Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s Maggie: A Girl of the Streets Essay

Naturalism in Stephen Crane’s â€Å"Maggie: A Girl of the Streets† â€Å"Maggie: A Girl of the Streets,† is a novella written by Stephen Crane and published in the year 1893. This work was published during the time of the Industrial Revolution, when factories were appearing everywhere. Their workers were often not paid enough to lead a decent life, and suffered from their situation. They were not very civilized and sometimes aggressive in their behavior. Perhaps because of this radical change from a more agricultural lifestyle to one of industry and factories, some pieces of literature were starting to transition from the classification of Realistic writings to works that are now categorized as works of Naturalism. While the two categories are related, Naturalistic works often are based in urban landscapes and focus upon the poor and less educated; whereas the character focus and settings of Realistic works were ordinary people living in both cities and small towns. Crane’s novella was written right as the literary movement of Realism ended and Naturalism began, and understandably includes elements of both movements. Crane’s story, though, can be concretely set in one category. His story occurs in urban New York. The plot of it is set on a community of its poor residents who cannot change their situation. The themes and tenets used in this work, as well as the aforementioned setting and plot choices, concretely set this novella in the classification of a work of Naturalism. Crane uses foreshadowing to allude to storylines that are created and events that occur later in the story. In the opening of the novella, we are greeted with a scene of a bloody and intense fight. Those involved are mere children, who are fighting intensely and drawing all the blood they can from their adversaries. The names of the neighborhoods from which the boys are from: â€Å"Rum Alley† and â€Å"Devil’s Row†, imply to the reader that the inhabitants are both heavily dependent on alcohol and rough in their personalities. The fact that young children are fighting battles like animals echoes the similar themes of Naturalists portraying the city as a jungle, and its’ inhabitants equal to the animals that occupy it. Crane uses both similes and metaphors to add intensity and detail to his work. His work is peppered with colorful language that allows the reader to perceive an occurrence or characteristic with greater intensity. Crane implies that Maggie is a flower through stating that she â€Å"blossomed in a mud puddle† (ch. 5). When referring to the speed with which Maggie at her food, Crane states that she ate â€Å"like a small pursued tigress† (ch. 2). Later, Jimmie confronted Pete at the bar, and â€Å"snarled like a wild animal† when he threatened Pete into a fight (ch. 11). Soon before the fight, Jimmie, his companion, and Pete stood close together and â€Å"bristled like three roosters† (ch. 11). From these similes and metaphors can be pulled Crane’s portrayal of the city. The use of animal comparisons to refer to the actions of people expose the animal-like and barbaric nature of those described. Crane and other Naturalists used this technique of describing the city as a jungle to present to their readers the reality of city life. The lifestyle and living conditions of the poor were animal-like. They fought one another in a struggle to survive. Whoever was larger was always considered superior over the small. When Pete approaches the brawling children and hits one on the head to stop him from fighting, the young boy â€Å"scrambled to his feet, and perceiving, evidently, the size of his assailant, ran quickly off, shouting alarms† (ch. 1). Crane’s use of diction is also telling of the lifestyle of those living in the Bowery. The characters speech is consistently made up of curses and broken words. It shows that the inhabitants are either poorly educated or uneducated, and lack a civilized lifestyle. The male inhabitants, at least in this story, are constantly challenging another to a fight if he feels insulted by something the other does or says. These traits further demonstrate the uncivilized and animal-like existence of those living there. Crane’s use of characterization helps the reader form ideas or hypotheses about the way a character will act throughout the story. In Chapter One, as Pete is approaching the brawl on the street, he is given the following description: Down the avenue came boastfully sauntering a lad of sixteen years, although the chronic sneer of an ideal manhood already sat upon his lips. His hat was tipped with an air of challenge over his eye. Between his teeth, a cigar stump was tilted at the angle of defiance. He walked with a certain swing of the shoulders which appalled the timid. He glanced over into the vacant lot in which the little raving boys from Devil’s Row seethed about the shrieking and tearful child from Rum Alley. â€Å"Gee! † he murmured with interest. â€Å"A scrap. Gee! † He strode over to the cursing circle, swinging his shoulders in a manner which denoted that he held victory in his fists. He approached at the back of one of the most deeply engaged of the Devil’s Row children. Ah, what deh hell,† he said, and smote the deeply-engaged one on the back of the head. This description of Pete portrays him as a person with a lot of confidence and one that sees himself as having authority over others and can do what he would like. â€Å"Maggie† is a story that is pessimistic. It is not only a story of a character who ultimately succumbs to her situation by becoming a prostitute because she feels she has no other way if supporting herself, but also one of the horrible conditions of the lower class. The residents of the area are â€Å"stuck† in the same situation of those who before them and cannot change. This is especially seen in Jimmie, because when he gets older, he adopts the same traits his father had. The story also is detached. Crane is merely telling the story. He does not intrude upon the writing by stating that anything was right or wrong. In every situation that could render an opinion or analysis by the author, Crane does not interject with his ideas or thoughts about what is happening: he merely tells the story as it happened with no feeling toward it. He states something as it is and does not embellish it. When Tommie dies, it is stated exactly as it is: â€Å"The babe, Tommie, died† (ch. ). No sad reminisces about his life or the â€Å"tragedy† of his death is given. He does not judge the characters. Naturalist writers often gave very detailed accounts of situations in their stories, but left judgment and interpretation to the reader. Tied to the fates of the characters is the story’s theme of â€Å"survival of the fittest†. The baby, Tommie, dies because he is too weak to survive. The same is the case for Maggie: she is dependent upon Pete for support. When she no longer has a relationship with him, she succumbs to her lowly situation and dies before her mother and Jimmie. Jimmie and his mother survive because they have the toughness to endure the rough lifestyle that living in the city requires. Violence and aggression are persistent themes throughout â€Å"Maggie. † The novella opens with a violent fight scene. When Jimmie returns home from the fight, his mother is furious and angrily scrubs him raw while washing the blood from the fight off of him. Pete, when breaking up the fight that Jimmie was in, just hits one of the kids on the head instead of speaking. Jimmie fights Pete when he discovers he has ruined his sister. While Pete leads Maggie through a crowded sidewalk, he threatens to fight some who are in their way. This aggression is another way that Crane implies to the reader that the city is a jungle and those who reside in it are animals. A final similar theme of â€Å"Maggie† and other works written in the time of Naturalism is the use of irony. The first instance of it occurs after Jimmie tells his mother Maggie had â€Å"gone to the devil,† which is a phrase the novella uses for having premarital sex. She curses Maggie for a bit, the says â€Å"†Ah, who would t’ink such a bad girl could grow up in our fambly† (ch. 0). This is a statement of great irony, because the environment Maggie grew up in was horrible, and her family was by no means a good one. A second instance of this occurs when Jimmie comes home to report â€Å"Mag’s dead† (ch. 19). His alcoholic and abusive mother wildly mourns the death of her daughter. A group of mourners arrive at the apartment, and one of the women tells her â€Å"†Yeh’ll fergive her, Mary! Yeh’ll fergive yer bad, bad, chil’! Her life was a curse an’ her days were black an’ yeh’ll fergive yer bad girl? She’s gone where her sins will be judged†Ã¢â‚¬  (ch. 19). She responds by stating she would. This again reflects irony by the fact that, in the household she grew up in it was hard not to commit a sin. (Word Count: 1617) Crane’s novella reflects themes and techniques commonly used in Naturalistic writings. The writers whose works were considered from the era of Naturalism all had common themes and tenets that characterized their stories. Through the use of these literary devices the authors were able to paint a picture of the lives of the members of the lowest class and bring their readers to realize the reality of the world in which they lived.

