Growing industrialism of the Gilded Age Essay

The growing industrialism of the Gilded Age was indeed a threat to American Democracy. The American Government stood idly by as the Industrialists became more and more powerful. The Preamble of the document that is the foundation of this great country, The Constitution of the United States, reads: ‘We, the people of the United States, in order to form a perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution for the United States of America.’ The American Government was not doing its best to ensure domestic tranquillity or to promote general welfare. Major Industrialists of the time were not kept in check, and the working class citizen paid for it big time. Company towns, the presence of monopolies, and an inactive government all contributed to this threat to American Democracy. During the Gilded Age many large companies took over entire towns. Everybody in that particular town worked for that company. These were called company towns. The large companies replaced all the stores that already existed in that town with their own stores. To keep the citizens of that town from going to other towns to buy supplies they printed their own money and the workers were paid with that. This allowed the large companies to charge an unfair amount for the goods sold in their stores. All competition was eliminated in that town. Competition is the major principle behind the American economy and ultimately the American Democracy. Without competition, weather it be between companies for a profit or politicians for a political office, this great American Democracy would fail. Company towns were also a center for political corruption. Many immigrants that came to this country were given a job and a home in a company town. In exchange for these gifts they were made to vote for candidates that the company supported. This undermines the basic selling point of American Democracy which was that government was of the people, by the people and for  the people. At this point American Democracy was more like a government of the Industrialists, by the Industrialists and for the Industrialists. Industrialists’ monopolies were not limited to the control over towns. The major Industrialists also extended their monopolies into businesses. If ABC corporation manufactured steel, they would buy out all of the other businesses that manufactured steel. ABC corporation might also buy out businesses that sold them the supplies to make steel. With this monopoly in place, ABC corporation would now essentially be able to manufacture steel for only the cost of labor. Because so many powerful Industrialists such as Carnegie and Rockefellar controlled monopolies, the working class was once again punished. Not only could these men charge unfair amounts for their products, they could also pay the workers unfair wages. If a worker was tired of working for unfair wages and quit his job, he would be unable to find another job with better wages. Because there were no other better jobs to be found large corporations also forced workers to work in unsafe work environments. In these monopolies, that important concept of competition was once again eliminated and American Democracy was threatened by this. Through all of this, the American government did nothing. The government did little to stop the forming of monopolies. Because government did not step in and stop the major Industrialists competition was virtually eliminated. It is well known that competition is the backbone of America’s economy and always has been. It is competition that allows America to have a free-market economy. However, it is as equally true to say that competition is an important part in government. Politicians were able to compete for the votes of only the major Industrialists, and still win an election. Those major Industrialists were so powerful that they were able to control who people voted for, as stated previously. The Industrialists had the politicians in their back pocket. If a politician wanted to get elected, he could most likely do that by siding with major Industrialists on important issues. The lower could be completely ignored. Because of this, politicians competed for the votes of only the major Industrialists and ignored the middle and lower  classes. Many people may say that it is not governments job to do anything. However, those people should refer back to the Preamble of the Constitution. The Preamble states that one of the purposes of this union is to promote the general welfare of the people. By allowing the major Industrialists to eliminate competition in business and in government, the American Democracy was threatened. It became increasingly obvious that American Democracy was not promoting the general welfare of the nation, thus not doing its job.

Mockingjay Reflection Essay

Brainwashing, or hijacking, is the biggest scientific ethical issue in Suzanne Collin’s Mockingjay. The main character, Peeta, is brainwashed by the Capitol after he is abducted from a mishap in the 75 hunger games. The Rebellion rescued him sometime after that and when he saw and attempted to strangle Katniss they knew something was wrong. The Rebels discovered that the Capitol had been using genetically engineered animals, tracker jackers, to poison Peeta and control his mind to make him hate and try to kill Katniss. The Capitol used the poison to alter Peeta’s memories involving Katniss and turn him against the girl he has been in love with his whole life. The Rebellion took action and started trying to hijack him back using a similar method. Peeta never returned to the way he used to be exactly for a long time, the brainwashing had lasting effects on him. In the end both sides of the war used a form of brainwashing to get Peeta to act the way they wanted. Brainwashing has been tried many times in experiments by many agencies including the CIA based on different drugs and methods. The tests were never very successful but as science progresses there is a possibility that brainwashing could become a reality. Mockingjay portrays that the brainwashing was done by altering the memories of the affected. It was based with a genetically engineered poison that acted as a hallucinogen which allowed the capitol to tamper with the memories that the patient was recalling. This method made the brainwashed person act exactly as intended because their memory was altered. Using a similar method governments could use this is a multitude of ways, good and bad. The ethics involved with the practice of brainwashing would be very hard to justify, completely changing the way a person thinks and acts isn’t ethical. The main idea behind brainwashing is harmless enough, it can be as simple as getting everyone to agree with you all the time. Maybe even making everyone think you accomplished a feat no one thought was possible. More seriously, it could even make people completely turn their back on a lifelong friend. Brainwashing is harmless until it gets taken out of control ith a bad motive behind it. For example, controlling a president to run their country into the ground and create civil war could be considered unethical. I think that because of how uncontrollable the human race is, working on a way to brainwash people is undoubtedly unethical. There is some usefulness to the practice of brainwashing but it would be almost impossible to not let it get into the wrong hands. It could be used to get information out of spies and would force security to be tighter. It would also be useful to rehabilitate convicted felons to help them get their life back on track. Also, it could help addicts to help get over their addiction and move on in life. I think the topic of weather to use it or not would be a big debate in countries. Brainwashing can be helpful but also harmful to those involved and the question of the ethics of it is up for debate, but personally I think it is an unethical practice because of how uncontrollable humans can be.

The United Nations regards to Public International Law Research Paper

The United Nations regards to Public International Law - Research Paper Example These laws although remain loose bindings yet are gaining strength in the presence of phenomenon of globalization. As the consensus was achieved these nations pledged to save humanity for disasters of rogue minds. It is therefore can rightly be said that these nations achieved a platform for law definition and rules of engagement among nations along with compulsion on nations. These compulsions can broadly be categorized into two main tiers which sprawl over international arena and over national level. As a nation or a government forms an entity of this global body, it is supposed to take care of its responsibilities in the global society. In global community the purpose of such a body, like United Nations, is to work for development, peace and stability which should be based on basic principles of human dignity, justice and wellbeing of all people around the globe. Similarly to find durable, and across the board, stability on the whole and within a nation, it was stipulated by laws and guidelines to have nations comply with UN charter. These guidelines and international laws compelled and brought nations on the whole towards a universal culture of peace2. Multiculturalism found its genesis in the form of International Public law. This law is discussed in this research paper which is quintessentially a part of the international law. For the peoples around the world it is very important to be under a statutory watchdog so that equal and justified treatment can be rendered to them. Various agencies and Organs of the United Nations are working of the issue of discriminatory laws that are impeding globalization and up-board treatment of various populace of the world. The platform of United Nations affords nations with an opportunity to strike a balance for interdependence and national interests when the encounter international problems. This research paper focuses on Public International Laws. It outlines organs and agencies that United Nations has provided to nati ons as watchdogs and helpers, and it also critically analysis their role and writ over the nations. There are 192 members of United Nations that have endorsed its charter and thus are bound to comply with situations that occur with time to time. The case of public international law has been under scrutiny and it is evolving with time. It is need of the hour to have resolve by member stated to adhere to these laws. International Law Agencies and Organs of the UN: Before entering into the details of Law formulating bodies of the United Nations it is important to define the area of research. Public International law is relatively newer field, yet it is growing very fast. Among all organs and agencies there are specialized bodies that look after the issues related to this field. With time United Nations is specializing in this domain to cater problems related to global trade, awareness of human rights violations, environmental problems, increase in international interaction through tran sport and communications. This domain of law making has a special impact that sprawls over international and domestic legal interpretations and implementation. Thus it can be said that with these practice the world is truly evolving into a global community or village. For the sake of understanding of public law making and implementation it can be divided into two branches. First is the national law and the second one is international conventions and

The Relationship between Induced Abortions Article

The Relationship between Induced Abortions - Article Example This could mean that a person who started out as ertophilic could turn into erotophobic during the process of the abortion. After an exhaustive literature review the authors "question" for their research was to find out whether there was a correlation between pregnancy and abortion and increased sexual problems and to find out whether a group of women who have chosen abortion are already thinking negatively about the abortion before they have it as opposed to "non-pregnant comparison group". The methods employed and detailed explanation of how they conducted the study. The researchers used two groups. The termination of pregnancy group (TOP) showed 98 women who were present in an NHS Clinic/hospital for the first trimester medical (34%) or a surgical (68%) abortion. A two-month follow-up was conducted with 44 women (46%). The demographics of the group showed that 91% were Caucasian and they ranged between 16 and 41 years old. About 33% had some college, 79% were currently in a relationship and 60% had no children. Both groups were given several questionnaires that provided information. They received the Sexual Opinion Survey (SOS) and the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS) and each was to assess a different aspect of their theories. The women were asked to answer the GRISS three times: once to understand sexual problems, again two months into their pregnancy (they did this retrospectively) and a final time to test sexual problems that they encountered during the time in which they were pregnant. Seven weeks after their abortion they were sent a follow-up questionnaire through the mail. The questionnaire was timed seven weeks out to make sure women had already passed through their discomfort and were again having sexual relations. This post questionnaire was used to ask about changes in their relationship; they were also asked to complete the GRISS and the SOS again to ask about sexual problems that they may have experienced two months after the abortion.  Ã‚  

Technological and Environmental Pest Analysis of Las Vegas Research Paper

Technological and Environmental Pest Analysis of Las Vegas - Research Paper Example Today there are many large hotels operating in the valley of Las Vegas (Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide-a, 2011). These growing hotels assisted the city to improve its infrastructure condition. Tourism and conventional industries are the main source of income. There are some high tech companies operating in Las Vegas. Considering the infrastructure of the city, it can be considered as the ‘mirage capital’ of America (CSN, 2011). The city has a well developed transportation were more than 965 cabs services and approximately 325 limousines are available. Citizens Area Transit (CAT), a well known public transportation company offers service over 31 routes throughout the city of Las Vegas (Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide-b, 2011). In 2008, Director of Department of Public Works explained that the infrastructure future outlook of Las Vegas is quite bright as more than $900 million has been invested for improvement of the streets. This division has also planned for i ntroducing clean water coalition system, control of water pollution and installation of traffic system. The government is also taking the responsibility of developing parks for the public use (City of Las Vegas Department of Public Works, 2008). ... Demand for motor oxygenated gasoline increases mainly in the winter months (U.S. Energy Information Administration, 2011). As compared to the other parts of US, the rate of electricity consumption is quite high in Las Vegas. On an average each resident in the city consumes approximately 20,000kWh of electricity per year. Such high rate of electricity consumption results in production of 160,000,000 tonnes of CO2. On the other hand, an average American consumes almost 10,660 kWh in a year (The Fun Times Guide to Living Green, 2011). As per the information published by Forbs, the casino in Las Vegas consumes more that 20 percent of the total energy demand by Nevada. The power consumption by the casinos is equivalent to 5 Giga-Watt. In 2007, the energy demand by the city in a summer day was as high as 5,600 megawatts and it was projected that by 2015 the demand will reach to 8,000 megawatts per day. In spite of all the development in improving energy production, it will be difficult to minimise prevailing energy deficiency (Helman, 2007). University Research: University of Nevada is quite active in capturing, preserving and sharing the intellectual research conducted by the faculty, staff, students and other collaborated stakeholders. The university library possesses a huge collection of articles, audio presentation, video presentation and monographs, research work as well as technical paper, reports, theses, data sets and publicity funded research (UNLV, 2011). This research based university receives huge funds for development and extension. Innovation: The city is more focused to represent itself as an innovative and creative destination. The desire for innovation and creativity is visible in the building structure and the creative lights used to make the city look

