How to Write a Reflective Account Essay

This is only guidance on what you need to include in your reflective account to provide evidence for the units you are doing, you will need to look at the units you are doing and be guided by the Assessment Criteria Ensure that when writing your account write reflectively, using â€Å"I† statements, i.e I recorded in the clients daily notes, not it was recorded. You need to ensure you are writing what YOU did, HOW you did it and WHY you did it the way you did. A brief history of the candidate, what you have changed the name to, and a brief description of your role in supporting the client, how did you find and: How you found out about the clients’ needs, wishes and preferences regarding communication and language, religion, personal care and any other activities you are responsible for How did you confirm with the client this was preferred language and communication method? How did you find out about any risks to the client, and your role in protecting them. How did you record and share information about the clients communication needs? How did you build your relationship with the client? How did you ensure that you valued the client as an individual, with respect for their dignity and privacy and respect the client’s culture, valves and diversity. How you carried out your work i.e personal care, and why you did it the way  you did, how you found out what support the client wanted from you. Did you support the client to use the toilet, with bathing, dressing and grooming, eating and drinking etc, how did you do this, what H&S precautions did you take and why. How did you encourage the client to identify what they can do for themselves and what they needed assistance with and who they needed the assistance from? Were there any changes in the client’s needs, circumstances etc, what did you do about these. How you ensured that the environment was sage and that you adhered to H&S procedures i.e when moving and handling, dealing with contaminated waste, storing equipment and hazardous materials etc. did you carry out H&S checks. What H&S issues did you identify during your work, how did you manage these, how were they reported and recorded. How you encouraged independence How did you protect the client and yourself from the risk of infection? How you talked to the client, encourage the client to talk about their daily life etc, what methods of communicating did you use, how did you ensure good eye contact during communicating with the client. How did you ensure that the client understood you and you understood them? How did you respond to any questions or concerns the client had, did you listen appropriately, did you need to seek advice about the clients or key peoples question or concerns where did you seek this from. Did you identify any discrimination, what did you do about this? How did you ensure that the client had the information about how to make a  comment or complaint. How did you obtain feedback from clients and key people on how you were working with them, and from your colleagues and supervisors. How did you identify any new knowledge or skills that might help you with training was identified, a after attending training, how did you use the new skills and knowledge, and was this of any benefit to you in your work. How did you review what you had learnt and how this new knowledge and skills have been useful? Did you observe any sign or symptoms of harm or abuse, what you did about this, how you reported and recorded this etc. Did you have to manage an accident or emergency, how did you do this how did you support the client and others involved, how and where did you record the incident

Second Foundation 12. Lord

Of all the worlds of the Galaxy, Kalgan undoubtedly had the most unique history. That of the planet Terminus, for instance, was that of an almost uninterrupted rise. That of Trantor, once capital of the Galaxy, was that of an almost uninterrupted fall. But Kalgan- Kalgan first gained fame as the pleasure world of the Galaxy two centuries before the birth of Hari Seldon. It was a pleasure world in the sense that it made an industry – and an immensely profitable one, at that – out of amusement. And it was a stable industry. It was the most stable industry in the Galaxy. When all the Galaxy perished as a civilization, little by little, scarcely a feather's weight of catastrophe fell upon Kalgan. No matter how the economy and sociology of the neighboring sectors of the Galaxy changed, there was always an elite; and it is always the characteristic of an elite that it possesses leisure as the great reward of its elite-hood. Kalgan was at the service, therefore, successively – and successfully – of the effete and perfumed dandies of the Imperial Court with their sparkling and libidinous ladies; of the rough and raucous warlords who ruled in iron the worlds they had gained in blood, with their unbridled and lascivious wenches; of the plump and luxurious businessmen of the Foundation, with their lush and flagitious mistresses. It was quite undiscriminating, since they all had money. And since Kalgan serviced all and barred none; since its commodity was in unfailing demand; since it had the wisdom to interfere in no world's politics, to stand on no one's legitimacy, it prospered when nothing else did, and remained fat when all grew thin. That is, until the Mule. Then, somehow, it fell, too, before a conqueror who was impervious to amusement, or to anything but conquest. To him all planets were alike, even Kalgan. So for a decade, Kalgan found itself in the strange role of Galactic metropolis; mistress of the greatest Empire since the end of the Galactic Empire itself. And then, with the death of the Mule, as sudden as the zoom, came the drop. The Foundation broke away. With it and after it, much of the rest of the Mule's dominions. Fifty years later there was left only the bewildering memory of that short space of power, like an opium dream. Kalgan never quite recovered. It could never return to the unconcerned pleasure world it had been, for the spell of power never quite releases its bold. It lived instead under a succession of men whom the Foundation called the Lords of Kalgan, but who styled themselves First Citizen of the Galaxy, in imitation of the Mule's only title, and who maintained the fiction that they were conquerors too. The current Lord of Kalgan had held that position for five months. He had gained it originally by virtue of his position at the head of the Kalganian navy, and through a lamentable lack of caution on the part of the previous lord. Yet no one on Kalgan was quite stupid enough to go into the question of legitimacy too long or too closely. These things happened, and are best accepted. Yet that sort of survival of the fittest in addition to putting a premium on bloodiness and evil, occasionally allowed capability to come to the fore as well. Lord Stettin was competent enough and not easy to manage. Not easy for his eminence, the First Minister, who, with fine impartiality, had served the last lord as well as the present; and who would, if he lived long enough, serve the next as honestly. Nor easy for the Lady Callia, who was Stettin's more than friend, yet less than wife. In Lord Stettin's private apartments the three were alone that evening. The First Citizen, bulky and glistening in the admiral's uniform that he affected, scowled from out the unupholstered chair in which he sat as stiffly as the plastic of which it was composed. His First Minister Lev Meirus, faced him with a far-off unconcern, his long, nervous fingers stroking absently and rhythmically the deep line that curved from hooked nose along gaunt and sunken cheek to the point, nearly, of the gray-bearded chin. The Lady Callia disposed of herself gracefully on the deeply furred covering of a foamite couch, her full lips trembling a bit in an unheeded pout. â€Å"Sir,† said Meirus – it was the only title adhering to a lord who was styled only First Citizen, â€Å"you lack a certain view of the continuity of history. Your own life, with its tremendous revolutions, leads you to think of the course of civilization as something equally amenable to sudden change. But it is not.† â€Å"The Mule showed otherwise.† â€Å"But who can follow in his footsteps. He was more than man, remember. And be, too, was not entirely successful.† â€Å"Poochie,† whimpered the Lady Callia, suddenly, and then shrank into herself at the furious gesture from the First Citizen. Lord Stettin said, harshly, â€Å"Do not interrupt, Callia. Meirus, I am tired of inaction. My predecessor spent his life polishing the navy into a finely-turned instrument that has not its equal in the Galaxy. And he died with the magnificent machine lying idle. Am I to continue that? I, an Admiral of the Navy? â€Å"How long before the machine rusts? At present, it is a drain on the Treasury and returns nothing. Its officers long for dominion, its men for loot. All Kalgan desires the return of Empire and glory. Are you capable of understanding that?† â€Å"These are but words that you use, but I grasp your meaning. Dominion, loot, glory – pleasant when they are obtained, but the process of obtaining them is often risky and always unpleasant. The first fine flush may not last. And in all history, it has never been wise to attack the Foundation. Even the Mule would have been wiser to refrain-â€Å" There were tears in the Lady Callia's blue, empty eyes. Of late, Poochie scarcely saw her, and now, when he had promised the evening to her, this horrible, thin, gray man, who always looked through her rather than at her, had forced his way in. And Poochie let him. She dared not say anything; was frightened even of the sob that forced its way out. But Stettin was speaking now in the voice she hated, hard and Impatient. He was saying: â€Å"You're a slave to the far past. The Foundation is greater in volume and population, but they are loosely knit and will fall apart at a blow. What holds them together these days is merely inertia; an inertia I am strong enough to smash. You are hypnotized by the old days when only the Foundation had atomic power. They were able to dodge the last hammer blows of the dying Empire and then faced only the unbrained anarchy of the warlords who would counter the Foundation's atomic vessels only with hulks and relics. â€Å"But the Mule, my dear Meirus, has changed that. He spread the knowledge, that the Foundation had hoarded to itself, through half the Galaxy and the monopoly in science is gone forever. We can match them.† â€Å"And the Second Foundation?† questioned Meirus, coolly. â€Å"And the Second Foundation?† repeated Stettin as coolly. â€Å"Do you know its intentions? It took ten years to stop the Mule, if, indeed, it was the factor, which some doubt. Are you unaware that a good many of the Foundation's psychologists and sociologists are of the opinion that the Seldon Plan has been completely disrupted since the days of the Mule? If the Plan has gone, then a vacuum exists which I may fill as well as the next man.† â€Å"Our knowledge of these matters is not great enough to warrant the gamble.† â€Å"Our knowledge, perhaps, but we have a Foundation visitor on the planet. Did you know that? A Homir Munn – who, I understand, has written articles on the Mule, and has expressed exactly that opinion, that the Seldon Plan no longer exists.† The First Minister nodded, â€Å"I have heard of him, or at least of his writings. What does he desire?† â€Å"He asks permission to enter the Mule's palace.† â€Å"Indeed? It would be wise to refuse. It is never advisable to disturb the superstitions with which a planet is held.† â€Å"I will consider that – and we will speak again.† Meirus bowed himself out. Lady Callia said tearfully, â€Å"Are you angry with me, Poochie?†*** Stettin turned on her savagely. â€Å"Have I not told you before never to call me by that ridiculous name in the presence of others?† â€Å"You used to like it.† â€Å"Well, I don't any more, and it is not to happen again.† He stared at her darkly. It was a mystery to him that he tolerated her these days. She was a soft, empty-headed thing, comfortable to the touch, with a pliable affection that was a convenient facet to a hard life. Yet, even that affection was becoming wearisome. She dreamed of marriage, of being First Lady. Ridiculous! She was all very well when he had been an admiral only – but now as First Citizen and future conqueror, he needed more. He needed heirs who could unite his future dominions, something the Mule had never had, which was why his Empire did not survive his strange nonhuman life. He, Stettin, needed someone of the great historic families of the Foundation with whom he could fuse dynasties. He wondered testily why he did not rid himself of Callia now. It would be no trouble. She would whine a bit- He dismissed the thought. She had her points, occasionally. Callia was cheering up now. The influence of Graybeard was gone and her Poochie's granite face was softening now. She lifted herself in a single, fluid motion and melted toward him. â€Å"You're not going to scold me, are you?† â€Å"No.† He patted her absently. â€Å"Now just sit quietly for a while, will you? I want to think.† â€Å"About the man from the Foundation?† â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Poochie?† This was a pause. â€Å"What?† â€Å"Poochie, the man has a little girl with him, you said. Remember? Could I see her when she comes? I never-â€Å" â€Å"Now what do you think I want him to bring his brat with him for? Is my audience room to be a grammar school? Enough of your nonsense, Callia.† â€Å"But I'll take care of her, Poochie. You won't even have to bother with her. It's just that I hardly ever see children, and you know how I love them.† He looked at her sardonically. She never tired of this approach. She loved children; i.e. his children; i.e. his legitimate children; i.e. marriage. He laughed. â€Å"This particular little piece,† he said, â€Å"is a great girl of fourteen or fifteen. She's probably as tall as you are.† Callia looked crushed. â€Å"Well, could I, anyway? She could tell me about the Foundation? I've always wanted to go there, you know. My grandfather was a Foundation man. Won't you take me there, sometime, Poochie?† Stettin smiled at the thought. Perhaps he would, as conqueror. The good nature that the thought supplied him with made itself felt in his words, â€Å"I will, I will. And you can see the girl and talk Foundation to her all you want. But not near me, understand.† â€Å"I won't bother you, honestly. I'll have her in my own rooms.† She was happy again. It was not very often these days that she was allowed to have her way. She put her arms about his neck and after the slightest hesitation, she felt its tendons relax and the large head come softly down upon her shoulder.

