and staffing problems. Some of these problems may also be encountered in the developed nations. They must however be dealt with in time and effectively.

Economics DD202B-1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics DD202B-1 - Essay Example Every other economic variable gave up simultaneously as is obvious from the next graph that depicts the trends taken by the rate of unemployment and that of inflation. While the rate of unemployment had reached a peak during 1933 when it equalled 25.2%, the rate of inflation as measured by the GDP deflator had been -11.46% in 1932. Hence, the economy at that point of time was suffering from a heavy recession. In fact, such was the vigour of the crisis that the monetarists could not inject liquidity into the nation even through lowering the rate of interest, supposed to discourage deposits and encourage loans. People around the economy had lost their trust in its fundamentals and wanted to hold back whatever they could, so that aggregate demand was low. A low aggregate demand triggered a low aggregate supply and thus, equilibrium output production was low as well. The national government in their attempt to correct the scenario, restricted international trade and adopted a protectioni st policy, which deteriorated the problem further. It was when every school of economics had failed to correct the impact of Great Depression that the Keynesian school of economics came to as the rescuer. John Maynard Keynes ruled out the prevailing classical concepts of economic growth. Instead he stressed upon spending of more money. He instructed the national government to open up to international trade and hence, stimulate aggregate demand and supply. Moreover, he also suggested the administration to invest heftily into the economy even if that amounted to incurring deficits. Moreover, the rate of employment must be at its maximum achievable point so that people start earning and hence are instigated towards more spending (Barro, 2008, p. 405). This strategy introduced by Keynes came to be known in macroeconomics as the Keynesian school of

Othello’s Shakespeare Literature Essay Example for Free

Othello’s Shakespeare Literature Essay Stereotype in layman’s term is often defined as predictable characters and situations or something that is not authentic, or something that is already experienced. In Shakespeare literature, stereotyping is sometimes inevitable. Some of his works, its themes and characters embody the social predicaments and situations during the time he created the masterpiece. In Othello’s case, the issue of race and religion and the revelation of the dark side of human nature is revealed and discussed through the characters. Themes and conflicts like jealousy, race, power, religious tensions, obsession and marriage illustrated in Othello are still important and experienced today. The characters in love, the characters in extreme emotions like obsession and jealousy and the characters who lose and win portray same emotions in reality and some other literature. The common human experience experienced by the characters of Othello, Desdemona and Iago makes this literature stereotype. However what makes stereotyping in Shakespeare’s literature unique and sophisticated is the creative structure of his stories and plays. The play reflects that race and culture divides the world and the people which, in effect, influence human responses to love and emotions. Othello, who is the main character in the story, is a black man who fell in love with a white woman, Desdemona. When Iago gave false accusations against Desdemona, Othello responded with rage, revealing his awareness that his newfound love with Desdemona was all but an illusion. Othello is obviously insecure about his identity as a black man which motivated his hatred and eventually his actions. Othello’s general conclusion that a white woman and a black man are unfit to become lovers motivated his demonic tendencies. This reflects that the controversial issues about racism manipulate our perspective towards love and relationship, which is often destructive. Like any other human beings when faced with inequality, Othello approached his emotions unwisely. Othello’s reaction to his feelings contaminated his sense of morality and spirituality just like how other people is being contaminated by their extreme emotions. Jealousy and envy motivate evilness and passion that in the long run will create human suffering and tragedy. People often hear that human beings are naturally selfish. In love, this selfishness is often revealed. However, those people who are victims of jealousy, especially the ones who are loved, will always experience passive suffering. Love affects in this case, the way a lover responds to love will greatly affect the beloved. Love is a shared communion. The lover’s choices will affect the beloved’s fate. Othello’s choices resulted to Desdemona’s death. Here Shakespeare demonstrates the defensive nature and stereotypical image of black people If Othello denied inferiority and race, Iago gave importance to power and race and status. This selfish need and motivation of Iago resulted to jealousy and which eventually led to destruction. Just like any other negative emotions, Shakespeare gave a predictable outcome: selfishness and jealousy leads to destruction. Stereotyping in character is probably used by Shakespeare to demonstrate the realities of human life and the realities of human nature. However the sophistication and language of his literature revealed his Shakespeare’s innate talent, artistry and creativity.

