How do events become media events Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How do events become media events - Essay Example ial networking platforms and media’ then they could probably cite a strong point of view by attributing the man who killed his wife because of her internet addiction. Then the more the media would cover this event, allowing many people to provide their stands, the said story then starts to become a great media event, as there would be many people involved by taking the event right to their heart, making them fully involved. This is the same trend we might probably observed from the September 11 USA terrorism attack. If there would be no television or other media from the other side of the world and USA’s adjacent countries, it would take time to hear about what was happening that time to the world’s twin towers in New York. After the attack, it would most probably took time to keeping popular number of people about the news report. Publicity would be too slow that many people would miss the opportunity to take the event right to their heart. However, since the wi de coverage of media continues to lead us people and becoming integrated with our life at present, the September 11 attack remained a remarkable history that today’s generation could impart to the future. Media therefore have become powerful agents of publicity, allowing great news event to become great media event. Right after the September 11 attack, there were various news reported associated with the event. For couple of months, local and internatianal news reports from various parts of the world were primary important headlines, and many opinions, stands, symphaties or reactions begun to flinch from the audience, making the event a great media event, just like what happened to Princess Diana’s funeral and Prince Charles and Kate’s matrimonial ceremony. The flu virus and its associated... The "How do events become media events?" essay describes the influence of media on our perception of some life events. Why some of them would no longer create remarkable impact or special response? The flu virus and its associated detrimental impacts on the human health was once become a media event as people discovered that SARS for instance could potentially wipe out the human race. Everyday, the media would cover the progress of mortality rate and the probable place affected by the pandemic. Via broadcasters, people were informed about the said news event, allowing everyone to stop for a while from doing their daily routines, and focus on understanding the right thing to do in order not to contract the disease. The news event about SARS progressed to becoming a great media event, as people paid considerable amount of time concerning the event. However, the entire piece of this could be attributed to the level of publicity that the media were able to impart with the consuming publi c. It is therefore clear that media publicity is a common activity normally associated with media events. Media events operate as public arenas where people find themselves engaged in the political debates and political actions that are responsible for shaping the world around them. This could potentially be illustrated through the US presidential election. The Democrats and Republicans have various and conflicting ideologies which they used to defend their stands and ultimate perspectives on certain political, social, and economic issues.

The Advantages of Studying Abroad Essay Example for Free

The Advantages of Studying Abroad Essay Studying abroad has been a hotly discussed topic. Various reasons have been analyzed. My writing will critically present the main ones. In the first place, study efficiency is what I put in my priority. It cannot be denied that students are greatly motivated when they study in another country. The national pride inside themselves encourages them to study harder in order to compete with foreign students. The desire to improve their country’s image is likely to boost their studious spirit. Therefore, their academic performances have a tendency to be remarkably improved. More interestingly, foreign education creates chances for students to study at colleges that have the best teaching quality and learning environment in a specific field of studies that they are in favor of. For example, German and Japan are the two most countries for their education in chemical industry. Students are able to learn from the best chemistry teachers and professors in the world. As a result, their learning is definitely developed. Without doubt, studying abroad enables students to haverst fantastic results. In the second place, skill development holds no less importance. It is widely known that there likelihood for students to promote their time-management skill when they learn in a different country. They live on their own then and have no family support on completing household tasks. They also have to take part in many extra-curricular activities. They are forced to create a well-organized time table in order to have enough time for learning. Hence, their abilities to manage time are undoubtedly enhanced. More notably, only by studying in a foreign country can students heighten their decision-making skill. It is attributed to the fact that their parents are not around to make decision for them. They must determine everything by themselves. Additionally, there are lots of dangerous seduction they are bound to face in their independent life. It requires them the ability to resist insidious pleasure and come to the best choice. Thus, they stand a golden chance to improve their ability to hand out good decisions. With no doubt, studying in a country far from home is a beneficial way for students to sharpen their skills considerably. Last but not least, personal enjoyment draws much of my attention. It is common knowledge that studying abroad brings students opportunity to approach a new culture. It is possible for them to get to know to different life style and customs, witness religious activities and taste special dishes of the local people near their schools or colleges. Consequently, their spiritual life is full of excitement and pleasure. More importantly, studying abroad involves helps students to have friends from around the world. International friendships are surely built when students from numerous countries gather in a particular place to study. Students definitely relish the enjoyment of having multinational relationships. Beyond sany doubt, foreign education brings students happiness. In a nutshell, not only study efficiency, skill development but also personal enjoyment are the convincing reasons for studying abroad. I highly recommend that students should take my writing into detailed consideration to make an effective decision on foreign education.