Religious Ethics Essay

In this essay, I will be taking religious ethics to mean the ethical principles of Christianity, i.e. Christian Ethics. This includes the moral decisions based on the teachings of Christianity from such sources as the Bible. The term ‘environmental issues’ covers a broad spectrum of concerns. As far as ethics is concerned, the issue is how far our moral concerns should extend to the environment and how we should live out our responsibility towards it. By environment, the earth and all its living entities are concerned. As our concern for the environment has increased and our general awareness heightened, debates about morality towards the environment have emerged. Issues such as climate change, pollution, global warming and the extinction of species can all be linked to the actions of humans (e.g. CFCs and the burning of fossil fuels). Therefore, as the damage to our environment becomes more problematic, the link between its deterioration and the actions of humans becomes more prominent. Anthropocenctrism, usually attributed to the teachings of Christianity, places humans at the centre of the world and therefore the environment. Aristotle taught that ‘nature has made all things specifically for the sake of man’; he basically states that humans are the only beings on earth that have intrinsic value, and that everything else placed on this earth has instrumental value and is to be used for the benefit of humans. Humanity is placed at the top of Aristotle’s hierarchy due to their possession of reason; animals can move and feel pain so come next; plants who can only grow and reproduce are placed at the bottom; and he appears to place no value on inanimate objects as they don’t even have a vegetative soul. During the late 18th century and the early 19th century, the thinkers of the enlightenment period, also known as ‘the age of reason’, emphasised anthropocentric approaches and concluded that reason is the mark of authority. Scientific discoveries were made that bred confidence in man’s ability and shifted philosophical thought away from the teaching that God and the church are the centre of morality. Capitalism emerged which taught emphasising the success of the individual. Immanuel Kant placed humans at the top of his hierarchy with their intrinsic worth due to their possession of reason. Kant also viewed animals as of no moral concern to humans; the only time it is wrong to hurt an animal is when it could instrumentally harm a human. However, by Kant’s reasoning that we can only have concern for animals if the impact is on humanity, he is contradicting himself as he looks to the consequence, which denotes it as a hypothetical imperative and therefore immoral. He also decides on moral action using formulations of the categorical imperative; 1. universalisability, where no contradictions can occur. Kant did not intend his theory to be used as an environmental ethic as it was not relevant at the time. 2. Kant declares that only moral rational agents need moral consideration as ‘ends in themselves’ and we should exclude animals from moral worth which concludes it to be outdates and unsuitable to be used as an environmental ethic. Therefore, Kant’s ethic is likely to be an unsympathetic approach and would probably lead to damage to the environment. Christian anthropocentrism is mainly derived from the teachings of Genesis. The creation story (Genesis (1:26-28) teaches us to â€Å"fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth†. This implies that God has made all things for the sake of humans; that the only beings upon this earth that have intrinsic value are humans, and that everything else serves to benefit humanity (instrumental value). The only reason we need to have care for the environment is because our actions may have an impact, sooner or later, upon ourselves. St Thomas Aquinas also held this belief and stated that â€Å"injury to an animals leads to the temporal hurt of man, either the doer of the deed, or of another†. Dr Lynn White suggested that we need to re-examine our attitudes towards nature, which derive from our religious beliefs, in order to successfully address the ecological crises. He said â€Å"Human ecology is deeply conditioned by beliefs about our nature and destiny – that is, by religion†. He develops this suggesting that our destruction and damage to the environment can be traced to the technological advances of the industrial revolution and the enlightenment period which are a result of the despotic interpretation of the Judeo-Christian teachings declaring Western Christianity as â€Å"the most anthropocentric religion the world has seen†. Utilitarianism is another approach towards ecological issues that one can consider when deciding the best approach towards environmental issues. Peter Singer is a preference utilitarian, who doesn’t measure happiness in the measure of extent or duration of happiness but instead on the satisfaction of desires or preferences. Singer measures the importance of an individual or being, not on their possession of a soul or reason, but on their ability to suffer. To Singer, it doesn’t matter whether the being in question is human or not and both humans and sensory non-humans are equally entitled to moral concern. As we can imagine that their preference would be to avoid pain. He accused many moral philosophers and scientists of Speceism; refusing respect to the lives of other species, not just humans, and proposed that we need to include animals in the ‘expanding circle of moral worth’; â€Å"If possessing a higher intelligence does not entitle one human to use another for his own ends, how can it entitle humans to exploit non humans for the same purpose?†. The problem that arises from Singer’s theory is whether or not plants, and lesser life forms and non-life forms are included in the ‘expanding circle of moral worth’ as they are not conscious living entities so we don’t know what their preferences would be. Initially, Singer does not consider lesser life forms to have any moral significance, but in the second edition of his book states â€Å"the argument from intrinsic value of the plants, species or eco systems is at best problematic†. Singer’s utilitarian argument has weaknesses in so far as it has no clear boundaries as to where our moral concern should lie. Unlike Christianity’s anthropocentric approach which clearly places humanity as the centre of our moral concern, Utilitarianism only beholds vague ideas of where our moral concern should extend to. The utilitarian argument has its strength in its positioning of the capability of suffering above the possession of reason. This does bear a more sympathetic approach towards humans of lesser intelligence (i.e. those with special needs) but then suggests that they are on the same level as animals. This would suggest Christianity to be a better approach as it is more compassionate. Biocentrism, proposed by Paul Taylor, extends the circle of moral worth to include all living things and thus declares that humanity is not the centre of existence. Taylor argues that all life forms have intrinsic value which human beings have a duty to respect. We therefore have a moral responsibility towards them which would entail engaging in practices and policies aimed at specific ways of preserving the ecosystems. Taylor holds non-living things such as mountains to only hold instrumental value and therefore they bare no ethical status. Taylor’s argument is fairly balanced as it doesn’t presume that human beings are the only beings with intrinsic value but he fails to introduce any sort of hierarchy and places humans on the same level as bacteria, which seems absurd. He also implies that we should all be vegans, but fails to address this, and doesn’t consider whether a lion is acting immorally if it eats a zebra. Christianity therefore is more logical as it sets a clear hierarchy which allows mowing the lawn and eating meat. Ecocentrism is another approach to environmental issues. It recognises the importance of the ecosphere and the environment with out suggesting that any organism as more important than the other. Aldo Leopold proposed an ecocentric theory; ‘The Land Ethic’ which â€Å"simply enlarges the boundaries of the community to include soil, waters, plants and animals. Or collectively – the land†. He argued that current conservation policies are based on economic motives. He says â€Å"it is inconceivable to me than an ethical relation to land can exist without love, respect, and admiration for land and a high regard for its value. By value, I of course mean something far broader than mere economic value; I mean value in the philosophical sense†. He argues that Christianity’s teachings of ‘dominion’ saw us as conquerors of the land and that if we are to resolve the ecological crises we need to see ourselves as members of the community that also includes the land. Another ecocentric approach is that of ‘deep ecology’ devised by Arne Naess. It was born out of appreciation for non-Christian religions that recognised the sacredness of natural phenomena. This includes the notion of ‘biospheric egalitarianism’ which views that all living things have intrinsic value. Deep ecology views the world as a network of interconnected and interdependent phenomena; a ‘web of life’. These theories fail to determine how lesser life forms could have any moral interest, and how mountains and the like could have any moral interests whatsoever. This weakens it as Christianity. However it does appear to be more sympathetic as it concludes that other life forms have intrinsic value, not just humans. Another ecocentric approach is that of the Gaia Hypothesis proposed by James Lovelock. After discovering that it is the earth’s unique atmosphere that makes life on earth possible, he declared the difference between earth and the other planets was ‘Gaia’. All life forms are part of ‘Gaia’ and he saw the earth as a self regulating living system. In his words Gaia is â€Å"a complex entity involving the Earth’s biosphere, atmosphere, oceans and soil; the totality constituting a feedback or cybernetic system which seeks an optimal physical and chemical environment for life on this planet†. He saw the ecosystems of the earth as intelligently organised, not by God, but by Gaia’s self engineering. He concludes that if humans were taken out of Gaia, it would survive without us; therefore, humanity is not integral to the environment. Lovelock later suggested that as the environmental issues increase, the planet may not be able to recover and we are in the process of killing the earth, which he refers to as matricide. This suggestion that the earth is intelligently organised has much evidence (for example the water cycle, the reproductive system). However, by suggesting that the earth is alive and therefore self regulates these systems is weak as it is hard to prove. For Christians, the intelligent organisation is of course a result of God. The despotic readings of the creation story present Christianity negatively as White argues. Because we are made in the image of God we believe that the world was made for our sake only. However, one must look at other interpretations of Christian teachings that would suggest a more considerate approach to the environment. One could interpret the use of the word ‘dominion’ no as despotic, but as a call for stewardship. God has chosen humanity to regulate the response of the natural world to its creator so we must care and conserve and acts as the director of nature’s obedience to God. This makes Christian teaching more ‘theocentric’ than ‘anthropocentric’ as it suggests that the peak of creation is God. If we used this as a basic principle when approaching environmental issues, then it would be a strong theory, as it allows humanity to care for the land. Aquinas’s Natural Law theory is based on the thinking of Aristotle, that all things in nature are for the good of man. He extends this further to explain how things are not worthless, but valuable because they are what God intended them to be; they fulfil their own Telos. Humans are declared as the most valuable beings due to their creation in ‘imago dei’ and possession of reason but we should follow stewardship rather than despotism. This would however suggest that despite the strengths of being stewards, being a Christian Ethic, one must have a belief in God to conclude this to be a valid approach to environmental issues. Another Christian approach is Joseph Fletcher’s Situation Ethics which emphasises the importance of love in moral decisions, but was never considered an environmental ethic. Fletcher believed in ‘personalism’; that people are placed before the laws, again being anthropocentric in that we are suggested to be able to do what we want. He promoted ‘pragmatism’; that one must do something that would produced the most loving consequences in that situation. This would be a positive approach to the environment as people would be loving towards it. This could perhaps places the environment second to human needs which would be a negative attitude. However, Fletcher’s ethic is too vague to be considered in any depth as we can’t define what is the most loving thing, who it’s for or even what ‘love’ means. Attfield suggests a deeper interpretation of Christian teachings in order to accurately devise an ethical basis towards the environment. He saw that in Job (38:25) for example, God is said to send rain for the plants and uninhabited wilderness. And to have made wilderness for the Ass. Also the proverbs inform us that â€Å"a righteous man regardeth the life of his beast†. This would be the understanding that Jesus would have had, following the Old Testament teachings. There are New Testament teachings that would instruct a more sympathetic attitude to nature such as Jesus’ time in the desert amongst wild beasts after his baptism, and the use of nature and animals in his teachings and parables. However, there are the passages of the Gadarene swine and the cursing of the fig tree that suggest a more inconsiderate attitude is permitted. In Hebrew tradition, Kings were answerable to God, not absolute monarchs in themselves, therefore according to Attfield â€Å"the biblical dominion of man is no despotism†. However, White argues that in medieval times the embrace of Christianity and the rejection of paganism changed the relationship between man and nature. The pagan ideas of living beings having a soul or a spirit (animism) encouraged a positive attitude towards nature, which were corrupted by the growth of Christianity. Attfield however counter argues these claims and says the ecological crises can’t be blamed on ancient traditions as they have happened in more recent times (post 1945). Japan, for example, which is not a Christian country, shares many of the environmental problems that the West has. It is not just paganism and Buddhism that impose a limit on humankind’s use of nature. Attfield then concludes that we needn’t have a new environmental position; we just need to revert to stewardship rather than dominion. Walter H O’Briant proposed a ‘born again Christian’ belief in the rapture; that Christ will return and the bodies and souls of the saved will go to heaven. The earth is, according to O’Briant, a temporary home therefore it doesn’t matter what we do to the earth. After considering the theories discussed and evaluating their strengths and weaknesses I would argue that religious ethics are the best approach to environmental issues, provided we revert to a more ‘stewardship’ attitude, rather than the despotic interpretation.