Nutrition(Diet plans) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Nutrition(Diet plans) - Essay Example In the mouth, food is chewed and the process is called mastication or chewing process. Mastication is the foremost stage of digestion, and it upsurges the surface area of foodstuffs to allow the more efficient breakdown of enzymes. Inside the oral cavity there are numerous accessory glands that help in the digestion of food, they are - the teeth, tongue, and salivary glands. The teeth are small and hard organs that are located along the anterior and lateral edges of the oral cavity and are 32 in number. They help in cutting and grinding the food into smaller pieces. The tongue is situated medial to the teeth and on the inferior portion of the oral cavity. It assists to push the food to the posterior part of the oral cavity for swallowing. Finally, the salivary glands are vital organs that produce saliva that is a watery secretion. There are three sets of salivary glands surrounding the oral cavity and the watery secretion they produce assists to moisturise the food and starts the digestion of carbohydrates (Gray 2004). Chewing is an important step in the process of digestion and this process might be impaired if one does not chew properly or eats too quickly. Chewing or Mastication breaks up food into pieces that are more manageable and upsurges the surface area and also mixes with saliva. The saliva breaks down the carbohydrates present in the meal and the fats are broken down by lingual lipase. Therefore, if one consumes food hastily then he or she will have indigestion. In addition, apart from the enzymes present in the saliva, there are antibacterial agents like peroxidase, lysozyme, lactoferrin, immunoglobulin A, and a substance known as epidermal growth factor (EGF), which might assist to heal the inflamed intestinal tissues. And if someone had been swallowing without chewing and eating hastily then there is a reasonable chance of some inflammation to occur someplace in the gastrointestinal tract. The oesophagus

The Role of the Colonies in the British Mercantilist System Essay

The Role of the Colonies in the British Mercantilist System - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that in the early 17th century, England was a second rate producer, merchant and naval force. By the end of the century, it pushed out its first class competitors, such as the Dutch and the French, through its military prowess and economic ingenuity. King James II, a firm believer in the divine right of a ruler, solidified the colonial rule.   Though his successors, who would loosen the grip on the power over colonies, the British Empire was based on commerce and thus its protection through military prowess. British Empire expanded using its colonies as a source of economic progress and status symbol among other countries.   With King James II, British colonies turned into a source of profit and power for the British Empire. King James II attempted to create a centrally managed Atlantic Empire. Though the Glorious Revolution weakened royal grip on power, King James II put forth the foundations of mercantilism, such as the need to expand economically in order to be a glorious empire. British colonies thus served to improve British economic status among other monarchies and independent states and towns in Europe. Mercantilism was a policy promoting self-sufficiency among countries of the day. According to Nettels, â€Å"[t]he policy aimed to gain for the nation a high degree of security or self-sufficiency, especially as regards food supply, raw materials needed for essential industries, and the sinews of war†. With this goal in mind, the British aristocracy pursued colonies which could produce sugar, tobacco and other food products. In exchange, they were required to buy English manufactured goods, or use the English merchants as intermediaries (Henretta & Brody 69). This practice was prescribed by the Staple Act of 1663, according to which colonial planters bought most of the needed manufactured goods from England (Nettels 109). England prohibited trade with other European countries, as it could not impose favorable terms of trade (Nettels 105). English government designed laws that would keep colonies dependent upon English economy: â€Å"Slaves must be bought from English slave traders. The area must depend upon English sources for capital and credit, and the planters could not avail themselves of legal devices in order to ease their burdens of debt† (Nettels 109). Industrial development overwhelmingly took place in England. English policies were to encourage industrial development by any means possible, such as â€Å"tariffs, bounties and other forms of state aid† (Nettels 113). Unlike the English manufacturers, colonial manufacturers received no such subsidies (Nettels 113). English government ensured the policy was followed by forbidding colonial governments to assist colonies with any help whatsoever in the field of manufacturing (Nettels 113). The British aristocracy encouraged conquest of new colonies, and imposed itself as a naval power (Nettels 106). Mercantilists viewed it a government’s duty to guard favorable terms of trade and to store an adequate amount of gold and silver (Nettels 106). Therefore, according to the Navigation Act of 1661, the mercantilist government prohibited its citizens all trade with foreign merchants and vessels (Nettels 109). Its military ensured the law was obeyed and they even imposed it on the Dutch and the French. However, the mercantilist government did not create activities in the colonies. According to Nettels, economic activities sprang up from colonists, who decided which economic activity was necessary for their survival in new lands (108). As a result, the government only controlled a certain economic activity once it had proven itself to be profitable. The British government retarded the economic growth of plantations. The mercantilist system in England did not aim to promote economic development in its colonies. Mercantilism aimed to extract wealth from

Enhancing Security in System Administration Assignment

Enhancing Security in System Administration - Assignment Example Contextually, it can be affirmed that an operating system is usually viewed to be one of the major fundamental aspects concerning improving the security of every computing system by a considerable level. It can be argued in this similar regard that secured programs require safe operating system and ignorance of this may lead to failure. In other words, operating systems must be capable of ensuring effective execution of various programs as well as mechanisms effectively and most vitally enabling high performance use of various computer resources. Ensuring secure performance of all operational processes largely relies on accurate implementation of different hardware resources and scheduling mechanisms (Jaeger, 2008). Specially mentioning, the security threats associated with various system administrators are recently receiving increasing attention driven by series of events resulting in significant damage due to security threats. The primary challenges related with system administrato r can be attributed by taking into concern certain significant aspects like security and manageability. In practice, operating systems require various tasks that need to be executed in order to make sure that the system operations impose extensive impact on sensitive user data and process. For instance, adding and removing various software systems and drivers may result in causing the user data to be at risk through corruption, leakages and losses (Scarfone, Janseen & Tracy, 2012).) With this concern, the primary purpose of this paper is to develop, document and assess best practices for server deployment and administration that would eventually support and enhance the security of Megacorp towards upgrading its new operating system. 1. Enhancing Security a. Before Server Deployments Deployment of servers in any organization is costly and daunting. The servers provide broad array of services to internal as well as external users and stores along with delivers different sensitive info rmation to the organizations. Moreover, servers are frequently introduced by the intruders in order to gain unauthorized access of valuable data and other services. There exist certain few common threats to servers that have been represented below: Malicious objects may use software bugs in the server or its operating system in order to gain unofficial access to the server Denial of service (DoS) might also be directed to secondary network infrastructure, deterring the valid users to execute the server services Sensitive information stored in the main server may get access by the intruders or may change in an unauthorized manner Sensitive data or information that are transferred or encrypted amid the servers and thus the client may get interrupted by unauthorized users. Correspondingly, it can be admitted that it is often more difficult to address the security of servers after the deployment or the implementation of effective operation systems. Thus, security should be prudently mea sured from the preliminary stage of planning. It is essential to make effective decisions about determining the configurations of various information systems appropriately and consistently in order to ensure effective outcome of the deployment plan. It has been ascertained that organizations often fail to address dissimilar human resource associated

Domestic policies of presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton Essay

Domestic policies of presidents Reagan, Bush, and Clinton - Essay Example According to Tannsjo, this attitude â€Å"is the first step towards an adequate characterization of conservatism† (3). Conservatism focuses on the economic autonomy and the measures to maintain a small government with guaranteed protection against terrorism. The concept of conservatism has seen some modification after the postwar era or since some decades, and this new concept has affected the meaning of political and public verve in the United States. Ronald Reagan, the 40th American president from 1981-1989, was a Republican politician and a conservative leader. The history of America shows that most of the conservative politicians belonged to the Republican Party. Reagan’s domestic policies focused on lowering down the federal regulation. He emphasized upon the importance and establishment of private enterprises and worked toward lowering the taxes. The aim behind tax cuts was to improve productivity with reduced government spending and investment in domestic field so that more should be spent on national defense and protection against violence. Although his conservative policies did face some difficulties in the form of recession in the beginning of his career, yet the economical infrastructural strengthened its roots afterwards. This way, we can say that Reagan’s domestic policies were a reflection of rise of conservatism in the American politics.

Luxury Fashion Brand Essay Example for Free

Luxury Fashion Brand Essay To be successful in India, it is both necessary to gauge the financial potential as well as the mindset of the Indian luxury consumer. This will help in bringing forth the right product offerings to the Indian consumer as well as targeting them better. There are conventional foundations for ensuring success of a brand and they are listed below in brief: * The brand must be â€Å"expansive† Which means it should be full of innovation opportunities for the marketer and in terms of satisfying the different needs of the luxury consumer. * The brand must tell a story – One of the best ways for an organization to compete and distinguish yourself from the rest of the pack is to tell your brand story. The story should be so powerful that it should make customer act as the way you want. * The brand must be relevant to the consumers’ needs Depending upon the mindset of the luxury class, it is necessary for a brand to satisfy those needs, whether they be for recognition or functional use etc. * The brand must align with consumers’ values A brand that does not concur with the basic values of a consumer’s society has a small chance of succeeding because luxury items are identification for a luxury consumer. This makes it difficult for the consumer to adopt the brand in such cases. * The brand must perform Irrespective of which category the brand belongs to, a performance assurance is a must for the brand. Based on the inputs given above as well as an understanding of the decision making process of the luxury consumer, we recommend the following paths for luxury marketers based on what Indian consumers really desire from their luxury brands, i. e. product brand, dealer/store brand and price/value relationship : (The price / value relationship has been accorded less focus since the Indian Consumer is at a phase when cost of luxury is secondary to its appeal / benefits) 1. Brand Me Affluent! It is essential for marketers to ensure that the recognition value of their brands is always high so that it lends a sense of affluence to the consumer, which can only come if others around him / her perceive the brand to be a top-notch luxury brand. This can come from either being aligned with the most successful celebrities or being a part of elite events and promotions. 2. Nothing but the Best – This is a golden opportunity for the marketer to earn greater margins by adding customized value to his line of luxury goods. These added-value customized goods will ensure that the customer feels he has something more than just the ordinary range of luxury goods available. 3. Luxury is having the world at my fingertips – First! A luxury marketer will not only have to be faster than his competitors in reaching out to the consumer, to gain a share of wallet but also continuously offer innovative products that serve to differentiate between the consumers. 4. â€Å"Ethnic Chic† – The Fusion of Local Global goods This point is connected to the strategy of a product being in line with the consumers’ values for it to be adopted. Apart from this, in the Indian context, ethnicity is also a fashion statement in many product categories. 5. You Think I’m Demanding? Next! The marketer’s job should be a constant endeavor to offer newer luxury goods to the consumer, in sync with their needs. In addition to that, marketers will need to make sure that each and every single consumer has to be treated with a high-level of personalized attention, given the nature of the product and the consumer. Even minor Shortfalls in this case will have the consumer shifting their brand preferences to those marketers who can satisfy their needs better. 6. CANNIBALIZATION OF BRANDS It thus becomes essential to ensure that successful celebrities are partnered with at the right time, thereby both eliminating chances of Competition as well as delivering the right aspirational / appeal message to the intended audience. Conclusion The starting point for identifying successful luxury brand strategies in India has been established by identifying certain salient aspects of luxury brands that remain constant as well as identifying the stage of mindset of the Indian consumer towards these brands. The focus is now towards ‘how soon’ luxury brands will enter the market to gain a first mover advantage, which is of significant importance in India. Apart from how soon, we primarily focus on ‘how will’ luxury brands cater to the mainly aspirational needs of the Indian consumer. A word of caution that goes for luxury marketers, irrespective of their brands and Geographical presence – The luxury consumer is always looking for newer ways to Satisfy his continuously changing needs. Hence, the need to keep a close tab through insightful research is of prime importance. As far as India is concerned, given the rapidly accelerating affluence of the Masses, the scenario is set to witness a boom. The ones who will be riding the Wave will be the ones who’ve kept their ears open to each and every word of their Each and every customer. After all, in the luxury business, no marketer can afford the luxury of treating its consumers as a loosely bunched segment.