Research methodology, different types of philosophical

Research methodology, different types of philosophical Fischer (2004) states that research methodology is the study which raises all types of philosophical questions for the researchers to know and check the availability of their knowledge. Saunders et al. (2007) states that, the research design will be the general plan of how to answer the research questions and it should contain: Clear objectives derived from the research questions It should specify sources from which data is collected Consider the constraints that the researcher will have access to data, location time and money Discussing ethical issues Cooper and Schindler (2008) mentions that the research task is a sequential process involving clearly defined steps. They also state that despite the variation in steps involved, the idea of sequence is useful in developing a research and maintaining an order as the research progresses. According to Teresa and William (1997), research methodology provides a systematic, planned approach to a research project and ensures that all aspects of the project are consistent with one another. The method that has been used for this research is based on the research process onion as described by Saunders et al. (2007). The research goes through different layers of the research onion. The various layers are philosophies, approaches, strategies, choices, time horizons and techniques and procedures. This chapter is divided into three sections. The first section deals with the research methods that have been used for this dissertation. The second part deals with data collection methods. The last section deals with population and sampling. Research Onion- Adapted from Saunders et al. (2007) Research philosophy: Saunders et al. (2007) mentions that research philosophy depends on the way you think about the development of knowledge. It is the first layer in the research onion proposed by them. According to them, there are three approaches to research philosophy. They are epistemology, ontology and axiology. Epistemology constitutes with the acceptable knowledge in the field of study; ontology is concerned with nature of reality where as axiology studies about the researchers value in all stage of research process. They argue that the choice of philosophy depends on the research question posed and the researcher feels that the approach that has to be used is Epistemology. Jancowickz (2000) mentioned epistemology as personal theory of knowing and what researcher feels as knowledge, what he counts as evidence and proof and what he does not. Saunders et al. (2007) mentioned that there are three epistemological positions namely, positivism, interpretivism, and realism. Positivism: Saunders et al. (2007) mentions that if research philosophy reflects the principles of positivism, then we will probably adopt the philosophical stance of a natural scientist. According to Bryman Bell (2007) positivism is an epistemological position that advocates the application of methods of natural sciences to study of social reality and beyond. Reilly (2006) defined positivism as a belief that only true knowledge is scientific in character, describing interrelationships between real and observable phenomena. Interpretivism: This is a philosophy where researcher be critical of positivism and argue that rich insights, into complex world are lost if such complexity is reduced entirely to a series of law like generations. It also emphasises on the difference between conducting a research among people rather than tangible objects. Realism: This is a philosophical approach which is based on that a reality exists that is independent of human thoughts and beliefs. It holds many thoughts from positivism and it scientifically questions what is regarded as acceptable knowledge. In realism, the approach assumes a scientific approach to the development of data and underpins the collection of data and understanding of those data. (Saunders et al., 2007, p105). There are two types of realism namely critical realism and direct realism. Direct realism is what the researcher experience through his senses represents the world accurately. In critical realism, what the researcher experiences are sensations and images of the things in the real world, but not the real thing. Research philosophy for this research: Saunders et al. (2007) argues that usually a combination of positivism and interpretivism are generally used in the management of business research. However, the research philosophy varies according to research question. This research focuses on impact of sales promotions on impulse purchases. Various authors have discussed the phenomenon that happens and the researcher is trying to explore the consumer behaviour on impulse purchase. The philosophy that is used in this research is realism. For this the researcher uses acceptable knowledge in the field of impulse purchase and consumer behaviour to understand the impact of sales promotion on impulse purchase and consumer loyalty. The researcher collects and analyses data using acceptable knowledge for the purpose of answering the research question, so the research is more inclined towards realism. Research Approach: Saunders et al. (2007) states that all research work involves theories and suggests the clarity of researchers theory at the beginning of the research could inform the research the approach taken in designing the research. They, suggest two types of research approach of reasoning. They are Inductive approach and Deductive approach. Inductive Approach: In inductive approach, the researcher would collect the data and develop and theory with the result of data analysis. According to Saunders et al. (2007), the following are the features of inductive approach. Gaining an understanding of meanings human attach to events A close understanding of research context A collection of qualitative data A more flexible structure to permit changes of research emphasis as research progresses A realisation that the researcher is part of the research process Less concern with need to generalise Deductive approach: Deductive approach method is the way of testing a theory. The researcher will develop a theory and suitable hypothesis. The research strategy is the developed to test the hypothesis that is developed. Roboson (2002) suggests a five-stage model through which the deductive stage will progress: Deduct a hypothesis from the theory Express the hypothesis in operational terms Test the hypothesis Examine outcome of the inquiry Modify theory in light of results Research Approach for this research: The researcher has chosen the deductive approach over the inductive approach for this research. In deductive approach for this research, an initial stage presents a general hypothesis. This initial stage contains secondary data mentioned by various authors. This hypothesis is then tested using the data collection methods to answer the objectives. Research Strategy: According to Saunders et al. (2007), seven different strategies can be used for a research. They are: Experiment Survey Case study Action research Grounded theory Ethnography Archival research The strategy that has to be used can be chosen depending on research questions and objectives, research time and other resources that are available. (Saunders et al., 2007) The most feasible solution for this dissertation is the survey method. The survey method is associated with deductive approach. It allows the collection of a large amount of data from sizeable population in highly economical way. Utilising the questionnaire, data can be standardised allowing easy compilation. It is also a cheap option for the researcher. The survey strategy also allows collecting quantitative data, which can be analysed using descriptive tactics. The survey strategy utilises the designing and piloting of data collection method to ensure a good response rate. In the case of this dissertation, the researcher plans to distribute questionnaire among the customers and thus do the survey for this dissertation. This will be handed out by the researcher himself which adds to the cheapness of the survey. The researcher is also planning to do two mini focus group interviews among the customers. Looking at all these options, the researcher feels that conducting a survey will be the best way to collect data for this research. Research choice: According to Saunders et al. (2007), the two main methods of data collection are quantitative data collection and qualitative data collection. Qualitative data that is used in research would be usually a non-numerical data. It has open-ended information. Example: Pictures or video clips. Quantitative data that is used in data would be numerical data consisting of graphs or statistics. It includes close-ended information such as attitude, behaviour of performance instruments. (John and Vicki, 2007). Saunders et al. (2007, p 146) Saunders et al. (2007) mentions that the researcher can use used both qualitative and quantitative data collection methods. This is known as mixed method of data collection. Both these could be done at the same time or one after the other, but the methods cannot be combined. John and Vicki (2007) argue that the weakness of both quantitative and qualitative methods can be overcome by using both the methods. If we use mixed methods, different methods like interview and questionnaire can be used for the study. They also state that mixed method research provides more comprehensive evidence for studying a research question than using just one method of data analysis. This was also mentioned as the most practical method since the researcher is free to use all the methods to address the problem. In the context of this research, the researcher used a combination of both quantitative and qualitative data techniques to find the data. The quantitative data is analysed with the help of questionnaires and the qualitative data is analysed with the help of interviews. The attitudes and impulse buying behaviour and perception of customers can be studied using the questionnaire surveys. For the qualitative data analysis, two mini focus groups consisting of three members each will be conducted by the researcher. The researcher will use the respondents observation and researchers observation to conclude his findings. In short, the researcher uses mixed method of data analysis to generalise the findings. Time Horizon: According to Saunders et al. (2007), time horizons are needed for the research design independent of the research methodology used. There are two types of time horizons namely Longitudinal and Cross-sectional. Longitudinal studies are repeated over an extended period. Cross sectional studies are limited to a specific time frame. This research is also limited to a specific time frame and hence the cross sectional time horizon is used. Data Collection Methods: There are two types of data involved with this research. The first one is primary data and the second type is secondary data. The secondary data contains the literature review, which is the view by various authors about the topic. The primary data which is collected to prove the hypothesis presented which is collected using secondary data. According to Saunders et al. (2007), the secondary data may not match the needs of new research; aggregations and definitions may also be unsuitable, there for to resolve this primary data has been employed to answer the nature of the problem and test the hypothesis. In other words, the secondary data is the data that is collected for some other purpose while the primary data is collected specifically for this research. Secondary data: According to Saunders et al. (2007), the secondary data consists of both quantitative and qualitative data. It contains both raw data and published data. Bryman and Bell (2007) stated that it could provide an answer to the research question. They also mentioned about the benefits of collecting secondary data. It helps us structuring ideas, developing new concepts, widen new directions to data, sketch population and organise appropriate approach to the research. Saunders et al. (2007) also mentions that the secondary data should be viewed with the same caution that we view the primary data. The researcher needs to make sure that it will be able to answer the research question and meet his objectives. For this research, the researcher gathered the secondary data from journal articles and textbooks. The journals were electronically collected from the Emerald Insight (http://www. emeraldnisight.com) and Business source complete. The researcher also referred many books and magazines. Books provided the foundation for the topic and for the research methods. The journals helped to get an insight from various authors that discussed about this topic. Magazines helped to find the current situations related to the topic. Primary data: Primary data is collected for the completion of this research. It is the data collected from the survey and we do not have any previous results for this data. There are two categories of data collection available. One of them is quantitative data collection and the second is the qualitative data collection. Qualitative data: The data that is non-numerical and that cannot be quantified is known as qualitative data. Saunders et al. (2007) mentions that the use of interviews can help the researcher to gather valid and reliable data that are relevant to his/her research. There interviews are mainly categorised into two namely standardised and Non-standardised interviews. Standardised interviews will have interview-administered questions where as the other one does not have that. Under non-standardised interviews, there are two categories. They are one-to-one and one-to-many. The one-to-one is further categorised into face-to-face, telephone and internet/intranet based interviews. The one-to-many interviews are of two kinds; group interviews and internet/intranet based group interviews. This kind of group interviews come under a category called focus group interviews. (Saunders et al. (2007) p 313) This research will be using the aid of focus group interviews. The focus group method is a form of group interview in which there are several participants, there is an emphasis on questioning on a tightly defined topic and the accent is upon interaction within the group and the joint construction of meaning. (Bryman and Bell, 2007) The main characteristic of this interview is, it involves more than one interviewee and typically contains four to twelve members. According to Cooper and Schindler (2001), the two advantages of using focus group interview are to get a depth understanding and it is a chance to observe reactions to the research question in an open-ended group setting. For this research, the researcher conducts two mini focus group interviews. These interviews are used to increase the credibly of the research and to form a background for the questionnaire design. The critical analysis of the focus group interviews helped the researcher to critically analyse the sales promotion and its impact on impulse purchasing behaviour of the participants. The researcher was able to find two groups of respondents who were willing to give the focus group interview. These groups contained both male and female participants, with the age group between 15 and 30. The interviewees were asked questions about the sales promotional activities in the store. They were also asked about the factors that affect them to buy things impulsively and if price promotions affect the impulse purchase. The mini focus interviews helped the researcher in questionnaire design by exploring the responses of sample population to analytically test the hypothesis using quantitative data. The response from the interviewees pulled out the conclusions that sales promotions play an important role in impulse buying behaviour of consumers. Quantitative data: The quantitative data is analysed using survey method. For this research, the researcher uses, questionnaire for the survey method. Saunders et al. (2007) mentions that a questionnaire includes all techniques of data collection in which each person is asked to respond to the same set of questions in a predetermined order. They also mention that it is one of the most widely used data collection within the survey strategy. The questionnaires are used in the research as it permits prompt and honest responses from a respondent than interviews. This sort of response is required for extracting information such as personal information. The biasness that is likely to occur by the difference in phrasing questions to different respondents is also eliminated by using questionnaire. The convenience, availability of resources in terms of time and cost and ease of automating data entry makes questionnaire the best choice for quantitative data analysis. According to Saunders et al. (2007), various factors affect choosing the questionnaire for a research. They are The characteristics of the respondents to whom the researcher wish to collect the information. Importance of reaching a particular person as respondent Size of the sample required by the researcher for the analysis Importance of the responders answers not being contaminated or distorted The type of question that the researcher needs to collect the data The number of questions that the researcher needs to ask to collect the data There are two types of questionnaires namely self-administered questionnaire and interview administered questionnaire. Self-administered questionnaire is used in this research because of its advantage that it can be completed without the presence of the researcher. This is supported by Brace (2004) that the absence of the researcher makes the respondent to be honest and the respondent gets enough time to answer the questions. One important thing that needs to be noted is the language used in the questionnaire. A simple language is usually preferred than using technical jargons. Bruce (2004) mentions that double barrelled questions and jargon must be avoided in order to reduce confusion among both parties Bryman and Bell (2007) mentions that piloting a questionnaire should be an integral part of the process. Piloting is the process by which the questionnaire is revised and tested until the researcher and clients are happy. It helps the researcher to improve the quality of questionnaire and its efficiency in assembling data. A pilot test was conducted among five MBA International students to validate the questionnaire. Based on their feedback, necessary amendments were made to the questions. Table 2: Questionnaire description: Sl. no Characteristics Questions 1 Collects the demographic information from respondents Q1,Q2,Q3 2 Identifies the shopping details like frequency and average spending Q4, Q5 3. Identifies the sales promotional activities in the store Q6,Q7, 4 Identifies consumers impulse buying behaviour and factors Q9,Q10,11 5. Identifies if price promotion affects impulse purchase Q12,Q13,Q14,Q15 The researcher distributed the questionnaires in Tesco retail store, Parnell Street, Dublin-Ireland. The researcher ensured that the consumers got enough time to complete the questionnaire. This researcher did not give any hints to answer the questions and this helped the respondent to honestly answer the questions. The researcher used an online tool called Surveymonkey for the data analysis (www.surveymonkey.com). The response and the scales used are mentioned in the data analysis chapter Population and Sampling: According to Cooper and Schindler (2008), a population is the total collection of elements about which we wish to make some inferences. They also mentioned that to draw the conclusion about the entire population, some of the elements of the population are to be selected and this process is called sampling. Saunders et al. (2007) mentions sampling technique provides a range of methods that enable to reduce the amount of data that is needed for consideration. They further mention that this is an alternative to the census method. They provide alternative when; It would be impractical for the researcher to survey the entire population The budget constraints prevent researcher from surveying the entire population The time constraints prevents the researcher from surveying the entire population Results are needed quickly Mayolor and Blackmon (2005), mentions that sampling frame facilitates, conclusion making about the social units that have been selecting units that are representative of the population. Saunders et al. (2007) classifies the sampling techniques into probability sampling Non-probability sampling. In probability sampling, the probability of each case being selected from the population is the same for all cases, where as in non-probability sampling, the probability of case being selected is being unknown. Cooper and Schindler (2008), argues that, if the non-probability sampling is feasible, if the total population for the study is unknown. In this case, the population are the customers of Tesco, Parnell Street, Dublin. Non-probability sampling is further divided into five types: Quota Sampling Purposive sampling Snowball sampling Self selection sampling Convenience sampling This research focuses on impact of sales promotion on impulse purchase and consumer loyalty. In this research, the quota sampling is found to be more appropriate for the sampling. Saunders et al., (2007) confirms that with the help of quota sampling, population could be divided into specific groups. This helps in calculating a quota for each group based on appropriate and obtainable data. According to Barnett (1991), cited by Saunders et al. (2007), quota sampling is entirely non-random and is normally used for interview surveys. It is based on the premise that the sample will represent the population, as the variability in the sample for various quota variables is the same as that of the population. For this research, the population is categorises into specific groups. Appropriate estimate from each group is prepared to distinguish the quota based on reliable data. Each interviewer will be analysed and the data will be collected from each quota. The data that is collected are then united to obtain a full sample. The researcher selected the quotas according to the age group and gender. The customers were selected by the respondent randomly first. The researcher then checked the respondents criteria of the age group and selected the people he wanted. Sampling Frame: The frame elements in the population are called the sampling frame. Saunders et al. (2007) states that the larger the samples size, the lower the likely error in generalising to the population. Hence, suitable sample should be governed by: The confidence required in the data Margin of error that can be tolerated Types of analysis that needs to be undertaken Size of the total population The sampling frame in this research includes the customers in the grocery section in Tesco, Parnell Street. The sampling size, frame and population are defined as follows: Sampling Size: 100 Elements: Customers of Tesco, Parnell Street Units: Grocery section in Tesco Parnell Street Extents: Dublin, Ireland Sampling Technique: Non-probability sampling (quota sampling) Sampling Error: 5% Time: May 2010-Aug-2010 The quotas and total sample size are given below:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   AGE GROUP   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   MALE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   FEMALE   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   15-30   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   25   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   25   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   31-50   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   15   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   15   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   51 and above   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   10   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   TOTAL POPULATION = 100 Time constraint was the main reason for the researcher to select a small population. The researcher ensured that the researcher were ensured ample time to complete the questionnaire. The researcher made sure that the questionnaire had a simple design with no technical jargons used which would have confused people otherwise. The researcher plans to distribute the questions to 100 people and expects a sampling error of 5%. Since it is a self-administered questionnaire, the researcher expects good response from the respondents.