The impact of agriculture on Post-Glacial lake sedimentation in Europe Term Paper

The impact of agriculture on Post-Glacial lake sedimentation in Europe - Term Paper Example In this study, the use of sediments from this high elevation lake in a paleoecological study provides an overview of climate change, vegetation and human influence. Early records show a domination of Pinus, and Betula pollens with deciduous Quercus and grasses or shrubs. Aquatic microfossils have indicated that wet seasons and high levels of the lake occurred in the years preceding 7800 cal yr BP. This was in the contrary to the occurrence of such climatic conditions in the lower elevation. These conditions appeared after 7800 cal yr BP. Lager disparities in the early Holocene seasonal insolation might have led to bigger snowpack and hence ensuing higher lake levels within the greater elevations. Dry conditions within high elevations began in 5700 cal yr BP accompanied by reduction in pollen in wetlands. The observed decline in mesophytes in this lake is a phenomenal also observed in other parts of Europe. This era marked the transition of mid to late Holocene. After 3700 years ago, human disturbance rapidly engulfed the Laguna de Rio Seco as evidenced by agricultural activities of herbivore grazing and pastoralism. Direct influence by humans in form of agricultural farming was extensive in the last hundred years as evidenced by Olea, Pinus and Zea mays pollen (Anderson, R., et al., 21). Introduction The production, movement and deposition of sediments within mountain ecosystems are impacted by various factors. These factors may be categorized into three groups including proximal, distal and local controls. Proximal factors are exemplified by climatic changes, glaciations, vegetation cover and relief. Distal factors are mostly dependent on altitudes and as such are affected by base levels. Finally, local controls are best portrayed by human influence such as agriculture and other human related activities. The paleoecological research and study of mountain ecosystems is vital for the documentation of effects related to climate warming. Moreover, these studies ai d in the prediction of future adverse impacts. There is the need to delink the relative impact of either climatic deviations or human disturbance from ecological shifts. A common approach is to carry out a comparison of ecological shifts before and after the growth of human activities. These ecological time zones are exemplified by glaciation and post glaciation period to the last millennia era. The later time periods have seen a gradual increase and intensified transformations in mountain ecology and ecosystems (Anderson et al., 29). A case study on impact of agriculture on post glacial sedimentation in lakes in Europe is well depicted in Sierra Nevada. This is a massive physical geographical feature which has a rich diversity in cultural heritage and biological components. Additionally, it is the highest range in Europe outside the Alps and is the biggest in size as a mountain range in southern Spain. This immense feature is located in the Andalucia region. It has had various inha bitants as early as Neolithic era or perhaps even earlier. Human exploitation on this vital area includes the eras of Chalcolithic, Argaric, Iron-Age, Romans, Goths and Christians. All the people who have inhabited this region have ensured that their activities have contributed to a change in the surrounding ecosystem particularly on sedimentation. Spanning to

Impact of social media on the growth of the fashion industry in Dissertation

Impact of social media on the growth of the fashion industry in Nigeria - Dissertation Example This group of consumers prefers to use Facebook only (55%), and only 27% have Twitter account, while 18% of respondents use both social media tools. The results demonstrated that the local fashion brands have not as strong and effective marketing strategies in terms of social media usage. Also, the research has shown that 41% of respondents do always review social media pages of fashion brands for discounts, while 23% of respondents prefer to read reviews before shopping for clothes online or even before going to the fashion store. However, according to the study carried out by the researcher where he has been analyzing the level of activity of Nigerian and UK-based Nigerian fashion brands at social networking platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, it has been found out that the majority of 45 Nigerian fashion brands did not use full potential of the social media opportunities. The research has also shown that some of the Nigerian fashion brands in addition to Facebook and Twitter d o use other social media platforms to interact with their customers, followers, fans and subscribers. These sources included fashion brands blogs, Tumblr, Youtube, Pininterest, Instagram, Ijaw girl, and even LinkdIn. Based on the result of the findings, it was recommended that the Nigerian fashion brands and retailers ought to adopt experience of international fashion brands and focus their digital marketing strategy on the following key social media areas: personalized shopping experience, user-generated content, strategic use of discounts, focus on niche communities, and interaction through mobile applications. Key words: Social media, fashion industry, consumer behaviour, Nigeria Introduction â€Å"Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months† – this ironic and brave definition of fashion belongs to famous Oscar Wild. If seriously, Feldenkreis et al (2005) describe the basics of the fashion business as a set of activities, i ncluding: design and creation of a line; sampling process with drawing the design, picking materials, designing graphics, embroidery and other components if needed; preparation of the blueprint of the garment from size to all measurements; and demonstration of it to the fashion industry. Usually, this process takes one year after which new fashion models would be available for retail (Feldenkreis et al. 2005). However, with the increasing use of social media globally this process goes through the various changes and provides both fashion producers/distributors and fashion consumers with new opportunities. Various social networks, blogging, video blogging, podcasting - all are the social media tools used to empower and enable conversations digitally (Brogan, 2010). More detailed description of what the social media was described by Poynter (2010, p. 182), who listed such examples of it: blogging, micro-blogging (e.g. Twitter), social networking (e.g. Facebook, Mixi, Cyworld), Wikis ( e.g. Wickipedia, the collaborative encyclopedia), social bookmarking (e.g. Delicious and Digg), photosharing (e.g. Flickr), voice networking (e.g. Skype), video sharing (e.g. YouTube), music