Defamation And Free Speech In England And Russia Law Essay

Defamation And Free Speech In England And Russia Law Essay The basis of modern society is formed by the fundamental human right of freedom of speech. The importance of having this fundamental right is immense. In order for this world to continue modernizing, it is very important to let every individual voice his/her opinion. However, in certain situations what one person says (intentionally or unintentionally) might harm the reputation of another person. I believe that defamation law and freedom of speech are two different sides of the same coin. They always go together, yet talk about two contradicting concepts. If freedom of speech gives everyone the right to express themselves, then defamation limits this right, in order to protect the reputation of individuals from being harmed. Every country has its own coin which is unique in its own way. This means that every legal system has its own way of evaluating freedom of speech and defamation law. Therefore, I think, it will be interesting to make compare the defamation law in the Russian lega l system and the defamation law in the English legal system, as they are both part of completely different legal traditions. By examining these two different jurisdictions, I will try to evaluate whether defamation law infringes the fundamental human right of speech. Defamation law in England: General overview (Defamation and Free Speech): Defamation is quite different from the other torts because, unlike the others it protects something that is indistinct; it protects the claimants reputation (not personal safety or personal integrity, unlike the other torts). Since it protects something so abstract, it can be difficult to actually reach a fair conclusion. Thus, the question here arises that what is defamatory and did it really harm the reputation of the claimant. It should be clarified as to what is actually meant by harm the reputation of the claimant. This phrase means that certain comments/statements have caused the claimant to be avoided and shunned by the right-thinking members of the society. Defamation can be made in two forms, either libel (i.e. permanent/written form) or slander (i.e. auditory form). In order to give rise to liability in defamation the claimant has to mainly prove three things. Firstly, the statement has to be defamatory (i.e. should harm the reputation of the claimant). Secondly, the claimant also has to prove that the statement was in fact referring to the claimant and not someone else. Thirdly, the defamatory statement was demonstrated to a third party (by third party, it is meant at least one other person). Moreover, in cases of slander the claimant also has to prove that the statement caused actual damage (i.e. financial loss). Once the claimant proves these things, the burden of proof falls on the defendant, because the statement(s) is/are presumed to be false.  [1]   When it comes to human rights, especially free speech, many critics believe that the English legal system does a poor job of protecting it. The main reason is believed to be the fact the Great Britain does not have a written constitution. Therefore, the interpretation of human rights lies in the hands of the judges (who can be very subjective). However, things have changed slightly since the introduction of European Human Rights Convention and 1998 Human Rights Act, both of which have helped the English law to develop and also clarify certain points. Nevertheless in certain situations it can be seen that the English law still struggles to provide justice to these acts  [2]  . This was the case in R v Shayler, where Mr. Shayler, a former member of the Security Service, disclosed that MI5 kept files on future labour ministers, alleged incompetence relating to the IRA bombing of Bishopsgate in the City of London in 1993, and the bombing of the Israeli embassy in London a year later, and that MI6 was involved in a plot to assassinate the Libyan leader, Muammar Gadafy, in 1995. The defence of Mr. Shayler was based on the freedom of expression and public interest. He was charged under the Official Secrets Act 1989 which prohibited any member of the security and intelligence services, from disclosing any information about his/her work. However, according to Mr. Shayler this act was incompatible with article 10 of the Convention and it violated his right of free speech. Nonetheless, the House of Lords decided unanimously to dismiss his appeal  [3]  . Consequently, I personally believe that it can be seen from the type of information Mr. Shayler disclosed, that he acted in public interest. Defences: Defences are given more importance in defamation than in other aspects of tort. The defences are given such immense importance, in order to avoid violating the constitutional right of free speech. Moreover, it is not very difficult for the claimant to establish the elements of defamation. Once the claimant established the elements, it is up to the defendant to prove his/her innocence. Therefore, defences are of enormous importance. There are certain defences which help the defendant to do so, for example, Justification (truth), privilege, fair comment and defence of innocent publication under s. 1 Defamation Act 1996. Other than these defences, there are some others, which help the defendant to remove the liability, for example, offer of amends under s.2 Defamation Act 1996 and expiry of limitation period  [4]  . Since the statement made by the claimant is assumed to be false, the defence of justification tells that whatever the defendant published was true and thus the claimant has no right to complain about true statements which lower his/her reputation. Moreover, if the defendant has made a number of distinct charges against the claimant, then it will be sufficient that the defendant proves the truth of most of the charges such that the other statements do not injure the claimants reputation materially. Defamatory statements made on a privileged occasion are not actionable. Privileged occasions are those, where public interest in freedom of speech is such that it overrules any concerns as to the effect of this freedom on the claimants reputation.  [5]  There are two types of privileges, absolute and qualified. Absolute privilege applies to statements made in Parliament, court hearings, any document ordered to be published by House of Parliament and communications between certain officers of state. Qualified privilege applies to an occasion where the person who makes a communication has an interest or a duty (legal, social, or moral) to make it to the person to whom it is so made has a corresponding interest or duty to receive it.  [6]  The rationale for this is said to be the common convenience and welfare of society. Unlike absolute privilege, the defence of qualified privilege will be defeated if malice is proved. Fair comment protects the defendants right to criticize the claimant, which is why the defendant does not have to show that his/her words are true. However, this right to criticize is kept within strict boundaries. In order to qualify for this defence the defendant must prove that he/she was acting in public interest. Moreover the defendant should also show that the statement was based upon a set of facts and that the defendant honestly held that opinion. If a person was involuntarily or unknowingly involved in the process of publication of the defamatory material, then the defence of innocent publication (under s.1 of DA 1996) will apply to him/her. The defendant should prove that he/she took reasonable care in relation to the statements publication. Moreover, he/she should also prove that he/she had no reason whatsoever to believe that his/her actions caused or contributed to the publication of a defamatory statement. This defence cannot be applied to the author, editor or publisher. If the defendant has unintentionally defamed the claimant, then he/she can make an offer of amends (i.e. publish an apology). If the claimant accepts this offer then the proceedings would end, however, if the claimant refuses to accept it, then this would become a defence for the defendant. The expiry of the limitation period cannot be really regarded as a defence; it is more of an assertion that the claimant has run out of time to bring his/her claims for defamation. It is obvious from the defences mentioned above, that English law tries to take reasonable care to protect free speech from being violated. However, the question which arises here is whether these defences are enough. I personally think that it is not enough, because despite the strong defences there are still some major glitches in the system. The main example would be the unnecessarily high costs of bringing up a defamation lawsuit. Since legal aid is not available, the cost of hiring a lawyer is relatively high. This leads us to think that defamation law is only for the rich and the poor cannot seek justice from it. Defamation in Russian Law General Overview (defamation and free speech): In the Russian legal system, up until the last decade of 20th century, defamation was a part of the criminal law. The Russian Criminal Code contains five articles which deal with defamation. In order to sue for criminal defamation the claimant must prove that the statement was made with malicious intent to harm the claimants reputation. Furthermore, the claimant must also prove that the defendant knew that the statement was false. In the past two decades, due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian law underwent some major reforms, such as the introduction of defamation in civil law. Civil defamation is covered by various articles of the Russian Civil Code. According to article 152 of the Civil Code, the elements required in order to establish civil defamation are: dissemination of information, information must be defamatory; the information must be false, the information should be of factual nature, and the information should be referring to the claimant. The claimant only needs to prove that the statement was published, other than this the burden of proof falls on the defendant. Defences  [7]  : Russian civil defamation law mainly focuses on how to deal with the defendant who is found guilty. This can be seen in the emphasis placed by these requirements on the grounds for bringing a defamation lawsuit, how the defamatory statement will be refuted and how the compensation should be awarded. The main problem with these rules is that they contain very little information on how the defendant may defend him/herself. The defences are provided under international law. First, a defendant should be given a fair opportunity to prove that the statement made by him/her is true. If the defendant succeeds in doing so, it removes liability from the defendant. Second, if the statement was made in public interest and it was reasonable in all circumstances for the defendant to publish the information in the form he/she did, then the defendant can benefit from the defence of reasonable publication. Finally, the defendant cannot be liable if the statement actually expresses his/her opinion. An opinion is defined as a statement which does not include any factual expression or cannot reasonably be interpreted as a fact, because of the language or context. Evaluation: Defamation law and free speech are both equally important concepts in our society. One persons right of free speech should be balanced against another persons right to being protected against being defamed by lies. Therefore it is crucial to exercise freedom of speech and defamation law helps to do so. I personally believe, that defamation law is one of the most important part of tort law, since it protects people against those false statements which might harm their reputation. Moreover, defamation law tries its level best not to infringe free speech. The defences used in defamation law try to create a balance between freedom of speech and defamation. However, in certain cases freedom of speech ends up getting violated. In England free speech is fundamental human right which is granted by the common law and protected by the statute law. Provisions are taken by the judiciary in order to avoid violating the constitutional right of freedom of speech. This can be seen in English defamation law, which has a lot of defences which help the defendant to protect his/her interests (i.e. free speech). However, compared to other common law countries, for example USA, the English defamation law has some glitches. The main example would be placing the burden of proof on the defendant or assuming that the statement made by the defendant is false. I think that this places the defendant in an unfair position. In Russian law, the defences are very limited and the punishment is greater because defamation in Russian law is regarded as a criminal offence in certain cases. I think that defamation should not be regarded as a criminal offence under any circumstances because it creates an impermissible chilling effect stemming the flow of protected speech.  [8]  Moreover, the burden of proof shifts improperly, thus, requiring the defendant to prove his/her innocence. I believe that Russian defamation law needs to cut out defamation from criminal law completely. It can be seen that compared to English defamation law; Russian defamation law limits free speech to a greater extent. The main reasons are limited number of defences and defamation being a part of the criminal law. However, the Russian law has tried to improve the situation by implementing defamation in their Civil Code. The result of my research says, that despite the fact that the defences help to minimize the negative effect of defamation law on free speech it can be said that almost every legal system infringes free speech to some extent. The main reason for this is limited number of defences (in the case of Russian law) and in some cases the judges tend to favour the protection of reputation more than free speech.