New Leadership in Indonesia and Singapure Essays -- International Gove

The emerging globalized world brings with it new global threats. Various forms of advancement have made the threat of terrorism a global threat. As a result, leaders of democratic states have been forced to work together to contain such threats. This paper examines the extent to which the Indonesian leadership transition from 2004 to 2009 affected security policy relations with Singapore. First, this paper takes a brief look at the new leadership transition of Indonesia and Singapore in 2004. Second, this paper examines whether the new leadership was able to strengthened regional security through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). New Leadership in Southeast Asia The year 2004 was of significant change not only for Indonesia, but also for Singapore. Both, Indonesia and Singapore, went trough a leadership change in 2004, which allowed them to realign their relationship and interest in the region. On August 12, Lee Hsien Loong was sworn in as Singapore’s third prime minister since independence. Lee Hsien Loong preceded Goh Chok Tong’s 14-year leadership. Lee had long been expected to have some sort of leadership because his father, Lee Kuan Yew, was Singapore’s first prime minister. More notably on October 20, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, was sworn in as Indonesia’s sixth president since independence. Mr. Yudhoyono was the fourth president in six years, but was the first directly elected president since the fall of President Suharto in 1998. The leadership transition of 2004 is crucial to understanding foreign relations between Indonesia and SIngapore because it laid the platform from which they could renew, strengthen, and expand their regional ideals. In the aftermath of the 1997 Asian financial crisis, Singapo... ...nd Southeast Asia: Australia, the U.S., and ASEAN’s Counter-Terror Strategy.† Asian Survey 48, no. 4 (July/August 2008): 626-649. Chow, Jonathan T. â€Å"ASEAN Counterterrorism Cooperation since 9/11.† Asian Survey 45, no. 2 (March/April 2005): 302-321. Febrica, Senia. â€Å"Securitizing Terrorism in Southeast Asia: Accounting for the Varying Responses of Singapore and Indonesia.† Asian Survey 50, no. 3 (May/June 2010): 569-590. Kassim, Yang Razali. Transition Politics in Southeast Asia: Dynamics of Leadership Change and Succession in Indonesia and Malaysia. Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2005. Lee, Kuan Yew. â€Å"The United States, Iraq, and the War on Terror: A Singaporean Perspective.† Foreign Affairs 86, no. 1 (January/February 2007): 2-7. Narine, Shaun. â€Å"ASEAN and the Management of Regional Security.† Pacific Affairs 71, no. 2 (Summer, 1998): 195-214.

Justice System Position Paper

The purpose of this paper is to state my belief that juveniles should and can be rehabilitated. The goals and efforts of rehabilitation are to keep the juvenile offenders out of the correctional facility. Peers impact delinquency in several ways for instance; most teenagers follow their friends do to peer pressure. Some juveniles demonstrating behaviors that are inappropriate at times just to fit in. In some cases the peers that are under the influence of their friends tend to due things that they were taught not to do because they will feel as though they may lose the others as their friend. A lot of juvenile’s offenders don't have a positive older role model in their life they can turn to so they tend to turn to their peers for guidance and this is how juvenile delinquency begins. In many cases juvenile delinquents are raised by single parents. Some are subjected to an environment that is considered a high crime area in which promotes delinquent behavior. In some cases when juvenile’s become delinquent they feel as though because of their age there is no real consequence they would face because they are minors. Juveniles have often said â€Å"nothing will happen to me because I’m under aged†. Not all juveniles are a menace to society and should not be place in a juvenile detention. There are many cases when juvenile delinquents can benefit from rehabilitation and not be punishing by placing them in a detention facility. In the early days 1800’s, young children the age of seven and older were placed in an adult correctional facility. These children were incarcerated with criminals who committed murder, robbery, rape, ect†¦ In these early years of incarceration men, women, children and the mentally challenged shared the same space within the correctional facility. The juvenile justice system should focus on rehabilitation The purpose of rehabilitation is to offer programs and therapeutic session in order to assist juvenile delinquents to return to their community. Rehabilitating juvenile delinquents can also deter them from future criminal behavior. The purpose of the community –base treatment programs are designed to serve the juveniles by rehabilitating them so they are able to live as productive citizens within their community. Within the juvenile justice system there are several community treatment based programs that are made available in order to rehabilitate them before entering back into the community. Juvenile delinquents can receive rehabilitation for drug and alcohol use. They can also receive educational courses in order to help them with life skills. Rehabilitation is designed to assist juveniles with the help of a professional team to help teens to cope with drug and alcohol abuse, self-esteem issues, and in some cases sexual abuse. The juvenile justice system should focus on rehabilitation for reasons such as; it can deter juvenile delinquent from future criminal offense. Rehabilitations can also be an alternate solution for juvenile’s verses punishment. Rehabilitating a juvenile can also eliminate the amount cost of incarceration. Rehabilitation can allow the juvenile delinquent to understand his or her reason for their behaviors and can deter them from future acts. Rehabilitation can also help juvenile offenders understand the affect they may have on their community when committing crime. Rehabilitation offers juvenile offenders a new lead on life and implements ways to change their criminal behavior. Why should the juvenile justice system adopt the focus of rehabilitation? The juvenile justice system should adopt the focus of rehabilitation because it would allow juveniles a chance to regain acceptance from the people who live within their community as well as ensuring that each juvenile become successful within society. The juvenile justice system should adopt the focus of rehabilitation verses punishment for reasons such as, when juvenile delinquents are order by a judge to become rehabilitated they tend to learn from their mistake and attempt to make a life change for the better. Most juveniles who committed to becoming rehabilitated have become successful with deterring from criminal activities. In many cases some juvenile delinquents have grown to be productive throughout their teenage years into adulthood after receiving rehabilitation. Rehabilitation has an affect on law enforcement, court process, probation, corrections, community service, and intervention programs for example, within law enforcement most juvenile offenders stand a lesser chance committing a second offense. This would allow the law enforcement to focus on new cases of criminal offenders. In addition to focusing on new offenses, law enforcement can utilize the funding that it would take support the process and use it in other areas most needed. â€Å"Almost all federal support for juvenile law enforcement activities comes through grants made to states and local agencies. (Rabkin, J. N. , 1998) Most juveniles are recommended rehabilitation during the court process. Until the juvenile delinquent has meet all requirements set by his or her probation officer and or the judge, then he or she must complete all orders that are set in order to be in compliance with rehabilitation. Rehabilitation will affect probation because the more juvenile offenders ar e placed on probation the more probation offers case load. Juvenile delinquents must report to their assigned probation offer in order to be in compliance with rehabilitation. In most instance probation officers are assigned to juvenile delinquents who did not receive a jail sentence therefore they are required to check in with the probation officer in order to determine if rehabilitation is effective. Rehabilitation can affect corrections for reasons such as, when funding is made available by grants and other agencies the correction facility can support more rehabilitation services for the juvenile delinquents who in term had to serve time in a correctional facility. Community service would be affected in a positive way because this would allow agencies within the community to help juvenile delinquents regain their self –esteem by allowing them to complete volunteer work. This helps with building their work ethics as well as confidence. Intervention programs could benefit from the use of rehabilitation because it allows more analysis to be complete on the behaviors of juvenile delinquents. This can also be beneficial to rehabilitation programs as well because it allow the programs to create new strategies in order to better rehabilitate juvenile delinquents. It has been several arguments that are opposed of rehabilitating juvenile delinquents. Some feel as though juvenile delinquents should face harsh punishment in order to deter future criminal acts. Then on the other side, there has been argument that juvenile delinquents can benefit from becoming rehabilitated through community base programs as oppose to being incarcerated. There are numerous success stories of how effective juvenile rehabilitation has been. In recent finding judge LaDoris Cordell stated â€Å"the juvenile justice system can be applied and modified to deal with the needs of the particular juvenile. †(Cordell, L. , 2011) In some studies there has been argument that rehabilitation is non effective within the juvenile justice system. In some studies researchers find that most juveniles who commit criminal acts are of those who are poor and in low income homes, they also have a â€Å"lack of opportunity lead children to crime, not families that fail to teach value. (P, F, P, A, 1996) A few arguments that are opposing from the other side are that some feel as though rehabilitations are non- effective and has not deterred juveniles from criminal behavior. It has also been argued that incarceration would serve as justice and is more effective than juvenile delinquent attending rehabilitation programs. Some argued that putting the funds that support rehabilitation programs to other use such as â€Å"placing it on health care. †(Limbaugh, S. 010) I will attempt to validate why my argument is stronger than the opposing side, In my opinion I feel the arguments that were opposed to rehabilitation are not as valid as my arguments for reason such as, juveniles that are incarcerated for a long period of time stand a greater chance of becoming institutionalized as oppose to juveniles who are becoming rehabilitated through community programs. Juvenile delinquents who spend a lot of time incarcerated stand a greater chance of becoming depressed, aggressive, and even more violent towards others than before they enter into the correctional facility. Juvenile delinquents who attend rehabilitation programs have been a positive resolution for young offenders. Most juveniles who were rehabilitated stand a greater chance to become more productive within society. If the juvenile justice system would focus more on rehabilitation services then most juvenile delinquents can concentrate on becoming rehabilitated and not feel the pressure of confinement with in the correctional facility. † Rehabilitation is the focus of corrections programs for juveniles. †(T, P, F, J, D, 1999) Evidence to support my claims Community rehabilitation programs are the best prevention for juvenile delinquents. When providing services to juvenile delinquents it allows juvenile delinquents to regain self confidents when reentering into society as well as it brings about self awareness. In 1996 a report from RAND Corporation which indicated that â€Å"early intention programs can prevent as many as 250 crimes per $1 million spent while the same amount spent in prisons would prevent only 60 such crimes a year†. (Adebayo,J. ,A. 2011) In conclusion The purpose of my position paper is to state my belief that juveniles should and can be rehabilitated. The goals and efforts of rehabilitation are to keep the juvenile offenders out of the correctional facility. The advantage of rehabilitating juvenile delinquents is to deter them from future criminal acts. The disadvantage of juvenile punishment is that some juveniles that are confined to a correction facility as oppose to reporting to a community program risks the chance of becoming institutionalized. The disadvantage of becoming institutionalized can trigger more aggressive behavior than before. In my opinion I feel as though rehabilitation is more effective then placing juvenile delinquents in a correctional facility because juveniles are able to get a new start on life after being rehabilitated.