Nursing 101 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nursing 101 - Essay Example Therefore, clinical care delivery and clinical learning experiences of a student nurse like me would ideally also drift from the conventional system. I am too novice to comment on this, and I am sure once my studies go in a full throttle, things will appear as they are. As is evident, in a healthcare setting dominated by specialists and super specialists, there is possibility of some kind of fragmentation of the care, and in my opinion, to avoid such, a holistic concept of people, health, wellness, and healing needs to be used. I know, a holistic perspective focuses on all dimensions of an individual, including physiological, psychological, social, cultural, cognitive, and spiritual. It has a philosophy inherent in this, and this philosophy, I believe, creates the fundamental paradigm of nursing as a profession. Although I am new in this field, I am given to understand that nursing is an art and science of caring and healing that promotes health. The spiritual aspect of nursing is very much relevant to even modern healthcare in the sense that at least spirit may indicate a will to live. This is the life force within a person and spirituality indicates the presence of this phenomenon. However, this is intangible and cannot be located. Without going in to the debate whether it is related to religious aspects of human life, scientific evidence suggests that loss of this life force is detrimental to survival. This concept encompasses a concern or caring that extends from ourselves to others, meaning as the nurse has care and concern for her won existence and survival, they should face the other with an equal concern for their existence and survival (Bunkers, SS., 2008). Disease is a process that expresses in a human being as a result of reaction to the environment, and according to my philosophy, nursing is a process by which the art of caring is manifested. This art of caring, of course, is guided by the philosophical approaches to define

New venture development strategy Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 11750 words

New venture development strategy - Dissertation Example ary The purpose of the research is to develop a new venture strategy for pastries and cakes to the local residents in Bulgaria as well as the retailers. The project begins with the analysis of the background to the study which describes the origin of the idea for the new venture. The sudden rise in demand for home made cakes and pastries made by members of the family led to the idea of opening a confectionaries factory in the country. Consequently an analysis is done on the bakery and confectionary products market and the supply industry in Bulgaria. This analysis indicates the presence of a niche segment market consisting of the high income groups’ customers in society along with large retailers that the company would like to target. Some the cities in Bulgaria such Bansko and Velingrad are targeted because of its high expected growth of tourism and forecasted large number of visitors to the place. It is expected that as the tourism sector expand in these areas the rate of vi sits of the high income groups in society would also rise. More number of retail outlets is also expected to be opened in a potential tourist spot. These retailers could also be tapped. Moreover, cities like Pazardjik and Plovdiv demonstrates the presence of a customer base which is less sensitive towards price and more sensitive towards product qualities. The project then analyses the target market for its products which includes market segments like hotels, restaurants, food shops and catering companies. The fact that 80% of the Bulgarians prefer local products more than imported products revealed by a research conducted by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce makes ground for making traditional Bulgarian hand-made cakes and pastries. It shows preference of customers for local products over... It is evident from the study that the sudden and dramatic rise in interest for home-made cakes and pastries made by members of the family and the eventual distribution and spread of reputation of this family for the production of such innovative confectionery products builds grounds for the idea of development of cakes factories in Bulgaria. Bansko and Velingrad are targeted because of its high expected growth of tourism and forecasted large number of visitors to the place. Moreover, Pazardjik and Plovdiv demonstrates the presence of a customer base which is less price sensitive and more sensitive towards product qualities. The fact that 80% of the Bulgarians prefer local products more than imported products revealed by a research conducted by the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce makes ground for making traditional Bulgarian hand-made cakes and pastries. The industrial analysis reveals the existence of a number of large players in the Bulgarian industry like Kraft’s food, Nestle, Masterfoods Bulgaria EOOD and Ferrero Spa and various small companies like Sugar Factory Kristal AD, Prestige-96 OOD, Den I Nosht OOD and Sigma Bio OOD. The chocolate confectioneries market is significantly strong in this industry. However, despite the presence of a large number of large industrial players the present company's business model seems to be lucrative and profit earning. The company's strategy to thrive on innovation and prepare traditional and handmade cakes and pastries is always to be appreciated by customers due to their consistent desire for local products and high quality products.

Issues in Healthcare law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Issues in Healthcare law - Essay Example A recent study highlights the importance of necessity to follow patients more closely after discharge as hospitalized patients have a high risk of adverse  outcomes resulting from treatment (â€Å"Forster’’). In earlier days, a patient usually had to meet physically with a doctor for treatment. But now technology has made it simpler, and they can easily access the required information on Internet as hundreds of medical sites are readily accessible. At the same even patient can get the information from the doctor through online. Despite the popularity of publications warning of the potential harm associated with using health information from the Internet, cases of getting information from Internet is increasing (â€Å"Crocco AG’’). The most important thing patients can do for their health care is to choose one primary health care provider. They may be a pediatrician for children, a family practitioner, or a geriatrician for an old age person. It is an i mportant because a primary provider can get to know patient and patient’s medical history and helps them feel comfortable discussing personal issues.

Johanine community Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Johanine community - Essay Example Moreover, the Gospel also revealed that Jesus is the replica of God. In this respect, the Johannine community comprised Christians worshipping Jesus as the Messiah and following the preachments made by John through the Gospel and the Epistles (Brown 13-24). The Gospel of John lacked information about Ecclesiology, which created an issue amid Christians representing Johannine community, as Johannine theology failed in describing the concept of God. Another crucial issue faced by the Johannine community was to determine whether the opposing statements identified in the Gospel of John were made to the society as a whole or to any particular religion. Respectively, the scholars and the people faced the issue of interpreting the information about Johannine Ecclesiology. In this context, the study of the book ‘The Community of Beloved Disciples’ written by Robert E. Brown conducted a study about the emergence and the reconstruction of Johannine community, so that the a proper understanding is acquired about the New Testament and the messages depicted in it are delivered successfully to the Christians (Brown 13-24). The Johannine community is developed with different theology presented by Saint John as compared to other disciplines. In this regard, the Christians were seemed to face difficulties in following the Johannine Ecclesiology. In order to possess an in-depth understanding about the emergence as well as the modernization of Christian community, the four phases of Johannine community revealed by Robert E. Brown have been elaborately studied in the following. The different spheres of the Johannine community were assessed from the Gospel and the Epistles of John in order to acquire better understanding about the life and the events of Jesus. An analysis of the four phases of the community had aided in reconstructing the beliefs as well as the theology of the Christians. The four phases have been analyzed

The Effects of Merger and Acquisitions on the Recent Worldwide Assignment

The Effects of Merger and Acquisitions on the Recent Worldwide Financial Crisis - Assignment Example Mergers occur when two or more entities come together (in a form of partnership) to form a single trading unit- the entities cease to exist and form a new firm. A good example is the merger of two banks Lloyds TSB and HBOS, following the global financial crisis, to form Lloyds TSB-HBOS (Rosenbaum, 2009). Acquisitions on the other hand, refer to one entity, the bidding company, taking over a target entity, by acquiring, through purchase, of its stakes that could include shares, stocks (majority control of its capital) or assets. For example, Lehman Brothers was declared bankrupt (at a debt of 613 Billion Dollars) due to the recent global financial crisis was bailed out by the American Federal Government (Mihm, 2010). Therefore, the major distinction between mergers and acquisition is the position of the shareholders. In mergers, the shareholders exchange their shares for shares of the new entity, while in Acquisitions; the target company is bought out, with shareholders paid in cash o r debt. Objectives of Mergers and Acquisitions The current wave of M&A began in 2005. A report by the International Monetary Fund indicates that, during this time, the world’s real GDP grew by 4.8%. ... Many business firms opt for M&A due to many reasons. To state briefly, it is argued most firms, go for M&A, to cut on production costs; that, it is cost effective in the long run to merge with or acquire a firm producing a raw material for the larger firm. This saves on market exchange costs while the synergy due to M&A cuts on departmental and running costs, compared to an increased revenue stream from a large market share and a centralized management. Secondly, M&A is seen to achieve competitive advantage, due to new market knowledge and goodwill acquired, territorial advantage of the native firm acquired. A firm will merge or acquire another, and excel in the new market, due to the knowledge and experience of the target entity, as opposed to efforts of the bidding company going to it alone, in the foreign market (Shan & Hamilton, 1991). Another reason for M&A is the financial advantage of tax reliefs. It is argued that a company which reports loses, is more likely to be bought off by another profitable one, as the target company’s reported loss will be utilized in reducing tax liability. However, most governments like the United States have legislations that limit and check against this practice (Mihm, 2010). A statistical study by Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies & Research indicated that, the Arabian banks and Companies, which are smaller in size compared to similar foreign institutions needed to merge so as to remain globally competitive. Also, indicated in the report is because, in the first three quarters of 2008, there were 48 mergers in the Middle East only (Emirates Centre for Strategic Studies and Research, 2009). Shan & Hamilton in their article â€Å"country-specific advantage and

Objective responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Objective responsibility - Essay Example Moreover, a public administrator should be in a position to make decisions based upon their ethical reflection and analysis of a case. When making such decisions, public administrators need to consider whether to pass their objective responsibility or not. According to Cooper (2010, 72), the objective responsibilities of public administrators are defined by both accountability and imposed obligation, which are "responsibility to someone else for something. Basically these responsibilities externally create a palpable source of obligation, creating some of responsibility. Sources of objective responsibility are characterized by factors such as superiors and subordinates, elected officials, and citizens. The multi-faceted principal responsibility of public administration in a big way complicates a public administrators role as an agent (Cooper 2010, 72). It is however important to note that the balance of objective responsibility is the element role of public administrators. How effectively these administrators apply the balance of objective responsibility to their decision-making processes defines their fundamental preparedness to make ethical decisions. Conflict of interest, Cooper, pages 112 - 121: cooper points out that a conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization becomes engaged in multiple interests. One of these interests has the probably of corrupting the motivation of an act in another interest. Since the content of a conflict of interest is different from the fulfilment of impropriety, a conflict of interest can be found and voluntarily defused before the happening of a problem. Cooper (2010, 113) notes that, "Conflicts of interest involve collisions between these various kinds of influences and the interests of the public we serve". He states further that the fiduciary role is endangered when people lose trust in professional