The Relationship And Unity Of The Malaysian People Education Essay

The Relationship And Unity Of The Malaysian People Education Essay The new economy policy was introduced by the government to strengthen the relationship and unity of the Malaysian people. By introducing new economy policy, the number of job opportunities had increased irrespective ethnicity, thus improve the relationship between people from different races. Besides that, DEB also played the roles to reduce and eliminate the identification of each race based on their works and living place. For example, Malay people usually live and work in the village while Indian people live and work on the estate. This will result in less interaction between both races and unities between them will not success easily. DEB had overcome this problem by providing equal opportunity to all Malaysian. The national Education policy was set up as recommended by Razaks Report 1956. According to the KLIK website (n.d), the aim of this report was to establish a national education system that would promote the cultural, social, economic and political development accepted by the nation as well as making the Malay language as the national language and the main language used in school. After Razaks Report, the government introduced a few education reports that contained better recommendations or the upgraded version of the first one. Government always changed the recommendations and policies due to the current education system that keep changing along with the globalization. Years ago, people did not care about education as they were not afforded for it. Nowadays, as the government had introduced pre-school for a child at the age of 5 and 6 years old in order to provide them with formal education. Preschool is the suitable place to explore the students talents and help them to improve it. At this time, the students are young and always ready to learn something new. This is the time for the teacher and parents to train the kids to be responsible, well-manner and able to contribute to the country. Along with the development of the country, people started to realize that people that is well-educated have the power to be respected and get higher income compared to someone without education. A national principle known as rukunegara is the basic principles that must be obeyed by all Malaysian. National principle is used to promote social balance and unity among different races that live in Malaysia. By following this principle, we can prevent from the tragedy 13 may from happen again. All the five principle focused on the relationship between man and god, king, country, law and constitution. The last part of the principle is good behavior which is reaching the goal of NPE to develop various potentials among student. By practicing it correctly, we may produce well potential students in various aspects, thus improve the quality of our country. Nowadays, people started to realize that education in school is not about performing well in the exam only but students have to involve in co-curriculum activities in order to identify their talent while train them to be more discipline. There are a few factors that lead to the NPE such as the factor of religious, social, politic, economic and individual. As stated in the first national principle which is belief in God, all the citizens supposed to have a religion to be obeyed. In Malaysia, the official religion is Islam. Even though Malays people are Muslims, which does not mean other people from different ethnic cannot join the religion. Besides that Muslims, other people are free to embrace any religion that they want. As Malaysia has multiracial citizens, social factor is one of the important factors that lead to NPE. In Malaysia, we can communicate and live happily with other ethnics as we respect each other as the citizen of the same country. All of them are living or work at the same places without arguing because the spirit of unity as stated in the second national principle which is loyalty to king and country. Each person has different skills in developing the national economy. For example, there are some people that mastering business while the others are skillful in buying and selling stock. This differentiation occurs due to different potential and education level that they got. When they are knowledgeable, they know how to compete in order to get profit as well as improve the economy level of the country. The last factor is individual factor. At school, students talent will be identified in order to develop their skills and potentials that are different between each person. Living in a community with a good manner will result in harmony and balance citizens. Besides that, their potentials and skills may help the country development in various aspects such as education, music and others. Education in Malaysia has started years ago. Formal education in Malaysia used to take place at the mosque and castle before changing into a place called school. Before independence, people that live in a rural area with low income rarely have the opportunity to go to school as they were not afforded for it. The developing of this country has improved the education in Malaysia thus provide a better opportunity for children to get education. Before 1982, the education system that had been used in Malaysia was Old Primary School Curriculum. As stated by fiq2705 (2012), the syllabus introduced a lot of subjects thus make it not suitable for a student in primary school. Besides that, this system was fully depended on textbooks with limited teaching aids and references. The student will get bored easily as the teacher was not creative to make the teaching and learning process more interesting. As the result of this, many people had criticized the education system at that time due to a lot of problems occur. To overcome this problem, the government had introduced New Primary School Curriculum. New Primary School Curriculum also known as Kurikulum Baru Sekolah Rendah (KBSR) had upgraded and improved in many ways better than the system before. As stated by are_niece02 (2010), the main focus of KBSR were to implement 3M among students which is reading, writing and counting. The students were divided into two phrases. Phrase 1 contained the Year 1 until 3 students while year 4 to 6 students were in phase 2. Each phrase stresses on different skill and knowledge suitable to the student age. According to are_niece02 (2010), the syllabus that had been practiced during KBSR was flexible for students as they balanced the emotional, spiritual, intellectual during the teaching and learning process. Due to this, on-going assessment had been introduced in order to identify the student performance and problems occur during the study process. Besides that, the teacher was requested to be more creative and not totally depended on text books. One of the problems occur during this program we re the lack of the capable teacher in certain subjects, thus they need to work more than other teacher. Role of a teacher is to teach. Teachers will felt confidence with the abilities that they have in certain subject. Headmasters role is to match the teachers abilities. Besides that, they play the biggest role in developing the potential of students and teachers in various aspects. For better understanding, i have made some research at a Sekolah Kebangsaan Putrajaya Presint 9 and meet with their headmaster, senior assistant and teacher.There are some activities that had been held at the school on to achieve NPE goal such as gotong-royong, Merdeka day celebration, Prophet Muhammad celebration, choral speaking competition and sports day. Gotong-royong is a compulsory activity that the students must join on every Monday before the assembly. During this activity, students are divided into a few groups. Each group will be accompanied by 3 teachers and have their own place to do this activity. Teachers are responsible to give instructions and guide the students. At the same times, they will make sure that the activity runs smoothly with any undesirable thing happen. The task for each group is they must clean up the place and make sure everything is well organized. Besides that, there is also a time when they will paint the school building. In order to make the activity more interesting, the school will give free drink on that day. The objective of this activity is to make them feel equality. No matter which family they are from, no matter which class they are, all students required to join this activity. It is one of the ways to train the students to be patient and tolerant while doing something. Without struggle, nothin g can be success. Besides that, students will be more discipline and follow the instruction given. Usually, when this activity finished, the students will take care of their area even the program was over. This activity has improved the students in many ways. They take good care of their surroundings to make sure that it will be clean thus people can live peacefully. By applying this in a community, it will improve the relationship between neighbourhood thus strengthen the unity. The objective of Merdeka Day Celebration is to make the student appreciate and proud with our country. Nowadays, kids and teenagers spend a lot of time with the machine more than having interaction with human beings. They usually play video games, surf internet and Facebooking during their free time. Spending less time with the older prevent them from learning about the things happen in the past. They just know the history based on what had been taught in the classroom. So, by holding this activity in the school, it can enhance the student knowledge about the life before independent. During this activity, teachers play their role to decorate the hall and preparing some suitable materials. Some of the students will be helping the teachers in the hall while the others will join poster competition. They are requested to draw something related to independence day and the winner will be announced on the day of the celebration. The poster activity goal is to make the students show their cr eativity and at the same time appreciating our country. Early in the morning, all students and teachers will gather in the hall to sing the national anthem, and the school song. After that, there will be a speech by a person that had the experience living during before independent. By exposing the story to the students, they are able to experience and imagine the life before. Thus, they realize how grateful they are nowadays. To solve the problem occur between ethnics, they will improve the social interaction between different races by respecting each other. This situation achieves the goal of NPE which is to produce balanced individuals. Another celebration held in the school is the Prophet Muhammad birthday celebration or also known as maulud. The objective of this celebration is to make the student remember the prophet Muhammad that had left us years ago. In this activity, teachers are responsible to prepare some materials such as Quran, inviting Ustaz and others. Besides that, the students will participate in some competition such as Tadarus Al-Quran, Tilawah Al-Quran, Story Telling and others. This activity was held in order to develop student potential in Islamic ways. During the celebration day, each class has to participate in banner decoration to develop their creativity. Usually, the banner will be written in jawi, thus this activity had improved their jawi writing. By the end of this activity, students are not only enjoying it but they learn more about the story of the prophet, how Islam develops and at the same time improve their skills in reciting al-Quran. So, by practicing it correctly, we can produce p eople that are not only excellent with academic but well-develop in religion. Having high intellectual but without the application of noble character could bring to the worst of the society and the nations (TIM 2011) The next activity held Coral Speaking Competition. The objective of this activity is to increase the English usage of the student and at the same time improve their vocabulary and pronunciation. Teachers are responsible to train the students one each class. Together with the students, the teacher will discuss and prepare the texts for their team. Each class will compete with each other and the winner will be getting a present during closing event. The theme of the choral speaking are different in each year depend on the current issue. So, at the same time, students learn and know about the thing happen in their surroundings. On the day of the competition, each team will present their choral speaking with their own creativity such as use fancy cloth, funny text and others. By the end of this activity, the student is not only enjoyed it but they also improve their English. English is an international language that is been spoken by people around the world. By holding this activity ever y year, students will be more competitive to be the best in English. Thus, they can communicate with others from different country and enhance their knowledge and at the same time strengthen international relationships between others. The last activity is sport day. As stated in Utusan online ( 2013) , students are starting to join sport and curriculum since 1985 and now the government had introduced Satu Murid Satu Sukan (1M1S). Joining this activity will improve the students psychomotor, cognitive and effective. The student may develop potential in the sport that they like. Teacher are responsible to prepare the place that the activity will be held. At the same times, students will join training to prepare themselves for the competition. Student are divided into 4 groups. Some one of the activities take place on that day are 100m sprint, broad jump and others. The Co curriculum had improved the student knowledge as well as train them to conduct and manage an activity. It has achieved the goal of NPE which is to produce creative students. Students also will look at school as interesting place that develop their skills and potential. The interaction in class is really important. In this area, the teacher plays the biggest role to communicate and help students in different ways. As an English teacher, there are some activities that are suitable to be conducted in class such as an individual teaching guide, quiz, ICT activities, spelling bee, and story telling. During teaching and learning process, here will be some students that are slow learners. This student cannot catch up what the teacher teaches. So, to help them understand the lesson. The teacher will spend special time for them before starting a new lesson. They can ask the teacher directly anything that they do not understand. By doing this, there are no students left out during the teaching and learning process. Using ICT programs in the classroom will attract the students interest and make them understand easily. ICT programs occupy all the learning style since there will be sound, picture, and activities that they have to do to enhance the understanding. Conducting quiz will be useful because the teacher can analyze which part or question that most of the students get wrong. Besides that, students will improve their understanding level. Spelling bee and storytelling is the activities that bring many advantages to the student. By joining this activity, they can improve their English. Besides that, it encourages student being competitive in order to be the best. Spelling bee improve their vocabulary and pronunciation. On the other hand, story telling improve the memorizing skills and their creativity to tell a story. Both activities help them in their studies. For example, there are some subject that need them to memorize the formula. So, by introducing this activity to the student, student are able to apply it in real life. In conclusion, the National Education Philosophy (NPE) plays the biggest role in developing education in Malaysia. It introduces various concepts in education, curriculum, co-curriculum and others. Besides that, NPE act as a guide for a teacher to improve their teaching style and activity in order to achieve the school objectives. As a whole, the changed in education as occur due some people opinions about education and the benefit of being educated. As stated in NPE, the objective of it is to develop physical, intellect, emotion, spiritual and social of the citizen to betterment. As a future educated, it is my responsibility to understand the contain of NPE and use it as a guide during my teaching lesson.