Global Music :: Art

Global Music The global perspective of music: we live in an increasingly smaller â€Å"global village.† With advance in worldwide transportation and communication and with increasingly mobile societies, it seems not only appropriate but also necessary to develop a global perspective of music. A global perspective of music is a sense of the lifestyles, traditions, values and the music of several nations and cultures throughout the world. An awareness of the diversity within our national boundaries that has contributed significantly and beneficially to the cultural richness of our land. The diversity of musical styles that exist in the United States includes Western European â€Å"classical† music (art music) and a number of â€Å"popular† music styles derived largely from Western European ways of making music. These styles include pop, folk, country, and rock. Other styles, including jazz, blues, and various ethnic music, are the result of a blending of cultures and traditions. All these styles constitute an important part of music in American society, styles that constitute â€Å"American music.† The ethnic diversity: part of the cultural richness of our nation is derived from its ethnic diversity and its large number of ethnic groups. Immigrant groups may have partially assimilated into the mainstream of our society while retaining the songs, dances, instruments, languages (at least accent and inflection), fashion, food, and lifestyles of their native cultures. In many cases, the merging of cultural traditions has formed new styles and modes of behavior. For example, jazz evolved in the early twentieth century. Music is vocal or instrumental sounds having melody, rhythm, or harmony. Also, music is sound that you want to hear as music, sound that is not organized in some fashion typically cannot be called music. Yet the roar of a waterfall, the sound of rain falling on a tent or the chirping of birds can sense but as pleasing, and these perhaps as musical, sounds. In fact, the sounds of birds, water, and whales and other sounds of nature have been taped and used in â€Å"organized† music. Conversely, all sorts of drum, cymbals, and gongs; harsh dissonant harmonics; and abstract, totally unsingable melodies have been organized into music. Artistic qualities of Music: music maybe folk art, high art, or at any place in this continuum. Much music has attributes of both. High art includes the classical music of the Western European cultivated tradition. It also includes the classical music of other cultures.

Sherlock Holmes - I am lost without my Boswell. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. :: English Literature

Sherlock Holmes - I am lost without my Boswell. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sherlock Holmes- I am lost without my Boswell. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh in 1859, and had a good education. He received a tax demand a year after he married which prompted him to try to earn some extra money. At first he tried to get short stories published in the cheaper magazines of the time, but with no success. His big break came when Lippincott's Magazine, in the USA, offered Doyle an advance to write another Holmes and Watson story. His success continued, and he was knighted in 1902. He continued writing until he died in 1930. The three Sir Arthur Conan Doyle detective stories I have studied are: 'The Speckled Band', 'Scandal in Bohemia', and 'The Copper Beaches'. I am going to talk about the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. Holmes is the hero of the stories; he is a very clever detective who is exceptionally particular to detail. His powers of detection are breathtaking and he loves an intellectual challenge. He is usually calm and controlled, his behaviour is often eccentric and, emotionally he comes across as cold, detached and aloof. His romantic life is never referred to yet his admiration for Watson is clearly genuine. Despite his faults, he is also honorable and very brave. Watson is the narrator of the stories. He tells the story but is not as clever as Holmes, and he often fails to understand the significance of certain events and often misses what Holmes can see as a clue to the mystery. He is faithful companion to Holmes. Uncomplicated and trustworthy, Watson is portrayed as being slow and dimwitted, when compared to Holmes, a perfect ally to Holmes' acute intellect. The Speckled Band, is, in my opinion, the best out of these three stories. It is the most exciting and I think Holmes enjoys the case because of the intellectual challenge. It involves the Roylott family who lived at Stoke Moran. Helen Stoner consults Holmes when her sister dies in suspicious circumstances. At the beginning of this story, Miss. Stoner comes to see Holmes about the case, and accepts the Watson is Holmes' sidekick, 'This is my intimate friend and associate, Dr. Watson, before whom you can speak as freely as before myself.' This also happens in The Copper Beaches. When Miss. Hunter writes a letter to Holmes stating that 'I am very anxious to consult you'. From the start of this particular story you can see that Watson is hard working, and has a willingness to help Holmes in any way possible.

College Admissions Essay: I Will be a Writer! :: College Admissions Essays

I Will be a Writer! Two books helped me define myself as a writer, or rather, helped me decide what kind of writer I would be. The first was the Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. I read it when I was a freshman in high school. By then, I had already begun to wrestle with questions of good and evil which I encountered in the novel and would later work with again and again in my poems. Perhaps because I had been raised Catholic, it made the novel more resonant for me, for I firmly believed in the existence of evil, as firmly as I believed in the existence of goodness and its power to transform, although at the end of the book, I had begun to realize that goodness alone is not always enough and that indeed, sometimes we are not transformed by suffering, but are destroyed by it. The second book was Body Rags, poems by Galway Kinnell who made a profound impression on me. For weeks after reading Galway, I carried Body Rags around as if it were holy script, as if it were a sacred guide to the writing life. I remember feeling as if I had some amulet against the unpoetic mundane world I inhabited in my everyday life. I thought if a book could make such a difference, perhaps one day, if I persevered and was lucky enough to write one, I too could be an inspiration to someone and that feeling encouraged me to keep writing. The other book I read around the same time, was The Temple of the Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima - I was reading a lot of Japanese fiction at the time.

Active Citizen

I’m going to become an active citizen in four simply steps which are learn about the issues, figure out what is not working and try to come up with solutions, take action, and make sure to talk to others. Step 1: read a good newspaper or website like www. cp24. com. Find out what is going on and what’s good and bad about my city, state, country, and the world. Step 2: start by looking in my city you I don’t get confused. To do this, I will need to make a list of categories, which will help me break down all the problems.Some examples are: Are there problems with the public education or catholic system? Is there a lack of community in my neighborhood? Step 3: write letters, call, and meet with your elected officials. I will make my voice be heard by writing to the media or even just starting a blog or website. I can host a creative fundraising project or volunteer with an organization. Step 4: make as many people as possible to be concerned about each problem that ’s happening with in our community, so that they can take their own actions and the problem can get solved.The most important thing is putting the word out there so people can act wisely. The three most significant lessons about citizenship that I will take away from this course are the freedom of speech, the freedom of voting, and the freedom of religion. Freedom of speech is extremely important because it refers to the right of an individual to express his/her views about matter of interest to him/her with the freedom of press which means the freedom of writing which both represent their thoughts.Freedom of speech gives people the right to express their opinions without being arrested and thrown to jail. The freedom of voting is also important because it lets people choose the person they feel will represent them better. Freedom of voting is also important because a democratic government can only function when as many people as possible are able to participate in the electo ral process.Freedom of religion is important because people need to feel that they are able to have some sort of influence that is free from the external control. Individual need to feel some sort of level of spiritual fulfillment and should be able to choose freely how that path is taken. Freedom of religion is so important because no matter what ones religion is all of them have one thing in common. It is also important because people wont be force to follow certain customs or beliefs like they used to back in the days.

Philosophy Meaning Essay

PHILOSOPHY greek meaning â€Å"love of wisdom†, encompassed the love of all wisdom, but only in recent centuries came to refer to a special branch of enquiry, separate from other sciences, such as â€Å"natural philosophy†. * is universally defined as â€Å"the study of the wisdom or knowledge about the general problems, facts, and situations connected with human existence, values, reasons, and general reality. † It seeks reasons, answers, and general explanations to life and its factors. Thus, if we talk about philosophy, we talk about a school of thoughts. â€Å"philosophers† which makes a profession of studying things in their separation from human life and practice. The main branches of Philosophy are Logic, Epistemology, Metaphysics and Ethics. Western philosophy is referred to as the school of thought from Greek philosophy that influenced the greater part of Western civilization. * takes its roots from Rome and Christianity, specifically Judeo-Christianity. * Latin * Rational, Scientific, Logical schools. Western civilization is more individualistic, trying to find the meaning of life here and now with self at the center as it is already given and part of the divine. Eastern philosophy is based mainly in Asia, more specifically the Chinese philosophy. * Confucianism, Mahayana Buddhism, and Taoism. Chinese. Hinduism, Integral Yoga, Islam, Zen * Relationship with religion; Integration Search for absolute truth: * Systemic approach – all events in the universe are interconnected * Searching inside yourself – by becoming a part of the universe through meditation and right living. Eastern philosophy is drawn much more into groups or society or people’s actions and thoughts as one in order to find meaning in life as they try to get rid of the false â€Å"me† concept and find meaning in discovering the true â€Å"me† in relation to everything around them, or as part of a bigger scheme. Summary: * Western philosophy is mainly used in the Western parts of the world, such as in the European countries, while the Eastern philosophy is prevalent in Asian countries. * Both philosophies center on virtues. * West’s Individualism ( and the East’s Collectivism (A human being is an integral part of the universe and the society. People are fundamentally connected. Duty towards all others is a very important matter. Collectivism is stronger. ) * Eastern philosophy takes more of a spiritual approach while Western philosophy is more hands-on. The Ionian Philosophers * comes from Aristotle; first source to attempt systematic exposition of their doctrines. Thales * Prediction of the eclipse, and other astronomical activities. * Prediction of solstices * Mathematical discoveries (geometry ) * Cosmology * Natural phenomena – including the heavens – could be discussed as processes governed by natural laws. * Believed that the Earth was a large (? at) disk ? oating on an in? nite ocean of water, and that earthquakes resulted from disturbances in this ocean that shook and cracked the Earth. * concept of â€Å"unity underlying diversity† – some fundamental principles tying together all the multitude of things we see on Earth * water was the fundamental element from which all things were derived. Anaximander * Zoogony and anthropogony * thought the Universe formed out of an in? nite chaos he called the â€Å"boundless† due to a â€Å"separating out† of opposites (such as hot and cold, wet and dry). * ? rst recorded attempt to model the Universe. (the Earth was a cylinder and that the Sun, Moon and stars were all located on concentric cylinders, or hoops, rotating about the Earth. ) Anaximenes * one ruling material principle is air; imperceptible. * Air was the fundamental material of all things. * ? rst attempt to explain the diversity of the world with qualitative differences in terms of quantitative differences. Babylonians and Egyptians were excellent at mathematics. Greeks began to move away from their mythical view of the world and started to seek explanations of natural phenomena; later called science. * All questioned the origin of the Universe, what was here in the beginning, and what things are made from. They all believed that material substance (rather than some spiritual or supernatural substance; thus the name materialists) made up the Universe. In other words, matter is the only substance, and reality is identical with the actually occurring states of energy and matter. * ‘physicalism’. to distance oneself from what seems a historically important but no longer scientifically relevant thesis of materialism.

Lorenzo’s Oil

In the Movie Lorenzo’s oil the disease Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) or also known as Schilder's Disease, a rare inherited disorder that leads to progressive brain damage, failure of the adrenal gland and eventually death, is institutionalized by Augusto and Michaela Odone’s struggle to find a cure for their son who has ALD. Their independent efforts to find a cure for this dreaded disease leads them to clashes with the established medical institutions. Scientists, doctors and other support groups to not believe they can succeed. However, their efforts soon gain media attention and people from the mainstream are drawn into assisting them in their ‘mad’ crusade. Their labors are epitomized in the international symposium the definitely catches peoples attention. Eventually, enough mainstream interest is gained in ALD research and actual scientists back them up in finding a cure. It is an example, of institutionalization because by their labors ALD is brought into the mainstream as a disease that should be studied and fought and not just an isolated illness that the occasional luckless person suffers. Advocacy refers to efforts on the part of an individual to gain attention for something in the hopes of positive reaction from the public. In this movie the couple advocated the search for a cure to their son’s affliction and in the end has some success. Interference, is quite the opposite, is when people try to get media mileage from an event in an effort to gain popularity. Politicians who get involved in social issues are often disparaged as simply trying to gain media mileage. I learned from the movie that we must never give up hope. Science, with enough persistence, can help us conquer many problems that appear unconquerable. Also, we must discern between those who truly want to help us and those who are merely trying to use us for their own personal gains.