Character and plot Essay Example for Free

Character and plot Essay Discuss the ways in which Arthur Miller uses the characters of Alfieri to highlight cultural differences and to develop the audiences understanding of theme, character and plot. Arthur Millers A View from The Bridge uses a character called Alfieri to introduce characters, the plot and theme of the story. Alfieri is an Italian American meaning he was born in Italy and immigrated to American to work. . He is a man of his 50s and in this story, not only does he play the role of a character, but also a narrator. He makes us aware of the cultural differences between American and Italian culture through his opinions. He works as a lawyer; from this we can immediately tell he is educated and very wise. The immigration law changed in 1921-1924. This law only allowed people from Britain, Ireland and Scandinavia to migrate to America. This resulted to illegal immigration. A view from the Bridge is about the movement of immigrants migrating from Italy to America. They moved because of the American Dreams which was people from other countries going to America to start a new life and earn a good living full of opportunities. The Italian migration happened mainly between 1820-1920. More than 4 million Italian people moved to America. Brooklyn Bridge and its surrounding areas are used as the setting of the play. The word Gullet is used by Alfieri to describe the place where they live. The word is a metaphor and it creates an atmosphere that is not very pleasant to live in. Alfieris first speech introduces the background information of Italians. Italians would hardly ask a lawyer for help because in Italian culture lawyers are not good news, they are considered to be connections to disasters. The honest and trustworthy Italians can be quite revengeful. They solve their own situations by taking matters into their own hands. Although Italians are settling into America their two cultures remain diverse. Repetition of the words Distrust, Law and Justice by Alfieri signifies them and the even suggests that the plot is based on these words. Alfieri understands both Italian and American culture and can conclude in his last speech how he feels about Eddie and what he has done. From the start Alfieri hinted that the ending of the play wasnt going to be a happy one. He says and sat there as powerless as I, and watched it run its bloody course. From that, we can sense doom and that is why this play is a Greek tragedy. Eddie, Catherine, Marco use a lot of slang type sentences where as Alfieri uses long, well punctuated and sophisticated sentences. This linguistic technique makes the audience understand what is happened if they do not follow what Catherine, Eddie, Beatrice, Marco and Rodolpho are saying. The use of short, simple sentences spoken by the other characters makes the situation more realistic, makes the audience awake because it is very fast and the characters speak more often. Arthur Miller also uses a lot of exclamation marks so that the sentences are more interesting and so that the actors know when to shout or act exaggerated, this is a very good technique. With the use of exclamation mark the sentence gets energy. There is more attention than if there were long sentences. In the play there are four main characters. Eddie (a protagonist), Catherine, Beatrice and Alfieri. Eddie, a protagonist, meaning that he commits an offence without knowing it; he then learns his fault and usually results in death or suffering. He gains Alfieris sympathy towards the end of the play. Eddie loves Catherine not only as a niece but also as a daughter and a friend and Alfieri knows this. Eddie was over protective and loved Catherine too much which proved to be fatal. Alfieri knows that Eddie does not want to any one to take her away from him, but on the other hand, she does not belong to him. He says And yet, it is better to settle for half, it must be! Marco kills Eddie in Act 2. We do not know if he intended to or if it was for self-protection but in a way, this is revenge. When he was talking to Alfieri, he says In my country he would be dead by no. He would not live this long. Alfieri understands how he feels but tells him not to kill. He is in America right now and such a deed can result to a life sentence. He says To promise not to kill is not dishonourable. Italians are not as civilised as Americans but this is one of the cultural differences between the two diverse cultures. Arthur Miller includes many stage directions leaving the director making up more of their own directions. Alfieri plays the part of a character and a narrator making him A view from the bridge because he is looking and dealing with the situation and also telling the story as if it happened yesterday, this helps him to tell the story and give opinions making the audience aware, have a better understanding of the play, the characters and the plot. The moral of this story suggested by Alfieri is we should be satisfied with half if not the whole amount.

The Horse Dealers Daughter

The Horse Dealers Daughter D.H. Lawrences, The Horse Dealers Daughter, tells a timeless love story of Mabel and Jack, two people of totally different social standings, falling in love. After the death of Mabels father her and her three brothers are left to be on their own. While Mabels three brothers know where they are going to go and what each of them is going to do, Mabel is still undecided. Mabel is a stubborn, hardheaded girl who does not have much to say, to anyone. And when Jack Fergusson comes through the door of their house, Jack is the last person Mabel ever expected to fall in love with, or even have Jack fall in love with her. Jack Fergusson is a successful doctor, who did not think much of Mabel. Without either of them knowing it they were brought together after Mabel tried killing her self. Love has a strange way of choosing two people for each other, but it always seems to work out. Love is a powerful thing and despite how similar or different two people may be, love will find its way and this i s shown between Mabel and Jack through the use of the symbol of the pond, the plot, and each character themselves. Mabel and Jacks love can be shown through the symbol of the pond. The pond is a symbol that can be interpreted in many different ways; one being it symbolized love (Lu 8). Mabel felt it be at her best interest that she would be better off with her mother, who is dead. She preferred to follow in her mothers footsteps (Hebert). With that, came the thought that she should just kill herself. Without knowing it, the pond was the thing that brought Jack and Mabel together. As she was walking slowly into the pond Jack watched her. As Lawrence stated in the text he followed her minutely as she moved (743). This shows that he had an interest in her and what she was doing. After realizing what Mabel was doing Jack rushed down to the pond to save her (Lawrence 744). Jack showed his true love for her when he entered the water to save her, even though he could not swim. Jack did what any doctor would do and saved her life, after he brought her from the pond he made the water come from her mouth ( Lawrence 744). After Jack saved Mabel he tended to her at Mabels home. As that is one interpretation of the pond, the pond can also show a rebirth. Before Mabel tried to kill her self she was very shy and hardly talk to anyone. Just like their love, he did not know he loved her nor did Mabel know she loved Jack. Jack and Mabel had no real interaction before. After coming out of the water they both realized that they felt something for each other that was never expected. They were brought together by this incident, and there after Jack and Mabel showed their love for each other. While the pond shows Jack and Mabels love through symbolism, the plot also helps prove the theme to they story. The plot also helps prove the theme of the story. With the plot being when Mabel tried to kill herself, this is when both she and Jack first showed their love for each other. Through all the events that happened between Mabel walking into the water and the end of the story where Jack says they must marry (Lawrence 748), they fell deep into love. When Mabel asked Jack, Do you love me, then? (Lawrence 745) it took Jack a while to answer, although he knew that he did love her and Mabel knew he loved her. As Mittlemen said in her article, before the incident Jack had never indicated the he had any love for Mabel (4). In fact before the incident Mabel did not show her love for Jack, nor did she know she had any love for him. After he saved her neither of them could help but show their feelings for each other. The plot of the story helped them to revel their love for each other. They were meant to be together and one-way or another love was going to bring the both of them together. And aft er Mabel tried to kill herself they were together, just like they were destined to be. As the plot helps prove the theme, each character, Jack and Mabel, help as well. Each character, Jack and Mabel, help to prove the main theme the story has to show. Mabel is a part of the lower class of people, who has to buy the cheap groceries (Mittleman). While Jack is a successful doctor who is high class and is considered in the upper part of society. At the beginning of the story Mabel had no idea what she was going to do with her life, so she resulted to go with her mother, but Jack saved her from making that decision. Mabel and Jack are part of two totally different social standings. With that being that is the reason why neither of them thought they would ever fall in love. Starting off Mabel was stubborn and did not really show any liking towards Jack. They are two different people who had thought they had no feelings for one another. Jack shows his kindness towards Mabel. He accepts her for who she is and what she has to bring to the table. Jack knows that she is at the low part of society but he does not let that bother him. Once he realizes that he l oves Mabel, he will not let anything stand in the way of that. He say at the end of the story, Were going to be married, quickly, quickly-tomorrow if I can. (Lawrence 748) This shows that he has true feelings for her and Jack wants her to know that. Mabel, on the other hand, knows that he loves her and she loves him to but she starts to feel horrible. Mabel feels that she is not good enough for him and she does not understand why he loves her, Lawrence stated (748). Jack and Mabel over came the differences they had. They would not let anything stand in the way of their love. They love each other and they each prove that through their characters. Although all three points, symbolism of the pond, the plot, and each character, Jack and Mabel prove the theme, there can be an argument made that each of these literary elements do not help prove the theme of the story. The symbolism of the pond does not help prove the theme of the story because Jack is a doctor and he was doing his job of saving a life, but Jack had been watching her and he rushed to save her from making a mistake he did not want her to make. Also, people would argue that the plot does not show that love is a powerful thing because it does now show that they are brought together, it shows a doctor saving a life. But after the incident he tells her that he loves her and wants to be with her. Another argument can be made that the characters of Jack and Mabel do not show the theme because each of them are different in their own ways and have no true connection but despite their differences they came to love and care for each other. Although each point can be argued ag ainst, each literary element ties into the theme of the story. Jack and Mabels love is shown through the symbol of the pond, the plot of the story and each character themselves. The pond represented love; in a way that it made each of them realize that they really did love each other. The pond also symbolized a rebirth. After Jack saved Mabel she was more outspoken and was not shy anymore. Also after they came out of the water, so did their love. Jack and Mabel let their love for one another out. The plot of the story brought them together and made them realize that they had a deep love for each other. And each character proved that no matter how different two people are they could still fall in love. It is hard to find love when one is looking, but some people do not know that the person they are meant to love could be right in front of their eyes. Love comes to a person when they are not looking. And weather or not they think that certain someone is the one, love will prove them wrong. Love is an unstoppable thing that people have no control o ver.