The Outsourcing Fundamentals For Dell Computers

The Outsourcing Fundamentals For Dell Computers Dell is one of the leading PC manufacturers in the world. Its business strategy involves outsourcing a number of its operations such as sales order processing, distribution, after sales service. The focus of this report will be to critically evaluate and analyse one such outsourcing project of Dell of its technical support which was considered a failure. There are a number of reasons why Dell chose to outsource its technical support call centre. The main reason for doing so is that Dell saw this part of its operations as non core. It decided to outsource in order to concentrate on its core business processes which were manufacturing and design. The cost savings that an outsourcing deal offered also was a major factor in it doing so. Other factors such as to gain accesses to world class facilities , to share the risk involved, to accelerate redesign engineering process were also critical. After having decided to outsource a deal with Stream Global Services was struck. Stream took its call centre in India to operate the entire tech support of Northern America. After the first term of the contract the deal was called off and Dell decided to back source the tech support from Stream and bring it back in-house. The report analysis the key issues for the failure of this deal. One of the most important issues that resulted in the failure of this outsourcing deal is the drop in quality of service. After initial period the quality of service provided by Stream went down considerably which resulted in unsatisfied customer and complaints. This resulted in fall of sales and loss of market share. Other issues such as loss of control over the operations and loss of tacit knowledge, unable to meet the customer demand due to large increase in customer base, loss of intellectual property, lack of expertise too played a critical factor in its failure. The tip of the iceberg came when n egotiating a contract extension and Stream demanding more, which lead to Dell calling off the whole deal. Critical analysis shows that tech support may be a core competence of Dell, which they had to retain more control over. The possible recommendations are to offshore the call centre to a cost efficient location rather than outsource it. Put in a confidentiality agreement in place in order to protect from loss in intellectual property. Negotiate smaller lengths of contract and to choose quality over price as main criteria while evaluating vendors for outsourcing in the future. Contents 3 Introduction 4 Why Outsource 5 Non core function 5 Gain Access to World-Class Capabilities 6 Cost Saving 6 Accelerate Reengineering Benefits 6 Share Risks 6 Redirect Resources to more Strategic Activities 7 The Stream Story 7 What went wrong 8 Quality of Service 8 Loss of Control 8 Viability of Service Provider 8 Relative Size of Customer 8 The Issue of Trust 9 Lack of Expertise 9 Hidden and Uncertain Costs 9 Tip of the Iceberg 9 Conclusion Recommendation 10 1 . Offshore not out-source : 10 2. Confidentiality Agreements: 11 3. Quality over price: 11 4. Short term contracts : 11 References 12 Appendix 13 Appendix I 14 Sales of Dell from 1999- 2007 14 Appendix II 14 Market Share of PC Manufacturers 14 Introduction Dell is a multinational computer company which has managed to stay in the first place of computer system sales for over a decade. Ranked in the top 50 among the Fortune 500, Dell offers a range of IT products and services, including hardware, software, consulting services, support services, and managed services. Dell employs more than 100,000 employees at services, manufacturing, and design locations around the world. Its strong and revolutionized strategy of direct selling computers to the customers increased its success in the computer companies field providing it with a competitive advantage. Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell a 19-year old teenager and it was named as PCs Limited. Starting with a capital of $1000 and the aim of selling IBM PC-compatible computers he managed to establish Dell as one of the most worldwide successful and profitable companies only after the first years of its function. The first year gross revenues amounted to $6 million. In 1985 Dell introduce d the first computer of its own design- the Turbo PC. In 1988 the company made its initial public offering at $8.50 a share and was renamed to Dell Computer Corporation.    By 1990 it had been expanded in 12 different countries. Six years later(1996), Dell began selling computers via its web site and offered online technical support at the same time and by the 1997 Dell was one of the top five computer makers in the world. As one of the worlds leading direct computer systems companies and a premier supplier of technology for the Internet infrastructure, Dells competitive advantage is its direct customer focus. Constant interaction with its customers online and via the telephone gives Dell the ability to understand unique computing needs that drive individual and enterprise productivity. Even though growth rates for the computer industry are expected to be less than previous years, Dell can still successfully operate, enjoying healthy sustainable profits. With its unique operation strategy and reduced inventory levels gives Dell a competitive edge over its rivals. Dell chooses to outsource a whole bunch of its processes of its operations. Right from most of its production line to sales order processing to distribution to after sales service. Outsourcing allows companies to focus on broader business issues while having operational details assumed by an outside expert. The main focus of this report will be around the outsourcing of its call centre for the technical support. Why Outsource The reasons why Dell chose to outsource its technical support are as follows: Non core function The main reason for its choosing to outsource this aspect of its operations is that Dell saw the technical support operation as not part of its core competence. A core competence provides a competitive advantage through being competitively unique and making a contribution to customer value or cost (Prahalad Hamel, 1990). Long Vickers-Koch (1995) expand the idea of core competences to core capabilities. They distinguish these two by noting that competencies relate to the skills, knowledge, and technological know-how that give a special advantage at specific points of the value chain, which, in combination with the strategic processes that link the chain together, form core capabilities, (p. 12). Dell clearly identified techincal support or the call centre as a non core part of its operations. They saw themselves as clearly being a computer manufacturer who sold customised computers to the users directly and chose to concentrate on this aspect of its business which turned out to be a mistake, we will look at why this was the case in the later part of this report. Gain Access to World-Class Capabilities By the very nature of their specialization, outsourcing providers bring extensive world-class resources to meeting the needs of their customers. Dell wanted to fully utilise this specialization that many of the outsourcing vendors had to offer. Partnering with an organization with world-class capabilities would offer access to new technology, tools and techniques that the Dell may not have possessed more structured methodologies, procedures and documentation; and a competitive advantage through expanded skills. Cost Saving Cost implications are critical factor for any company when it chooses to outsource and Dell being no different. The single most important tactical reason for outsourcing is to reduce or control operating costs. Access to an outside providers lower cost structure is one of the most compelling benefits of outsourcing. The overall operating cost of the tech support would be significantly lower if the project was off shored to a more cost efficient location. Although cost benefits would not be realised in the immediate future but over the long run it promised huge cost savings. Accelerate Reengineering Benefits Outsourcing is often a by-product of another powerful management tool; business process reengineering. It allows an organization to immediately realize the anticipated benefits of reengineering by having an outside organization one that is already reengineered to world-class standards process. Dell wanted to utilise the reengineered business process of the vendor to the fullest. Share Risks There are tremendous risks associated with the investments an organization makes in information technology like a call centre. Dell believed that by outsourcing they would become more flexible, more dynamic and adaptable to meet changing opportunities. This would reduce the risk both financially and strategically in the long term. Redirect Resources to more Strategic Activities Every organization has limits on the resources available to it. Outsourcing permits the redirection of resources from non-core activities toward activities that provide a greater return in serving the customer. Dell clearly saw tech support as its non- core activity and hence thought of outsourcing as a way to redirect its resources and attention to its core business activities like manufacturing and direct sales. The Stream Story After having decided to outsource the tech support and after careful vendor evaluation the eventual order for the outsourcing