Fast Food and Traditional Filipino Way Essay

Statement of the Problem Both Franchise offer almost have the same product. McDonalds Philippines, an American fast food company they offer burgers, spaghetti, fries and fried chicken. they also have deserts Mcflurry, sundae, vanilla ice cream on a cone, apple pie, and coke float. Jollibee deserts are mango pie, sundae, vanilla cone twirl, chocolate krunch ice cream, and coke float. Almost the same as McDonalds. Causes of the Problem SWOT ANALYSIS of Jollibee Strengths: – Jollibee has grown exponentially on all aspects on operation. – Superior menu line-up. -Creative marketing programs. – Efficient manufacturing and logistics facilities. – It is a stronghold of heritage and monument of Filipino victory. Weakness: – The existence of other competitors. -still needs expansion to widen its sales Opportunities: – Employees received extensive training so that they could learn the corporate values of integrity and humility. Threats: -The rivalry between Jollibee and McDonald. -Jollibee was reported to have been using earthworms in its beef patties for many years to get customers ‘addicted’ to certain so-called chemical elements in earthworms. Alternative Courses of Action I think Jollibee should offer dish which is popular in the Philippines so that they could have a different perspective from the target customers. This is evident as they are constantly adding its product range on top of their already popular favorite menu, in order to allow its local customers to experience the traditional Filipino way of having local flavored taste in a comfortable setting. The main draw for customers into Jollibee’s restaurants is the appeal for local styled food offered to Filipinos’ preferences. This is evident as they are constantly adding its product range on top of their already popular favorites menu, in order to allow its local customers to experience the traditional Filipino way of having local flavored taste in a comfortable setting. Advantages and Disadvantages Advantages -continue to improve services to have an edge to the competitors -the company originated in the Philippines Compared to McDonalds -it is more known to Filipinos -affordable Disadvantages -the target market is mostly kids only -some foods were made from unhealthy ingredient like MSG Recommendation Jollibee should involve itself as being closer to Filipino families as compared to its competitors. There is already widespread awareness locally that Jollibee is a local Filipino establishment, which in turn appealed to the mass population whom felt more comfortable in a familiar setting. Tailoring its menu towards the Filipino taste, it positioned itself as the favourite destination for family outings as compared to its similar competitors. Conclusion Based on the information, therefore I conclude that Jollibee will make the company survive for a long period of time without being interrupted by its competitors if they will make their business closer to the hearts of the Filipino.

Innovation in Gurit Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Innovation in Gurit - Case Study Example Gurit, the company is one of the leading contenders in the composite materials and solutions industry. The customer base of the company is spread all over the world. The company has three decades history of providing innovative composite materials, engineering solutions and technical support to its customers all over the world. The potential target market of the company is in the sectors of Wind Energy, Transportation, Marine and selected other application areas. The company has cutting edge over other competitors of manufacturing tailored materials according to the unique requirements of customers. These composite materials are manufactured by pre-impregnating the composite materials also known as "prepregs". Important components of composite material solutions include structural foam products, formulated resins, adhesives and gel coats. The company has continued research in order to manufacture materials having unique characteristics of minimal weight, maximal stability and stiffness combining with unlimited suitable design properties catering the needs of today's modern construction and interior decoration. "The Company has production sites in Switzerland, Germany, Spain and the United Kingdom in Europe, large facilities in Canada and China as well as the support of engineering, sales and service subsidiaries in the United States of America, India, Australia and New Zealand, Gurit is excellently positioned to serve a truly global customer base" (Gurit, 2007). The Company is listed in SIX Swiss Stick exchange and have it s headquarter in Zrich/Switzerland. Market position of Gurit: Market share is a good indicator of economic growth as compare to the financial analysis and raw sales data. The business model adopted by Gurit helped the organisation in increasing the yields in 2008 by improving the cash flows and increasing the returns on capital. According to the figures presented by the Gurit management the following trends were observed: "Target market sales up 6.7% in reported CHF; up 17.8% at constant December 2008 currency translation rates; Group sales including divestment effects up 1.6% to CHF 456.2 million Operational EBIT up from CHF -4.1 million to CHF 23.9 million Net income up from CHF 1 million to CHF 17 million Net Cash flow from operations at CHF 31.1 million CHF 1.7 million net cash 2008 vs CHF 45.7 million net debt 2007 Net working capital ratio reduced from 19.6% to 14.1% Flexible staff adjustments to volatile markets in Q2, 2009" (Figures taken from http://www.gurit.com/news.aspitemid=1277&itemTitle=Financial+year+2008+earnings§ion=000100010029§ionTitle=Market+News+items+from+around+Gurit) Full year 2008 results: The company reported an increase in net sales by 1.6% or CHF 456.2 million for the year 2008. The growth of 6.7% was also reported in

Alcoholism Vision in the 20th Century Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Alcoholism Vision in the 20th Century - Essay Example It can be judged it from the definitions like: â€Å"alcoholism is a disease that affects the part of the brain that controls your feelings, the way you make decisions, and the way you act† (Identifying alcoholism, 2003)   Keller called alcoholism a disease because of the disablement represented in behavioral manifestations. The same concept is offered by American Psychiatric Association which argued that a mental disorder is characterized by present distress, disability, or a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, or an important loss of freedom. (Mann, Hermann & Heinz, 1999)   In effect, deviant drinking became medicalized or cast in the perspective of a disease model. Scientists and physicians regarded the disease of alcoholism as congenital, progressive, developmental, and, while incurable, capable of treatment. (Lectures)   Since the dawn of 19th-century alcohol has become a ‘social problem’ in the USA. During the colonial era, drunkenness was common with per capita alcohol consumption being 4 times higher than at present. That’s why alcoholism has attracted much public attention and interest of the researchers.   The modern concept of alcoholism includes the psychosocial and neurobiological foundations and consequences of alcoholism. Neurobiological research explains addictive behavior by the dispositional factor of monoaminergic dysfunction, neuroadaptation, and sensitization.

Busness Writing Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Busness Writing - Assignment Example 3 Steps of Communication Planning The first stage when one has to consider when one intends to convey information using written communication is planning. This basically involves analyzing what one intends to communicate to others. This stage is subdivided into four phases (Thill &Bovee 82). Firstly, one has to come up with a statement of purpose where one examines the specific opportunity or problem thoroughly which he or she intends to communicate. This should be done in order to avoid wasting time on unnecessary information when communicating. The second phase of this step involves gathering information emphasizing on what the audience needs. Ones you establish these needs, only information that is relevant to the audience should be considered. The third phase involves selecting the medium in which one intends to convey the written information. One should consider various mediums instead of a specific one to ensure flexibility. Examples of mediums of conveying written communicatio n include published documents and reports among others. When selecting the medium or channel which one intends to use, factors to consider include, who the audience is, importance of the message, feedback required, and the cost incurred. Finally, the last phase of planning involves organizing information acquired in order for it to support your main ideas. Writing The second stage involves the primary composition of what one intends to communicate. The writer should sensitize on the audience’s needs making sure that they communicate in a non-biased, polite and clear way. One should begin by writing a draft copy of what they intend to communicate making sure that they organize their information into an introduction, body and a conclusion. Using strong words is beneficial since it ensures the information being conveyed is coherent and impactful because it ensures that their information is taken with a lot of seriousness. One should also control the tone of their communication t hroughout their communication with regard to the situation in which the written communication is being done. Revising The final step in written communication is revising and proofreading the draft copy converting it into the final message. When one is producing the final message, one needs to organize the information in the message in layouts and designs that are both attractive and effective. This ensures that the message has a both professional and a friendly look. However, one should be careful not to change the written communication from formal to informal since this is easily done by the use of wrong layouts and formats (Thill &Bovee 80). Comparison of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Oral and Written media Oral media is characterized by various advantages over written communication. In oral communication, feedback is spontaneous unlike in written communication where feedback takes quite some time. A good example is letters which quite long to be replied since it involves po st offices and messengers. Another advantage oral media has over written communication is time saving as it is fast and convenient unlike written communication which involves a long process. Oral media is advantageous since incorporates a personal touch helps in building a good working environment which can be beneficial to a business organization. Written media is characte

Microorganism in food industry Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Microorganism in food industry - Research Paper Example Understanding these will possibly lead to much of the food production processes becoming shorter and less time consuming and will lead to less waste being produced. Some examples of foods that are produced using microorganisms include wine, cheese and bread. This paper will attempt to take a look at the microorganisms used in each of these foods and attempt to explain some of the mechanisms they utilise to achieve the result that humans desire. Winemaking Yeast in Wine Wine is a popular beverage where microorganisms play an important part. Wine has been consumed by humans for thousands of years (Okamura et al,1596) and the exact science of the wine making process is still being decoded. The quality of a wine is determined by whether the taste of that wine is original, the finesse, intensity of taste and by the microbiological and physicochemical stability (Dubourdieu, 1986; Noble, 1988; Rapp and Mandery, 1986; Schreier, 1979 of Colagrande, Silva and Fumi, 2) (Refer fig1). The microbi ology behind the wine making process was only established less than 2 centuries ago by the work of Louis Pasteur (Bakalinsky and Penner, 1993 from Okamura et al,1596, Colagrande, Silva and Fumi,2). Yeasts are used extensively in wine making. There are approximately 700 species of yeast and sixteen of these species have been used in the process of making wine. These include Brettanomyces, Dekkera, Candida, Cryptococcus, Debaryomyces, Hanseniaspora, Kloeckera, Kluyveromyces, Metschnikowia, Pichia, Rhodotorula, Saccharomyces, Saccharomycodes, Schizosaccharomyces, Torulaspora and Zygosaccharomyces (Pretorius et al, 1999 of Swiegers et al, 142). Saccharomyces cerevisae is one of the most commonly used organisms for producing wine though other such as Pleurotus ostreatus, Flammulina velutipes and Agaricus blazei have recently been exploited (Okamura et al, 1596). A specific variety of grape can be exploited to produce some qualities of wines such as the distinctive smell (Dubourdieu 2000, Lambrechts and Pretorius 2000, Guth and Sies 2002, Swiegers and Pretorius 2005 of Swiegers et al, 142). Some of these distinctive volatile compounds which cause properties of a wine like smell arise from grapes. However, several are due to the action of yeast and bacteria during the production of wine. Taste is also greatly affected by the bacteria and yeast used during wine (Schreier, 1979; Simpson, 1979; Williams et al, 1989; Etievant 1991, Guth, 1998; Boulton et al, 1998; Rapp,1998; Dubourdieu, 2000; Ferreira et al, 2000; Lambrechts and Pretorius, 2000; Ribereau-Gayon et al, 2000a,b; Ortega et al, 2001; Guth and Sies, 2002 of Swiegers et al, 141). Grapes can only support the proliferation of few microorganisms (Henschke, 1997 of Swiegers et al, 142). This has been attributed mainly due to the selective pressure on the microorganisms due to the high content of sugar and the low pH of grape (Swiegers et al, 142). In addition, sulphur dioxide is usually added to the mixture during wine making and this adds even more selectivity to the microorganisms that can grow. Usually, oxidative microorganisms that may be harmful are limited due to the sulphur dioxide (Swiegers et al, 142). Once anaerobic conditions start to predominate during the winemaking process, even more microorganisms find the conditions unfavourable for growth and the production of ethanol further limits the types of microorganisms th

Sexism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sexism - Essay Example Women have nothing to prove but there are still several men who believe that women are inferior to men and should be suppressed. This feeling can also be a result of insecurity, several women have the ability to outperform men in almost every field, this is why men feel the need to suppress women. Men make sexist remarks because they believe that women are inferior, Andy Gray’s example is very appropriate here, he thought that a lineswoman can never perform as well as a linesman and this is why he made sexist remarks and was later sacked. Saying anything inappropriate about women is called sexism, for instance several men think that when a woman employee gets promoted she gets her promotion by going out of her ways and giving sexual favors to her boss, this is a fine example of sexism. They use language which is beyond the pale; such things should be kept under perfect control in an organization. Women get raped so frequently in Asian countries, this is because of misogyny. Women haters rape them not for sexual interest but to inflict pain on them. Breaking down a woman physically and psychologically is more often than not the main aim of a perpetrator. Women should be treated fairly and they should be given respect, there is no reason as to why they should not be respected in the society. They have already proved themselves and need not prove themselves any further. Domestic labor is taken for granted; Karl Marx had serious problems with this. He said that women should be paid for domestic labor, women work indefatigably but we fail to acknowledge their contribution. They raise children but do not get enough credit for it. To conclude it is very fair to say that sexism in any form should be discouraged, our society would become so much better should we start treating women with respect. They deserve to be respected and not to be raped and exploited. Andy Gray Sacked (2011).