Consumers as Individuals Essay

The self-concept refers to the beliefs a person holds about their attributes, and how they evaluate these qualities. Components of the self-concept It is composed of many attributes, some of which are given greater emphasis when the overall self is being evaluated. Attributes of self-concept can be described along such dimensions as their content (for example, facial attractiveness vs. mental aptitude), positivity or negativity (i. e. elf-esteem), intensity, stability over time and accuracy (that is, the degree to which one’s self-assessment corresponds to reality). Self-esteem Self-esteem refers to the positivity of a person’s self-concept. People with low self-esteem do not expect that they will perform very well, and they will try to avoid embarrassment, failure or rejection. People with high self-esteem expect to be successful,, will take more risks and are more willing to be the centre of attention. Self-esteem is often related to acceptance by others. Marketing communications can influence a consumer’s level of self-esteem. Exposure to ads can trigger a process of social comparison, where the person tries to evaluate their self by comparing it to the people in these artificial images. Real and ideal selves Self-esteem is influenced by a process where the consumer compares their actual standing on some attribute to some ideal. The ideal self is a person’s conception of how they would like to be, while the actual self refers to our more realistic appraisal of the qualities we have or lack. And we often engage in a process of impression management where we work hard to ‘manage’ what others think of us by strategically choosing clothing and other cues that will put us in a good light. The ideal self is partly moulded by elements of the consumer’s culture, such as heroes or people depicted in advertising who serve as models of achievement or apprearance. Products may be purchased because they are believed to be instrumental in helping us achieve these goals. Some products are chosen because they are reaching the standard set by the ideal self. Multiple selves We have as many selves as we do different social roles. Depending on the situation, we act differently, use different products and services, and we even vary in terms of how much we like ourselves. A person may require a different set of products to play a desired role. The self can be thought of as having different components, or role identities, and only some of these are active at any given time. Symbolic interactionism If each person potentially has many social selves, how does each develop and how do we decide which self to ‘activate’ at any point in time? The sociological tradition of symbolic interactionism stresses that relationships with other people play a large part in forming the self. This perspective maintains that people exist in a symbolic environment, and the meaning attached to any situation or object is determined by the interpretation of these symbols. Like other social objects, the meanings of consumers themselves are defined b social consensus. The consumer interprets their own identity, and this assessment is continually evolving as they encounter new situations and people. The looking-glass self When you choose an article of clothing, the mirror superimposes it on your reflection so that you can see how it would look on you. This process of imagining the reactions of others towards us is known as ‘taking the role of the other’, or the looking-glass self. According to this view, our desire to define ourselves operates as a sort of psychological sonar, we take readings of our own identify by ‘bouncing’ signals off others and trying to project what impression they have of us. Self-conciousness There are times when people seem to be painfully aware of themselves. If you have ever walked into a class in the middle of a lecture and noticed that all eyes were on you, you can understand this feeling of self-conciousness. Some people seem in general to be more sensitive to the image they communicate to others. A heightened concern about he nature of one’s public ‘image’ also results in more concern about the social appropriateness of products and consumption activities. Several measures have been devised to measure this tendency. Consumers who score high on a scale of public self-conciousness, for example, are also more interested in clothing and are heavier users of cosmetic. A similar measure is self-monitoring. High self-monitors are more attuned to how they present themselves in their social environments, and their product choices are influenced by their estimates of how these items will be perceived by others. High self-monitors are more likely than low self-monitors to evaluate products consumed in public in terms of the impressions they make on others. Products that shape the self: you are what you consume Recall that the reflected self helps to shape self-concept, which implies hat people see themselves as they imagine others see them. People use an individual’s consumption behaviours to help them make judgements about that person’s social identity. A consumer exhibits attachment to an object to the extent that it is used by that person to maintain their self-concept. Objects can act as a sort of security blanket by reinforcing our identities, especially in unfamiliar situations. Symbolic self-completion theory predicts that people who have an incomplete self-definition tend to complete this identity by acquiring and displaying symbols associated with it. Self/product congruence Because many consumption activities are related to self-definition, it is not surprising to learn that consumers demonstrate consistency between their values and the things they buy. Self-image congruence models predict that products will be chosen when their attributes match some aspect of the self. These models assume a process of cognitive matching between these attributes and the consumer’s self-image. Research tends to support the idea of congruence between product usage and self-image. Congruity has also been found between consumers and their most preferred brands of beer, soap, toothpaste and cigarettes relative to their least preferred brands, as well as between consumers’ self-images and their favourite shops. Some specific attributes that have been found to be useful in describing some of the matches between consumers and products include rugged/delicate, excitable/calm,†¦. The extended self. Many of the props and settings consumers use to define their social roles in a sense become a part of their selves. Those external objects that we consider a part of us comprise the extended self. Many material objects, ranging from personal possessions and pets to national monuments or landmarks, help to form a consumer’s identity. Four levels of the extended self were described. These range from very personal objects to places and things that allow people to feel like they are rooted in their larger social environments. †¢ Individual level. Consumers include many of their personal possessions in self-definition. These products can include jewellery, cars, clothing and so on. The saying ‘You are what you wear’ reflects the belief that one’s things are a part of what one is. †¢ Family level. This part of the extended self includes a consumer’s residence and its furnishings. The house can be thought of as a symbolic body for the family and often is a central aspect of identity. †¢ Community level. It is common for consumers to describe themselves in terms of the neighbourhood or town from which they come. †¢ Group level. Our attachments to certain social groups can be considered a part of self. A consumer may feel that landmarks, monuments or sports teams are a part of the extended self. Sexual identity is a very important component of a consumer’s self-concept. People often conform to their culture’s expectations about how those of their gender should act, dress, speak and so on. To the extent that our culture is everything that we learn, then virtually all aspects of the consumption process must be affected by culture. Gender differences in socialization A society’s assumptions about the proper roles of men and women are communicated in terms of the ideal behaviours that are stressed for each sex (in advertising, among other places). Gender goals and expectations In many societies, males are controlled by agentic goals, which stress self-assertion and mastery. Females, on the other hand, are taught to value communal goals such as affiliation and the fostering of harmonious relations. Every society creates a set of expectations regarding the behaviours appropriate for men and women, and finds ways to communicate these priorities. Gender vs. sexual identity Sex role identity is a state of mind as well as body. A person’s biological gender does not totally determine whether they will exhibit sex-typed traits, or characteristics that are stereotypically associated with one sex or the other. A consumer’s subjective feelings about their sexuality are crucial as well.

A Study on Lawrence Venuti’s Translation Theory Essay

Lawrence Venuti is a distinguished translator, translation theorist and master of deconstruction whose works are included in two collections of stories by Dino Buzzati. Venuti is the recipient of a translation grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and a Premio di Cultura for translation from the Italian Government. A former judge of the PEN-BOMC Translation Award, he teaches at Temple University as an Associate Professor of English. He is the editor of anthology Rethinking Translationï ¼Å¡Discourseï ¼Å'Subjectivityï ¼Å'Ideology; the compiler of The Translation Studies Reader and the author of two major books on translation. —The Translator’s Invisibility: A History of Translation and The Scandal of Translation: Towards an Ethics of Difference. Lawrence Venuti has studied the translating practice with a critical eye since the 1660s and introduced the dominant position of the fluentness in translation strategies, which helps form the canons for translated literature in Anglo-American language and culture; he has analyzed the influence of the textual and non-textual elements to translation such as relationships between ST and TT and between writer and translator, etc., in hopes of finding a text that can load the foreignness and situate the translator in the foreground. Venuti’s theory has re-analyzed the connotation of translation. He is strongly against domestication of translation, which embodies the ethnocentrism and cultural hegemony in essence. So he puts forward new translation methods such as â€Å"resistance†, â€Å"symptomatic reading† and â€Å"abusive fidelity†. He hopes to make a new position for translation that should be read as a translation with its own value, which not only puts post-modernism in translation but also leaves enough space for Chinese scholars and students to rethink translation. Beside Introduction and Conclusion there are five chapters in this thesis: Introduction briefly introduces the present situation of translation studies and the theme, the structure and goal of this thesis; Chapter One collects and briefly introduces the most important parts of Venuti’s translation theory, trying to find the essence and key points from either textual or non-textual aspects; Chapter Two tries to analyze Venuti’s theory from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives in hope to find the properties in the modern times; Chapter Three integrates theories of different schools and focuses on analyzing the functions of Venuti’s translation theory in translating practice and review through comparative studies. Chapter Four briefly analyzes the backgrounds and ways of introduction of Venuti’s theory and its influence on translation studies and practice in China, as well as the present status of its misreading and mistranslating; Chapter Five analyzes the merits and demerits of Venuti’s theory from both positive and negative aspects, hoping to generalize his contribution to translation studies and draw attentions to the void space for rethinking translation; Conclusion sums up the whole thesis. Key Words: Lawrence Venuti power relationships resistance foreignness rethinking

Islamic Fasting and Christian Season of Lent Essay

Islamic Fasting and Christian Season of Lent - Essay Example This paper provides a detailed summary of the Christian Lenten season compared to Islam's fasting season. The two religions exhibit similarities and differences in various ways and pose different impacts on the respective religions. Ash Wednesday is the first day that Christians use to mark the period in western Christianity. The main purpose of Ash Wednesday is to remind us that lent is present, and we need to make an effort to acquire a close relationship to God through repenting. This is realization that God truly loves us because he died for us. The cross of ashes on one's forehead represents that Jesus does forgive all sins. Ash Wednesday is also a reminder that all people need God’s help, and it is a symbol that Jesus will help us (Allen 9). The period of Lent begins forty days before Easter and culminates in Easter Sunday. The Sundays are not inclusive in the forty days since God intended them for resting. Christians observe this period of Easter by fasting and repentin g their sins. The church has set this period aside to give Christians a chance to reflect on the sacrifice, life, suffering, death, and resurrection of Christ. Roman Catholics, Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Methodist comprise the churches that observe Lent. The Churches of Eastern Orthodox observe the Great Lent during the 40 days that precede Palm Sunday. Their practice of fasting continues during the holy week of Orthodox Easter. The Orthodox churches do not observe Ash Wednesday and their Lent season begins on Clean Monday (Allen 15). During this period, the Christians have an obligation to give up things they do regularly or make themselves righteous by praying frequently and doing meritorious deeds. Giving up meat is a sacrifice that Christians exercise. Fasting should enable Christians to become better people by sacrificing themselves for the benefit of other people. Giving up meats on Fridays is a form of sacrifice that represents the death, suffering, and sacrifice t hat Jesus went through during the time of his persecution (Allen 39). The Stations of the Cross’ are a significant part that Catholics partake in during the Lenten season. This is the practice that commemorates the journey of the death of Jesus. The stages presents all events that took place before the soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross. The steps remind us of the amount of suffering that Jesus endured. The priest reads the fourteen parts or other individuals act them. The Lent season provides us with renewal of hope. It encourages us during hardships and tragic experiences (Allen 51). Lent is a fulfilling season for Catholics since it a person’s relationship with God closer. People consider Lent to be a source of warming in their lives. This is because it is during this period that the relationship between one and God strengthens. The critical part of lent and the basis of the Lenten season is the intrinsic feeling inside a person. This feeling makes one feel scrupulo us about doing an admirable deed. It teaches people to help other without expecting anything in return (Allen 77). The best part of Lenten season is that it enables us to draw closer to God through temporary sacrifice that we make. It gives Christians a chance to balance between cutting themselves off marvellous things and fasting. This season gives us hope that God will guide us during hardships and tragedies. We attain hope of guidance from God through the fact that Jesus resurrected and thus conquered death. The same way, God will assist us conquer tragedies and hardships. The worst part of the Lenten season is that it interferes with ones day to day life activities. People accidentally