Vampire Academy Chapter 9

NINE I SNAPPED INTO HER MIND, once again seeing and directly experiencing what went on around her. She was sneaking into the chapel's attic again, confirming my worst fears. Like last time, she met no resistance. Good God, I thought, could that priest be any worse about securing his own chapel? Sunrise lit up the stained-glass window, and Christian's silhouette was framed against it: he was sitting in the window seat. â€Å"You're late,† he told her. â€Å"Been waiting a while.† Lissa pulled up one of the rickety chairs, brushing dust off it. â€Å"I figured you'd be tied up with Headmistress Kirova.† He shook his head. â€Å"Not much to it. They suspended me for a week, that's all. Not like it's hard to sneak out.† He waved his hands around. â€Å"As you can see.† â€Å"I'm surprised you didn't get more time.† A patch of sunlight lit up his crystal-blue eyes. â€Å"Disappointed?† She looked shocked. â€Å"You set someone on fire!† â€Å"No, I didn't. Did you see any burns on him?† â€Å"He was covered in flames.† â€Å"I had them under control. I kept them off of him.† She sighed. â€Å"You shouldn't have done that.† Straightening out of his lounging position, he sat up and leaned toward her. â€Å"I did it for you.† â€Å"You attacked someone for me?† â€Å"Sure. He was giving you and Rose a hard time. She was doing an okay job against him, I guess, but I figured she could use the backup. Besides, this'll shut anyone else up about the whole fox thing, too.† â€Å"You shouldn't have done that,† she repeated, looking away. She didn't know how to feel about this â€Å"generosity.† â€Å"And don't act like it was all for me. You liked doing it. Part of you wanted to – just because.† Christian's smug expression dropped, replaced by one of uncharacteristic surprise. Lissa might not be psychic, but she had a startling ability to read people. Seeing him off guard, she continued. â€Å"Attacking someone else with magic is forbidden – and that's exactly why you wanted to do it. You got a thrill out of it.† â€Å"Those rules are stupid. If we used magic as a weapon instead of just for warm and fuzzy shit, Strigoi wouldn't keep killing so many of us.† â€Å"It's wrong,† she said firmly. â€Å"Magic is a gift. It's peaceful.† â€Å"Only because they say it is. You're repeating the party line we've been fed our whole lives.† He stood up and paced the small space of the attic. â€Å"It wasn't always that way, you know. We used to fight, right along with the guardians – centuries ago. Then people started getting scared and stopped. Figured it was safer to just hide. They forgot the attack spells.† â€Å"Then how did you know that one?† He crooked her a smile. â€Å"Not everyone forgot.† â€Å"Like your family? Like your parents?† The smile disappeared. â€Å"You don't know anything about my parents.† His face darkened, his eyes grew hard. To most people, he might have appeared scary and intimidating, but as Lissa studied and admired his features, he suddenly seemed very, very vulnerable. â€Å"You're right,† she admitted softly, after a moment. â€Å"I don't. I'm sorry.† For the second time in this meeting, Christian looked astonished. Probably no one apologized to him that often. Hell, no one even talked to him that often. Certainly no one ever listened. Like usual, he quickly turned into his cocky self. â€Å"Forget it.† Abruptly, he stopped pacing and knelt in front of her so they could look each other in the eye. Feeling him so close made her hold her breath. A dangerous smile curled his lips. â€Å"And really, I don't get why you of all people should act so outraged that I used ? ®forbidden' magic.† â€Å"Me ? ®of all people'? What's that supposed to mean?† â€Å"You can play all innocent if you want – and you do a pretty good job – but I know the truth.† â€Å"What truth is that?† She couldn't hide her uneasiness from me or Christian. He leaned even closer. â€Å"That you use compulsion. All the time.† â€Å"No, I don't,† she said immediately. â€Å"Of course you do. I've been lying awake at night, trying to figure out how in the world you two were able to rent out a place and go to high school without anyone ever wanting to meet your parents. Then I figured it out. You had to be using compulsion. That's probably how you broke out of here in the first place.† â€Å"I see. You just figured it out. Without any proof.† â€Å"I've got all the proof I need, just from watching you.† â€Å"You've been watching me – spying on me – to prove I'm using compulsion?† He shrugged. â€Å"No. Actually, I've been watching you just because I like it. The compulsion thing was a bonus. I saw you use it the other day to get an extension on that math assignment. And you used it on Ms. Carmack when she wanted to make you go through more testing.† â€Å"So you assume it's compulsion? Maybe I'm just really good at convincing people.† There was a defiant note in her voice: understandable, considering her fear and anger. Only she delivered it with a toss of her hair which – if I didn't know any better – might have been considered flirtatious. And I did know better? ­right? Suddenly, I wasn't sure. He went on, but something in his eyes told me he'd noticed the hair, that he always noticed everything about her. â€Å"People get these goofy looks on their faces when you talk to them. And not just any people – you're able to do it to Moroi. Probably dhampirs, too. Now that's crazy. I didn't even know that was possible. You're some kind of superstar. Some kind of evil, compulsion-abusing superstar.† It was an accusation, but his tone and presence radiated the same flirtatiousness she had. Lissa didn't know what to say. He was right. Everything he'd said was right. Her compulsion was what had allowed us to dodge authority and get along in the world without adult help. It was what had allowed us to convince the bank to let her tap into her inheritance. And it was considered every bit as wrong as using magic as a weapon. Why not? It was a weapon. A powerful one, one that could be abused very easily. Moroi children had it drilled into them from an early age that compulsion was very, very wrong. No one was taught to use it, though every Moroi technically had the ability. Lissa had just sort of stumbled into it – deeply – and, as Christian had pointed out, she could wield it over Moroi, as well as humans and dhampirs. â€Å"What are you going to do then?† she asked. â€Å"You going to turn me in?† He shook his head and smiled. â€Å"No. I think it's hot.† She stared, eyes widening and heart racing. Something about the shape of his lips intrigued her. â€Å"Rose thinks you're dangerous,† she blurted out nervously. â€Å"She thinks you might have killed the fox.† I didn't know how I felt about being dragged into this bizarre conversation. Some people were scared of me. Maybe he was too. Judging from the amusement in his voice when he spoke, it appeared he wasn't. â€Å"People think I'm unstable, but I tell you, Rose is ten times worse. Of course, that makes it harder for people to fuck with you, so I'm all for it.† Leaning back on his heels, he finally broke the intimate space between them. â€Å"And I sure as hell didn't do that. Find out who did, though? ­and what I did to Ralf won't seem like anything.† His gallant offer of creepy vengeance didn't exactly reassure Lissa? ­but it did thrill her a little. â€Å"I don't want you doing anything like that. And I still don't know who did it.† He leaned back toward her and caught her wrists in his hands. He started to say something, then stopped and looked down in surprise, running his thumbs over faint, barely there scars. Looking back up at her, he had a strange – for him – kindness in his face. â€Å"You might not know who did it. But you know something. Something you aren't talking about.† She stared at him, a swirl of emotions playing in her chest. â€Å"You can't know all my secrets,† she murmured. He glanced back down at her wrists and then released them, that dry smile of his back on his face. â€Å"No. I guess not.† A feeling of peace settled over her, a feeling I thought only I could bring. Returning to my own head and my room, I sat on the floor staring at my math book. Then, for reasons I didn't really get, I slammed it shut and threw it against the wall. I spent the rest of the night brooding until the time I was supposed to meet Jesse came around. Slipping downstairs, I went into the kitchen – a place I could visit so long as I kept things brief – and caught his eye when I cut through the main visiting area. Moving past him, I paused and whispered, â€Å"There's a lounge on the fourth floor that nobody uses. Take the stairs on the other side of the bathrooms and meet me there in five minutes. The lock on the door is broken.† He complied to the second, and we found the lounge dark, dusty, and deserted. The drop in guardian numbers over the years meant a lot of the dorm stayed empty, a sad sign for Moroi society but terribly convenient right now. He sat down on the couch, and I lay back on it, putting my feet in his lap. I was still annoyed after Lissa and Christian's bizarre attic romance and wanted nothing more than to forget about it for a while. â€Å"You really here to study, or was it just an excuse?† I asked. â€Å"No. It was real. Had to do an assignment with Meredith.† The tone in his voice indicated he wasn't happy about that. â€Å"Oooh,† I teased. â€Å"Is working with a dhampir beneath your royal blood? Should I be offended?† He smiled, showing a mouth full of perfect white teeth and fangs. â€Å"You're a lot hotter than she is.† â€Å"Glad I make the cut.† There was a sort of a heat in his eyes that was turning me on, as was his hand sliding up my leg. But I needed to do something first. It was time for some vengeance. â€Å"Mia must too, since you guys let her hang out with you. She's not royal.† His finger playfully poked me in the calf. â€Å"She's with Aaron. And I've got lots of friends who aren't royal. And friends who are dhamps. I'm not a total asshole.† â€Å"Yeah, but did you know her parents are practically custodians for the Drozdovs?† The hand on my leg stopped. I'd exaggerated, but he was a sucker for gossip – and he was notorious for spreading it. â€Å"Seriously?† â€Å"Yeah. Scrubbing floors and stuff like that.† â€Å"Huh.† I could see the wheels turning in his dark blue eyes and had to hide a smile. The seed was planted. Sitting up, I moved closer to him and draped a leg over his lap. I wrapped my arms around him, and without further delay, thoughts of Mia disappeared as his testosterone kicked in. He kissed me eagerly – sloppily, even – pushing me against the back of the couch, and I relaxed into what had to be the first enjoyable physical activity I'd had in weeks. We kissed like that for a long time, and I didn't stop him when he pulled off my shirt. â€Å"I'm not having sex,† I warned between kisses. I had no intention of losing my virginity on a couch in a lounge. He paused, thinking about this, and finally decided not to push it. â€Å"Okay.† But he pushed me onto the couch, lying over me, still kissing with that same fierceness. His lips traveled down to my neck, and when the sharp points of his fangs brushed against my skin, I couldn't help an excited gasp. He raised himself up, looking into my face with open surprise. For a moment, I could barely breathe, recalling that rush of pleasure that a vampire bite could fill me with, wondering what it'd be like to feel that while making out. Then the old taboos kicked in. Even if we didn't have sex, giving blood while we did this was still wrong, still dirty. â€Å"Don't,† I warned. â€Å"You want to.