Psychology Essays Human Aggression Violence

Psychology Essays Human Aggression Violence Human Aggression Violence There is not one single Psychological theory that can adequately account for human aggression and violence. To what extent do you agree with this claim? Aggression and violence are common occurrences in everyday society and something we are exposed to every day. Barlow and Hill (1985) suggest that television in Britain shows a scene of violence every 16 minutes, whilst the Home office research study 276 (2004) found 45% of women and 26% of men aged 16-59 have experienced some form of interpersonal violence. There have been many attempts to explain why aggression and violence occur, ranging from biological theories – such as evolutionary (Buss, 1990), ethological (Lorenz, 1966) and psychodynamic (Freud, 1920) approaches, to the social/biosocial explanations offered by the frustration/aggression (Dollard et al, 1939), social learning (Bandura, 1961) and excitement transfer theories (Zillmann, 1979). This essay will focus on the psychodynamic explanation of aggression as an instinct and the social learning theory that suggests aggression is a learnt behaviour. The aim is to critically evaluate these theories and to discuss to what extent they are able to explain aggression and violence. Social learning theory focuses on the individual’s interaction with his or her environment. The suggestion is that all behaviour, in this case aggression and violence, is learnt socially. Bandura (1983) puts forward the idea that aggression and violent behaviour â€Å"entail intricate skills that require extensive learning†, in other words we are unable to act in an aggressive or violent way until we learn (from our environment) how to do it. To look at the role of imitation in aggression Bandura (1961) conducted the famous bobo doll experiment. Children were exposed to adults behaving in either aggressive or non-aggressive manners towards a â€Å"bobo† doll. They were then allowed to play in an identical playroom to that previously observed – children were shown to imitate aggressive behaviour. Many different trials of this experiment were conducted; the most famous of these was allowing the children to watch a videotape. In other trials live models and cartoon videos were used. Although this is seen as important evidence to suggest imitation, the theory cannot fully account for aggression and violence. Cumberbatch (1997) describes how the novelty of the Bobo doll may have had some influence over Bandura’s results. A follow up study showed the children who had previously been exposed to the toy were five times less violent than those who were new to it. It could also be argued that the doll was â€Å"designed† to be abused. This also addresses the analogous nature of social learning theory – can behaviour shown towards a doll be used to predict or explain behaviour towards a living being. Baron (1977) defines aggression as â€Å"Behaviour directed towards the goal of harming or injuring another living being who is motivated to avoid such behaviour†. The acts of violence and aggression observed by Bandura fail to meet this definition. The doll is of course not a living being and there is no way it could try and avoid any acts towards it. The social learning theory also relies heavily on correlation studies. Lefkowitz et al (1978), Maccoby (1992) and McCord et al (1961) have all found that children who have experienced physical discipline from their parents are generally more aggressive than those who have not. However is the parental discipline the only factor that can account for this violent and aggressive behaviour? Social learning theory fails to explain why not everyone who watches a violent film or plays and aggressive video game will imitate what they have seen. One hundred children may watch a violent film but only one may go out and copy the behaviour they have seen. This suggests that there is something more than imitation. The theory also fails to account to for continuous aggressive or violent behaviour. Why does someone continue to behave in a violent or aggressive way without continuous exposure to such material? Although many psychologists believe that social learning theory can provide a very complete account of aggression and violence (Hill, 1989), there is still the fundamental question, if all violence is imitated then how did the first act of violence occur? (Hewitt, 1989) In contrast to the social learning theory, Freud puts forward the suggestion that aggression and violence are innate drives. This means it is something we are born with and is therefore unavoidable. Freud also puts the emphasis on the person involved and not the place where violence occurs. Throughout our lives we face the conflict between the life instinct and the death instinct. The death instinct is seen as the drive that pushes us towards extinction or non-existence, whilst simultaneously the life instinct strives to preserve life. The death instinct is ultimately self-destructive and if satisfied internally will result in destruction of the individual; it must therefore be channelled outside the self. This may be through displacement – taking out anger on a neutral object or through sublimation – channelling anger into a more socially acceptable activity – for example music or art. Another suggestion, made by Freud’s daughter, is that a person may transform themselves into their victim in order to become the agent of aggression (Freud, 1946). This allows the death instinct to be satisfied – transformation into and identification with the victim allows the perpetrator to attack himself. Freud also believed that divulging in some kind of fantasy violence (for example watching a violent film or playing a violent video game) would satisfy the death instinct and therefore actual violence will be reduced. This is known as catharsis. There is actually very little evidence to support catharsis, however Fleshbach (1955) conducted a study in which he aggravated and insulted his participants. Half were then allowed to indulge in fantasy activities. The group’s aggressive feelings were then measured using projective techniques. The group who engaged in fantasy play were deemed less aggressive. Also a study from the Bureau of justice (2006) in America found a negative correlation between the growth in violent video games and the rate of juvenile violent crime. It should, however, be noted that the first study relied heavily of symbolism whilst the second fails to show a cause and effect relationship between the two. The majority of evidence seems to go against the notion of catharsis. Green et al (1975) found that opportunities for dispersing aggression actually increased aggressive behaviour. During a learning task participants were electrocuted in order to increase aggressive tendencies. Half of the participants were allowed to retaliate in someway against their â€Å"experimenters†, Freud would suggest this would reduce aggressiveness. However, when the participants became the experimenter rather than the subject those who had retaliated previously gave more intense shocks than those who had not retaliated. This is actually more supportive of the social learning theory discussed above. As well as little support evidence there are many other areas upon which Freud is criticised. Hewitt (1989) says that whilst instinctive behaviour is often seen in animals, humans are far more advanced creatures and so are much more aware and able to control their actions. The theory also fails to account for the different types of human aggression and violence. There is no typical form in which the behaviour takes – what determines how the death instinct must be satisfied? We must also account for calculated murders or other violent crimes. Surely, if catharsis occurred the planning of the act would be enough to satisfy the death instinct and therefore prevent the event from taking place. Although Freud’s theory of human aggression and violence puts forward an intelligent argument it fails to recognise and account for many things. Like many psychoanalytic theories it relies on the study of immeasurable and often unknown causes, relying heavily on symbolism and projection. There is also a habit of placing aggressive motives onto non-violent actions. It seems difficult to know precisely where the psychoanalytic definition of aggression lies. This also gives a very bleak outlook on life – violence and aggression are unavoidable and therefore non preventable. One could even suggest Freud justifies violence and aggression – it is after all a human instinct. Both theories can both account for certain aspects of human aggression and violence but they cannot fully explain the phenomena. Biological theories such as Freud’s instinct theory fail to recognise the complex environment we live in, whilst the social learning theory neglects the role of biology. Both also fail to account for the differences that we see between humans. There is a feeling that each perspective seems to explain something that cannot be definitely defined. Whilst one school tries to explain it’s own defined version of aggression and violence it neglects another’s own definition. It can therefore be accepted that not one single theory can explain human aggression and violence, agreeing with the given statement. References Bandura, A (1983). Psychological mechanisms of aggression, New York: Academic Press, in Baron, R, A., Richardson, D R (1994) Human aggression, 2nd edition. New York: Plenum press. Bandura, A (1961). â€Å"Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models† Journal of abnormal and social psychology, 63, 575-582. [online]. Available from: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Bandura/bobo.htm Accessed: 17/01/2007 Baron, R.A. (1977). Human Aggression. New York: Plenum press. Barlow, G., Hill, A. (1985) Video violence and children, Suffolk: Hodder and Stoughton. Bureau of Justice (2006). In Jan Jagodzinski, (2006). â€Å"Video game cyber subjects, the ethics of violence and addiction: A psychoanalytic approach†, Psychoanalysis, culture and society, 11, pp 282-303. Buss, D,M. (1990), â€Å"Evolutionary social psychology: Prospects and pitfalls† Motivation and emotion 14, 265-286. In Hogg, M, A. and Vaughan, G, M. (2005) 4th edition. Social psychology. UK: Pearson Prentice Hall. Cumberbatch, G (1997). â€Å"Is television harmful?†, in Cochrane, R and Carroll, D (1997) Psychology and social issues, London: Falmer (pp. 171-181) Dollard, J., Doob, L., Miller, N., Mowrer O. and Sears, R. (1939) Frustration and Aggression. New haven, CT:Yale University Press, in Glassman, Hadad (2006), Approaches to psychology. 4th edition.Norfolk: Open University Press. Feshbach, S. (1955) â€Å"The drive reducing function of fantasy behaviour† Journal of abnormal and social psychology, 50, 3-11. In Glassman, Hadad (2006), Approaches to psychology. 4th edition.Norfolk: Open University Press. Freud, A. (1946) The ego and the mechanisms of defense.New York: International Univer. Press, 1946. In â€Å"Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models† Journal of abnormal and social psychology, 63, 575-582. [online]. Available from: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Bandura/bobo.htm Accessed: 17/01/2007 Freud, S. (1920) Beyond the pleasure principle, in Glassman, Hadad (2006), Approaches to psychology. 4th edition.Norfolk: Open University Press. Hewitt, D et al (1989), Social psychology: conflict and continuities, Buckingham: Open University Press Hill, G (2001), Psychology for AS A level. 2nd edition. Glasgow: Oxford university press. Home office research study 276 (2004), Domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking: Findings from the British Crime Survey [online]. London: Home office, Research, development and statistics directorate. Lefkowitz, M, M et al. (1978) â€Å"Parental punishment: A longitudal analysis of effects† Archives of general psychiatry, 35, 186-191. In Glassman, Hadad (2006), Approaches to psychology. 4th edition.Norfolk: Open University Press. Lorenz, K. (1966) On aggression. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, in Hogg, M, A. and Vaughan, G, M. (2005) 4th edition. Social psychology. UK: Pearson Prentice Hall. McCord, W et al (1961) â€Å"Familial correlates of aggression in non delinquent male children†, Journal of abnormal and social psychology. 62, 79-93. In Glassman, Hadad (2006), Approaches to psychology. 4th edition.Norfolk: Open University Press. Mccoby, E,E. (1992) â€Å"The role of parents in the socialisation of children: An historical overview†, Developmental psychology, 28, 1006-1017. In Zillmann, D. (1979). Hostility and aggression. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum, in Hogg, M, A. and Vaughan, G, M. (2005) 4th edition. Social psychology. UK: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Essay --

David Sylvester A.P.U.S.H. Mr. Pickford February 11, 2014 Douglas MacArthur And The Korean War Arguably one of the greatest generals in American history Douglas MacArthur was born to be in the military, his father Arthur MacArthur was a great soldier who honorably in the Army and it MacArthur went to West Point to follow in his father's footsteps. MacArthur served for rising through the ranks at a rapid pace, he became most well known for his leadership during the second world war but after that he led his troops on the battlefields of Korea in his seventies. Although MacArthur proved to be a brilliant general, his aggressive decisions towards the end of the Korean War led to his honorable removal as general of the United Nations Army and his heroic actions and tales to be cemented permanently in American History. June 27th, 1950 was the day the United States announced its direct assistance in the Korean War. The following day United States planes were already bombing the North Korean Army and the United States is getting prepared for more attacks. On July 7th, 1950 General Douglas MacArthur was appointed to be commander of all UN forces which was an easy choice for President Truman to make because he and MacArthur were great friends and Truman admired MacArthur for his great military leadership. After being appointed MacArthur said to Truman "I can only repeat the pledge of my complete personal loyalty to you as well as an absolute devotion to your monumental struggle for peace and good will throughout the world. I hope I will not fail you"(MacArthur). When MacArthur took command in Korea he provided the soldiers with a much needed moral boost that kept them fighting harder and gave them a new sense of hope. During the begin... ...or his country and freedom sores past many others it led him into some trouble when he began speaking out against the government for not helping them and instead restricting how they could fight the war. MacArthur's words and actions he took against Harry Truman did not help him because he wanted to fight a full war to get a full victory and liberate all of Korea but Truman wanted to fight a restricted war and only liberate South Korea. The constant disputes between Truman and MacArthur ultimately led to Truman firing MacArthur. MacArthur's fate had already been cemented in history as an American hero and one of the greatest generals in military history, his tactics, moral and leadership were all driving factors that made him such a great general and he was always well respected by the men who served him because he was always right in the battle with them.