Experiences of nurses working in palliative care Dissertation

Experiences of nurses working in palliative care - Dissertation Example I wish to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Mike for being there for me and taking time out of your busy schedule to meet up with me and giving me valuable advice and guidance, once again a massive thank you. A special thank you to my family in Cameroon, especially my mother who have been my pillar of strength, and her unending prayers for my success. To my sister Quinta and my brother Collins, thank you all for your support and encouragement and I pray and wish for better things for you both. Finally to my better half Tiga, thanks for your enduring patient and coping mechanism when I was really down and stress, thank you so much for your understanding. Abstract The aim of this critical literature review aim is to investigate the experiences of Nurses working in the field of palliative care. It will examine at length using qualitative methods and only primary research papers. The objectives inherent in this field of nursing include symptom suppression as well as psychological su pport for patients and families alike. This review will provide the reader with current literature on the identified subject. The process will involve choosing a topic, search relevant literatures pertinent to the chosen topic, gathering reading and analysing the literature. Three theme chapters will emerge from the review which will be looked into in depth. Palliative nursing is a relatively new specialization requiring greater understanding and advocacy. The Supportive care model is emphasized as a description of the objectives necessary for this specialization. The most prevalent pathology leading to the need for palliative care is cancer, but there are other chronic illnesses that also put patients in need of this form of support. Finally, nurses themselves require a proactive emotional support structure to avoid compassion fatigue and burnout. Table of Contents Title Page Acknowledgement Abstract Introduction Background Methodology Theme Chapter 1 (Challenges in palliative care ) Theme Chapter 2 (Trust in palliative care) Theme Chapter 3 (The wellbeing of palliative nurses) Discussion of Finding Limitation of study Limitations of the Literature Review Process Conclusions and Summary Implications For Practice Reference List. Appendix 1 Dissertation Proposal Appendix 2 Timetable For the review Appendix 3 A Structure for appraising Qualitative Research Matrix Table CHAPER 1 1:1 Introduction. This critical literature review will explore nurses working in palliative care and their experiences. According to the World Health Organization, 60% of the 56 million people who die somewhere in the world every year would benefit from palliative care during their final months (WHO, 2002). Among these people not all are among the elderly. There is ample evidence that a caring approach which embraces psychological, psychosocial and spiritual support is highly effective and is valued by both patients and families (Beaver et al, 2002. This review’s purpose is to provi de the reader with adequate and most current literatures on the identified subject (Cronin et al, 2008) the processes involved a literature review, identifying a topic, search relevant literature, gathering, reading and analysing the literature and writing the review (Cronin et al, 20

Tata Motors Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Tata Motors - Essay Example Tata Motors had conducted a series of acquisitions. In the year 2004, it had taken over Daewoo Commercial Vehicles which is one of the leading truck companies of South Korea. In 2005, it purchased 21% share of Hispano Carrocera, a bus maker corporation of Spain. In the year 2006, Tata Motors was involved in a joint business partnership with Marcopolo, a body making company of buses and coaches of Brazil. In the same year, Tata Motors had made mutual venture with a Thailand manufacturing company to produce and enter the market of pickup cars. In the year 2008, Tata Motors had purchased two British automobile brands namely Jaguar and Land Rover. Since 1961, Tata Motors has been increasing its international presence. Tata’s cars are exported in many countries of Asia Pacific, Middle East, South America, South East Asia and Europe. In previous 50 years since its inception, Tata Motors has shown tremendous growth. It has more than 4500 scientists and engineers, 25000 employees and in the year 2009–2010 its calculated earnings was approximately 20 billion USD (TATA Motors, 2011). About Tata Nano In the year 2008, Tata Motors had uncovered the cheapest car of India, Tata Nano. Tata Nano has become the yardstick among all the smaller vehicles. It has been made with proper regulatory safety necessities of Indian market. It is also an environment friendly vehicle which produces less CO2 emission than two wheelers vehicles of India. The bend body design and less weight has made Tata Nano a fuel efficient vehicle which provides dual benefit of reasonable transportation solution and low environmental pollution (TATA Motors, 2011). Marketing Context Before introducing any product in the market there is a need to conduct marketing research plan. The 4Ps of marketing is a useful tool to develop clear idea about success of any product in the market. It helps to define the target market i.e. the segment for which the product will be produced. The proper pricing of the product to meet the needs of target market must be performed. Subsequently, the place where the product will be availabl e must be decided and finally the product must be advertised with proper promotion to develop brand awareness among target audience. Marketing Issue to be Investigated This research will investigate the marketing strategy of Tata Nano and its success in the automobile market. Tata Nano was introduced publicly in the year 2008. Initially, it was produced in two versions which are deluxe and standard. The vehicle has

Totalitarianism Destroys Humanity Essay Example for Free

Totalitarianism Destroys Humanity Essay Totalitarianism is a form of government that is ruled by a leader who possesses absolute power and permits no privacy and freedom among its citizens. Countries that practice totalitarian government have unhappy citizens because the government has complete control of their lives, like Oceania in Orwell’s novel, 1984. Totalitarianism is harmful because it dehumanizes citizens in so many ways and as a result, it only leads to human extinction. Living in a country like Oceania in 1984 without freedom of thought, action and expression is horrible because these things are fragments of humanity and without these reedoms, it makes people ignorant, unintelligent and unhappy. Moreover, a totalitarian government invades peoples’ privacy to track everything they do in their lives even in their own homes to make sure they obey the totalitarian government laws and rules and this is unfair because people need privacy to preserve their anonymity and individuality. Additionally, totalitarian government uses torture to punish and convert people so that people will obey the government without hesitation and this causes people to become comparable with animals. Therefore, totalitarianism is a serious threat to humanity because t makes human beings incapable of thinking and unable to do things on their own which causes them to stop thinking and considered as mentally dead. To begin, totalitarianism takes away people’s freedom, which is essential for humanity, and it gives the government complete control over people’s lives. In 1984, Newspeak is enforced by the government to limit the expression and thought of people; consequently, making the citizens of Oceania easily controlled by the government. This is evident when Syme says, â€Å"Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally impossible because there will be no word to express it† (Orwell 55). This is important because the limitation of words affects people’s mind because there will be not enough words to express their thoughts and people might become illiterate. When people become illiterate, they will follow and believe anything the government tells them and they cannot defend themselves because of their inability to put their thoughts together and their inability to speak. Hence, lacking freedom of thought and expression makes eople become unconscious of reality and this is a problem because consciousness plays a vital role for human beings. Furthermore, totalitarian states restrict their citizens to act independently which causes most people to become depressed because they can never reach eternal state of happiness without freedom. A prisoner from Thailand says, â€Å"Without freedom, humans are not human† (Pruksakasemsuk 2011). The ability to act freely is important to human beings because it is the main factor of happiness. Freedom permits human beings to do things that make them happy and taking this away from them is asically like taking their happiness as well. For instance, in North Korea people are not allowed to leave their country because it is one of their totalitarian rules. In 1984, Oceania citizens are also not allowed to escape their country and they are separated from the rest of the world. They are completely clueless of what is outside of their country aside from knowing there are Eastasia and Eurasia. If a person’s dream from North Korea or Oceania is to travel the world, their dream is automatically crushed because they are not allowed to leave their country. Therefore, lack of freedom makes people despair, unresponsive and passive which cause human beings to become unable to think and unknowing. Also, privacy is important to human beings because this is where people express their true emotions. A totalitarian state has completely no privacy and this causes people to restrict from showing their true self because they are being watched all the time. In 1984, telescreens can be found everywhere in Oceania even in their own homes so that the government can see everything they do. This becomes clear when the narrator explains, any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plague commanded, he could be seen as well as heard† (Orwell 4). This is significant because it makes people to become self-conscious and afraid all the time and thus, causes them to fake themselves into whatever the government wants them to be. In a place like this, expressing one’s self is almost impossible and their emotions might build up inside them and it can lead to self-destruction. Hence, emotions are important for human beings but the government’s invasion of people’s privacy restricts its citizens to do so. In addition, privacy is also needed to preserve individuality and to have our needs of respect and dignity because these are foundations of humanity. According to Schneier, â€Å"Privacy is an inherent human right and a requirement for maintaining the human condition with dignity and respect† (Schneier 2006). This is significant because living the way you want in a totalitarian state is so unlikely to happen because the government technically tells people how to live heir lives. In 1984, telescreens are also found in people’s homes and the government literally sees everything people do in their houses which means respect and dignity do not really apply to people anymore because they have no privacy. People have things that they want to keep only for themselves but things do not work like that in a totalitarian state and living the way you want is considered as thoughtcrime. Therefore, totalitarianism destructs the necessities of human beings to have respect, dignity and individuality and ultimately disturbs humanity which can lead to ur extinction. Finally, torture is practiced by totalitarian governments to control and reform people so that a rebellion would be impossible. Continuous torture makes people believe in something they are totally against with due to the unendurable pain that affects one’s mind. This is evident when Winston gets tortured and says, â€Å"I don’t know. You will kill me if you do that again. Four, five, six, in all honesty I don’t know† (Orwell 264). This brainwashing makes people ignore their knowledge and go with whatever the government wants them to say or believe just to stop the pain. Torture causes people to change and forget what they used to believe to survive. By being submissive and ignorant, people are incapable of realizing the reality and they become incapable of thinking which is bad because thinking is the most important thing for human beings. For that reason, torture shouldn’t be practiced by anyone because they do not only physically hurt the person but the mentality of the person is also affected causes them to become unconscious. Also, psychological torture such as using fear to torture people makes them elfish and causes them to become isolated. This becomes clear when Winston says while he is being tortured, â€Å"Do it to Julia! Not me! Julia! I don’t care what you do to her†¦. † (Orwell 300). This torture causes betrayal to someone no matter how important or how much they love that person. Torture makes people selfish because fear is something people cannot bear and thus, makes them become isolated. Isolation is what exactly the government wants to establish but humans are not supposed to be isolated because that causes them to their downfall. When people are alone, they die because they have no one to share their problems with. Therefore, torture makes people depart away from humanity because it makes them alienated and forces them to ignore their own knowledge and reality which cause them to become like a sheep. Human beings must be knowledgeable of what’s happening around them and they must also not lose their ability to think because without thinking humans are mentally dead. Thinking is very critical to all human beings because that is the only thing that differentiates us from animals. Totalitarianism robs this ability from us, human beings, causing us to become unaware of reality and believe in some things that are totally untrue. Freedom of thought, act and expression are essential for humanity because they keep us conscious and do things that make us happy. Privacy is also important to humanity because human beings need dignity, respect and individuality because these things make humans live their own lives the way they want to and totalitarianism objects this idea. The use of torture in totalitarian state is also against humanity because it does not only physically abuse human beings but s well as psychologically and this is an issue because torture affects people’s brain that causes them to become unknowledgeable and oblivious of their surroundings. That’s why people should fight for their freedoms to live happily without the government controlling their own lives. No countries should practice totalitarian government because they are useless and it will only cause human beings to cease to exist in this world. Overall, totalitarian government should be ban in the world so we can save humanity and keep people to exist on Earth as conscious and well aware human beings.