† His voice held excited wonder. â€Å"I can tell.† â€Å"No, I don't.† His eyes lit up. â€Å"You do. How – hey, have you done it before?† â€Å"No,† I scoffed. â€Å"Of course not.† Those gorgeous blue eyes watched me, and I could see the wheels spinning behind them. Jesse might flirt a lot and have a big mouth, but he wasn't stupid. â€Å"You act like you have. You got excited when I was by your neck.† â€Å"You're a good kisser,† I countered, though it wasn't entirely true. He drooled a little more than I would have preferred. â€Å"Don't you think everyone would know if I was giving blood?† The realization seized him. â€Å"Unless you weren't doing it before you left. You did it while you were gone, didn't you? You fed Lissa.† â€Å"Of course not,† I repeated. But he was on to something, and he knew it. â€Å"It was the only way. You didn't have feeders. Oh, man.† â€Å"She found some,† I lied. It was the same line we'd fed Natalie, the one she'd spread around and that no one – except Christian – had ever questioned. â€Å"Plenty of humans are into it.† â€Å"Sure,† he said with a smile. He leaned his mouth back to my neck. â€Å"I'm not a blood whore,† I snapped, pulling away from him. â€Å"But you want to. You like it. All you dhamp girls do.† His teeth were on my skin again. Sharp. Wonderful. I had a feeling hostility would only make things worse, so I defused the situation with teasing. â€Å"Stop it,† I said gently, running a fingertip over his lips. â€Å"I told you, I'm not like that. But if you want something to do with your mouth, I can give you some ideas.† That peaked his interest. â€Å"Yeah? Like wha – ?† And that was when the door opened. We sprang apart. I was ready to handle a fellow student or even possibly the matron. What I was not ready for was Dimitri. He burst in the door like he'd expected to find us, and in that horrible moment, with him raging like a storm, I knew why Mason had called him a god. In the blink of an eye, he crossed the room and jerked Jesse up by his shirt, nearly holding the Moroi off the ground. â€Å"What's your name?† barked Dimitri. â€Å"J-Jesse, sir. Jesse Zeklos, sir.† â€Å"Mr. Zeklos, do you have permission to be in this part of the dorm?† â€Å"No, sir.† â€Å"Do you know the rules about male and female interactions around here?† â€Å"Yes, sir.† â€Å"Then I suggest you get out of here as fast as you can before I turn you over to someone who will punish you accordingly. If I ever see you like this again† – Dimitri pointed to where I cowered, half-dressed, on the couch – â€Å"I will be the one to punish you. And it will hurt. A lot. Do you understand?† Jesse swallowed, eyes wide. None of the bravado he usually showed was there. I guess there was â€Å"usually† and then there was being held in the grip of a really ripped, really tall, and really pissed-off Russian guy â€Å"Yes, sir!† â€Å"Then go.† Dimitri released him, and, if possible, Jesse got out of there faster than Dimitri had burst in. My mentor then turned to me, a dangerous glint in his eyes. He didn't say anything, but the angry, disapproving message came through loud and clear. And then it shifted. It was almost like he'd been taken by surprise, like he'd never noticed me before. Had it been any other guy, I would have said he was checking me out. As it was, he was definitely studying me. Studying my face, my body. And I suddenly realized I was only in jeans and a bra – a black bra at that. I knew perfectly well that there weren't a lot of girls at this school who looked as good in a bra as I did. Even a guy like Dimitri, one who seemed so focused on duty and training and all of that, had to appreciate that. And, finally, I noticed that a hot flush was spreading over me, and that the look in his eyes was doing more to me than Jesse's kisses had. Dimitri was quiet and distant sometimes, but he also had a dedication and an intensity that I'd never seen in any other person. I wondered how that kind of power and strength translated into? ­well, sex. I wondered what it'd be like for him to touch me and – shit! What was I thinking? Was I out of my mind? Embarrassed, I covered my feelings with attitude. â€Å"You see something you like?† I asked. â€Å"Get dressed.† The set of his mouth hardened, and whatever he'd just felt was gone. That fierceness sobered me up and made me forget about my own troubling reaction. I immediately pulled my shirt back on, uneasy at seeing his badass side. â€Å"How'd you find me? You following me to make sure I don't run away?† â€Å"Be quiet,† he snapped, leaning down so that we were at eye level. â€Å"A janitor saw you and reported it. Do you have any idea how stupid this was?† â€Å"I know, I know, the whole probation thing, right?† â€Å"Not just that. I'm talking about the stupidity of getting in that kind of situation in the first place.† â€Å"I get in that kind of situation all the time, Comrade. It's not a big deal.† Anger replaced my fear. I didn't like being treated like a child. â€Å"Stop calling me that. You don't know even know what you're talking about.† â€Å"Sure I do. I had to do a report on Russia and the R.S.S.R. last year.† â€Å"U.S.S.R. And it is a big deal for a Moroi to be with a dhampir girl. They like to brag.† â€Å"So?† â€Å"So?† he looked disgusted. â€Å"So don't you have any respect? Think about Lissa. You make yourself look cheap. You live up to what a lot of people already think about dhampir girls, and it reflects back on her. And me.† â€Å"Oh, I see. Is that what this is about? Am I hurting your big, bad male pride? Are you afraid I'll ruin your reputation?† â€Å"My reputation is already made, Rose. I set my standards and lived up to them long ago. What you do with yours remains to be seen.† His voice hardened again. â€Å"Now get back to your room – if you can manage it without throwing yourself at someone else.† â€Å"Is that your subtle way of calling me a slut?† â€Å"I hear the stories you guys tell. I've heard stories about you.† Ouch. I wanted to yell back that it was none of his business what I did with my body, but something about the anger and disappointment on his face made me falter. I didn't know what it was. â€Å"Disappointing† someone like Kirova was a non-event, but Dimitri ­I remembered how proud I'd felt when he praised me the last few times in our practices. Seeing that disappear from him? ­well, it suddenly made me feel as cheap as he'd implied I was. Something broke inside of me. Blinking back tears, I said, â€Å"Why is it wrong to? ­I don't know, have fun? I'm seventeen, you know. I should be able to enjoy it.† â€Å"You're seventeen, and in less than a year, someone's life and death will be in your hands.† His voice still sounded firm, but there was a gentleness there too. â€Å"If you were human or Moroi, you could have fun. You could do things other girls could.† â€Å"But you're saying I can't.† He glanced away, and his dark eyes went unfocused. He was thinking about something far away from here. â€Å"When I was seventeen, I met Ivan Zeklos. We weren't like you and Lissa, but we became friends, and he requested me as his guardian when I graduated. I was the top student in my school. I paid attention to everything in my classes, but in the end, it wasn't enough. That's how it is in this life. One slip, one distraction? ­Ã¢â‚¬  He sighed. â€Å"And it's too late.† A lump formed in my throat as I thought about one slip or one distraction costing Lissa her life. â€Å"Jesse's a Zeklos,† I said, suddenly realizing Dimitri had just thrown around a relative of his former friend and charge. â€Å"I know.† â€Å"Does it bother you? Does he remind you of Ivan?† â€Å"It doesn't matter how I feel. It doesn't matter how any of us feel.† â€Å"But it does bother you.† It suddenly became very obvious to me. I could read his pain, though he clearly worked hard to hide it. â€Å"You hurt. Every day. Don't you? You miss him.† Dimitri looked surprised, like he didn't want me to know that, like I'd uncovered some secret part of him. I'd been thinking he was some aloof, antisocial tough guy, but maybe he kept himself apart from other people so he wouldn't get hurt if he lost them. Ivan's death had clearly left a permanent mark. I wondered if Dimitri was lonely. The surprised look vanished, and his standard serious one returned. â€Å"It doesn't matter how I feel. They come first. Protecting them.† I thought about Lissa again. â€Å"Yeah. They do.† A long silence fell before he spoke again. â€Å"You told me you want to fight, to really fight. Is that still true?† â€Å"Yes. Absolutely.† â€Å"Rose? ­I can teach you, but I have to believe you're dedicated. Really dedicated. I can't have you distracted by things like this.† He gestured around the lounge. â€Å"Can I trust you?† Again, I felt like crying under that gaze, under the seriousness of what he asked. I didn't get how he could have such a powerful effect on me. I'd never cared so much about what one person thought. â€Å"Yes. I promise.† â€Å"All right. I'll teach you, but I need you strong. I know you hate the running, but it really is necessary. You have no idea what Strigoi are like. The school tries to prepare you, but until you've seen how strong they are and how fast? ­well, you can't even imagine. So I can't stop the running and the conditioning. If you want to learn more about fighting, we need to add more trainings. It'll take up more of your time. You won't have much left for your homework or anything else. You'll be tired. A lot.† I thought about it, about him, and about Lissa. â€Å"It doesn't matter. If you tell me to do it, I'll do it.† He studied me hard, like he was still trying to decide if he could believe me. Finally satisfied, he gave me a sharp nod. â€Å"We'll start tomorrow.†

Dreams in Poverty essays

Dreams in Poverty essays Today in the U.S.A. alone, some 29.9% of female-headed households live in poverty. In a home where chores are nothing but your everyday routine, and going to work means putting food on the table, you sometimes find little or no time to dream, or think about what it is you want to do with your life. Today, dreams are common in many poverty stricken homes, mostly because the person wants to get out the poverty scene, and into a less stressful environment. In the poems The Tenement Room: Chicago by Frank Marshall, Kitchenette Building by Gwendolyn Brooks, and the play Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, poverty and dreams are both very apparent in the authors eyes. I believe that the Tenement Room: Chicago, Kitchenette Building and Raisin in the Sun are three completely different views from three very different share of emotions. First of all, I would like to begin with the comparison of The Tenement Room: Chicago and Kitchenette Building. In the poem the tenement room, I believe that the author was trying to describe that all he has achieved in life, was a run down, old room with nothing of any particular value. He also gives off the feeling that he is bitter towards the way he has had to live his life; hard working and aimless. However in the kitchenette building, things cheer up, just a little. In this poem, the author expresses that dreams are apparent, but seem to get muffled in the routine of everyday life. The two poems are similar in the idea that poverty is prevalent in both lifestyles. In the tenement room, the author seems to put forth no hope of ever opening the door out of poverty. On the other hand, the kitchenette building, the author gives the reader a glimpse of hope. Secondly, I would like to compare Raisin in the Sun to the examples I have given from the Tenement Room: Chicago ...