Structure of law firms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Structure of law firms - Essay Example They view creeping commercialism as the root of the problem. â€Å"Law as a business? 7D-that is, a money-making trade-is seen as the antithesis of the public service ideal upon which the legal profession was founded. The idea that professionalism is grounded in public service has its roots deep in the history of Anglo-American law. In the distant past when the French speaking Norman kings dispensed justice to an Anglo-  Saxon populace, it was necessary for parties to be represented by someone who could speak the language of the court.  These representatives were inevitably nobles who served out of fealty to their king. For such early advocates, service rather than profit was the reason to assume this role. English barristers today do not accept a fee, but rather receive an â€Å"honorarium† in acknowledgement of this tradition of public service.1 However, ethical rules of the courts and bar associations form the fundamentals of practicing law in most American states. Cas e in point, the state of New York requires lawyers operating in the state to act in accordance to the New York Code of Professional Responsibility.2 1. Law firm structure in General By tradition, the organization of law firms is that of general partnerships. While a majority of law firms registers limited liability partnerships to shelter associates, or members, from explicit liability entirely or to a certain extent, the most fundamental organizational structure has been general partnership. The rise to partnership position in a law firm has been the biggest indicator of professional and personal success in law. In this case, â€Å"I have made partner† or â€Å"Making partner† are two phrases that occupy lawyers careers as they use it as a yardstick of success in private practice. In effect, lawyers draw a lot of satisfaction when referred as a partner, since the tag shows accomplishments in a lawyer’s private practice career. Thus, notwithstanding the all-too- common generational disparities, associates-the subordinate members- in law firms always desire to â€Å"make partners† in a law firm.3 In comparison to Saudi Arabia, lawyers in America have the capability of establishing professional organizations using an assortment of methods. According to an Ethics Opinion of the New York County Lawyers' Association, â€Å"A law firm may be structured as a professional corporation (PC), a limited liability company (LLC), or a limited liability partnership (LLP) without, by its structure alone, violating any ethical standard.†4 Conversely, the interpretation of Law Governing Lawyers states, â€Å"A lawyer may practice as a solo practitioner, as an employee of another lawyer or law firm, or as a member of a law firm constituted as a partnership, professional corporation, or similar entity.†5 In the comment of the restatement of Law Governing Lawyers, they mention that: A law firm established as a partnership is generally subje ct to partnership law with respect to questions concerning creation, operation, management, and dissolution of the firm. Originally, in order to achieve certain tax savings, law firms were permitted in most states to constitute themselves as professional corporations. Most such laws permitted that form to be elected even by solo practitioners or by one or more lawyers who, through their professional corporation, became partners in a law partnership. Pursuant to amendments to the partnership law in many states in the early 1990s, associated lawyers may

News letter Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

News letter - Assignment Example To be clear, it is the individual’s mental state, not the method, which counts towards attaining ASC. Still, for the sake of discussion, below are the methods that aid in altering the state of consciousness. 1. Relaxation – This involves free or unrestrained body movements. Unrestrained movements are believed to reflect free emotional expression. It is also believed that muscular blocks causes repression. 2. Massage – This is used for stress-related behavior disorders. It is believed to have an impact on the consciousness. The assumption believes that behavior is manifested in the physical body. Body structure is influenced by attitude. Changes in muscle thickness and length are also caused by emotions. 3. Dance – Every dance is believed to have an impact on consciousness as well. Special dances like the Tai Chi Ch’uan of China and the Sufi dance are thought to promote physical and mental health, and facilitate alteration of consciousness. 5. Breathing - Deep breathing aids in relaxation due to its rhythm’s connection with the mind. Its rhythm is dependent on the state of consciousness. Breathing control also allows an individual to control the mind.. 6. Expressive Techniques – Allowing expression of anger in controlled environment (anger therapy) also aids in relaxation and tension release (Grosklags, 2006, p 47). However, it has to be done with caution as overdoing it could result in more aggressive behavior due to more negative emotions. The second set of methods involves two social activities. The first one is the manipulation of social factors. This method involves total withdrawal from society and change in social functioning (McKay, 2006, p 21). The second method is alteration of social relationships. It is said that when people interact, there is a potential growth (McKay, 2006, p 23). From this viewpoint, maladjustment or suffering could result in greater maturity or development in the end. Changes in social values can aid in

Marketing Management. Peter Drucker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Marketing Management. Peter Drucker - Essay Example According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs buyer's needs vary from physiological to self actualization. A product like car, is required to fulfill the needs like social needs and esteem needs. Brand image and value plays a very crucial role as a decider in fulfilling such needs. Buyer behavior is deeply rooted in psychology guided by dashes of sociology. A product is therefore priced, placed, promoted depending upon the kind of market the company envisages for the product. A company like Nissan will therefore give more thought to the needs of its customers within its most potential markets. Nissan envisions 'Enriching people's lives', while working with a mission statement stating, "Nissan provides unique and innovative automotive products and services that deliver superior measurable values to all stakeholders in alliance with Renault." A brand like Nissan also brings with it the qualities like reliability and prestige, which forms the core of making buying decisions. In today's marke t driven economy, the role of media and promotion has also become very crucial. With increasing competition and decreasing profit margins, a balanced marketing communication campaign forms the back-bone of company's marketing strategy. Nissan Motor Company Limited (Nissan) is engaged in the planning, developing, manufacturing and selling of passenger automobiles, automobile parts, and forklifts. Company's potential markets are Japan, Canada, Australia, the US, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Middle East and some parts of Asia. North America accounted for 43.5% of its total revenues in the fiscal year 2006, while Japan, Nissan Motor's largest geographical market, accounted for 28.4% with Europe accounting for 15%. Therefore, over the years, the company has developed an expertise in understanding the buyer behavior of these two markets in general. Company was established in 1933 to manufacture and sell small Datsun passenger cars and auto parts. It is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. In the annual ranking of top 100 global brands by BusinessWeek and Interbrand in 2006, Nissan figured at the 90th position. The company may not be quite upbeat with this ranking because, its ranking has come down gradually over the yea rs with more competitors entering into the fray thanks to the globalisation and liberalization of economies. The value of brand is equally important in influencing the buyer behavior and providing a winning edge over the competitors. The Nissan brand was valued at $3,108 million in 2006. However, the company's position continues to be threatened by rising raw material prices, which could adversely impact its operating margins. Innovation with regular inputs from R&D is another feature for influencing the buyer behavior, as it helps the company in taking care of the growing needs and concerns of customers and the environment. It is an established fact that needs of consumer keep changing over time. Today's society has also become more caring for the environment and there's a growing concern for preserving the ecological balance by way of minimizing the pollution and using less harmful fuels to keep the ozone layer intact. This calls for continuous inputs into Research and Development activities. Nissan motors has the distinctive advantage of being in the top 50 organisations1 having invested in R&D activities. Incidentally, amongst the top 50

Molecular Microbiology Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Molecular Microbiology - Case Study Example The commoner intravenous catheter-related infections are exit-site infections, as in this case, often with erythema around the area where the line penetrates the skin. Bacterial blood stream infections are common in this given scenario, and Staphylococci are the second most prevalent bacteria. However, a smear suggesting the staphylococci or Gram-positive cocci in clusters in blood culture as in here, is not sufficient for the diagnosis of true bacterial blood stream infection before the species is identifiable, since the most frequent of this species, Coagulase-negative staphylococci or CoNS usually habituate in the skin, and there is always a chance of contamination of the culture bottles during the venipuncture. In contrast, such an infection due to Staphylococcus aureus is virulent by its intrinsic nature, and isolation in one blood culture bottle is clearly diagnostic and is an indication of initiation of antibiotic therapy. Thus the therapeutic decision making is based on identification of the organism (Beekmann, S. E., Diekema, D. J. and Doern, D. J., 2005). The first test obviously would be to do a light microscopic examination. Direct microscopic examination may provide a rapid, presumptive report of Gram-positive cocci resembling staphylococci. Isolation of S. aureus should be performed using 5% blood agar following an incubation period of 18-24 h in air at 35-37 C. Staphylococcus aureus ferments mannitol, resulting in a change in the colour of the medium from pink to yellow. Colony morphology may be used by the experienced observer to define presumptive staphylococci. A Gram stain appearance of cocci in clusters and a positive catalase test provide rapid indicators of staphylococci. However, in order to be able to distinguish between Staphylococcus aureus and the remaining members of the staphylococcus species, other tests are necessary. For clinical microbiological purposes, two or three simple tests suffice. The coagulase test detects the production of coagulase by S. aureus. In this test, one colony is mixed with plasma, incubate d at 37 C for 4 h and observed for clot formation. Samples that are negative at 4 h are incubated and observed again for clotting at 24 h. The slide agglutination test detects clumping factor (ClfA). This is performed by making a heavy homogenous suspension of cells in distilled water on a glass slide to which a drop of plasma is added. Within 10 s, the mixture is examined for presence of clumping (Chapin, K., and M. Musgnug, 2003). How would you differentiate the cocci in clusters from those in chain Cocci in clusters are named as staphylococci. All staphylococci have the ability to convert hydrogen peroxide into nontoxic H2O and O2. Both coagulase positive and negative staphylococci produce catalase. This test differentiates them from cocci in chain or streptococci, which cannot produce catalase and hence are catalase negative (Chapin, K., and M. Musgnug, 2003). What is the principle of DNase test and what is the identity of this organism and why Support your answer with microbiological diagnostic facts. DNase or deoxyribonuclease is an extracellular enzyme that can hydrolyze deoxyribonucleic acid to oligonucleotides. Several varieties of deoxyribonucleases are distinguished on the basis of antigenic properties, response to inhibitory substances, hydrolytic end products, and