Bacons Rebellion Essay -- essays research papers

Bacon's Rebellion "Where we do well know that all our causes will be impartially heard and equally justice administered to all men," as stated by, Nathaniel Bacon. 1 In 1676 an uprising known as Bacon's Rebellion occurred in Virginia. The immediate cause of this revolt was the dissension between the planters and the Indians. Because Sir William Berkeley, the Governor of Virginia had willingly denied support to the farmers, Bacon assumed leadership of an unauthorized expedition against the Indians. When Bacon learned that Governor Berkeley was rising a force against him, he turned away from the Indians to fight with Berkley. This had now become a serious problem for the governor. When news of this revolt had reached King Charles II, it alarmed him so that he dispatched eleven hundred troops to Virginia, recalled his governor, and appointed a commission to determine the causes of the dissatisfaction. Bacon's Rebellion is considered to be the most important event in the establishment of democracy in colonial America because the right to vote and social equality were denied to the farmers by the local government. The right to vote is a small but crucial part of the democracy. During the first half of the 17th century the farmers on the plantations in Virginia were not able to exercise their right to vote. The only people that were able to vote during this time were the wealthy men who owned land. Overall the colonists had not been treate...

Resistance of Change in Chinese Society in the Beginning of 20’s Century

Resistance of Change Ding Ling’s â€Å"A Day†, Lu Xun’s â€Å"A Madman’s Diary,† and Yu Dafu’s â€Å"Sinking† are all works that have been written in the time of a crucial change in China. Although the stories are fictional, the writers manage to reflect and correlate their characters to the current state of their homeland. Reading the listed works we see that its characters possess many common traits such as suffering, humility, depression, and much love and patriotism for China. The authors use character’s personal difficulties, to illustrate how complex it is for China to abolish its conservative, deep-rooted, traditional ways for new ones.In â€Å"The Diary of a Madman† by Lu Xun, we see a character that is in a state of constant paranoia. He is considered to be a madman by his immediate society that is greatly influenced by old Chinese morals and traditions of imperialism and Confucianism. He believes that his social circle practices cannibalism and sooner or later he will be eaten. On numerous occasions he questions the reasons behind this immoral practice which he believes is real. Although his actual perceptions of his surroundings might be erroneous in reality, we notice a valid metaphoric meaning in his view; cannibalism as suppression of people.He doesn’t understand why people are not willing to give up their old customs of cannibalism. He claims that some who used to practice cannibalism in the past realized its immorality and stopped, yet most continue to live by old traditions. He argues immorality of old traditions should be exemplifying the west as a By illustrating this inability of social change the character demonstrates the society as one of great tradition. The character’s desire for change illustrates the revolutionary times that China was undergoing at the time.He wanted the Chinese society to abandon its traditional beliefs which were constraining their liberali ty. Order, discipline, and oppressive imperial traditions of their background influenced by Confucianism strongly shaped their beliefs and habits, making it difficult to accept new modern principles. The character feels helpless while observing his society’s challenge to change. Although we see the character’s distress, his connection and love towards China is illustrated in his last words of the diary. Declaring to â€Å"Save the Children†, the character conveys his patriotic beliefs in times of agony.We see that regardless of social resistance to change the characters’ hope of a better future for China persists, illustrating the great patriotism that is integrated in Chinese society and culture. In Ding Ling’s story â€Å"A Day,† we also see a character whose emotional state correlates to her surrounding society. In the story, a young woman lives in a poor part of a metropolis city, â€Å"under the jurisdiction of a few imperialist nation s†(12). She despises this split society, which is made of â€Å"fat bellied† capitalists and the filthy poor working class that labors for the former.Observing the miserable working class routinely occupied in their â€Å"back-breaking† tasks makes her feel depressed. She pities them and wishes she could help them realize that they deserve a better living. She thinks that if only she could influence those people, to open their eyes to a better future, she would improve their lives. She makes an attempt to improve her maid’s way of thinking, trying to melt her gloom, but soon feels anguished herself. When she considers people’s â€Å"ignorant ways of thinking and their purely selfish desires† she hopelessly gives up. The lives of those people are wretched and their minds are numbed, they are stripped of all hope and ideas as they eke out a living from one day to the next†. She sees her society suffering in this â€Å"meaningless existen ce† and not being able to change. This resistance to change irritates her greatly. She realizes that the mentality of these people is degraded by imperialistic domination for many years and is difficult to abandon. Those similar self degrading traits can also be detected in the character.Her immediate company that visits her daily takes advantage of her humbleness and overwhelms her with their sentiments regarding the ills of China. Her submissiveness restrains her desire to argue her position and take any measures. Depressed, she wants to isolate herself from everybody and sink in her daydream; the only delight of her day. We see a reflecting relationship between society and the character. Society makes her depressed and she is hopeless of change. Dreaming about a better life, she is still not able to take any actions that would help her break through this cycle of misery.While in the past two stories, we see characters that were disturbed by difficulties of change in their s ocieties, in â€Å"Sinking† by Yu Dafu the main character is troubled by his personal complexities. Various emotional problems such as loneliness, hatred, fear, sexual frustration, paranoia, and other self degrading traits lead him to a suicide. A Chinese native and a patriot, he is influenced by Chinese traditional morals and beliefs that suffocate his desire to acquaint to a new environment in Japan, where he attends school as a foreign student.Discipline and order induced in him by Confucianism of imperialistic China restrain his adaptation in this new liberal setting. We see that his relationship with his new society is hurting because of his long-established morality. He feels that his schoolmates reject him, but his paranoiac attitude and reserved appearance prevent him from making any friends. Failing to make an attempt to connect with the Japanese students, whom he considers his enemies, he loathes them even more. He is resentful that his beloved China is in time of c haos while Japan is thriving and that distances him from his surroundings even more.He is sexually frustrated and unable to connect with girls. He tries to physically ease his frustration but feels sickened and considers it to be immoral. Having been influenced by Confucian tradition, he constantly tries to discipline and improve himself, yet his attempts are always overwhelmed by new desires and beliefs. Influenced by western literature, he finds peace when he recites poetry written by romantic writers and spends his sole time appreciating nature. This aspiration of western culture and liberal thinking constantly competes with the previous morality of the character.His personal conditions and experiences represent, and are the effects of, the undergoing struggles of Chinese society during the time of political chaos. After the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty, China did not have a real government. The society feels rejected, because other countries are not willing to step in and help establish a new administration. Although people anticipate a new liberal government, soon another Emperor takes office. Moral and traditional philosophy infiltrated by Confucianism made the Chinese culture humble and fearful just like the character’s personality.While manifesting many strong feelings of hate, sorrow, and frustration, the character is unable to take any measures to change his perceptions. In the end of the story the character commits suicide, stating; â€Å"O China, My China, you are the cause of my death! I wish you could become rich and strong soon!†¦ Many, many of your children are still suffering. † We can see that regardless of all the struggles he went through, the character is a great patriot of his country, and while he does not see any hope for his own healing, his sorrow and death symbolizes his hope for his Country and future generations.Contradiction We see that the characters in all three stories have various emotional and psychologica l traits that reflect China in its time of turmoil. We also see that all characters ultimately demonstrated great patriotism towards their country. In order to understand the reasons behind those qualities we have to observe a number of factors from authors’ perspective. Lu Xun, Yu Dafu, and Ding Ling were all authors that were greatly influenced by the revolutionary times in China and their stories illustrate, in part, their own feelings towards their society.The overthrow of the emperor, in the beginning of twenties century brought a new wind of change. People started to believe that new times are about to form. Western culture and political approach started to inspire people to believe that a better future is around the corner. The characters in our stories help us better to understand the circumstances and the condition of Chinese society in those crucial times. At first we observe Lu Xun’s â€Å"A Diary of a Madman† in which we see a man that is perceived a s a madman by his society.Although in the story it might be so, we can identify a certain metaphor that symbolizes the character’s wisdom. While cannibalism was actually practiced in some instances in Imperial China, Lu Xun drew a picture that resembled the old imperialistic China that suppressed its society, â€Å"eating† their liberty. Imperialism vanished by the time all three stories have been written, yet society is still unable to change their old mentality. This resistance to change because of old settled-in traditions can also be seen in both â€Å"A Day† and â€Å"Sinking.And yet Ding Ling, similar to Lu Xun, in her story portrays mainly the difficulties of social change, Yu Dafu illustrates them on an individual that is also infected with old traditions overpowering his wish for change. Society formulates individuals that in turn makeup the former. The relationship between them is inevitable. It appears that all authors conveyed their personal outlook of their society through their stories. Resistance to change might have been the most difficult obstacle China had to overcome for a better tomorrow, and the offered stories showed us the disturbances of individuals in relation to their society.