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace Free Online Research Papers In the workforce environment cultural diversity is a frequent problem, often employees are discriminated against or misunderstood because of their diverse appearance. We each belong to an entire collection of cultures different shared values, beliefs, and attitudes. Our own actions influence the way we characterize the actions of others. It is not easy to understand people from different cultures. In forming an opinion of other cultures, we have a tendency to make assumptions and generalizations which can get in the way of common sense. More often than not the technical language is understood, but other elements of communication are overlooked. Most of all communication is nonverbal. As much as 90% of your communication is done without words. Gestures, facial expressions, and posture provide information about a persons emotions and relationships with others (University of Northern Iowa, n.d.). Nonverbal communication is used more than verbal communication. The majority of people identify others by first appearances without communicating. It is easy to misunderstand another cultures expression of respect or affection. When you encounter someone new, the expectation of the other person perhaps is a nod of the head, a handshake, or a hug. How is a person to know? To have a successful business environment it is essential to have excellent communication. â€Å"There is no better way to build trust than through communication† (Hayhoe Grady, 2008, p.40). Eight years ago while working for a financial institution, I had a miscommunication with a coworker. Keiko was who is originally from Tokyo and worked as a finance officer for the local branch. Although Keiko has been in the United States for several years she still had a very heavy Asian accent and was incapable of forming proper grammar, but she was an excellent worker and expert at loans. If someone could not comprehend what she said they would then ask her to say it again and she would without a problem. Well a client came in one day and asked for her because he had a question a loan for their business. I went ahead and called her over for the client to ask her a question in reference to his business loan. The client did not comprehend what she was saying and Keiko did not unders tand what the needs of the client were. After explaining for the third time what he wanted the client became aggravated. A bit frustrated the client exasperatingly stated, â€Å"I cannot comprehend why businesses hire people that who do not speak English. Don’t they know that they work and live in America and need to speak English! If we lived in their country we would have to learn their language.† To make matters worse, I expressed my regret to the client and told him that I would talk with the loan manager to make sure that his work with our manager and make sure that his demands were taken care. After the client left the branch, Keiko began to cry and blamed me for what had occurred. I became a little offended and did not comprehend what was happening, I was taken aback. My thoughts were what did I do and why was she upset with me? I thought I was doing her a favor by getting the client away from her. This one example of why it is important to have Intercultu ral Communication in the workplace. I did not think there was anything wrong with what I did think what I did was wrong; on the other hand, evidently that is not what Keiko believed. When I talked with the loan manager and explained to her what took place, I realized that Keiko was sadden because I did not support her when the client made those malicious comments about her and she also thought I should have explained the issues the client had to her myself. I learned from her that day some Asian cultures. She explained to me that in China, Japan, and other Asian cultures it is imperative to avoid causing your counterpart to lose face. In Asian cultures to raise your voice or shout at a person in public, or to correct them in front of their peers will cause them to lose face (Berman, 2003). I made an apology to Keiko and let her know I was trying to be helpful and that I meant no disrespect. One of the crucial points to effective intercultural communication is knowledge. It is extremely vital that people recognize the problems of intercultural communication and make an effort to overcome these problems when there is a culturally diverse workforce. A large number of people make the assumption that cultural diversity is the cause of communication issues. Employers should be willing to be open-minded and forgiving, rather than threatening and aggressive, if issues arise. One should be cautious in intercultural interactions and come to any assumption of how a person feels or what person thinking. One of the main points to intercultural communication is Reflective Listening. Reflective Listening is used to analysis what someone is saying by reiterate what you think you heard. This helps in validating what was heard is accurately understood (Vuckovic, 2008). Reflective Listening is also helpful because there are many words and gestures that are used in different ways among languages or cultural groups. Some organizations frequently use mediators that are familiar with different cultures. This can be very helpful in intercultural communication situations. Mediators help in translating both the words and gestures. For example, what would be considered inappropriate in one culture can be discussed and changed, so it does not offend before they are shared with culture. Americans are quick to reference or direct to the issues. Other cultures like to set up relationships before any business is discussed. If a relationship is not made before discussions on business are started there is no trust in the person that is speaking. A mediator that recognizes the issue can help in making appropriate adjustments to the procedures. Organization need to be knowledgeable about managing a diverse culture. It is vital for an organization to succeed in global arena. The responsibility of a diverse culture influences talent management policies and procedures in the workplace. One talent continues to motivate others; demonstrate the ability to effectually communicate with clients, coworkers, and management. If there are no effective communication skills the workplace suffers. ? References University of Northern Iowa. (n.d.). Non-Verbal Communication. Retrieved July 29, 2009, from cba.uni.edu/Buscomm/nonverbal/index.html Hayhoe, George F., Grady, Helem. (2008). Connecting People with Technology: Issues in Professional Communication . Amityville, NY: Baywood Publishing Company . Vuckovic, Aleksandra. (2008). Inter-cultural communication: a foundation of communicative action. , 2(1), 47 59. doi: 10.1108/17504970810867151. Research Papers on Intercultural Communication in the WorkplaceThree Concepts of PsychodynamicAnalysis Of A Cosmetics Advertisement19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaTwilight of the UAWIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenResearch Process Part One

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 49

Marketing - Essay Example In addition to Andrew’s competitive market analysis could be seen as a huge opportunity by increasing awareness through a different target audience, product development and to avoid the retaliation of competitors. However stealing competitor’s clients could result in the retaliation of other competitors on the long run and an increase in costs. Overall in this case SPARK has more opportunities than problems to deal with (Quinn, 56). The company tends to spend a lot of money in marketing their services. The aim is to draw the attention of clients who would somewhat not think about insurance. Professionals say a number of people only consider policies when they are befallen with an accident, purchase a new car, move, or renew their current agreement, which normally happens twice a year, at most. This otherwise could led to poor sales profit of the company which has devastating effects to its economic growth. The advertisement mean to be used should be those that can reach the majority of the people. Because of this, SPARK Company lacked correct management where the means used in the advertisement were not of availability to all the esteemed and prospective customers. This reduced their selling power hence a reduction in the profits gained by the company. This calls for a changing in its strategic management so that newer ways could be obtained to facilitate maximum publicity so as all the clients can be reached a nd may develop interests in investing with the company (Quinn, 78). The reduction in interest earned by the company is articulated to poor management and management strategy taken by the company in the advertising sector. The advertisement is always the key to any business. This is because advertisement is always the selling strategy of the company as it helps publicize itself to its prospective customers. For any business organization or firm, advertisement helps to bring

The Relevance of Attachment Theory and Mother-Infant Bonding to the Essay

The Relevance of Attachment Theory and Mother-Infant Bonding to the Practice of Music Therapy - Essay Example The Attachment Theory The attachment theory was postulated by a British psychiatrist named John Bowlby and it was further elaborated on by his colleague who an American developmental psychologist is named Mary Ainsworth (Sigelman & Rider, 2009, p. 406). â€Å"The theory was grounded primarily on ethological theory and therefore asked how attachment might have evolved† (Sigelman & Rider, 2009). This theory also derived some of its concepts from psychoanalytic theory as stressed by Sigelman and Rider (2009). â€Å"According to Bowlby , an attachment is a strong affection tie that binds a person to an intimate companion; moreover, it is also a behavioural system through which humans regulate their emotional distress when under threat and achieve a sense of security by seeking proximity to another person† (Sigelman & Rider, 2009, p. 407). In addition, Bowlby argued that just as infants are programmed to respond to their caregivers, adults are biologically programmed to resp ond to an infant's signals; accordingly, it is rather daunting for an adult to ignore a baby's cry or fail to warm to a baby's grin (Sigelman & Rider, 2009). ... motional adversity in childhood; in both cases Bowlby supposed that the children went on to develop a range of behavioural, emotional and mental health problems (Oldfield et al., 2008). Central to the thinking of attachment theory is that a child has to believe that an attachment figure is present both psychologically as well as physically; Bowlby discovered that an attachment figure who was physically present and yet emotionally absent could arose similar feelings of anxiety and distress as an attachment figure who physically absent (Oldfield et al., 2008). Significantly, for children to thrive they need a close, continuous care-giving relationship: an attachment figure who is available and responsive to their needs as stressed by Oldfield et al. (2008). In relation to the attachment theory, music therapy, for example, has been a known measure in helping adopted children to deal with their tragic experiences in the past that may have been liable for their present behaviour. â€Å"M usic therapy, being an important non-verbal medium, allows children to go back to the early moments in their life and to process their daunting experiences† (Oldfield et al., 2008). In addition, the non-verbal nature of music therapy enables adoptive parents to respond to their adopted child in a new way, persuading the child to value their new family; working in this way enables a child to become more securely attached as they develop trust and security in their adoptive parents (Oldfield et al., 2008). In lieu of this process, the music therapist functions as the facilitator in building healthy relationships within the family (Oldfield et al., 2008). The Strange Situation Mary Ainsworth is a significant figure in the attachment theory of Bowlby for the reason that she studied attachment

Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Ethics - Assignment Example Employers cannot limit individual liberties even if the same possesses a proven cause. Symbolism for a drug search cannot qualify an unwarranted search. This widespread practice can be damaging to an employee. It constraints personal privacy and triggers emotional trauma in employees (Miller, 2010). This means that it may lead to a loss of reputation in circumstances whereby an employee could rescue the same. It is vital to note that there are reasonable ways to address substance abuse in workplaces. For instance, employers could invest in education of employees to remedy the situation. In this perspective, employees could engage in awareness programs (Delpo, 2009). It is agreeable that drug awareness programs have been responsible for reduction in drug abuse since its inception. As regards the theory of utilitarianism, polygraph tests become unethical practices. In this theory, every act should be aimed at the satisfaction of an individual. This constraints the basis for drug tests which normally propos on the idea of protecting a company’s

Civil Rights Movement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Civil Rights Movement - Research Paper Example While on the other hand, same words even refer to the atrocities experienced by African American while they stood up for their rights. The most disturbing picture that comes to our minds when we talk of civil rights is the mass murder of black school girls who were killed while they were participating in Sunday school and a bomb struck the 16th street Baptist Church. Such images marks the movements made by the blacks to gain their rights and the aggressive response of the whites (Mertz, 2010). Through the Civil Rights Movement is said to have initiated during the 1950s, but its origins date back to the era when first Africans migrated to US. The base of the entire Civil Rights Movement was laid down by the fight for rights conducted by the early slaved African Americans. Body History During 1619, first ever slaves were transacted to America and the slavery of the blacks continued until Civil War broke out and the 13th Amendment was passed. Even after blacks gained their freedom, they were still not educated and had little or no ownership of property and were subjected to unequal treatment especially in the Southern region where the majority of the slave used to live. To solve the scenario and to help blacks adjust with the whites, several reforms were made during the 10 years period of 1865 and 1875, this ten year period was recognized as the Reconstruction era (McGuire, 2011). One of the major measures taken the government was the 14th and the 15th Amendment which provided the African Americans with the right to vote and to be considered as equal citizens of US. Drastic moves were made, but these moves and their effect existed for a very short period of time. The white population in the South made every move to ensure that blacks do not enjoy the newly rights given to them by the government. Blacks were subjected to harassing behavior, those who harassed them includes the KKK (Ku Klux Klan). The KKK inflicted pain due to which the blacks were not able to exerc ise their newly awarded rights. The rights assigned to the blacks were already being violated and during this period, all the efforts of the blacks to gain their rights experienced a huge setback due to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson case. The ruling stated that if the facilities provided to both the races are equal in nature, then the blacks and whites can divided legally (Anderson, 1986). The problem was that the black population never enjoyed equal rights and the decision of the court provided the whites with the power of being an obstacle in letting the blacks enjoy their basic rights. The power of the whites led to the creation of Jim Crow laws, according to these laws different public properties were created for the blacks and whites, these properties include: public schools, parks, restaurants and vehicles. Due to these laws and the division of public property, black Americans stood against the strategies of the government that were unequ al and unjust in nature. A very prominent figure who stood up against these acts of discrimination was W.E.B Du Bois. This figure urged the black Americans to stand up for their rights and this followed the creation of NAACP

Write your own critical analysis of Desiree's Baby 1 page and Hunters Essay

Write your own critical analysis of Desiree's Baby 1 page and Hunters in the Snow 1 page - Essay Example The first hint of menace, of things awry came with her reactions to the child. '"This is not the baby", she exclaimed, in startled tones." There is brooding atmosphere of heat that seems to suggest the calm before a storm in this scene. As the changes in the baby are reflected by changes in his father, Armand, it became apparent that the child was not white, so Desiree, of unknown parentage was blamed. The awful response of the father, cruelty to his wife, love turned to hate and his beating of the slaves showed his how his damaged pride, social standing and prejudice had dreadful effects on all around him: "..the spirit of Satan seemed suddenly to take hold of him in his dealings with the slaves." Armand caused so much suffering and pain to those who were different, through prejudice and misplaced pride. When he drove her away, punishing her for disgracing him, I realized that I wanted Desiree and her baby to be saved from the bayou, to go and live with the people who understood the meaning of unconditional love. The irony in the last few words exposed the tragedy: "his mother, who adores him, belongs to the race that is cursed with the brand of slavery." In this story, the universal truth stands out; those people who believe themselves better and more important than others, letting that rule their lives, are left with nothing, as the ashes of the fire Armand lit, symbolized.

COST AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

COST AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING - Essay Example However, this paper analyzes only two branches of accounting namely financial accounting and management accounting. This report aims at analyzing these two branches in details by looking at each branch separately in regard to accounting. The paper also looks at the differences between the two branches of accounting basing on various factors. Financial accounting It is a branch of accounting that deals with finding and giving information on the profitability of a business. It aims at compiling financial statements of an organization and preparing them so that they show the financial position of a business. This branch is concerned with preparing these statements at the end of every financial year by analyzing revenues, assets, liabilities and other aspects of accounting (Drury 2007). It is the branch that handles the process of accounting and recording in the organization. It determines whether the business has made losses of profits in a certain financial year by preparing relevant f inancial statements. Managers use financial statements to determine the economic solidness of the company. This branch determines the financial position of an organization at a particular time for the purpose of other people like creditors, managers and shareholders of the business. Financial accounting entails providing information to external parties like suppliers and creditors to enable them make decisions (Ahmed 2008). Financial accounting provides managers with information on the company’s financial position, and this helps him to determine the performance of the company finances. With this information, the manager will be in a position to make financial decisions about the company like how to improve on the performance and to devise relevant strategies to improve on the performance of the company. A review of the balance sheet of the company helps managers to determine the cash levels of the company hence making the right decisions. The profitability trends obtained fr om the financial accounts is a critical tool for managerial decisions as it helps the managers to engage in those transactions which tally with the profit potential of the company (Ahmed 2008). Professionals under this branch have to get credibility from various authorities to ensure that they are fit to prepare financial statements and provide information to the relevant parties. For instance, in the United States of America the body that provides such credibility is the American Institute of Certified Public accountants. This body ensures that professionals who carry out the objectives of financial accounting meet the requirements and that they prepare the statements according to the framework (Gupta 2008). Therefore, financial accounting helps managers to determine whether the financial accounts have been prepared in accordance to the set regulations and to make decisions concerning payment of taxes. Financial accounting reduces the common problem of principal agent in an organiz ation. It reduces agency problem by measuring the performance of agents and reporting to concerned parties so that this problem is reduced. It deals with summarizing data from the financial statements that it prepares. It then publishes these statements in annual reports for

Civil Rights Movement Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Civil Rights Movement - Research Paper Example While on the other hand, same words even refer to the atrocities experienced by African American while they stood up for their rights. The most disturbing picture that comes to our minds when we talk of civil rights is the mass murder of black school girls who were killed while they were participating in Sunday school and a bomb struck the 16th street Baptist Church. Such images marks the movements made by the blacks to gain their rights and the aggressive response of the whites (Mertz, 2010). Through the Civil Rights Movement is said to have initiated during the 1950s, but its origins date back to the era when first Africans migrated to US. The base of the entire Civil Rights Movement was laid down by the fight for rights conducted by the early slaved African Americans. Body History During 1619, first ever slaves were transacted to America and the slavery of the blacks continued until Civil War broke out and the 13th Amendment was passed. Even after blacks gained their freedom, they were still not educated and had little or no ownership of property and were subjected to unequal treatment especially in the Southern region where the majority of the slave used to live. To solve the scenario and to help blacks adjust with the whites, several reforms were made during the 10 years period of 1865 and 1875, this ten year period was recognized as the Reconstruction era (McGuire, 2011). One of the major measures taken the government was the 14th and the 15th Amendment which provided the African Americans with the right to vote and to be considered as equal citizens of US. Drastic moves were made, but these moves and their effect existed for a very short period of time. The white population in the South made every move to ensure that blacks do not enjoy the newly rights given to them by the government. Blacks were subjected to harassing behavior, those who harassed them includes the KKK (Ku Klux Klan). The KKK inflicted pain due to which the blacks were not able to exerc ise their newly awarded rights. The rights assigned to the blacks were already being violated and during this period, all the efforts of the blacks to gain their rights experienced a huge setback due to the Supreme Court’s ruling in the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson case. The ruling stated that if the facilities provided to both the races are equal in nature, then the blacks and whites can divided legally (Anderson, 1986). The problem was that the black population never enjoyed equal rights and the decision of the court provided the whites with the power of being an obstacle in letting the blacks enjoy their basic rights. The power of the whites led to the creation of Jim Crow laws, according to these laws different public properties were created for the blacks and whites, these properties include: public schools, parks, restaurants and vehicles. Due to these laws and the division of public property, black Americans stood against the strategies of the government that were unequ al and unjust in nature. A very prominent figure who stood up against these acts of discrimination was W.E.B Du Bois. This figure urged the black Americans to stand up for their rights and this followed the creation of NAACP

COST AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING ESSAY Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

COST AND MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTING - Essay Example However, this paper analyzes only two branches of accounting namely financial accounting and management accounting. This report aims at analyzing these two branches in details by looking at each branch separately in regard to accounting. The paper also looks at the differences between the two branches of accounting basing on various factors. Financial accounting It is a branch of accounting that deals with finding and giving information on the profitability of a business. It aims at compiling financial statements of an organization and preparing them so that they show the financial position of a business. This branch is concerned with preparing these statements at the end of every financial year by analyzing revenues, assets, liabilities and other aspects of accounting (Drury 2007). It is the branch that handles the process of accounting and recording in the organization. It determines whether the business has made losses of profits in a certain financial year by preparing relevant f inancial statements. Managers use financial statements to determine the economic solidness of the company. This branch determines the financial position of an organization at a particular time for the purpose of other people like creditors, managers and shareholders of the business. Financial accounting entails providing information to external parties like suppliers and creditors to enable them make decisions (Ahmed 2008). Financial accounting provides managers with information on the company’s financial position, and this helps him to determine the performance of the company finances. With this information, the manager will be in a position to make financial decisions about the company like how to improve on the performance and to devise relevant strategies to improve on the performance of the company. A review of the balance sheet of the company helps managers to determine the cash levels of the company hence making the right decisions. The profitability trends obtained fr om the financial accounts is a critical tool for managerial decisions as it helps the managers to engage in those transactions which tally with the profit potential of the company (Ahmed 2008). Professionals under this branch have to get credibility from various authorities to ensure that they are fit to prepare financial statements and provide information to the relevant parties. For instance, in the United States of America the body that provides such credibility is the American Institute of Certified Public accountants. This body ensures that professionals who carry out the objectives of financial accounting meet the requirements and that they prepare the statements according to the framework (Gupta 2008). Therefore, financial accounting helps managers to determine whether the financial accounts have been prepared in accordance to the set regulations and to make decisions concerning payment of taxes. Financial accounting reduces the common problem of principal agent in an organiz ation. It reduces agency problem by measuring the performance of agents and reporting to concerned parties so that this problem is reduced. It deals with summarizing data from the financial statements that it prepares. It then publishes these statements in annual reports for