Avoiding sexual harassment problems Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Avoiding sexual harassment problems - Term Paper Example The responsibilities and caution requisite for the achievement of an environment favorable for work and studies is one of the high expectations that the society has laid upon all members (Tatiana 2). The golden rules involved in the process of maintaining a sex harassment free zone is a core duty of all the members of the society (Tatiana 2). For instance at the workplaces, every employee holds a legal obligation to keep their working surrounding free from sexual harassment. In situations where such obligations are less taken into consideration or even ignored, Francis (23) offers a stern warning that low output from work, loss of dignity as well as low quality work may result. Coupled with the golden rule of life stating that individuals should always strictly aspire to do unto others what they would also wish to be done to, Kent State University developed an elaborative policy as regards unlawful harassment and the discrimination based on gender, race and tribe, political or even r eligious differences. Keeping in mind that sexual harassment is an act that may not spare an individual for some special reason, employees at all work places should ensure that they fully acquire a proper comprehension of the various forms of sexual harassment (Francis 20). ... As Francis (45) reports, many office managers have also been reported to instill extreme discomfort to the other office users such as cleaners by making sexually explicit statements in their presence. In times of ideological differences that may naturally arise among employees, others may belittle their coworkers by insulting them through using sexist or demeaning arguments in order to silence them. More frustrating is when employees harass the rest of the university workers by posting sexually oriented jokes such as pornographic pictures or videos on the university’s intranet bulletin sites as others also sends electronic mails to their coworkers that contain sexually oriented language (Linda & Hajdin 7). Similarly, in the higher learning institutions such as the universities, more or less similar cases of sexual harassment forms have been reported either from the male or female students against senior staff members such as the university professors and lectures. Workers with in the university are encouraged to beware of all forms of sexual harassment in the entire university community in order to help curb such vises completely. Tatiana (12) reports in his book that even though the act is gender and superiority neutral, most reported cases have been those against female students by fellow male students and the university professors and lectures. As opposed to the fellow student’s forms of harassment, the professors and the lectures resort their power and academic authority to intimidate the female students in favor of sexual pleasure with them (Linda & Hajdin 3). A professor may blackmail a female student by asking them to choose between either to getting an â€Å"A† in their examinations or fail the

Sustainable Tourism Practice & Planning Assignment

Sustainable Tourism Practice & Planning - Assignment Example 67, the central bank of Mexico identified Cancun as a potential and immensely profitable site for a purpose built resort in order to cater the demands of a nearby potential market, the US. "Due to the reluctance of investors to bet on an unknown area, the Mexican government had to finance the first nine hotels." (Siegel J., 2006). And thus, the first hotel started operations in Cancun which today goes by the name of Temptation Resort. By 1975, Cancun had 1769 rooms in service; by 2008 it boasted about 150 hotels with around 27,000 rooms in service. Apart from the hotels, the basic infrastructure also developed leaps and bounds. An airport, highways, potable water, electricity, telephone lines, convention center and harbors were built to jump start the tourism industry in Cancun. Second only to New Mexico, the Cancun airport handles almost 200 flights a day. Ultimately, the city has had to cope up with the immense population boost from 30,000 in 1980 to over 600,000 today (Rhoda R. & Burton T., 2010). Thus, it is not a surprising fact that Cancun contributes majorly to the Mexican economy. But this silver cloud has a dark lining to it as well. In a city that’s bustling with over 600,000 residents and visitors, socials ills come as a package deal. Crime and poverty, drugs and gangs, political unrest and prostitution reign the back alleys of the glamorous hotel strips. The core reason for this is the asymmetry in the socio economic population of Cancun. A worker working in one of the posh hotels at the Hotel Zone actually lives in the poorest of conditions in the downtown area. Mirroring this fact, is the rate of inflation that is constantly rising. Taking an general example of a hotel worker who earns an average of 50 pesos or $5 per day finds it almost impossible to... Sustainable Tourism Practice & Planning Cancun was nothing but an uninhabited barrier island in the Yucatan peninsula. In 1967, the central bank of Mexico identified Cancun as a potential and immensely profitable site for a purpose built the resort in order to cater the demands of a nearby potential market, the US. "Due to the reluctance of investors to bet on an unknown area, the Mexican government had to finance the first nine hotels". And thus, the first hotel started operations in Cancun which today goes by the name of Temptation Resort. By 1975, Cancun had 1769 rooms in service; by 2008 it boasted about 150 hotels with around 27,000 rooms in service. Apart from the hotels, the basic infrastructure also developed leaps and bounds. An airport, highways, potable water, electricity, telephone lines, convention center and harbors were built to jump-start the tourism industry in Cancun. The second only to New Mexico, the Cancun airport handles almost 200 flights a day. It seems that the life cycle of Cancun is about to complete its 360 degree turn. It was born as a virgin island which had never felt the feet of man. It was desolate and untouched. And then man realized its true potential and turned it from a sleepy isolated piece of land into a hustling bustling elite tourist destination filled with lights, colors, technology and fun. But then there is only so much potential that one can exploit before the entire venture starts caving in on itself. That is what happened at Cancun.

International Business Course work 2 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Business Course work 2 - Coursework Example Ethnocentricity is defined as the belief in the superiority of ones ethnic group (Thefreedictionary). This quality is very common in a lot of cultures does marketers have to come up with strategies to persuade the population of a specific cultural group to purchase the products and services your company offers. A way to differentiate a company’s product in new marketplace is to create specific branding strategies that are geared towards the purchasing behavior or the target population. The values and beliefs of a country are characteristics that must be analyzed to determine the buyer behaviors of a country and to be able to send out messages that are clear to avoid miscommunications. Colors have different means across cultural boundaries. For example the color red in Europe is a sign of danger, while the same color in Japan means life (Halman). The customs and attitudes of a group of people determine the preferences of the customers of a region. Environmental scanning of the socio-cultural factor is a technique that can allow a firm to determine the existence of subcultures that can create further segmentation of the market that allows for marketing campaigns for specific customer profiles within a culture (Kotler). There are many elements of a culture that a company must be aware in order to operate a successful and profitable operation in an international location. Some of these elements are: local business hours, the existence of consumerism tendencies, society’s view about the importance of tangible possessions, and governmental intervention in local commerce among other elements. The culture of a region is composed of many different elements. The attitude towards work between nations varies considerably. For example American workers are workaholics who on the average work nearly 50 hours a week, while in

Benefits of Nuclear Weapons Essay Example for Free

Benefits of Nuclear Weapons Essay World tensions have created power struggles throughout different countries in the 1900s to today. These power struggles have fueled the start of several wars between nations. The two biggest nations during these power struggles were the USSR and United States of America. Throughout the cold war, nuclear buildup created a deterrence that has spilled over into other countries harnessing the power of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons have assisted in an uneasy peace with many countries despite the fact that nuclear weapons could end civilization or the lives of millions at any particular moment. A brief look into Cold War beliefs, whether or not nuclear weapons deter conflict, how nuclear weapons provide a military and political function, and why some states believe in nuclear armaments will demonstrate how effective the use of the most dangerous weapons in history can assist in the activities of peaceful cohabitation and coexistence. Nuclear Weapons: The Cold War Example The actions throughout the Cold War demonstrate the ideas of offensive weapons used for defensive purposes. The activities and positions of the United States and the Soviets during the mid-1980s demonstrate how nuclear buildup was the answer to ensuring an uneasy peace between the two countries. During this time, the United States: Sought only to restore a stable military balance, assure deterrence and reduce the risk of war. It found unacceptable a perpetuation of the present situation, in which it was compelled to maintain a large strategic arsenal, and [favored] a more stable strategic balance at much lower levels of armaments. (Nuclear Arms: Positions of, 1984, p. 12) The USA position on the problem was that more weapons were needed in order to maintain a sense of status quo with the Soviets who were commencing a nuclear buildup of their own throughout the 1980s decade. (Nuclear Arms: Positions of, 1984, p. 12) The idea behind these buildups is actually a continuation of a previous form of military and political ideology. The United States and the Soviet Union both believed that as long as they concentrated on building nuclear weapons, they would not actually concentrate on destroying each other. (Nuclear Arms: Positions of, 1984, p. 12) Evidence has been presented that the Soviets would have used nuclear weapons had war broken out in Europe, which tends to show that nuclear weapons during the Cold War era had a stabilizing effect on world peace. (Schneider, 2004, p. 55) This peace lasted throughout the Cold War, and illustrates how effective nuclear weapons are in establishing and prolonging a peace between two countries. Nuclear Weapons and Deterrence The question as to whether or not nuclear weapons provide a deterrence function can be investigated in many instances. First, the more recent actions of President George W. Bush in the early 2000’s demonstrates how deterrence is effective, but must be followed to strict specifications in order to fully work. For example, President Bush in 2001 adopted a policy of unilateralism when dealing with the American nuclear arsenal that would attempt to ignore all of the nuclear weapons treaties. (Hartung, 2001, p. 4) These treaties were formed in the attempt at nuclear war deterrence, and have been effective at creating a mutual destruction peace. (Hartung, 2001, p. 4) However, President Bush attempted to destroy the peace and create an environment where nuclear weapons could be used again in the future by attempting to shift the balances throughout the world and threaten other nations. (Hartung, 2001, p. 4) These activities of President Bush indicate that nuclear weapons do promote diplomacy and deterrence, but only if provisions and agreements about their use and creation are followed. Deterrence can never be established through unilateralism. Thomas C. Schelling, an expert on deterrence, has suggested in the face of growing unease as more countries acquire or threaten to acquire nuclear arms, he continues to believe that deterrence can be maintained and extended to cover the new players. (Garwin, Skolnikoff, Panofsky Jeanloz, 2007, p. 5) However, Schelling â€Å"rightly points out that that will not happen without policies, especially U. S. policies that demonstrate the case for continued abhorrence of their use. † (Garwin, Skolnikoff, Panofsky Jeanloz, 2007, p. 5) Mr. Schelling also believes that education of the harms of nuclear weapons cannot be viable to countries that do not possess the technology. (Garwin, Skolnikoff, Panofsky Jeanloz, 2007, p. 5) Schelling’s suggestion is that a country without nuclear weapons will be too frightened by the threat of nuclear use that they will not fully respect deterrence theories unless they too have a nuclear arsenal of some type.

