Importance of Studying Economics

Introduction Economics is defined as a social science that deals with how people utilize the limited resources, to satisfy the unlimited needs and wants (Baumol and Blinder, 2008). Economics is applicable in our day to day lives, thus it is important to have some rudimentary understanding of economics. Many of the concepts learnt in economics are helpful to any person living in this ever changing world, as will be discussed below.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Importance of Studying Economics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Importance of Economic Concepts Scarcity is the most fundamental term in economics. It implies that there are hardly enough resources in this world such as money and time, to fulfill our unlimited wants and needs. It is therefore important that individuals learn how to distribute these scarcities to fulfill their needs (Baumol and Blinder, 2007). Everyday we must make choices and d ecisions that will assist us in allocating these scarce resources. For example, when you go out shopping in a supermarket, you might notice a trendy top or an expensive perfume that you have always fancied. However, due to scarcity of money you will not buy these items, but shop for necessities such as bread, groceries, milk, soap and cereals. Another economic term that is important and pertinent to our lives is specialization. Specialization refers to the situation where resources are mainly allocated to a particular task. Specializing resources, ensures these limited resources are more effectively utilized in producing services and goods that satisfy the human unlimited needs and wants (Baumol and Blinder, 2007). For example, if a student decides to open an ice cream parlor that operates after school or during weekends, they can decide to do all the tasks such as collecting the cash, cleaning the tables, serving and preparing the ice cream. However, productivity will increase if t he student invites some of the friends and one takes up cleaning the tables, the other one scooping and serving the ice cream and the other one collects cash. They will be able to sell more ice cream and serve customers better, if each one of them performs the required task. Opportunity cost is another essential economic term. This principle refers to the sacrifices that you make so that you can get something at its cost (Baumol and Blinder, 2008). A personal experience is that I had the choice of spending 8 hours in school or on leisure activities (watching movies, partying, camping, chatting on social networks etc) or working in a restaurant that pays $3 per hour.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More All these choices had an opportunity cost. If I worked in the restaurant for $24 per day, the opportunity cost is that I won’t have enough time for leisure and stud ies. This can lead to lower grades in school, which could lower any prospective future earnings. If I decided to concentrate on studies, I would give up pleasure and $30 dollars per day, which is the opportunity cost. However, in the long run, concentrating more in studies increases my chances of earning a better salary in the future. If I decided to engage in meeting my friends or partying, I would have a good time for a short time, but sacrifice schooling and working. Using this principle of opportunity cost, I decided to pursue education, since it has the most beneficial outcomes in the long term. Understanding macro economy is important, since leading economic indicators should always guide our decisions. Understanding perceptions on the economic outlook is vital when making investment decisions. For example, during times of economic recess, banks lower interest rates in an effort to encourage more borrowing and stimulate economic growth. If at this time you are to get a mortgag e, installment would be cheaper. On the other hand, savings would yield poor returns. During such harsh economics times, rates of unemployment and layoffs are high, so students can continue with their studies, as the chances of getting a job are slim. Conclusion From the arguments above, understanding basic economic terms such as opportunity cost, economic incentives, specialization and macroeconomics is important in our daily lives and when making investment decisions. References Baumol, W. Blinder, A. (2008). Macroeconomics: principles policy. New York: Cengage Learning.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Importance of Studying Economics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Baumol, W. Blinder, A. (2007). Economics: Principles and policy. New York: Cengage Learning. This research paper on Importance of Studying Economics was written and submitted by user Isaac Vincent to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Essay Starbucks Financial Statements