deal was struck with Stream Global Services. Stream was a business process outsource (BPO) provider specializing in customer relationship management services including sales, customer care and technical support services. Tech support for the entire North America was shifted to Stream located in Mumbai, India. The contract signed was relatively short term which needed evaluation in 4 years. Although, the initial few years of the contract was a success and the company started reaping benefits from sales and profit generation. In 2007 the sales growth started to take a downward turn. Dell started to lose its market share and HP had taken over the market as the premier brand. (Refer Appendix). While there were several factors in the downturn of the companys fortunes, the outsourcing deal with Dell was also said to be a reason. After four years into the deal and wh en the time for evaluation and re contracting came along Dell decided not continue its relationship with Stream and the outsourcing deal went bust. There were several reasons for the failure of this particular deal. What went wrong Quality of Service One of the main reasons for unsuccessful deal was that the quality of service that Stream was offering gradually went down. As with any outsourcing deal the vendor tends to provide high quality service to begin with but over a period of time this quality tends to drop due to several reasons. The average time per call went up, there was more waiting time etc. Dell started to receive a lot of complaints from unsatisfied customers, which was bad for the image of the company. Their competitors started offering better after sales services and Dell started to develop this reputation of having bad customer service. This resulted in sales dropping and Dell loosing market share. Loss of Control The main business strategy of Dell was that it sold computers directly to customers. It is paramount for Dell to know the needs of its customers. After having outsourced its tech support they started to lose control over this aspect. The market and customer demands are constantly changing and its critical for Dell to always be in close conjunction with these changes. Customer feedback is a medium through which they can keep track of the changing needs, but because tech support was outsourced they realised they did not have the control over feedback like they wanted. Viability of Service Provider Dell realised that Stream were not offering the services that was agreed upon. But due to flaws in the contract it was very difficult for them to make any headway into this matter. They realised that Stream did not have the technical proficiency that they had claimed to have had, thus resulting in lower service levels. Relative Size of Customer As the sales of the company grew there were greater customers needing technical assistance. This meant that there was a huge influx of customers for Stream which they did not have the capacity to handle at that time. This resulted in service levels dropping and quality going down. The Issue of Trust Intellectual property became a key issue as well. Stream at the same time were providing services to other computer manufacturers and IT companies which were if not direct but in direct competition with Dell. Hence, confidentiality became an issue with this relationship. Lack of Expertise Dell realised that Stream lacked the technical expertise that they expected. This was but natural as Dell was the experts in designing and manufacturing the computers and they had the technical knowhow of the product. Even with extensive training Stream could not fully gain the technical expertise possessed by Dell. Hidden and Uncertain Costs As in any outsourcing deal the uncertain costs and the hidden cost are always the main reason why any deal is called off. The outsourcer in this case Dell realised that there was a lot hidden costs that was involved in the deal and thus the overall cost benefits they had expected would not be realised. Tip of the Iceberg The final nail in the coffin of the deal came when the time for re-contracting had come along. As in many of the outsourcing cases the bargaining power of the vendor increases as the years go by. Stream had the knowledge that it had the upper hand when it came down to the bargaining power and demanded more money. Dell realised this and decided to bail out of the contract extension. It was a bold decision on the part of Dell because in-sourcing or back sourcing always is a tough task for any company as knowledge transfers becomes a critical issue. Never the less the decision to bring back its technical support in-house was made. After a couple of years Dell again outsourced its tech support but after having the experience of a failed deal they were more careful with this deal. Conclusion Recommendation The first and the foremost function of any company when deciding to outsource should be to evaluate its core competence. As mentioned above core competence gives a competitive edge over the competition. Clearly the technical support for Dell computers is a core function. The main reason for this being that as we saw that the sales started to drop and one of the reasons being the poor quality of customer service. After sales service is an order winner for most computer manufacturers as most of the customer choose to buy a certain brand based on the after sales support that they offer. Based on this analysis the following recommendations can be given. All recommendations given analysis its benefits and its limitations. 1 . Offshore not out-source : Dell should look to offshore the tech support part of its operations rather than outsource. This means that they should retain control of the operation but try and move it offshore for a cheaper alternative. India, Philippines etc are cheaper alternatives that should be considered for future operations. Benefits: They will retain much more control of the operations thus retaining the tacit knowledge and be in close contact with its customers. They will retain their core competence and will not end up losing their competitive edge. Limitations: Initial capital for this is very large. Another limitation is that as in the case with outsourcing the overall cost of operations is not significantly low .This is because with a outsourcing vendor the cost can be reduced by means of economies of scale. Dell will not have this luxury and hence the cost as compared to outsourcing will be relatively high. 2. Confidentiality Agreements: In order to safeguard the intellectual property of the company, some sort of confidentiality agreement needs to be made between Dell and the vendor. Benefits: The core competence of the company will not be shared with its rivals and Dell will not lose its competitive edge. Limitations : It is very difficult to negotiate such kind of contracts with any vendor and such agreement and at times do not hold much value in certain situations and countries. 3. Quality over price: When evaluating a vendor quality and not price should be the foremost criteria. The capacity of the vendor to offer a certain kind of service should be looked upon first. Most outsourcing deals are looked at from a cost point of view and quality gets overlooked. Benefits : Improved quality standards. The vendor will have means to cope with the change in customer quantity and demand. There will be less unsatisfied customers thus enhancing the reputations of the company which is diminishing quickly for its poor customer service. Limitations: Price goes up. Quality always comes at a price and better quality means paying more for such services. These vendors will not be able to meet the price standards of the cheaper vendor which will very often be the case. 4. Short term contracts : Dell should look at signing short term deals with the outsourcing vendors. Ideally the length of the contract should be 2 -3 years after which it should be evaluated. Benefits: Gives Dell more flexibility and opportunity to evaluate the situation of the deal. If Dell feels that the service levels are not up to the mark then it will give them an opportunity to re negotiate. It will put the bargaining power in the hands of Dell. Limitations: The problem with negotiating short term contracts with vendors is that quite often they try and increase their price as they are not guaranteed return on their investment. So they try and increase their profit margins so that they can compensate it for the short length of the contract. References Christensen, Clayton M. (2001), The Past and Future of Competitive Advantage, Sloan Management Review, 42 (Winter), 105-109.   J. Barthelemy, The seven deadly sins of outsourcing,  Academy of Management Executive  17  (2003) (2), pp. 87-97. Magretta J. 1998. The power of virtual integration: an interview with Dell Computers Michael Dell. Har-vard Business Review 76(2): 72-84. Long, C., Vickers-Koch, M. (1995), Using core capabilities to create competitive advantage,  Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 24 No.1, pp.6-20. Prahalad, C. K., G. Hamel. 1990. The core competence of the organization. Harvard Business Review. May-June. Quinn, J. 2000. Outsourcing innovation: The new en-gine of growth. Sloan Management Review, 41(4): 13-29. Quinn, J. Strategic Outsourcing: Leveraging Knowledge Capabilities, Sloan Management Review (40:4), 1999, pp. 9-21.s Willcocks L. Fitzgerald G., Feeny D., (1995). Outsourcing IT: The Strategic Implications, Long Range Planning, 28, 5.