Warehouse Performance Measurement Of Tesco Online Commerce Essay

Warehouse Performance Measurement Of Tesco Online Commerce Essay Tesco being the 4th largest online retailer as per revenue and 2nd largest online grocery retailer as per profit is constantly increasing its online grocery business which is being done from its Superstore chain. Tesco introduced a DOTCOM dedicated store more commonly known as DCOS (Dotcom only store) in Aylesford in 2009, which was a huge success and a boost to its online grocery business. As it was highly disturbing for the local superstores carrying out Dotcom business within them in line with the other regular store operations, it was becoming a quite a need to open a dedicated store Dotcom store in London, which TESCO did made possible by opening another DCOS in Greenford London. Tesco needed to reduce the impact of the Dotcom operation in certain stores at the same time addressing space constraints for the Van numbers in particular geographic areas, with a store-based order fulfillment model.  This led Tesco to re-evaluate the potential for a dedicated facility. Being a Tesco DCOS employee myself, I am very well known that the Product Availability is the highest priority in any DCOS or a superstore running Dotcom in it. Tweaking the performance of Warehouse is one of the key possibilities to make that high priority element easy to live with. According to Goh and Pinaikul (1998) for a company to run and have a sound and effective supply chain operations, companies have put a lot of their time and effort in this field. If the logistics of a company is well handled, it can take a company to a different level of success and it becomes easy for a company to defeat its rivals (Mentzer et al., 2004). With the new advancements in technologies there is always room for improvement and upgrades in a companys Warehouse Management. In DCOS Warehouse Management case there is a large number of logistic operations taking place. There have been many researches which discussed how to improve the performance of a companys warehouse by adapting different models and how to implement them. Moreover, this research will provide the company with the better understating of how to enhance its performance by measuring its performance with the variable benchmarking. Competitive advantage can be gained over rivals if the companys WMS is flexible and any process that is not performing well can be used as a benchmark to measure Warehouse Managements performance. Any flaws or drawbacks that maybe present in the current Warehouse Management Techniques will be reduced / diminished by the help of this research. LITERATURE REVIEW: WAREHOUSE MANAGAMENT: To have a very successful and efficient supply chain, an organisation has to focus on some major operations like warehouses. In todays day and age a firm is considered to be a flop which does not take care of its warehouse management functions. It has become vital for companies who manufactures on a large scale and in bulk to be efficient if their warehouse management system is not able to help company in all economic climates (Henneberry, 1987; Power et al., 2007). As per Brown (1990) and Lindley et al., (2008) there are numerous factors that are responsible for the vitality of warehouse management systems (WMS) some of which are that customers can place orders recently a new trend in the market has started in which people are leasing their land or building warehouses and then leasing them to different companies. This trend only came in to existence because of this mounting need of warehouses by mass producers and retailers (Jones and Hillier, 2000) Source: Adapted and modified from Mulaik and Cooper (2000). Warehouses can be defined in different ways but as per Gunasekaran et al., (1999) a warehouse can be defined as a place where commodities and goods are saved and stored for many reasons like social, commercial and assets safety. The designs of warehouses should be able to provide company with different technical and operations (Hassan, 2002; Faber et al., 2002). Warehouses are facilities that provide the right environmental conditions for the storage of finished goods and/or materials that require protection from the elements, as well as ensure commercial security and social safety (Gunasekaran et al., 1999). As such, warehouses have to be designed to satisfy a combination of several technical and operational requirements (Hassan, 2002; Faber et al., 2002). According to Lodree et al., (2004); Gaur and Ravindran, (2006) the basic functions that should be present in a warehouse are engineering structural capacity to bear the loads of the materials to be stored as well as the associated handling equipment, receiving and shipping operations and associated trucking, and the requirements of the operating personnel. Store-keeping places hold very important for proper warehouse management Gaur and Ravindran, (2006). There are following six major functions which are in the figure below. As per Lambert et al. (1998) there are more than 750,000 warehouses around the globe. These include private leasing warehouses, state of art warehouses, highly sophisticated warehouses, storage warehouses for companies and self-storage places. Lambert et al. (1998) further says that if the warehouses need so much money to have and operate then why they exist? He answers his own question and says that they play a vital role in companys supply chain management and they are usually build and kept to help companies in achieving transport and production economies, quality purchase discount and forward buys. Warehouses are a key factor in any organizations operations. Their main purpose is to supply, circulate, store, consolidate and changeover cargo. Henneberry (1987) and Power et al. (2007) claim that in todays day and age to consider profitable allocation or to consider large scale manufacture it is vital to give thought to the role of warehousing. According to Brown (1990); Lindley et al., (2008) partly because of the increasing dependence on the electronic alternatives for order placing by commercial and private customers and also to the manufactured goods industry the demand for warehousing is on an all-time high. Due to this demand of electronic order placing a greater weight is placed on distribution centres to hold the right amount of all the different stocks in order to meet clientele demands. Warehousing is required due to the developing capability in stockholding by vendors and producers. Boasting a direct impact in flexibility, operational costs and service levels warehouse operations prove that they are indeed indispensable (Baker and Halim, 2007). Warehouse operations being those of warehouse location, goods handling, warehouse design, inventory and storage guidelines hold a great importance in addressing the specific issues which are faced in achieving strategic goals. These issues can only be addressed once an organization has distinct strategies that will help define their long term performance (Bowersox et al 2002, p. 389; Bowersox and Closs 1996, p. 396). As stated by Korpela and Lehmusvaara (1999, p. 135) a major point to consider when allocating warehouses or distribution centres (DCs) is their location. This is a very important decision and requires a lot of thought as it will determine the continuing profitability of the organization, affect customer services and relations, costs and delivery schedules. As pointed out by Huertas et al. (2007) a great emphasis is placed on the layout of the facility as it is a major deciding factor in the success of an organization. The warehouses layout depends on its specific operational demands and distinctiveness i.e. modularity, flexibility, compliance, allocation of arrangements, convenience, and neatness. The design of the layout varies according to the nature of the organizations operations and has to be adapted as per those operational requirements meaning there is no set layout or methodology to follow. Because of the diversity of factors influencing a warehouses operations such as rack types and entrances, gangway entrance and harbour locations, selecting an adequate layout for any given case is not unimportant especially the usage of pallitization (Huertas et al. 2007). Those responsible for the development of these warehouse services need to focus around the understanding of the necessities of the businesses that will vacate these premises (Reichhart and Holweg, 2008). According to Varila et al., (2007) most warehousing development is an approximation of how the market in storehouse rental could evolve. Formerly to meet these types of demands made by most retailers and manufacturers was easier, as most of their needs had been met within their organization. Ultimately resulting in relative ease in the prediction of vacancy levels, also the ease in establishing the capability of warehousing; the support available to promote proficient use of the services (Rubrico et al., 2008). The main activities that play a vital role in the performance of a warehouse as defined by Koster and Warffemius (2005) are as follows: Internal product relocation, Return handling, Cycle counting, Quality inspection, and Cross-docking As a result of the above research one can come to the conclusion that in todays day and age warehouses plays a crucial yet multifaceted role in many supply chains. Baker and Halim (2007) emphasize that a warehouse makes up to 20% of the total logistics cost of an organization. And their critical role as great customer service providers in particular distribution centres as they are the final point of contact. INDUSTRY BACKGROUND: Tesco was founded by Jack Cohen in 1919 from a small grocery stall. And now it is the fourth largest retailer in the world measured by revenues and second largest retailer in the world measured by profits. Started from the 25p Stock Market share, it is now making a profit of more than  £200m. Tesco is now widely spread into more than 13 countries, including China and India. Tesco.com, commonly known as DOTCOM is the UKs most successful online retailer. Launched in 1996, and officially registered in 2000, it is one of the fastest growing business selling everything from vegetables to computers, electronic appliances to normal grocery via internet. Back to its beginning, it started making its 1st annual turnover of  £25m and was started from a single store. These days their average weekly turnover is around  £30m and they currently employee thousands of people in stores across the UK making the DOTCOM procedure possible. AIM, OBJECTIVE AND HYPOTHESIS: The existing warehouse management of Dotcom Only store TESCO Greenford is appraised. The primary aim is to recommend set of measures and strategies which can be used to measure the performance and eliminate wastes, respectively. By studying TESCO Greenfords warehouse management and conducting interviews with the senior managers, the weaknesses within their warehouse management will be identified and the solutions would be provided by relating it with the strategies available in the literature of this field and moulding it to the specific needs of TESCO DOTCOM Greenford. However, the core purpose of this research is to set the performance measures and eliminate wastes by identifying them in the complete Warehouse Management system implemented in all the TESCO Dotcom only stores. The research aims to benefit managers in understanding the weakness and the processes which are wastes. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: In order to answer a question, a proper research has to be conducted (Zikmund, 2003). When a standard set of procedures and rules are followed to answer a research issue and to validate the findings attained by a systematic approach is called as research methodology (Ghauri and Granhaug, 2005). It has been widely observed that there is no fix method of conducting a research but a research should answer the question and should be relevant to the available data (Hussey and Hussey 1997). According to Schindler and Cooper (2001); Collins and Hussey (2003); Denscombre (2003) the result outcomes should be the main centre focus point for any research methodology. Substantiation of adopted research technique is briefly discussed in this section. Research design has been carefully selected to discuss the issues of the research for this particular research. The following plan is adopted: Research Philosophy: This will explain that which philosophy is used to develop the understanding of research. Research Design: This will provide with the design that is used to conduct the research. Research Approaches: this will discuss the major kinds of approaches and which one is adopted for this research. Research Data collection: this section will define the steps involved in the collection of the data For the purpose of this research we have used the research ONION which was introduced by Saunders et al. in 2000 and then it kept on modifying. According to Saunders et al., (2009) the last shape of Onion is given below: Research Philosophy: As we have discussed in order to go around this dissertation, the Onion process is used. So first of all the requirement of explaining the research philosophy is a must (Saunders et al., 2009). Research philosophy is basically an embarkation for the understanding of the knowledge upon which the research is based (Saunders et al., 2009). In summary we agree with Johnson and Clark (2006:108) that its not important how philosophical the research is and how well it is delivered but the way on how we reflect ourselves through those philosophies. There are many types of philosophies which are explained by Saunders et al. (2009) and are shown in the table below Table 5: Types of Philosophies Type Meaning Pragmatism Do you have to adopt one position? Ontology What assumptions do we make about the way in which world works? Objectivism How social entities exist independent of social actors? Subjectivism Understanding the meanings that individuals attach to social phenomena Epistemology What is acceptable knowledge in a particular field of study? Positivism Working in the tradition of the natural scientist Realism Do objects exist independently of our knowledge of their existence? Interpretivism Understanding differences between humans as social actors Axiology What roles do our values play in our research? Source: (Author) However for the purpose of this research we will only briefly discuss four main kinds of research philosophies. Positivism This kind of approaches provides researcher with a feeling of a scientist and it is conducted in the same way as any normal scientist will conduct a research (Saunders et al., 2009). Remenyi et al. (1998) has supported this idea that a research creates a hypothesis just like a scientist does when conducting a natural research. Realism Realism approach means that the philosophical things are different then the reality (Saunders et al., 2009). He explains it in detail by saying that realism is a branch of epistemology and it has two sub divisions in business and management research which are direct realism and critical realism. According to Saunders et al (2009) by focusing on the knowhow of generating a common understanding of humans and basing it on the experience of external factors that have at one point impacted a business research can be conducted. However these factors that have impacted an organization may not provide suitable evidence to the exact situation. Interpretivism This kind of research is explained by Saunders et al. (2009) as a research in which the researcher has to bear in mind that all the humans are social actors and they all have a viewpoint towards things. He further explains that in this kind of research, a research has to get involved into details of the social world of the research question and has to observe the point through their i.e. social actors point of view. Pragmatism Saunders et al. (2009) argues that pragmatism is that the most important factor is that what type of question you adopt for research and one may be more important than the other in order to achieve the answer. He further uses the support of Tashakkori and Teddlie (1998) who suggests that it is more appropriate for the researcher in a particular study to think of the philosophy adopted as a continuum rather than opposite positions (Saunders et al., 2009, pp 109). Saunders et al. (2009) says that the research philosophies can be explained in more detail by the use of a concept known as research paradigms. Furthermore, this terminology, paradigm, is usually used in social science researchers and can become a cause of confusion as it gives birth to many meanings of one things. Research Design There are many ways to conduct a business research and there is as such no limitation which says that one research is superior over another (Hair et al, 2003). One may think that the data is qualitative or quantitative or may be both but again its all on how you want it to be (Jankowicz, 2003; Stevenson and Cooper, 1997). EXPLORATORY RESEARCH This can be used by people who are not highly knowledgeable and is completely based on the exploration. On the other hand, this research can be used for companies and industries which are highly innovative and are always evolving into new things. The importance of this type of research can be determined by the words of Swaddling and Zobel (1996) in the following pattern: When conducted well, exploratory research provides a window into consumer perceptions, behaviours, and needs. It enables companies to produce new products and make them successful easily. Highly level decision and a better understanding of market can be gained by such research. This type of research leads company into the innovation of new products and these products being a result of exploration is always very beneficial and profitable for companies. Research Approaches There are many kinds of researches approaches and any of them can be used to attain the answer of ones research (Saunders et al., 2003; 2009). The selected approach basically reflects the way theory was built when the project was initiated and is most critical selection (Creswell, 2003; Saunders et al., 2009). In general there are 5 major approaches and any of them can be adopted. According to Zikmund (2003) there are two major approaches i.e. Theoretical and Methodological and both of these are divided into sub category of Inductive/Deductive and qualitative/quantitative, respectively. While on the other hand Collis and Hussey (2003); Gray (2004); Hussey and Hussey (1997); Mangan et al. (2004) all agree that there are two major kinds of approaches which are Deductive and Inductive. Now in recent years another researchers introduced a new kind of research which is known as Abductive (Kovacs and Spens 2005; Saunders et al., 2009). We will discuss each approach briefly and will select the one that is most suitable for the purpose of this research. DATA COLLECTION: One of the most important parts of any research is the data collection method. There are several methods of collecting data but the method is completely dependent upon how the research is conducted (Creswell, 2003). Due to the nature of this research deductive technique is used and to collect data for such technique is defined by different researchers in a different way. Amongst all the methods researchers agree upon few like Sampling, Secondary data, Observation, interviews and Questionnaire (Saunders et al., 2003; Yin, 2003; Collis and Hussey, 2003; Saunders et al, 2009). Each step is discussed briefly as following: Secondary Data collection: The data which is collected by someone else and not by user is generally referred to as a secondary data (Saunders et al., 2009). The secondary data can be qualitative or quantitative (Collis and Hussey, 2003). Secondary data is beneficial if the cost issues exist or the time is not trying to be wasted and this kid of data can also be descriptive or exploratory (Saunders et al., 2009). Data collection technique: Initial information would be collected by the communication with the strategic level manager of TECO Dotcom Greenford and the website of the Dotcom Stores Tesco and the main website of the Tesco Plc. These websites would be used to collect the general background of the company. Later on Warehouse Manager of Tesco Dotcom Greenford will be provided with the some information which includes the current situations of the Warehouse Management of the store and the interaction between its clients. The literature review will be providing the support on the research on overall basis as well. Primary Data Collection: secondary data is usually not always enough to understand and answer the research (Saunders et al., 2009). This kind of data can only be collected by having a deeper understanding of the issues and is usually targeted to answer the specific issues (Ghauri, 2005 and Saunders et al., 2009). Furthermore, it is explained that there are three major ways to collect primary data i.e. in depth interviews, questionnaires and observations which usually reflects the situation in detail and gives a researcher with a clearer picture of the situation (Creswell, 2003; Saunders et al., 2009). Data collection technique: Primary data would be collected by paying visits to the Tesco Dotcom Greenford, conducting in depth face-to-face interviews with the managers at Tesco Dotcom Greenford and then a detailed telephonic interview with the Warehouse Manager at Aylesford Dotcom Only Store, as they are directly involved in the issues faced by Tesco Dotcom Greenford at the moment (a good reason why Aylesford is involved with the problems faced by Greenford store is because it is the only relevant store of the type in UK and is up and running successfully). The interviews would be provided with the great deal of understanding of the situation. Later on, observation would be made about the processes happening at Tesco Dotcom Greenford and the email conversations between Tesco Dotcom Greenford and its suppliers. The issue with the palletisation and inventory is the major issue between Tesco Dotcom Greenford and Suppliers. Once the data would be collected then the communication through email will continue in order to fulfil any other requirement to conduct this research. TIMESCALE: GANTT CHART Jan Feb Mar Apr May June Problem Identification Proposal preparation and submission Literature Review Research Design Choice of Methodology Data Sources Data Collection Data Analysis Writing up Draft Editing Final Document Binding of Document