Essay Starbucks Financial Statements Essay Starbucks Financial Statements Starbucks Financial Statements Analysis 1. Starbucks is a globally well-known brand of specialty coffee over 60 countries. Founded in 1985, Starbucks has high reputation for selling high quality coffee as well as tea and other beverages and fresh food through a well decorated and elegant in-store environment. The main initiative for Starbucks is to â€Å"maintain Starbucks standing as one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world.† Aiming to achieve this goal, the globally disciplined expansion and continuous new coffee and categories are two main methods. 2. As the CEO mentioned in letters to shareholders, â€Å"First, we will remain committed to our coffee core. Second, we will exercise relevant, timely, and courageous innovation.† The most significant internal strengthen of Starbucks is the attention focused on core business-high quality and premium handcrafted coffee. In order to achieve this, Starbucks’s company-operated store in U.S. is about 61%. The internal weakness is also obvious, which is the price. Starbucks’s price is apparently higher than other competitors, which could easily lose customer in times of economic hardship. â€Å"In the China and Asia Pacific region in 2012, we once, again posted strong annual returns, including 11 consecutive quarters of double-digit comparable store sales growth.† The global expansion strategy of Starbucks enables Starbucks to compete in a worldwide stage and leverages the revenue with a huge potential, which is a considerable external opportunity. The major threat is from Starbucks’s competitors, McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts. They are both offering low ends coffee and challenging Starbucks based on their large scale of sale. 3. In Starbucks case, the auditing firm offered unqualified opinion, which means† states that the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position, results of operations, and cash flows of the entity, in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles.† 4. The net sale of 2012 was strong and achieved $6,630.5 million compared to $5,882.4 million in 2011 and $5,231.2 million in 2010. The selling, general and administrative expenses also increased modestly from $1,457.6 million to $1,596.2 million. Due to the strong in sale, the operating income rose to $782.1 million from $630 million in 2011. Moreover, the interest expense, net reduced from $5.6 million to $2.9 million as a consequence of reducing short term borrowing in order to achieve a more conservative capital structure. The net income achieved $488.3 million in 2012, compared to past two years was a great success due to the outperforming sale. Therefore, the basic net income per share ended with $4.06 per share and $4.03 diluted net income per share which was impressive. 5. The cash reduced slightly from $311.2 million in 2011 to $288.3 million in 2012. The short term investments turned to zero at 2012 compared to $174.8 million in 2011 as a way to slow down the domestic expansion. Besides, the long–term debt remained identical in the past year. The merchandise increased from $803.1 million to $867.4 million during 2012. Meanwhile the property, land and plant increased greatly from

International Marketing Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International Marketing - Coursework Example d Fitch is among the organizations that have sought to venture into the international market, most notably in Europe, where different brands are made available in numerous outlets. For instance, the A&F brand is made available by the company through the experiential marketing policy, in which much emphasis is put on the sales outlets that are tasked with showcasing the brand values. This approach is seen as ideal in enabling the brand have a competitive edge over those provided by its competitors, since the brand offers the consumer a significant experience, as well as creating a brand community (Powers and Loyka, 2010). The company uses in-store experience as the marketing vehicle. Enhancing the product competitiveness and the general organizational profitability involves carrying out a situational analysis, where the company creates a clear knowledge of the respective markets, and eventually evaluates its importance for the company as well as for the other markets where the business operates. International business environment is more dynamic, competitive and complex, hence the need for the management to be knowledgeable of both the immediate situations and the potential impacts of the effected changes in the business area. The European market explored by the Abercrombie and Fitch Company could exhibit various similarities and dissimilarities, hence the need for the company to understand the implications and linkages of the marketing strategy changes in its brand operations. Modern companies have realized the need to target particular customers, since they cannot appeal to all buyers. The buyers are widely scattered and have varying needs and buying behaviors, making it inevitable for the companies to adopt different practices that include segmentation, differentiation, and positioning, in order to satisfy the specific customer needs and ensure their competitiveness and profitability in the market. The segmentation of A&F brand must take into consideration

State appeal courts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

State appeal courts - Assignment Example The decision making relies on the information recorded from other court proceedings (American Bar Association, 2004). This responsibility ensures justice prevails in the court system. The purpose of the courts is to ensure that the decision made in other court system is appropriate. Moreover, Hume (2009) is of the assumption that the state appeal courts ensure that all evidence available for a case are exhausted. The state appeal courts also analyze the decision process made for other courts. If the process is not clear and justified by legal provisions, the court may cancel the prior ruling made. The main purpose of the courts is to provide the final judgment of case. A case handled by the state appeal courts may be announced closed at the end of a trial. Different from other courts in the United States, the state appeal court make the final decision of a case. Its judgments cannot be appealed or challenged in other court

HIPAA Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

HIPAA - Term Paper Example ..........................................12 APPENDIX 1.......................................................................13 APPENDIX 2........................................................................15 List of Figures 1. Health Information Security System Architecture. Executive Summary The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 has been a great leap forward in protecting the patients' rights by putting restrictions on the health data flow and usage. The renewed sense of privacy and security in health care sector attributed to it by this new legislation had its unique impact on technology as well. A whole set of technological applications evolved making possible a new way of handling data. But the threats to privacy and security that emerged from the very use of this new technologies, has to be addressed by technology itself. In this manner, health care information architecture and technology are seen as co-evolving to provide quality and ethi cal health care to all. To cope with the re-identification risk, more technological improvements have to be looked at. Technology and HIPAA Privacy Regulations: The Problem Becoming the Solution Introduction The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the Privacy and Security Rules under it, are meant to protect the many aspects of privacy and security of the health care services customer.1 The rules which protect privacy under this act are, the HIPAA Privacy Rule, that takes care of the privacy of the â€Å"individually identifiable health information