Real Homosexuality: Robert Mapplethorpes Photography in a Political Landscape :: Robert Mapplethorpe Photographic Essays

At each moment, the question boils down to this: dignity on whose terms? Increasingly, the answer is that to have dignity gay people must be seen as normal. --Michael Warner No medium or arena is free from political assimilation. Perhaps this is why the term "the personal is political" is so reverberant in such a multitude of communities. In the fine arts community, every art piece reflects a personal decision or touch; what medium to best describe a subject or idea in, or the physical shape and making of art by an artist, for example, are ways in which each artist has ownership over their own work. When art is displayed for an audience, the very act of placing a personal piece into the public sphere creates a forum for interactive and political dialogue and judgment. To present artwork in a public arena authorizes the audience to construe interpretation and assessment on that art. The policies and politics that dictate the arrival of art for the public purview are not immune to the authority and judgment-making that occurs once the art is on display. There are foundations and organizations that are founded and funded by the government for the promotion and distribution of fine arts, which of necessity are bound by the legal and litigious dictates of the governing bodies and the public it represents. When artwork or an artist is controversial, it becomes a political issue due to the governmental involvement in funding, and thus approving, of the contentious art or art-maker. For artists who work in the photographic medium, controversies arise more readily due to the realism of the images. In the case of Robert Mapplethorpe, a prominent and sensationalist photographer of the '70s and '80s, his photography was the site for which conservative senator Jesse Helms was able to symbolize the misinterpretations of visual representation for 'real' action. Robert Mapplethorpe (1946-1989) was a gay male artist who died at the age of 43 of AIDS. His technically brilliant and stylistically scandalous images sparked both controversy and contemplation. He was both praised and derogated by his stark and honest appraisal of the erotic male nude, sadomasochism culture and practices, and homoerotic and multiracial portraits. "Mapplethorpe's work has a 'shocking' quality both for his choice of subject matter and the fact that the photograph is intrinsically more realistic than painting because the images are 'real'." (Cooper, 285). North Carolina Republican

The Way It Really Was! :: essays research papers

The Way It Really Was!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 1950's there were many problems. The Korean war and the civil rights struggle. Back then the music was all rhythm and blues (r &b). It was record mostly by black artists and for black audience but the white teenagers became interested. The music scene in the early 50's   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Before 1954 there were 3 distinct music areas. R & B,country and pop. Music stations usually played one type of music so listeners could easily find what type they wanted. Pop had 4 major recording companies. RCA,Columbia,becca and Mercury. These companies had very good connection and could make a small band very big! Pop music had a subdued beat and smooth singing. R & B had black artists for black audiences. Country Western had the least affect by Rock and Roll. People who recorded at small independent music business and put out a record, they were called Indies. The first Rock and Roll hit   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The term Rock and Roll was usually used for describing physical sex. Allen Freed was credited with inventing Rock and Roll but that wouldn't be to good for him later in life. The father of Rock and Roll   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Alan freed was the first white disc jockey to play Rock and Roll. Alan show in Cleveland was very popular with teenagers. In 1954, Alan's show moved to WINS. His nick name â€Å"moondog† had to be dropped. He adopted the new title â€Å" the king of rock and roll†. Newspapers ran articles saying Alan was the main wrongdoer in creating Rock and Roll. A riot broke out at one of Alan Freed's concert. The police turned up the house lights to see what the teenagers were doing and Alan said something and the teens went on a rampage. Alan was to blame. He was charged but when the manager at WINS didn't stand behind him, Alan left and went to WABC. The charges were later dropped. Because of all of the court appearances, Alan filed for bankruptcy in 1959. In 1960, Alan was fired from WABC for not signing a statement that he took favors to play certain records. It was all down hill from there. In 1965 Alan died. His friends said that he had a drinking problem and it got worse when he was fired. Adult response to Rock and Roll   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Most adults did not like Rock and Roll. They thought it was vulgar and rude. Although there was never a link from violence to teens. Many incidences proved that wrong when Nat King Cole was performing and 5 teens jumped on stage and started to beat up him.

Bethune

Abstract Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was an African American educator that founded Bethune Cookman College in the early 1900’s, one of the first historical black colleges. Dr. Bethune also founded the National Council of Negro Women; this organization is essentially responsible for representing the international concerns of black women and it also gives black women the understanding of their goals for social justice, equality and human rights through united, constructive action.Beyond education Dr. Bethune helped bring together African Americans in the informal Federal Council on Negro Affairs, also known as the black cabinet that advised President Roosevelt. Dr. Bethune’s education includes Maysville Presbyterian Mission School, Scotia Seminary and the Moody Bible Institute (Dwight Moody's Institute for Home and Foreign Missions. A few political seats that she held include consultant to the U. S. Secretary of War for selection of the first female officer candidates.Appoint ed consultant on interracial affairs and understanding at the charter conference of the U. N. Founder of the National Council of Negro Women. Dr. Bethune was the vice-president of the NAACP. Dr. Bethune was awarded the Haitian Medal of Honor and Merit, that country's highest award. In Liberia she received the honor of Commander of the Order of the Star of Africa. I chose Dr. Bethune because my grandmother was inspired at the age of 40 to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and taught for twenty nine years.She said that Dr. Bethune inspired her through all of her accomplishments, in spite of the challenges that she faced as an African American women. I too, am inspired by her accomplishments. My goal through research is to learn more about Dr. Bethune’s leadership and hopefully I will be able to emulate some of her characteristics. Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune Early Life Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune was born in South Carolina in 1875. She was one of seventeen chi ldren, he parents were both slaves.In 1888, she received a scholarship to Scotia Seminary in North Carolina; this scholarship began her career as an educator. She graduated from Scotia Seminary about five years later in 1893 and she later enrolled in Moody Bible College in Chicago, Illinois. After graduating Dr. Bethune’s first goal was to become a missionary in Africa, not to become and educator. Dr. Bethune later discovered that African Americans were not generally chosen for missionary assignments to Africa. Dr.Bethune’s did not let the disappointment of her application deter her drive to educate others; she applied and received teaching positions in Maysville, Georgia and Sumpter, South Carolina. While working as a teacher in Sumpter, South Carolina she met and married her husband Albertus Bethune, they had one child together. Though they were never divorced, Mr. Bethune left the family due to her devotion to her educating African American children. Dr. Bethune was convinced that education was the single tool to use to fight in opposition to African American weakness and poverty.Dr. Bethune later moved to Florida with her son and husband before their separation. In early 1900, the Florida East Coast railroad construction brought hundreds of African Americans to the areas. She recognized and had a strong desire to improve the lives of uneducated African Americans. Dr. Bethune had a vision, she rented a two story house in Daytona Beach, Florida and opened the Daytona Educational and Industrial Training School for Negro Girls, at the time the school’s enrollment consisted of five girls and her son. school for African American girls.