How Liberalism ideology relates to social work

How Liberalism ideology relates to social work How Liberalism ideology relates to social work practice The history and influence of Liberalism is a complex issue, and understanding social work practice involves penetrating a vast nexus of theoretical and practical socio-political factors. Nevertheless, addressing the specific question of how Liberalism relates to social work practice reveals important and distinct points for discussion. In this essay I will outline the historical developments of Liberalism and highlight the core beliefs and how they influence social work. I aim to argue that exposing the liberal ideological values inherent in social work opens up latent tensions to debate. The tensions in liberal political theory and the concomitant problems for social work don’t call for abandonment of Liberalism ideology because it has as its basis the appropriate capacity for renewal. These debates should stimulate reappraisal and reform and increase our capacity to influence the social, political and economic determinants of social care. This can be achieved due to not in spite of the underlying principles of Liberalism. The historical development of Liberalism While the editors of the Spanish Constitution in 1812 were the first to use the noun liberal in a political sense, the war of independence in America established the first nation to craft a constitution based on Liberalism. This new creed originated in the political philosophy of the previous three hundred years. Liberalism emerged from the breakdown of feudalism, the growth of market capitalism and the rise of the middle class. Liberals sought to expose the immorality of authoritarianism and limit government powers in order to safeguard civil liberties. Where early Liberals sought total non-intervention, modern liberals endorse involved governance on issues such as welfare, education and healthcare. This has led to a split between the early classical Liberalism and the modern form which dominates contemporary politics today. Nevertheless, classical and modern Liberalism share core beliefs which point to underlying principles. These principles perpetuate every aspect of contemporary life in Western political systems. Ideas such as individualism, tolerance and economic freedom are central to the western political ideology of our times. The core beliefs of Liberalism ‘As political beings it is our business to free human life from as many as possible of its difficulties’ (Mill Principles of political philosophy in collected works II p.943) Liberalism holds that individuals are the locus of moral consideration, and securing individual freedom is paramount. An extreme form of liberal individualism; atomism holds that the individual is central to socio-political theory or practice, ontologically prior to society, egotistic, self seeking and self reliant. Modern Liberalism has a more optimistic bent in its understanding of social responsibility and mutual respect. Political Liberalism stresses the social contract[1], under which citizens make the laws and agree to abide by those laws. It is based on the belief that individuals know best what is best for them. This is the characteristic theme of liberal ideology, and ideas of justice and freedom stem from the primacy of the individual. Rationalism[2] greatly influenced the liberal concept of an individual. The idea of a rational man was an important precursor to social non-intervention, as the rational man is capable of defining and pursuing his own path in society, rendering the idea of a paternal government unnecessary. Modern liberals appreciate the inequality of self reliance and seek to strike a balance between intervention and decentralisation. The emphasis on and openness to reason in liberal societies emanates from the many dichotomies at its heart: On one hand natural man is seen as rational and socially conscious, while on the other egotistic and selfish. One the one hand men are capable on the other needy. This tension in Liberalism is reflected by the fact that is has met with discussion, debate and argument since its inception. A willingness to offer reasoned explanations for its theories is central to liberal ideology. Liberalism favours neutral government, in that it is not for the state to determine personal values. As John Rawls put it in his Theory of Justice, ‘The state has no right to determine a particular conception of the good life’ (Rawls 1999). The idea of the good life has been used in political philosophy to denote a course of action the rational man takes when in favourable political circumstances. Rawls argues that liberal governments should provide these favourable conditions but never attempt to dictate how citizens should go about the acquisition of happiness. This idea of neutrality is closely connected to tolerance, and in particular the willingness to celebrate political and religious diversity. Since the developments in economics in the late 18th century Liberals have stressed the importance of a free markets, and seek to limit government intervention in domestic economy and foreign trade. In Andrew Heywood’s words the attraction of classical economics to liberal ideology ‘was that, although each individual is materially self-interested, the economy itself is though to operate according to a set of impersonal pressures – market forces – that tend naturally to promote economic prosperity and well being.’ (Heywood 1987) Modern liberals support government responsibility for health, education, and alleviating poverty yet still call for a market based on independent exchange and tend to believe in decentralisation. The central tenets of modern Liberalism are the primacy of the individual, freedom, tolerance, a commitment to reason and debate, and a free-market economy. Liberalism is egalitarian; based on principles of democracy, classlessness, equality and openness, and is antonymous to oppressive and tyrannical authoritarianism. Liberalism advocates civil rights for all citizens: establishing justice though the protection and privileges of personal liberty. It includes the equal treatment of all citizens irrespective of race, gender and class. These core beliefs directly influence much of day to day life, but we will focus on the implications for the practice of social work. Social work and Liberal ideology Social work is a discipline involving the application of social theory and research methods to societal problems. It incorporates and uses other social sciences and political philosophy as a means to improve the human condition and positively change society's response to these problems, through understanding and acting upon their causes, solutions and human impacts. What constitutes a social problem? And what constitutes a solution to a social problem? In the western world the answers to these questions stem from governmental policy based on the principles of Liberalism. In a modern liberal society a social problem is one that contradicts the core liberal principles. A solution is that which removes the restrictions to people flourishing. For these reasons ideology implicit in societal interactions effects what we know as social problems and solutions. Poverty and alienation are profound social problems and major causes of suffering in modern society. Taking poverty, Liberalism ideology believes that every individual should have the freedom to succeed economically, and not live in poverty. We have seen already that while early Liberals emphasised non-intervention, modern liberals endorse more involved governance on issues such as welfare. This reflects a central tension in the practical applicability of Liberalism ideology highlighted by Maureen Ramsey in her book what’s wrong with Liberalism? ‘Since both forms of Liberalism endorse private ownership, the economic redistribution required to tackle poverty will inevitable infringe particular individual rights to liberty’ (1997, pg66). The emphasis on individual liberty and progress at the heart of liberal capitalist economies has been accused of perpetuating this tension. Furthermore, welfare as a concept contradicts the moral neutrality that is central to the pr inciple of tolerance in Liberalism. By providing a range of services designed to bring about the public good the state is making judgements about what is good, beyond the self seeking satisfaction of subjective desires. This leads Ramsey to conclude that ‘the provision of welfare [is] at odds with basic liberal assumptions’ (pg, 66). Examples from social work where the right to escape poverty is being restricted could include a daughter being held back from going to school to work for her parents, or a wife not being permitted to work. Social workers’ ability to address these problems is influenced by the traditional liberal distinction between the public and the private spheres by which liberal governments should only function in the public sphere, excluding the activities of family life. Modern liberals attempt to strike a balance between intervention and non intervention. However, because of the tensions concerning the private sphere, political neutrality and accountability, this balance remains problematic. Many agree with Pateman that these restrictions render care ineffective and the areas of social work that can deal with poverty are too limited.[3] ‘Precisely because Liberalism conceptualises civil society in abstraction from ascriptive domestic life, the latter remains forgotten.’ (Pa teman, 1987 p. 107) The liberal legacy of limited intervention and reason has resulted in an often debilitating caution concerning social work, even in the more extreme areas of its application. Taking the examples of ‘baby p’ and Victoria Climbià © the social services have been accused of being too optimistic about the intentions of citizens and missing the signs that could have helped them avoid such awful tragedies.[4] However, intuitions support the distance between the private and the public spheres. The idea of children being taken away from their parents is invariably seen as a last resort, a relaxation of this attitude may have saved many children, but it may also create other awful situations in which children are taken away from good families. It would demand more care and attention to complex detail than necessary for our purposes here to question the role of political ideology in these terrible events. Alienation is another complicated issue facing modern liberal society. Liberal ideology does not have a core belief connected with the negativity of isolation because of an understanding of human nature that emphasises the priority of the individual. This is often seen as a deficiency as many hold that the intuitions constructed by Liberalism have produced a situation where individuals have shallower relations with other people than they would normally. This, it is argued, leads to difficulties in understanding and adapting to each other's uniqueness. This points to another of the tensions within Liberalism: it promotes tolerance but through its emphasis on individual freedom encourages isolation. Many sociologists are concerned about the alienating effects of modernization, describing how relationships become mediated through money because economic freedom is considered an essential element of individual liberty. This has also been accused of contributing to the loss of primary relationships such as familial bonds in favour of goal oriented secondary relationships. The concepts of the private sphere, individual freedom, tolerance and political neutrality greatly affect what we deem to be within the role of a social worker. The balance between intervention and personal freedom rests as precariously now as any time since Mill. Free market capitalism is at its weakest in decades, giving new impetus to the charge that economic Liberalism is guilty of creating a more selfish society where the pursuit of personal wealth is more destructive that constructive. Is liberal ideology repressive? Liberalism is accused of repressing positive aspects of human nature. To call Liberal ideology repressive though, is extreme. Liberalism allows for repressive forces to emerge due to its emphasis on individual liberty and freedom of speech and thought, but allowing repressive tendencies to emerge is not adhering to them, and liberal societies should not be blamed for the emergence of alternative ideologies within them. Social and corporate responsibility are genuine possibilities in liberal society and are prevalent in modern liberal theory. There are problems with Liberalism, but I suggest they do not serve as aspects of a repressive ideology. We ought to remember that Liberalism emerged from the compassionate desire to eradicate authoritarian rule in order to secure freedom for every man. This is a noble aspiration with compassion for all at its core. As industrialisation and free market economies took over, the role of welfare in liberal states became important because of the same aspirations, to help every single person in a society. The change from non-intervention to intervention evidences the claim that ideologies have to adapt to contexts, and this is where Liberalism has a unique quality, a profound capacity for renewal. The classic versus modern Liberalism debate could only occur in the climate of discussion debate and argument that defined the rationalist movement. The tensions in Liberalism were inherited from this theoretical foundation and have maintained their capacity for renewal. The tensions in Liberali sm reflect the scope for continual reappraisal, it is not dogmatic, and is open to public scrutiny through the democratic process. Challenges are being made and listened to within liberal society. For example, the Social liberals[5] introduced scepticism concerning the idea of free markets, seeing unrestricted trade as leading to the growth of multi-national corporations and the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of the few, seen as contradicting the intention of liberty for all. These socially responsible tendencies are not entirely new editions to liberal theory and in fact are latent in political Liberalism. While the early Liberals like Locke saw liberty as a natural right, Liberalism has never held that the entitlement to freedom is absolute. In On Liberty ([1859] 1972, p.73) Mill argued that ‘power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community [If it] is to prevent harm from others’. Liberalism emerged as a move away from blind adherence to political dogma based on static views of a divine ordered reality, towards a scientific and compassionate concern for every citizen. To conclude that Liberalism must involve repression is excessive given the underlying desire to stand for the opposite. Conclusion. The practice of social work in modern liberal society rests on liberal principles. By locating the connections between social work and Liberalism ideology, we have seen how practical social knowledge is influenced by liberal philosophical assumptions. These central tenets of Liberalism are liberty, tolerance, and a free-market economy. These core beliefs affect all areas of social life, including social work. The tensions that permeate the practices of liberal governments are present in the field of social work and valuable indicators of the complexity of the issues social workers face. Crucially, they are open to reform. There are deep social problems in liberal society, of which poverty and alienation are paramount. What we can learn from these problems is that if Liberalism will succeed in its aspirations it needs to expand its scope to include more social and corporate responsibility, and a greater understanding of community. The emphasis on the individual, particularly in the economic brand of Liberalism, can repress aspects of human nature that seem central to the compassion and egalitarianism that motivated the creation of liberal theories. If empathy and care are a consequence of our social nature then we need an account of the individual as interdependent, opposed to the atomised individual of classic liberal theory. The tensions in liberal political theory and the concomitant problems for social work don’t call for abandonment of Liberalism ideology because it has as its basis the appropriate mechanisms to progress: democracy and education, the capacity for renewal and the compassionate aspiration to secure freedom. They call for reappraisal and reform. Bibliography Political Ideologies an introduction Heywood, Andrew. Palgrave 1992 Liberalism and modern society Bellamy, Richard. Polity press 1992 What’s wrong with Liberalism Ramsay, Maureen. Leicester University Press 1997 A Theory of Justice revised edition Rawls, John. OUP 1999 After Virtue MacIntyre, Alasdair. Duckworth 1981 Feminist critiques of the public/private dichotomy in Feminism and inequality Phillips A (ed) Blackwell 1987. 1 Footnotes [1] Thomas Hobbes’ Leviathan saw the first use of the social contract. [2] In its broadest sense rationalism is any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification. Here it denotes the enlightenment philosophical movement of Hume Kant etc. [3] Such as income assistance and job training/placement. [4] The GMC examined the role of Dr Sabah Al-Zayyat, who examined Baby P two days before his death has been accused of failing to spot his injuries, and three council workers were given written warnings about their actions. Source: Haringey Council Internal Audit Serious Case Review. Haringey Council (2008-11-12). [5] In Britain, in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, a group of thinkers known as the social or new liberals who included John Stuart Mill, argued that the poverty and ignorance people lived in made it impossible for freedom and individuality to flourish. They believed that these conditions could be ameliorated only through collective action coordinated by a strong welfare-oriented interventionist state.