Alcoholic beverage Essay Example for Free

Alcoholic beverage Essay The objectives of the study was to examine if consumption of alcohol affect students academic performance, to determine if consumption of alcohol promote flirting , to determine whether the consumption of alcohol lead to road accidents and also to determine whether television adverts of alcoholic beverages lead to increase consumption. The target population of the study included all students pursuing Bachelor of Science Psychology programme in the University of Cape Coast. A sample size of 79 was chosen for the study. The simple random sampling method was adopted in selecting the sample. Questionnaire was the main instrument used to seek answers to research questions. The collected data was analysed using frequency count and percentages. The findings show that, alcohol intake has adverse impact on students’ academic performance through absenteeism, indulgence in examination malpractices and limited study hours. Alcohol consumption make men confident and women accept proposals easily. Also drunk driving was a major cause of accident in Ghana since drunken drivers flout road traffic regulations. It was recommended that, the Motor Traffic Transport Unit of the Ghana Police Service and the Driver Vehicle License Authority should intensify the campaign to curb drunk driving. Drivers found guilty of drunk driving should be banned from driving or have their license withdrawn for three months. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWords alone cannot convey our profound indebtedness to our dynamic supervisor, Professor Rowland A. E. Iheanacho for his fatherly tutelage, affability, time and the invaluable support he provided in the course of this work. To just say we appreciate these individuals will be an understatement: Ms. Mary Adomah Yeboah, Mr. Patrick Duncun Reynold (TOR), Mr. Osei Yaw Boa- Korang(Twifo Praso Rural Bank), Mr. Evans K. Acheampong, and Ms. Dorothy Gabben- Mensah (UCC), Mr. Stephen Doh-Fia (Lecturer Department of Educational Foundations). We are really grateful for every assistance you rendered to bring this work to fruition. 1 / 18 To our supportive parents,Mr. Ransford Oti Fenteng, Mr. Benjamin Asare and Ms, Rose Konamah, we say God bless you all for your prayers, care, encouragement, motivation, ideas, thoughtfulness, deeds of kindness and for every helping hand you offered in the spirit of love to make this piece a possibility. Lastly, kudos to all friends and all who contributed in diverse ways to make this work a masterpiece. DEDICATIONThis work is dedicated, with love, to our parents and siblings. PAGEREF _Toc356649042 \h 28Table 13: Do drunken pedestrians cause danger to themselves and other road users? PAGEREF _Toc356649043 \h 28Table 14: Do drunk drivers like speeding? PAGEREF _Toc356649044 \h 29Table 15: Drunken pedestrians do not flout road traffic regulation PAGEREF _Toc356649045 \h 29Table 16: Do drunken drivers drive recklessly? PAGEREF _Toc356649046 \h 30Table 17: Have you watched any alcoholic beverage advert on television before? PAGEREF _Toc356649047 \h 30Table 18: Do television adverts influence you to buy the product? PAGEREF _Toc356649048 \h 31 LIST OF FIGURES TOC \h \z \c Figure Figure 1: Gender PAGEREF _Toc356649237 \h 20Figure 2: Age range PAGEREF _Toc356649238 \h 21 CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTIONBackground to the study (Bovee, 1992 p. 7) defines advertising as â€Å"a non-personal communication of information usually paid for and persuasive in nature about products, services or ideas by an identified sponsor†. From this definition, one can see that advertisements are placed on purpose. This is a three-tier which comprises of introducing a product, generating new customers and attempting to stimulate and sustain consumer consumption (Bovee, 1992 p. 9). Since the invention of television, it can be classified as one of the most effective carriers of adverts due to its audio-visual qualities and captivating nature. Its effectiveness cannot be over emphasized CITATION Ebb07 \l 1033 (Ebbrecht, 2007). Recently, the adverts of alcoholic beverages on almost all television stations in Ghana have been regular, persuading viewers to purchase such drinks without any recourse. There seems to be no programme on television without a brand of alcohol being a sponsor. Programmes ranging from prime-time news to live shows are all full of these types of sponsors. The names of some drinks have become common in our various homes and every child who has the privilege of watching television can mention not less than two alcoholic beverages advertised. It is also interesting to note that, names of some alcoholic drinks even give an impression of its benefit to the consumer before they are even purchased. Example is, ‘wo ba ada anaa’ when literally translated means ‘is your child asleep’ makes people think when you drink that beverage you can be sexually active. In Ghana majority of people who take alcoholic beverage especially, the distilled or locally manufactured ones use it as an appetizer believing that, you can eat well when it is taken the moment food is ready, though there has not been any study confirming or rejecting this assertion. This phenomenon is locally referred to as ye bu didi thus; we drink to eat, when literally translated. Many people in the country are more concerned about the rise in the consumption of alcoholic beverages, and have attributed this phenomenon to the indiscriminate adverts of alcoholic drinks in the media, especially on all the television stations in the country. They have even speculated that, the increase in road accidents in the country is due to drunk driving. This speculation from the public was confirmed by the Ministry of Roads and Highways in June, 2009 when it issued a report on the increasing rate of road accidents in the country and pointed out drunk driving as one of the topmost causes of road accidents CITATION Myj09 \l 1033 (My joy online , 2009). This led to anti drunk driving campaign where passengers were advised not to board cars of drunken drivers and to report such drivers to the police. The MTTU branch of the Ghana police service, as one of the measures of curbing drunk driving, randomly check the breath of drivers to determine their level of alcohol intake with their equipment known as breath analyzer or drunkometer. Any driver whose level of alcohol intake exceeds certain limit is arrested for legal action. The Food and Drugs Board (FDB) CITATION Foo05 \l 1033 (Board, 2005) had also acted towards curbing this problem by directing all media houses in the country to stop the advertising of 3 / 18 all uncertified alcoholic products. Moreover, the FDB’s guidelines on alcoholic beverage adverts (FDB GL05/AD ALC/1-2005) stated that, â€Å"For every alcohol advert appearing on television, an anti-alcohol advert of equal length must be aired within half an hour of the advert promoting the alcoholic beverage†- but it seems this has been seriously violated over the years. The 2010 Budget Statement delivered in parliament by the Minister of Finance, imposed a 10% â€Å"Ad Valorem† tax on all alcoholic products in the country. In explaining this, the Minister made it clear that the imposition of this tax on alcoholic products was not for its financial benefits to the government but rather a step towards reducing the problem of alcoholism. Pastor (Dr. ) Mensah Otabil, the General Overseer of the International Central Gospel Church (I.C. G. C. ) and the Chancellor of the Central University College is one of the persons to be alarmed at both the rate of alcoholic beverages advertisement in the media especially television and the rate of consumption. CITATION Sam03 \l 1033 (Awuku, 2003) Has argued that, â€Å"If the state can spend billions of Cedis on advertisement urging the youth to keep away from drugs such as cocaine and other prohibited drugs, why can we not use a fraction of such money to warn the youth against the consumption of alcohol? † The above instances mean that, people are dissatisfied about the rate of television advertisement of alcoholic beverages and expect the state to regulate it, thus more specifically to treat alcoholic beverages as it does to cigarette and cocaine so that it can reduce consumption. This means that some people also believe that the state has not done enough to curb the rise in alcoholism and that the problem should be put in the same perspective as any form of drug abuse in the country. This study assesses the effect of television advertisement of alcoholic beverages on consumer behaviour. Statement of the problem In contemporary times, television advertisement has been seen as the most effective mode of advertising because of its audio-visual qualities and captivating nature. Its effectiveness cannot be over emphasised (Ebbrecht, 2007 p. 3). A recent systematic review to assess the impact of alcohol advertising and media exposure on future adolescent alcohol use identified thirteen longitudinal studies that followed up a total of over 38,000 young people. Twelve of the thirteen studies concluded an impact of exposure on subsequent alcohol use, including initiation of drinking and heavier drinking amongst existing drinkers, with a dose response relationship in all studies that reported such exposure and analysis. For example, CITATION Ell05 \l 1033 (Ellickson, Collins, Hambarsoomains, amp; McCaffrey, 2005) examined the relationship between a range of advertisement exposures over the course of one year and subsequent drinking among US adolescents aged 12 to 13 years followed-up for at least two years, and assessed whether exposure to a prevention programme mitigated any such relationship. Forty eight percent of 1206 grade 7 non-drinkers consumed alcohol during the previous year at grade 9. The results of the longitudinal studies are consistent with the findings of econometric studies, in which, for example, a meta-analysis of 132 studies which provided 322 estimated advertising elasticities, found a positive impact of advertising on consumption (coefficient, 0. 029), when controlling for alcohol price and income. The recent increase in television advert of alcoholic beverages has led to the increase in the consumption of such products. In Ghana there is influx of adverts of alcoholic beverages on television. These indiscriminate adverts of alcoholic beverages on television have sparked public outcry over the years with some even attributing most of road accidents to such adverts as many people believe that these adverts lead to irresponsible drinking, like drunk driving. These fears of the public gained grounds when a report released by the Ministry of Roads and Highways in June, 2009 on the increasing number of road accidents in the country at the time confirmed drunk driving (alcohol abuse) as one of the topmost causes of road accidents CITATION Myj09 \l 1033 (My joy online , 2009). The situation has prompted the government to reduce the rate of consumption by imposing 10% ‘ad valorem’ tax on all alcoholic products in the 2010 budget statement presented by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning. 4 / 18. The proliferated television adverts of alcoholic beverages also sparked the FDB to place a ban on alcoholic beverage adverts on television in March, 2007. The Driver Vehicle License Authority (DVLA) has spelt out how drunk drivers should behave, by leaving your car at the point you got drunk and join a public transport home. Due to the aforementioned problems and interventions, it is significant for such a study to be conducted to find out the effect of television advertisement of alcoholic beverages on consumer behaviour. Objectives of the study General objectiveThe overall objective of the study was to assess the effect of television advertisement of alcoholic beverages on consumer behaviour. Specific objectivesTo determine whether alcoholic beverage adverts leads to increase consumption. To examine if consumption of alcoholic beverages affect students academic performance. To determine if the consumption of such drinks promote to flirting. To determine how consumption of alcoholic drinks leads to road accident. Research questionsThe study poses and attempts to answer the following questions: What effect does alcohol consumption have on students’ academic performance? Does alcoholic beverage consumption promote flirting? Does consumption alcoholic beverage lead to road accident? Does television adverts on alcoholic beverages lead to increase consumption? Significance of the study Since advertising is important to the promotion of goods and services in today’s competitive market, the implications of this study will help students to know the impact of alcoholic beverage consumption on their academic performance. The government in performing its role of formulating policies and enacting laws to regulate alcoholic beverages adverts in the country can use this document as a reference guide. Finally, the study will be useful to researchers who will in future undertake similar study as it will serve as a source of reference. Scope of the study The scope of the study covers the theoretical and the geographical dimensions of the study. This mainly covers the concepts of advertising, alcoholic beverages and consumer behaviour. The effect of television advertisement of alcoholic beverages could be viewed from many perspectives but for the purpose of this study, it will concentrate mainly on whether advertising leads to increase consumption and consumption affect students’ academic performance, promote flirting and causes road accidents. The geographical scope covers people in cape coast precisely University of Cape Coast students who are 18 years and above. Limitations The study is not devoid of challenges which might affect the result in one way or the other. There is the issue of time constraint since the period within which this research must be completed for submission