Identify the cohort group Essay

I belong to the Cohort group called the Boomers. I am a loving mother of two kids, who wants to see and wishes my children to graduate from college. I am not just a full time student, but also a full time employee for a school system. I am a real diligent student who wants to finish school in the next three years, even if working hard as an employee only earns me a little more money, just barely enough for my family’s living. I do value health very much and wishes to have a peace of mind. When it comes to working, I never waste a minute and I see to it that I am always on time. Greeting my team members is a must for me and having a personal interest in their welfare is also important for me. This probably has something to do with my instinct or feelings as a mother. My family strengthens me to work harder and gives me the enthusiasm when it comes to understanding and helping others. I am a hard-worker that I always have the strength to do my tasks as an employee and as a student, even if I just finished doing all the household chores. My good and strong educational background reinforces me to be dependable. You can always count on me whenever you have problems or worries, whether it may be about work, family, education or other personal issues. I am honest and trustworthy when it comes to issues and relationships that a lot of my co-workers and fellow students confide in me with ease. I wish to be successful not only as a mother, a student or a worker but an individual as a whole. I expect my work values to incorporate more balance when it comes to my work and personal life, though giving priority to my family more would also be possible and acceptable for me in the future. I also expect my work values to be flexible and be enhanced further to work out any obstacle that I might encounter in the next five or ten years. Reference: Miller, G. (1998). Handbook of Research Methods in Public Administration. New York, USA: Marcel Dekker Incorporated.