Carnival Competition and Swot

COMPETITION Carnival Corporation is part of different industries and sectors: on one hand we have the cruise industry, which is the fastest growing segment of the travel industry. Carnival is the largest cruise operator in the world, so it’s the most important player of the cruise industry. On the other hand the company is also part of a bigger sector: Hotels, Resorts and Cruise Lines, in which the competition list grows, having hotels and motels and the largest segment with 92. 4% share of the sector’s value. As a company Carnival has 11 brands distributed among the segments of the cruise ship industry.These segments are based on class, average price and number of passengers per ship. The mass-market segment also known as contemporary consists of 45 ships, an average of 2,400 passengers and a price of $114. 87. As company Carnival has the largest share of this segment with two different brands, Carnival Cruise Lines and Costa Cruises with 21 and 2 ships respectively, a share of 52%. Royal Caribbean, has 9 ships and a total of 21% of share in this segment, the company has a total of 40 ships that are operated under five different brands.Norwegian Cruise Line takes third place in the segment with a share of 18% and a total of nine ships, it is jointly owned by Star Cruises, the dominating company in the Asia-Pacific Market. Norwegian is known for its Freestyle Cruising concept, with little requirements. MSC Cruises is fourth with four out of a total of 12 ships, and a share of 9%, it sails throughout the Mediterranean and offers a wide range of itineraries in Northern Europe, the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, South America, among others.Carnival also plays an important role in the also known as premium segment, consists of 54 ships, an average of 2,390 passengers and a price of $167. 50; with four brands and a share of 54%, a total of 28 ships. Princess Cruises, holds 26%; Costa Cruises, 18%; Holland America Line, 8%, and Carnival Cruise Lines, only o ne ship and a share of 2%. Second places goes to Royal Caribbean and three of its brands, Celebrity Cruises, 18%; Royal Caribbean International, 14% and Pullmantur with 3% and two ships.MSC Cruises is third with only 6 cruises and 11% of share. As part of the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines sector, Carnival’s competition increases. The rivalry level is high thanks to the dependence of intense characteristics of the sector capital, management, marketing, personnel, energy, maintenance, and technology, affect the final result. Worldwide the sector reached a value of $623. 2 billion in 2011 with a growth of 8. 2%. Hotels and motels is the largest segment of the sector, it accounts for 92. % of the total value, followed by cruise lines with 4. 7%, and resorts with 2. 9%. Even though Carnival Corporation is part of a smaller segment, it still is the leading player in the sector, generating 2. 5% share of the total value. Competing with Marriot International who holds 2%, a diversif ied hospitality company with a broad portfolio of hotels, lodging facilities, corporate housing properties and timeshare properties under various brand names.Marriott Hotels & Resorts, JW Marriot, Renaissance Hotels, The Ritz Carlton, among others, are part of the portfolio that recorded revenues of $12,317 million during the financial year ended December 2011. Accor comes in third place with a share of 1. 4%, French hotel group, which operates in over 91 countries with 4,426 hotels ranging from economy to luxury, some of its brands includes, Motel 6 and Sofitel Hotels and Resorts. Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide holds 0. 9%, with 1,103 properties in nearly 100 countries.Westin Hotels, Sheraton Hotels and Resorts and W Hotels, are among the diverse portfolio that recorded revenues of $5,624 million. Carnival Corporation & plc is one of the largest cruise and vacation companies in the world, operating through four segments: North America, Europe, Australia and Asia cruise brands. The company is the most important player in both the Cruise Industry and in the Hotels, Resorts & Cruise Lines sector, in a market where buyers and consumers are price sensitive and willing to switch to a new player if a better offer is presented. SWOT ANALYSIS Strengths:Carnival has the largest fleet and passenger capacity in the cruise industry, being the largest operator in the world operating 99 cruise ships, 2. 4 the number of ships of its closest competitor Royal Caribbean. Being the worlds largest cruise operator enhances the company’s bargaining power with suppliers, which results in large economies of scale and significant cost advantage over competitors. The large portfolio of widely recognizes brands, which cater to different lifestyles and budgets, also targeted to different cultures and demographic groups addressing people’s diverse entertainment and preferences.The company has a solid marketing strategy that communicates the value proposition of each bra nd to the target audience intended. Having as the main theme ‘Fun Ships’. Investing heavily in print and television media, to project itself as the ultimate entertainment destination. In addition to advertising, Carnival uses different methods to encourage new customers and travel agents with discounts and commissions, this aggressive marketing and promotion techniques highlights the different brands in a highly competitive industry and sector.Weaknesses: Even though Carnival is the leading provider of cruise vacations in the majority of the largest markets, it shows and overdependence on the North America region because it’s the originator of most of the company’s revenues. Creating vulnerability to the economic situations and uncertainties of the American economy. Opportunities: As an industry there is an opportunity to further penetrate into the European cruise market.Although the cruise industry has grown significantly over the past decades it still oc cupies a very small proportion of the global vacation market, 4. 7%. With more opportunity to further penetrate the European cruise market, especially in Western European countries where the trend is moving in favor of cruise vacations. In addition a changed in demographics has been seen, with a growth in population of over 65. Marking the importance of the general trend where the majority of cruising passengers ranged from 45 to 65 years. Threats:New tax regulations announced by the United States, as a measure to address offshore tax avoidance, Carnival Corporation would be affected because it is incorporated in Panama and Carnival plc in the UK, so its exempt from taxation earnings because they come from operations of a ship documented under the laws of a foreign country. As cruise line company it also pays minimal corporation tax because it holds overseas status. Around 48% of the company’s revenues are generated from non-US regions and are reported in US Dollars, as a res ult there is a large dependence on the fluctuations of the dollar against all other major currencies.

ICT implementation report

1. Range of data This is my data, which offers all the different cars and the details about them. The table is set out in and sorted by the specifications of the cars and also includes their prices. 2. Creating order sheet 3. Customer details of order sheet This is the top part of my order sheet, which are the customer's details and the company logo on the top right hand side of the page. 4. Setting up combo boxes I have created combo boxes so that customers can choose what they wish from my data of cars. Each combo-box category has 5 cars and an empty space left encase the customer chooses not to choose a car from a certain category. This selection is linked to the cell next to it as each car has a preset number and the number is what makes the cell named â€Å"cars† change to what is selected in the combo box. 5. Spinners The quantity is done using spinners. As the customer selects the type of car they prefer the price automatically comes up in the â€Å"price cell† and they can change the quantity up to 6 cars for each which is highly unlikely. As the quantity number changes the price is multiplied by the number in the â€Å"quantity† cell. 6. Totals After these processes are done the total price is calculated by multiplying the quantity chosen with the price of the car. 7. Lookups Column F uses a ‘VLOOKUP' in order to find what car has been chosen by the customer. This is done by linking it with ‘Column C' and this column shows a number which is the number of the car chosen on the combo-box and the number in the combo-box is the number which the cars are set as in the Data sheet. Hence displaying the selected car. There is also a VLOOKUPS done for the price which also works in the same way. 8. Tick box and IF statement for Online Discount This is the online discount tick box which is linked to the cell next to it as you can see above. As the box is ticked and un-ticked the cell next to it will change to TRUE or FALSE this enable me to create an IF statement formula that links to this cell in order to give discount or not. This IF statement is designed to give a 15% discount if B25 displays TRUE and if not then 0 will be shown. 9. Delivery YES, NO buttons and IF statement As shown in step 8 the Buttons are linked to the cell next to them. However this time the cell C28 will display either 1 or 2 which represent YES or NO. From this the IF statement in I24 can be done. If cell C28 is displaying 1 then a à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½6.99 charge will be put on the totals if number 2 is being displayed then cell I24 will come up as blank as there is no Delivery charge. 10. Tick box and IF statement Claims Bonus Discount This is the Claims Bonus discount tick box which is linked to the cell next to it as you can see above. As the box is ticked and un-ticked the cell next to it will change to TRUE or FALSE this enable me to create an IF statement formula that links to this cell in order to give discount or not. 11. Sub-Total This is a sum formula which adds all the prices which are displayed in the selected columns. 12. Working out VAT% Simply input the percentage I wanted as my VAT into cell H26. In the cell next to it a multiplication formula is used to multiply the percentage by the sub-total which leaves the VAT in cell I26. 13. Working out discount price. Simply input the percentage I wanted to discount into cell H25. In the cell next to it a multiplication formula is used to multiply the percentage by the sub-total which leaves the discount in cell I25. 14. Working out Claims bonus Discount price Simply input the percentage I wanted to discount into cell H27. In the cell next to it a multiplication formula is used to multiply the percentage by the sub-total which leaves the discount in cell I27. 15. Grand-Total This is a sum formula however is more complex because it is subtracting discounts and adding different prices. This formula automatically alters and changes according to what is displayed in the cells above it. 16. Add Macros These macros are recorded to copy the details of the chosen car from each row and insert them on to the invoice sheet. They are also set to change the font option and insert a new row so that cars which are chosen do not replace each other so that the user can select more then one car or extra. 17. Go to Invoice & Go to Order These macros have been set up so that the user can toggle between the two sheets without any hassle. They are both very simple macros designed so that the user can change or add anything they want to their receipt. 18. Print Macro This has been created in order to present the user with a print menu once it is selected or print as soon as it is pressed, so that they can select their print option or directly print the receipt. 19. Logos, company details and picture This print scheme shows the company logo and the colour scheme which is matching throughout the project and the picture in order to make the project more attractive. Part of the logo is the company details that are merged with it. 20. Invoice number and date. Located below the logo, this is one of the essentials for the receipt, however there is no formula or calendar option used so the date has to be manually changed every day and the invoice number every time the invoice is being saved and printed. 21. Order details These details are automatically pasted from the order sheet using the Add Macros. Therefore the titles are set in that order according to the data sheet and the font has been set to be changed as part of the processes of the add macro. 22. Customer details on the invoice. These formulas simply display the information/details which the end-user would fill out at the top of the order sheet. 23. Calculation formulas on invoice The print screen above shows all the formulas used I order to calculate the grand total. These are the same formulas used as the order sheet which I have explained in detail, however these have different cell references and copy the if statements from the order sheet so that the customers order is transferred correctly and so I do not have to repeat the process again.