The Secrets of the Lusitania :: essays research papers

The American owner of the ill-fated Lusitania is planning to explore and hopefully salvage the liner, sunk off the south-west coast of Ireland on May 7, 1915, killing 1,198 people. "The Lusitania is probably the most important shipwreck that hasn't been investigated in any detail so far," says Gregg Bemis. And although there are striking similarities between the Lusitania and the Titanic, recently the subject of a major movie, Bemis believes that the Lusitania is "a much more interesting and historical story - and you don't have to make up any phoney romance the way they did with the Titanic." It is a story which involves US President Woodrow Wilson, Winston Churchill and the still unanswered question of what the liner was carrying on board. The Lusitania, pride of the Cunard line, was sailing from New York for the port of Liverpool when a single torpedo from a German U-boat crashed into her hull between the third and fourth funnels. The ship sank in just under 20 minutes. Of those killed, 128 were American citizens, and the incident influenced the eventual US decision to enter the war two years later. It also provoked curiosity and mystery that naval historians have argued over ever since. Was the Lusitania, as the Germans claimed persistently, heavily loaded with Liliya Goldenberg 2 weapons of war? If she was, who tipped Germany off? In addition, did she carry priceless works of art in watertight containers, and what of the six million dollars in gold bullion rumored to have been taken aboard but which was not on the manifest? Following the discharge of the fatal torpedo, there was a second blast deep inside the ship a few minutes later - could this have been a secret cargo of explosives? What is certain is that since the fatal day of May 7, 1915, the wreck of the Lusitania has lain untouched 100 meters deep off the Old Head of Kinsale, a prominent peninsula on Ireland's southern coast. Gregg Bemis is in no doubt that she was carrying weaponry. "She went down in 18 minutes," he says. "That would have been impossible with one torpedo for a ship that size. There were high explosives on board, all right." Bemis also points out that one of those who perished was Sir Hugh Lane, Irish art collector and head of London's National Gallery. He was believed to have had a stack of paintings by Rubens, Titian and Monet on board in watertight

Mary Shelleys Frankenstein - The Individual and Society Essay

Frankenstein: The Individual and Society      Ã‚  Ã‚   The creature's ambiguous humanity has long puzzled readers of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. In this essay I will focus on how Frankenstein can be used to explore two philosophical topics, social contract theory, and gender roles, in light of ideas from Shelley's two philosophical parents, William Godwin, and Mary Wollstonecraft.    What Does it Mean to be Human? Individual and Society    One historically important tradition in social and political philosophy is called "Social Contract Theory." It gives a way of thinking about what it means to be human, raising fundamental questions such as: what is human nature, in itself, apart from society? Are people fundamentally equal, and if so, why, in what ways? What justifies governmental authority? In what sense are people free and independent if their lives are ruled by laws and governmental authorities?    Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679), and John Locke (1632-1704), were English philosophers who approached these questions by hypothesizing a "state of nature." Try to imagine what a person would be like if he or she lived outside of any governed society. Hobbes thought that people would be isolated, desperately afraid of harm from others. Life would be, in Hobbes' memorable phrase, "poore, solitary, nasty, brutish and short." Locke wasn't quite so pessimistic. He thought that in the state of nature, people would be fairly sociable, and would establish private property and trade. Both Hobbes and Locke thought that insecurity in the state of nature would lead people to join together and give to a governmental authority the right to make laws and punish offenders. Hence, for them, government is based on a "social contrac... ...manly virtues are, in fact, weaknesses. Wollstonecraft insists, "The most perfect education, in my opinion, is such an exercise of the understanding as is best calculated to strengthen the body and form the heart....It is a farce to call any being virtuous whose virtues do not result from the exercise of its own reason" (103). When women are socialized to be feminine, when their reasoning powers are not developed, and when they have no option but to be economically dependent on men, their characters will become perverted, and they will become servile or manipulative.    Works Cited: Rousseau, Jean-Jacques. Emile. 1762. translated by William Boyd, New York: Columbia University, 1956. Shelley, Mary. 1818. Frankenstein. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1996. Wollstonecraft, Mary. 1792. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman. New York: Penguin Books, 1992.

Made Up Myth Character Essay

Strength: Sharp teeth, muscular body, strong, good eyesight, excellent sense of smell, and giant feet. Weaknesses: Low self esteem, ability to get influenced, unattractive, not social, and obese. Sizzina, a transformed monster, was once a normal human being like all of us. The halls in the school were filled with praises about Sizzina. She had sharp features, beautiful eyes, blonde curly hair, an amazing skinny figure. She was the girl everyone wanted to know and to socialize with. However, the admiration got to her head. Sizzina was now conceited. Students, friends, and teachers were treated like servants. They did her homework, followed her around everywhere, took orders from her, and also did her chores. They didn’t have status or value in the eyes of Sizzina. The halls that were once filled with praises and commandments were now turned into hearts filled with hatred. The god of beauty, Sonia, noticing all the injustice occurring to other students made a ever changing decision. Sizzina had to learn her lesson! Sonia decided to turn Sizzina into an unattractive monster. A monster that would not receive any appreciation. Sooner nor later, her high self esteem turned into an ocean filled with tears. Sizzina, could not handle the embarrassment which led to the encounter of â€Å"weird† friends. One day, Sonia noticed the drastic changes occurring in Sizzina. Sizzina was now more aware of true friendship that she had never known before. Also, she became so close to her friends that she couldn’t imagine her life without them. They gossiped, chatted, shopped, ate food, and did all their daily activities together. She was no longer lonely. She appreciated her friends more than her family. Material items did not have any value for her anymore. Love and friendship was the only thing that had a position an space for in her life and heart. However, she didn’t know that one day she would have a difficult decision between her old beautiful self life or this current life in which she was a monster, but with wonderful friends. After a long night of sleep, she woke up in the morning not in her cozy bed. She was in the clouds between an unknown stranger. Sonia said â€Å"Hello Sizzina! I know everything about you. I know you have a lot of questions in your mind right now but this isn’t the right time for them. Today is a really important day for you because it’s going to change your life completely. You have to make the decision between choosing your old life where everyone admired you or the life that you have as a monster. But don’t forget, chose the life that has more value and meaning to you. A life that you would never regret.† This was one of the hardest choice Sizzina had to ever make. She was flip flopping between her old life and her current. However, in the end, she without a doubt chooses her current life due to her amazing friends that were there for her in her rough times. They’re people who she would never want to lose. Beauty has no importance in front of friendship. Friends truly love you for who you are and not for your physical appearance.