Report for the Promotional Plan of Hot and Chocolate Tea/Coffee

REPORT FOR THE PROMOTIONAL PLAN OF HOT AND CHOCOLATE TEA/COFFEE OF COSTA COFFEE MODULE NAME : MANAGING FINANCE AND MARKETING IN BUSINESS MODULE CODE : TH600B1E SUBMITTED TO : O’HALLERAN ERIC, LONGART PEDRO SUBMITTED BY : RATHEESH VISWANATHAN – 21208850 RESHMI PRABHAKARAN USHA DEVI – 21205617 SUKHWANT KAUR MANN – 21207381 INDEX 1. INTRODUCTION 3 2 BUSINESS PORTFOLIO 3 3. SMART OBJECTIVE 3 4. PROMOTION TITLE 7 5. WHAT WE NEED TO BE DONE? 7 6. BUDJET CONSIDERATION 7 7. WORKING OF SEVEN P’S 8 8. CLOSE SCRUTINY AND COST 8 . RETURN OF INVESTMENT 9 10. CONCLUSION 9 11. BIBLIOGRAPHY 10 1. INTRODUCTION This report is submitted on behalf of the marketing plan for a franchise branch of Costa Coffee located Ealing Broadway in West London of United Kingdom Costa coffee has a fabulous history to be poured in each cup of tea which is served to the customers. HISTORY Costa coffee was founded and established by Sergio and Bruno in the year 1971. The first cup of cof fee was served in Newport Street, London. Gradually Costa gained its reputation by providing coffee to local caterers and delicatessens.After seven years, Costa brothers opened their first shop and by the end of 1995, Costa coffee was spread into 41 Costa stores. It was in 1995 Costa Coffee was purchased by Whitbread PLC and from there it has grown into more and more locations to over 2000 stores world – wide. Over the last 40 years a lot of things had changed but the endless passion for creating great tasting of coffee still lies in the heart of Costa. VISION Costa Coffee is committed to provide the best hospitality experience to its customers with a range of hospitality products which includes hotels, restaurants and leisure clubs.MISSION â€Å" To serve the best coffee in the true Italian style. † 2 BUSINESS PORTFOLIO Over 40 years of excellence Costa had builded up and inevitable reputation of coffee excellence. This goodwill is created by a whole control of the en tire processes that is from harvesting and selection of coffee beans, the roasting of Italian masteries, the choice of machines and compliance for the various procedures of manufacturing beverages and overall ensuring that the same quality of excellent coffee is served to the customers of Costa coffee all around the world.Three different sizes are there for Costa which will serve the customer in 3 different sizes, Primo, Medio and Massimo and the customer can choose from any of Unique blend of Mocha Italia, or decaf, whole or skim milk and add an extra dose of espresso, flavored syrup, cream, candy or chocolate. 15 factors are combined and help to form the perfect Costa Coffee. On over all of these, in each store all over the world regular controls are imposed to ensure consistent and qualitated Costa products and a Barista Mastero (coffee expert) is there in each Costa Coffee to ensure the excellence of drinks served. MARKET IN UKThe deep rooted heritage and unique quality of coffe e had made Costa the market leader here in UK. Over 1,300 stores are operated by Costa or via its individual and corporate franchises. Costa coffee can be found everywhere the customers need for a great coffee. Such as high streets, airport & rail stations, shopping centers & retail parks, motorway & forecourts, hotels, cinemas, hospitals & universities, visitor attractions and leisure venues. In addition to the Costa stores, Costa coffee is also available at over 4,000 premium locations; travel, contract catering, pubs bars & restaurants and hotel & leisure venues.CURRENT MARKET SITUATION The current macroeconomic market condition was a complex one and regular effort must be required for the right tracking of the same. PESTEL Analysis Political Costa coffee beans are growing especially in developing countries. So if taxes imposed on the farmers in those countries increased it will make Costa should pay a higher rate for the coffee they purchase and any of those fluctuations in taxa tion levels will ultimately be passed over to the customers. Economical The economic recession that was happened in 2008 are still creating challenges in the business of Costa Coffee firmly as a whole.Consumers became more conscious with their discretionary spending due to the high unemployment and debt in person and the situation is still prevailing as the same Social/cultural People are spending considerable amount of money. As per the recent survey of Costa’s market experts we found that the annual expenditure of people in London for tea was money on coffee was ? 623million and tea was ? 738 million. Customers are going to coffee shops not only for drinking coffee but also to relax and for even unofficial meeting also. TechnologicalThe latest technological advancement is Senseo which is a better and cheaper coffee machine which can be very much helpful for home usage which can be adversely affecting Costa coffee. Environmental As a part of environmental awareness coffee co mpanies will have to be aware about the way their coffee beans are produced and the way to manufacture and sell their products. Design their supply chain Legal U K, a decade ago pulled out of the ICA (international Coffee Agreement) that set export quotas for producing nations and kept the price of coffee fairly stable.Coffee quotas and price controls ended. Since the deregulation farmers have suffered and their earnings have dropped. Many have struggled to make a living so have given up. International trade regulations/tariffs – Trade issues will affect Costa predominantly when exporting and importing goods. Target Customers Detailed research and strategic studies have been conducted to identify the class and categories of customers. While evaluating their consumer market the conclusion was that the ideal consumer’s economic profile will be; 1.Upper Middle Class: Our recent surveys show that 68% of the total coffee consumers of London were upper middle class people or high economy class people. Hot coffee and hot chocolate coffee was mainly consumed by these class of people. 2. Privileged Class: These classes of people also enjoy the tea more than coffee. Thus we can capture a strong hold on the market of tea and gear up the promotion of hot and chocolate flavor of tea. While the age demographics will be: 1. Students and Youngsters: Students and youngsters consider coffee shops as a gathering spot rather than consuming the products.Here we can utilize the grouping of these people as a sales boost up 2. Professionals: These categories of people were both interested in coffee and tea products as well as they utilize their tea or coffee consumption for unofficial meetings. 3. Families: Families are usually weekend customers and leisure time customers. 4. Mature Consumers: Matured customer groups are ideal for consumption of Costa products because according to our market study most of the people of these groups are theoretically addicted to tea or c offee.We can blow up their mind towards consuming our targeted product Gender and Ethnic/Religious Background was researched to have minimal or no effect on the choices concerning coffee made by consumers and their patronage of coffeehouses. Competitor Analysis The renowned coffee brands which are prevailed in UK were Starbucks, Caffe Nero, Coffee republic, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Coffee Bean Peet's, Caribou Coffee, Cafe Coffee Day, Barista and Mochas. Amoung these we are experiencing a competition with one brand that is Starbucks. Costa Coffee and StarbucksStarbucks is the prime and most intimate competitor of Costa Coffee. Although we are in the prime market position in UK, Starbuscks occupies the position of leader in the coffee shop market with an international market of over 50 countries. Costa occupies the second position on the base of international presence in 27 countries. Both companies had extremely excellent financial performance from 2005 to 2010. However in 200 9 Starbucks had made improvements in their cost structure and therefore the liquidity is better than Costa Coffee since it managed its short-term debt payments.An important factor for both companies is globalization because most leading firms in the food service market expand their operations to other countries. Anyway the future success of both the companies will be based on their operations within UK. Situation analysis – SWOT Strengths As we look into the strengths of Costa coffee, it is showing continuous growth which pasted up their market leader position. Costa had an excellent brand name and brand visibility. Another strength is the wide range of products and value for the money.Costa has a club card which will focus on customers loyalthy. Another peculiarity is that Costa has its own roastery that ensures quality of coffee. Also they are providing the extra bit of unique taste by training baristas within their own training academy. Weaknesses The major weakness of Cos ta is that even though it is operating globally, they are relatively in only few countries worldwide. Another problem is the difficulty to control and maintain brand standard with their franchise store. Limited range of cool drinks available in Costa is another point of weakness.Opportunities We are finding our own opportunities in global market by developing products or drinks such as organic products/cool drinks etc. Another merit include s the introduction of online /telephone ordering system . Entry to far East is another opportunity because of the chilled weather hot chocolate tea will help us to boost up regular sales proportion Threats We are facing major threats from existing coffee chains and fast food outlets. The intense price competition is another threat. As we develop new recipe that means imitating the recipe more quickly . SMART OBJECTIVE Our SMART objective is to increase the monthly sales of hot and chocolate tea/coffee in Costa Coffee by 30 % within 7 months of ca lculated marketing campaign. 4. PROMOTION TITLE A promotion title should always be a suitable caption that can steal the hearts of public which conveys the idea of product/commodity along with our tradition that induces them to consume our product. After a lot of ‘inventions and innovation’ Costa introduce its promotion title as â€Å"Feel the best tea and coffee in  the true Italian style. † 5.WHAT WE NEED TO BE DONE? For the achievement of our preplanned objective we have decided to open 3 promotional stalls for exclusive sales of hot and chocolate tea/coffee within the circle of Ealing Broadway. Within the same we will introduce a special high street offer to our targeted product. Here we calculate that we can drive revenue through increased consumer awareness about that particular product. Supporting promotion to drive people to the outlets should be done with by leaflet distribution within the area circle and advertisement in selected local newspaper. . BU DJET CONSIDERATION The table shown below details all about the total cost of the marketing statregy of Costa Coffee of Ealing Broadway within 7 months of calculated period |Marketing Strategy |Costs for Seven Months | |Equipments from ? 800 – ? 1100 + Signage from ? 45 – ? 300. |Maximum ? 1,400 | |Local Newspaper Advertisement |Maximum ? ,000 | |Leaflet distribution |Maximum ? 1,500 | |Miscellaneous expenses |Maximum ? 500 | |Total  Advertising Costs |Maximum ? 6,400 | 7. WORKING OF 7 Ps Product †¢ Our brand name is our signature.The name of Costa signifies luxury, excellence and perfection all over the world. †¢ The image of Costa is luxury †¢ The theme of Costa, from the brand logo, the color scheme of the premises, to the entire feel of our business is warm tones & relaxing colors. †¢ Costa’s reputation for excellence applies not only for the exceptional coffee but also the insistence on perfect service. Price †¢ The prices of al l the products are comparatively higher at . But this is offset by the outstanding quality and discerning tastes at .One of the reasons for choosing the privileged and higher middle classes in the target market is the prices. Place †¢ After thorough research, and competitive analysis the perfect locations in terms of exposure, accessibility and competitive edge have been acquired. †¢ The inventory and easy transport facilities have also been a part of the deciding factors while choosing the appropriate locale. Promotion †¢ Brand name is enough to muster the required target market. †¢ Most of the awareness will be through the word of mouth of people amongst the masses. Hence the reputation is more that counts. 8. CLOSE SCRUITNY AND COST COTROL Two methods of evaluation and scrutiny will be done with related to this promotional plan. A weekly review will be conducted by the Area Manager and evaluate the weekly expenditure and progress of the promotion and the same will be reported to our corporate office. Moreover that a monthly review will also conducted by 2 of our corporate marketing and finance professionals for strict scrutiny of cost control and marketing implementation. 9. RETURN OF INVESTMENTWe are expecting minimum sale of 70 cups of hot and chocolate tea/coffee per day. 70 cups per day @ average RP of ? 3. 50 Gross profit = ? 51450 – Expense of promotional plan = ? 6400 Net profit = 45050 We can expect the Return Of Investment and calculated sales growth within 7 months of period. 10. CONCLUSION Costa Coffee has been able to remain one of UK's leading coffee brewing companies for more than a century now primarily because of the execution of the company’s branding and positioning strategies to perfection.Add to the mix the company’s dedication to high quality of service and the formula for success is at hand. Moreover, the utilization of the appropriate knowledge management tools is necessary for their products t o reach out to people even in different cultures. However, certain points have to be taken into consideration by Costa Coffee regarding knowledge management tools. Since their income is relatively higher than most coffee brewing companies, the time for implementation of their chosen knowledge management tools would take longer than usual, aside from being expensive.But since the goal of Costa Coffee is towards a long-term dominance and stability in the brewing industry, then the pursuit of this promotional campaign will be beneficial for the company in the long run. BIBLIOGRAPHY About the Foundation (2012)[ online]  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www. costa. co. uk/costa-foundation/about-the-foundation/, (assessed on 12 jan 2013) Costa Coffee Marketing Plan for China (2012)[ online]  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www. ukessays. com/essays/marketing/costa-coffee-marketing-plan-for-china-marketing-essay. hp  , (assessed on17 jan 2013)      Countless Studies Reveal Healthy Attributes (2012)[ online]  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  www. coffeescience. org  -, (assessed on 7 jan 2013) Dunn Bros (2012)[ online]  Ã‚  www. dunnbros. com  , (assessed on 5 jan 2013)   Ã‚   Dunn Bros Franchise Press Releases–(2012)[ online]  Ã‚  Ã‚  www. restaurantresearch. info   , (assessed on 5jan 2013)   Ã‚   ESRI – Business Information Solution – Products Report Zip Code –(2012)[ online]  www. esribis. com   , (assessed on 9 jan 2013)   Star Tribune article by Jim Buchta, pub 9-19-02 â€Å"Dunn Bros. Coffee Breaks the Mold – With Every Store† US Census Data