was less than one academic year. Also, there were financial constraints because there was no financial assistance to aid in the study. This situation forced us to limit the geographical area of the study to only University of Cape Coast which forms a small part of the entire geographical area. Also the number of questionnaires to be used for the study was very few. Organisation of study This study has been organised in five chapters. Chapter one covers various areas of the introduction which include the background to the study, the statement of the research problem, the objectives of the study, research questions, the significance of the study as well as the scope and the organization of the study. Chapter two covers the review of related studies. Chapter three is the methodology used for the study which comprises of research design, population, sample and sampling techniques or methods, data collection methods and instruments, as well as data analysis. Chapter four covers the discussions of the findings and presentations with chapter five covering the summary, conclusions and recommendations of the study. CHAPTER TWOLITERATURE REVIEWIntroduction In this chapter, various literatures are reviewed to give an insight into the present study. This chapter will be written under the following sub-titles: concept of television advertising, television advertising and consumption of alcoholic beverages, alcohol and students academic performance, alcohol consumption and sexual risk 5 / 18 taking. Concept of Television Advertising Television advertising is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization or an individual, which conveys a message, typically to market a product or service. Advertising revenue provides a significant portion of the funding for most privately owned television networks. The vast majority of television advertisements today consist of brief advertising spots, ranging in length from a few seconds to several minutes. Advertisements of this sort have been used to promote a wide variety of goods, services and ideas since the dawn of television. (Health, 2009) asserted that, television engagement is mainly of the subconscious kind and it is effective at building strong brands, due to the low attention to television adverts, the emotional stimuli are more effective because the viewer does not notice and therefore counter-argues against them. (Unsal amp; Yuksel, 1984) state that advertised products generally are to find more favour in consumers’ eyes than unadvertised ones. (Galbraith, 1958) examined that advertising as manipulating the public by creating artificial needs and wants. He did much to popularize the understanding of economics and society. Aspects of advertising that received emphasis in other fields is persuasion (psychology) regulation (political science) gender, race and class (sociology, cultural studies, and culture (anthropology). (Williams, L. M, amp; H, 2003) focus on the institutionalization and professionalization of advertising that is its commercial functions and its persuasive force. As a social critic, he locates advertising in a social context. For him, advertising belongs to a particular historical moment. It is a part of modern capitalist society, and it distinguishes it from attention- grabbing devices in non-capitalist societies in other times and places. For Williams, advertising cannot be decoupled from the way it comes into being and the work it does in society. He drew attention to sponsorship of art in modern times. His definition said advert is the official art of capitalist society. (Diamond, July,1972) defined advertising as a form of communication intended to persuade its viewers, readers or listeners to take some action. It usually includes the name of a product or service and how that product or service could benefit the consumer, persuade potential customers to purchase or consume that particular brand. Commercial advertisers seek to generate increased consumption of their products or services through branding, which involves the repetition of an image or product name in an effort to associate related qualities with the brand in the mind of consumers. According to CITATION Dar09 \l 1033 (Darrin, 2009), television depends on advertising as a way of making profit and to cover up the cost of the shows being aired. Conversely, television has been and is now a good medium for letting advertisers reach a large audience to promote and raise awareness of their products. Despite the availability of other medium of advertising, television remains one of the most popular and cost effective avenues for reaching the advertisers goal. There are a lot of reasons behind every advert which include the following: to create awareness of the existence of a product, to persuade potential targets to buy the product, encourage the public to buy more of the product than previously, to convince the public that its product is superior to other products, create image and goodwill, building up confidence in a business, identifies a business with the goods and service it offer. Forms of Television Advertising There are various forms which can be effectively used in advertising. Mentioned below are the various forms of television advertising. Announcement: in this form, the announcer appears before the camera and conveys the message of the product or service of the advertiser. Examples include: announcements regarding the extended date of sale, gift scheme, concession rates. Slides: this is where only the visual image of the commercial is presented through slides or cards on television, which does not have motion and sound. This form is generally found in local and regional programmes. Here the pictures of the product being advertised appear at the bottom of the 6 / 18 television. Demonstration: this form of television advertising shows the skills through dramatised demonstration to emphasise how a particular product works. The demonstrator or announcer gives explanation on how the product is being used. Advertisements of products such as detergents and blood tonics widely use this form. Dramatized: it is the commonly used form of advertisement which is more persuasive and entertaining in nature. Advertisements of the importance of social issues like girl child education and immunization use this form of television advertising. Animated commercial: this form of television commercial involves cartoon technique. It is more time consuming and this makes it very expensive because the cost of an advert depends on its length. For instance the advertisements on family planning used this technique. Sponsorship: this is where a sponsor (a person who purchases a given amount of broadcast time or advertising space to tell you why you should buy his or her product. There are two types of means to get the sponsorer’s message across: direct and indirect. This form of television advertising is very common in Ghana because every programme being aired on our television station has more than one sponsor, the sponsors products are advertised once or twice during the show. Television advertising and Alcoholic Beverage Consumption. The potential underlying mechanisms for a direct link between alcohol advert portrayals and individual alcohol use are related to norm setting, habit formation and imitation. First, movies, soap operas and advertisements mostly portray substances in a positive way by using prototypes of the â€Å"ideal† person in an appealing context CITATION Eve98 \l 1033 (Everett, R. L, amp; J. L, 1998). Similar findings have been found elsewhere, such as CITATION McC08 \l 1033 (McCreano, Barnes, Borell, Kaiwai, amp; Gregory, 2008) who interviewed youth and found that alcohol advertising was often enjoyed. These advertisements established a climate or association that alcohol is cool, exciting and fun. CITATION McC08 \l 1033 (McCreano, Barnes, Borell, Kaiwai, amp; Gregory, 2008) concluded that alcohol advertising creates an environment which maintains unhealthy expectations, norms and behaviours around alcohol consumption. Secondly, when people associate a specific cue or event to a specific behavioural pattern, example, watching an advert where the intake of alcohol led to admired behaviour like bravery. In essence, the alcohol cues imbedded in this specific context might lead to direct responses thus craving and subsequent alcohol use, especially when this link becomes automatic. Also, alcohol cues in adverts and watching characters consuming alcohol on screen might lead to drinking through the mechanism of imitation. (Quigley amp; Collins, 1999) conducted a study which strongly supported the assumption that when people are in company of a drinker, the drinking pace of the other affects individual drinking rates. According to (Quigley amp; Collins, 1999) there are at least two reasons why this effect occurs: direct imitation and identification. There is a great deal of evidence from neuroscience and psychology showing that people automatically and unconsciously are wired to take over each others behaviour. When we observe someone perform a certain action, the pre–motor representation of that action is activated in our brains as we are about to perform that action ourselves. The presentation of alcohol in the media has received both scrutiny and criticism. As a result of this, researchers begun to explore the effect of such adverts on consumption. Correlation study indicates that media exposure is associated with the attitudes, perceptions and behavior of young people. A study conducted by (Turker, 1985), involving high school males indicated that viewers who watched a great deal of television had significantly higher levels of alcohol use per month than did viewers who watched comparatively less television. (McCreano, Barnes, Borell, Kaiwai, amp; Gregory, 2008) also conducted a study to find the link between television viewing and alcohol consumption. The study followed participants over several years. Respondents were queried about their television viewing habits at ages thirteen and fifteen and their alcohol consumption at age eighteen. They found that, the more television the female subjects watched overall at ages thirteen 7 / 18 and fifteen, the greater were their reported alcohol beverage consumption at age eighteen. For males there was no significant relationship between viewing at ages thirteen and fifteen and consumption at age eighteen. (Grube amp; Wallack, 1994) interviewed fifth and sixth grade students about their awareness of alcohol advertising and their perceptions, attitudes, and behavioural intentions regarding alcohol consumption. They reported that the more aware students were of alcohol advertisements, the more positive their beliefs about alcohol drinking. More positive beliefs about alcohol were associated with indications of likelihood to drink as an adult. Alcohol and students’ academic performance Cognitive and learning impairments from chronic heavy exposure to alcohol can arise from the neuro-toxic effects of ethanol on vulnerable hippocampus and limbic structures. Research findings from animal models and observational human studies have shown that persistent alcohol abuse can result in a decrease in the overall volume of the hippocampus, the area responsible for long term learning and memory. Cell volumes have been found to be consistently smaller in alcohol abusing adolescents and, perhaps unsurprisingly, the degree of hippocampal damage increases with the number of years of alcohol abuse. In one observational research study cited by CITATION Zei05 \l 1033 (Zeigler, C. C, Yoast, B. D, amp; McCaffree, 2005) 38 adolescent alcohol abusers were compared with 69 non alcohol users on neuropsychological tests. The former scored consistently less well in verbal IQ, spelling and reading tests compared to the latter CITATION Lov04 \l 1033 (Loveland- Cherry, 2005) reports that school attachment and receiving good grades have been associated with less adolescent alcohol use, while absenteeism and poor grades are associated with early initiation and increased levels of alcohol use. CITATION Per02 \l 1033 (Perkins, 2002) found that male students who drank more than 5 drinks, and female students that drank more than 4 drinks, in a session one or two times in a 2 week period were over three times more likely to report getting behind in school work compared with more moderate drinkers. When the drinking frequency increased to 3 times in a 2 week period, they were more than eight times more likely to report this problem. CITATION Ber87 \l 1033 (Berkowitz amp; Perkins, 1987) found that women students were as likely as men to experience impaired academic performance due to alcohol. Most reviews which looked at educational performance related to American college students and the majority evidence points to the fact that the association between academic performance and college drinking is inconclusive. A number of reviews have discussed the methodological limitations of studies that investigate the relationship between alcohol and academic performance. Much of the cited evidence for a relationship comes from cross sectional studies which cannot ascribe a causal link. However, there is emerging evidence from longitudinal studies which suggests that binge drinking may impair academic performance over time. Nevertheless, it is noted that most college students who drink go on to lead successful lives. Indeed CITATION Gil02 \l 1033 (Gill, 2002)  argues that alcohol may be a scapegoat for other factors that may limit poor academic performance. CITATION Roy11 \l 1033 (Royce, 2011) in United States argued that the amount of alcohol consumed by students correlate with their grade point average. Thus, there is a negative relationship between alcohol consumption and students academic performance, as the more alcoholic beverage taken by students, the lesser time available for studies or academic work. CITATION Wil03 \l 1033 (Williams, L. M, amp; H, 2003)  .