Japanese Food †General Analysis and Comparison to American Food Essay Example for Free

Japanese Food – General Analysis and Comparison to American Food Essay It is generally true that different countries have distinct cultures. The culture of a country is shaped by various factors unique to that country, directly affecting it during its historical development. An example of such factors is geography. The geographic nature and location of a country dictates what resources it may have; a country surrounded by water tends to depend on the aquatic life for food, while a country endowed with vast fields of fertile land tends to feed its citizens through harvested crops. As one can infer, the food source of a country is in a direct relationship with its culture. This concept in turn supports the development of unique variants of food, also defined as its local or traditional food. The United States of America and Japan, in this sense, are two vastly different cultures with diverse food variants. The American continent, although of course surrounded by bodies of water, has a vast land area which it is known for. This prompted the development of the country to be generally agricultural and crop-based. Hence, corn and potatoes are considered as its staple food. Japan, on the other hand, is considerably less in terms of total land area; therefore, the development of its agriculture is quite limited and crop variants held to a minimum. The whole population instead focused its attention on the sea as a limitless source of food. Such basic differences in food also result in additional variance to the details regarding it. Suggested food intake, nutritional claims, health claims are expected to be different to a certain extent between the two. Health issues are expected to vary as well. Hence, the American food culture and the Japanese food culture are expected to be distinctly different with consideration to these aforementioned points of comparison. Methodology In order to begin the analysis of the characteristics of the food from the unfamiliar Japanese culture, a direct sampling of Japanese food is required. Hence, the first major portion of the methodology requires that a restaurant serving authentic Japanese cuisine is to be located within the locality. After choosing one, also keeping in mind that the price range is well within the reach of the researcher’s budget, a sample Japanese dish is to be ordered or bought. If possible, the method as to how the dish is prepared should be properly observed and noted. The characteristics of the dish should also be considered and inspected. Specific details in terms of taste and appearance are to be listed down. If possible, the constituents of the dish or its basic ingredients are also to be identified. After assessing such details regarding a sample dish of Japanese cuisine, a more technical and research oriented approach towards analysis is to be started. The second main segment of the methodology pertains to the technical and research oriented part of the study. Specific details regarding the whole Japanese food culture are to be determined. Further research into the Japanese food culture and its historical development is to be accomplished. Further insights regarding the differences with the American food culture and standards will be provided by searching for the occurrence of a localized food pyramid as well as rules or guidelines for food labeling, health claims, and nutrient content claims. Also, health concerns regarding food in the Japanese culture will also be taken into account. The common health problems, its sources and effects, will be established. Resulting data from the two main sections of the research method gathered through such methods will be properly collated and completely analyzed afterwards. Results Upon locating a restaurant that offers authentic Japanese cuisine, a choice was made to order a highly popular and common Japanese specialty, the sushi. In this case, an unlimited amount of sushi was made available, each variant served in differently colored plates riding on top of a conveyor belt like mechanism. There were so many variants of sushi, making the process of identification more troublesome. Fortunately in this case, each plate was properly labeled. The first variant of sushi sampled is called the nigiri sushi. In physical form, the nigiri sushi mainly consists of hand-shaped rice with a single kind of topping per serving. This variant is however not simply a single kind as there were notable difference in toppings between servings. There were four main types of nigiri sushi served; one type had squid as topping, the second had shrimp, the third had raw fish, and the fourth was egg. Upon immediate sampling, the shrimp, and squid were notably very lightly cooked, if cooked at all. The thin slices of fish served as toppings were obviously uncooked. Also, no additional flavor was added to enhance the flavor of these two toppings. The egg however, was noticeably scrambled and sweetened. The rice below the topping, aside from being shaped, had no detectable additional flavoring. The second variant of sushi sampled was considerably more complex in both structure and appearance. Called as the maki sushi, this variant evidently had more ingredients. There were two main types of maki sushi sampled, futo maki and hoso maki. In both, a thin dried seaweed preparation, known in Japan as the nori, covers the outer area of the flat circular shaped sushi. Another common ingredient noticed for this variant is cucumber, sliced in small portions and apparently used fresh with no additional cooking procedures. Carrots were also noted to be present in both types, having been prepared in the same manner as the cucumbers. The last notable similarity between the two is the use of caviar. The nature and source of the caviar was not determined; the only detail noted regarding it was that it was commonly used as additional toppings or dispersed within the sushi. In terms of differences, the main distinguishing factor between the futo maki and the hoso maki is the inclusion of fish. Of the two, only hoso maki had slices of fresh raw fish, known to be commonly tuna, interspersed within the roll. As an additional note, the sushi variants were dipped in a mixture of Japanese soy sauce and a spicy paste known as wasabi, with the resulting ratio dependent on one’s preferences. After discussing the structure and constituent parts of the sampled dish in detail, findings regarding the taste are placed in focus. It is noticeable that the overall taste of the sushi alone is quite simple and plain, and at the same time pleasant and cool. It draws its appeal from the combined flavor of its parts. Such taste is expected since the parts used are neither seasoned nor flavored in any matter. However, upon the addition of the wasabi and soy sauce concoction, the sushi is given a stronger flavor, mainly a combination of salty and spicy taste. Upon completion of the sampling phase of the study, research was done to determine the historical context of Japanese food. Japan is one of the several island based countries throughout the world which is mainly surrounded by the sea, and along it also contains several bodies of water; hence, even from the early points of Japanese history, food is commonly gathered from aquatic sources (Minnesota State University [MSU], n. d. ). Since fish and other aquatic creatures such as shrimp, crabs, squid, octopus, and urchins, are commonly associated with the Japanese diet, people tend to think that the Japanese consume these exclusively. This however, is not the case in reality. The Japanese also consume various land grown products including well known ones like eggplants and carrots, along with rice which is considered as their staple food (MSU, n. d. ). Another subject of research conducted in the study is concerned with something more current: government issued guidelines and policies regarding the food industry as well as the presence of a food pyramid. Specific points analyzed include food labeling, health claims, nutrient content claims, and of course, the food pyramid. Details regarding food labeling, health claims, and nutrient content claims were not very much analyzed in this case, but rather, the focus was placed upon whether such policies exist. In terms of food labeling, it has been noted that a similar system exists in Japan in comparison to other countries such as America. In fact, there has been a movement by the Japanese government to further increase the scope of the law, making it considerably more stringent in comparison to those of other countries (Gale Group Incorporated [GGI], 2008). As for laws regarding health claims, Japan has a well-defined and extensive policy system, pointing out specific categories for health and nutrient claims and requirements for the application of companies for such claims to be approved for their product (National Centre of Excellence in Functional Foods [NCEFF], 2004). Japan currently has a well-adapted food pyramid. Commonly encountered food items in Japan are included as examples; some of these are rice, miso, honey, soy sauce, milk, soy milk, tofu, fish, clams, plums, and kelp (Southeastern Michigan Dietetic Association [SEMDA], 1998). The final aspect looked upon in the research was regarding the usual health problems accompanying the local cuisine. Given the fact that Japanese food preparations often utilize raw to lightly cooked seafood, parasitic organisms is a usual threat (Ransom, n. d. ). Examples of these parasitic organisms are worms which latch on to various areas of a person, usually the gastrointestinal tract, in order to provide themselves vital nutrients. Another problem arising from their preference towards seafood is the possible occurrence of heavy metals in the flesh of sea-based organisms due to global environmental problems (Ransom, n. d. ). Discussion The results point out evident differences and similarities between the American and the Japanese food cultures. First, regarding food preparation and taste, from what was observed with the sushi, Japanese food preparation is simpler in constituent and is also rather simpler in terms of preparation. The focus of the Japanese cooking is to maintain the natural form and flavor of the ingredients while blending well in combination. This is very much unlike the American way of cooking since the focus is usually to use a main ingredient and season or flavor it in a way that after being cooked for a certain amount of time, the food has acquired an enhanced taste. In relation to this, the Japanese cuisine has a preference towards the uncooked and seafood, while American cuisine focuses on cooking techniques and the use of beef, pork, and chicken. These differences mainly arise from the varied historical development of each country. In terms of the more technical side of food and its culture, specifically food labeling, health claims, and nutrient claims, due to the trend of globalization, it is quite understandable that in general, both Japan and America have law pertaining to food labeling, health claims, and nutrient claims. Differences on these are mainly observed when inspecting the specifics. Aside from this, both countries have food pyramids. The difference on this point pertains to the food examples written in the pyramid; the main structure and recommendations remain the same. Lastly, health issues and risks differ for both countries to a certain degree. The Japanese mainly worry about issues regarding contaminants and parasites due to seafood consumption, while the Americans worry about problems such as heart disease and obesity due to the way food is prepared. Conclusion The historical and geographic differences of America and Japan have led to a distinct difference in terms of their local cuisine. Japan focused on seafood as one of the main food sources unlike America. The staple food is also different for both countries, being rice for Japan which is rather uncommon in the United States. Hence, in relation to this, food-related heath concerns also differ for both countries. However, far from what is expected in terms of Japan and America being completely different, current trends in relation to globalization and exports have shown that in the subject of food in general, America and Japan have several points in common. These points mentioned laws and policies pertaining to food labeling as well as health and nutritional claims. Therefore, although different at various points, Japan and America evidently has certain points of close similarities in the general subject of food contrary to what is commonly thought of.