Barry Bonds and Steroid Abuse by Athletes Essay

On a warm, sunny morning on July 24 in the year of 1964, Barry Lamar Bonds was born in Riverside, California. He was born the son of Patricia and Barry Bonds, a former major league All-Star. As he grew up, he attended Junà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½pero Serra High School, in which he excelled in baseball, basketball, and football. During his high school years, Barry was part of the varsity baseball team and was drafted by the San Francisco Giants when he was a senior. Barry Bonds had declined the Giants’ offer and attended Arizona State University instead, where he continued to excel when playing baseball. After graduating and receiving a degree in criminology in 1986, Bonds was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates and began his major league career in the MLB. Barry Bonds made his major league debut on May 30, 1986 with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In his first season he had 16 home runs, 48 RBI, 36 stolen bases and 65 walks, while playing centre and left field and he batted as the leadoff hitter. In his second season, Bonds obtained 25 home runs, 32 stolen bases, and 59 RBIs. Barry Bonds continued to expand and get better each season. In 1987 and 1989, Bonds recorded 19 home runs, 58 RBIs, and 14 outfield assists, and was second in the MLB. Barry Bonds received his first ever MVP award in 1990 and continued to be awarded numerous Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards with the Pirates until 1992. In that year, Barry Bonds opted for a salary too high for Pittsburgh to meet; therefore he was forced to resign. Barry met Susann Branco in August 1987, in Montreal, Quebec, the soon-to-be mother of his two children. They both eloped to Las Vegas, Nevada on February 5, 1988 and married not too long afterwards. Their first son arrived in 1990, named Nikolai, and their daughter, Shikari, arrived a year later. They then separated in June of 1994 and finally divorced in December of the same year, which was said to be caused by mutual abuse and also said to have been a media affair. Barry Bonds then married again on January 10, 1998 in San Francisco, with Elizabeth Watson. He had one daughter with her named Aisha, born in February of 1999. Despite all of the negative publicity and comments the couple has surpassed, the Bonds’ marriage is nearing its end. Barry Bonds then followed in the footsteps of his father and godfather by joining the San Francisco Giants in 1993. Barry remained a Giant for another fourteen seasons, earning countless awards and creating new records; Bonds was at an all-time career high. In 2003, controversy began to revolve around Bonds, and was referred to as the â€Å"BALCO Scandal.† Barry was alleged to have lied while under oath about taking steroids. His trainer, Greg Anderson was accused of supplying steroids to several other athletes as well. Bonds was charged with four accounts of perjury and one account of obstruction of justice, with its trial set to be held on March 21, 2011. On September 21, 2007, the San Francisco Giants confirmed that they would not be re-signing Barry Bonds, leaving him as a free agent, and he still is one currently. Rumours blamed the BALCO Scadal as the reason why the Giants did not re-sign Bonds. Major Accomplishments: > Graduated from Michigan State University in 1986 with a criminology degree > Drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1986 > Awarded 7 MVP awards throughout his career in the National League > Earned 8 Golden Glove Awards throughout his career > Obtained 12 Silver Sluggers as an outfielder > Part of numerous clubs such as the 50/50 club, the 500 club, and the 600 club > 3-time MLB Player of the Year > 14-time All-Star > He recorded 762 home runs, 2,558 walks, 688 intentional walks, 1,996 RBI, .444 on-base percentage, 2,227 runs, 2,986 games, 1,440 extra-base hits, 12.92 at-bats per home run, 5,976 bases, 601 doubles, .607 slugging percentage, 514 stolen bases, 9,847 at-bats, 2,935 hits, 77 triples, 91 sacrifice flies, and 1,539 strikeouts > And much more†¦ Effect of Steroids on Barry Bonds’ Career: Barry Bonds was always an amazing athlete, even before he allegedly began taking steroids. He was going to be drafted into the National League at the mere age of 18 (an offer which he politely declined). He had already won 3 MVP awards and passed the 300 home runs mark, before being said to take performance-enhancing drugs around 1998. After the year Barry Bonds was said to have taken steroids, his career was beginning to reach an all-time high, which was rumoured to be the effect of steroids on Bonds’ body. There were tests done that conclude that Barry may have used a steroid-like substance, leading to his rebuttal, in which he attempted to place the blame on his trainer for â€Å"tricking† him into using steroids. This may have been Barry Bonds’ way of trying to remove the responsibility of taking performance-enhancing supplements from himself and onto his personal trainer, Greg Anderson. Even if the rumours weren’t true, the allegations thus led to the downfall of his career. Supposedly, his career lasted for another 9 years, after his substance abuse, but ended in 2007 when his contract with the San Francisco Giants expired and they did not sign Bonds again. Barry hasn’t retired yet, and as a free agent he is still looking for a contract, although he may not receive one due to his alleged steroid use. Why Athletes Use Steroids: There are several psychological and sociological reasons for why athletes would like to and have used steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs. One of the big causes of steroid use is low self-esteem; an athlete may be insecure and is scared of performing poorly, letting fans down, or of embarrassing themselves, so they look towards drugs to enhance their performance. Sometimes athletes believe that if they don’t look bigger or stronger than others, they aren’t as good as others, which isn’t always true. Other athletes may be aiming to be number one and nothing less, but they want to take a short-cut by using steroids, so they can get instant results. They believe that once they perform better, they can also make more money, get more endorsement deal, and more. Constant pressure from teammates, coaches, and society leads to the use of this drug, therefore the athlete cannot always be blamed. These all may be liable reasons, but they aren’t good enough to make steroid use acceptable. How the Body is Affected by Steroids: Both Sexes: * Increased risk of mood disturbances including mania and depression * Increased risk of psychosis * Increased risk of aggressive acts which may injure self or others * Increased risk of cardiovascular disease * Increased risk of liver disease and cancer * Increased risk of kidney disease and cancer * Risk of HIV and Hepatitis B & C from contaminated needles * Acne * Bad breath * Decreased sex drive * Baldness * Water retention * Muscle cramps * Aching joints * Increased risk of muscle tears * Increased risk of tendon injuries * Increased risk of nose bleeds * Insomnia * Decrease in immune system effectiveness * Infertility Men: * Increased risk of prostate enlargement and cancer * Decreased testicular size * Gynecomastia (growth of breasts) Women: * Increased risk of cervical and endometrial cancer * Increased risk of osteoporosis * Irreversible enlargement of the clitoris * Irreversible hoarsening and deepening of the voice * Irreversible increase in facial and body hair * Decreased breast size * Amenorrhea * Uterine atrophy Children: * Short Stature * Premature ephiphyseal closure Taken from: http://www.musclenet.com/steroid.htm A Natural and Legal Way for Athletes to Improve Their Performance: Improving an athlete’s performance isn’t as complex as it’s believed to be. Athletes just have to follow simple lifestyle rules every day to help boost their athletic performance naturally and legally. An athlete just needs to follow the workout routine specific for what sport they are participating and while they exercise they must rehydrate, replenish their body with carbohydrates and protein, refuel electrolytes, and practice a lot. Athletes can also do specific exercises to work on things like their swing, speed, kick, etc. For example, if a baseball player wanted to work on the power of their swing, they would use a heavy, lead bat and practice batting with that, gradually increasing their strength. This may be the â€Å"long road† to improving athletic performance, but it’s also the natural and legal way. Bibliography: 1. 15 Simple Ways to Improve Athletic Performance. http://www.hammernutrition.com/ hnt/2227&OMI=10126,10071&AMI=10126&RETURN_URL=%252Fza%252FHNT%253FPAGE%253DTRAININGTIPS%2526OMI%253D10126%252C10071%2526AMI%253D10126&RETURN_TEXT=Performance%2520Tips/ Copyright 2011, Hammer Nutrition LTD. 2. Barry Bonds Bio. http://www.jockbio.com/Bios/Bonds/Bonds_bio.html Copyright 2007 Black Book Partners, LLC. All rights reserved. 3. Steroids – Pros and Cons. http://www.musclenet.com/steroid.htm Copyright 2005 MuscleNet.com