Development And Implementation Of Special Economic Zones Economics Essay

Development And Implementation Of Special Economic Zones Economics Essay A Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is a geographical region that has different economic and other laws and is more free market oriented in comparison to a countries established laws. India first passed the Special Economic Zone Act in the year 2005.This paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a Special Economic Zone and how it benefits Foreign Direct Investors and the scope of Project Development in India in a Special Economic Zone. There are various factors affecting the project development of a Special Economic Zone in India which will be discussed in depth. The main focus of the research is to develop a project development for a business in a Special Economic Zone in India. Statement of Research Question: According to me the statement of Research Question will be the Analysis of the facts from the past and from the present scenario in the Special Economic Zone developments and ascertain the future of the development of Special Economic Zones in the hosting country. Also, I will concentrate on presenting a real life example on understanding about developing and implementing in the Special Economic Zone. Theoretical Rationale: India is right now a fast growing economy and the Special Economic Zone play a major role in flourishing it. Special Economic Zones has led to increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by foreign investors in the form of International Business or Multinational Corporation (MNC). The Government of India has been active in the development of the Special Economic Zone by formulating polices, reviewing them regularly and have safeguarded that ample facilities are provided to the developers of Special Economic Zones and also to the companies setting up themselves in the Special Economic Zones in India. Special Economic Zones in India are created by the Government of India. The Special Economic Zones in India are run by Government-Private or solely Private ownership. They provide special provisions to develop the industrial growth in that area. The first Special Economic Zone was launched in 1965 in Kandla, Gujarat. There are various incentives and facilities provided to the units in the Special Economic Zones including Foreign Investment, Duty free import, Domestic procurement of goods for development, exemption of various taxes, exemption from customs/excise duties, operation and maintenance of the Special Economic Zones. Since the Special Economic Zones provide a lot of add-ons for investors it acts as a very eye catching zone to develop a business but, there are a lot of challenges that are to be faced by them. Also, the Special Economic Zone attracts the Foreign Investors due to the exemption of customs or excise duties, taxes and the like creates some added challenges that are to be faced by the Foreign Investors. The Foreign Investors face cultural, political and legal challenges in a different land. Developing the Special Economic Zone also benefits the country. It creates employment for a huge population improving the employment rate in the country and thereby, reducing poverty. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) that comes into the country generates flow of money in the country. John dunning provided a framework approach namely Ownership, location and internationalization (OLI Framework). Marco Neuhaus (2006) states that the framework points out some advantages of ownership one enterprise may come across by doing business overseas. The location suitability for the firm is also evaluated using this framework. This might help the decision of an enterprise to venture overseas for the business or not. Thirdly, the concept of internationalization is addressed by the OLI frame work which can help an enterprise in setting up an operations plan. Using the OLI framework, a multinational enterprise (MNE) would be able to assess the feasibility of setting up the business. I would like to formulate a Project Development of a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in India. I would like to analyze the various challenges that are faced by a business that want to enter the Special Economic Zone. The Implementation Of The Research Project For Organisation: The organization that I would like to study in relation to my topic of research is Ireo. I would base my research on the Special Economic Zones in the context of developing a Special Economic Zone in India. Ireo in JV partnership with Panchshil Realtors (pune) has developed Indias first IT Special Economic Zone (SEZ), EON Free Zone at Kharadi, Pune, India. Ireo is the first Private Equity Fund dedicated to the Indian real estate sector with a fund size of US $2 billion with the backing of global blue chip investors and financial institutions. They have emerged as a major pan-India developer equipped with financial strength to fully leverage available opportunities in this sector. Since establishing their presence in 2004, they have evolved into a fully integrated real estate organization that is both the financer and developer of its projects. The company has a pan-India footprint of projects in prime locations across NCR (including Gurgaon), Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra under various stages of developments and implementation. Combining the best of Indian and international resources, their team consists of accomplished Indian and expatriate professionals from diverse backgrounds to lead initiatives and to deliver best in class products and services to their customers. Preliminary Literature Review: The literature review was compiled using library search and electronic resources. Since the Special Economic Zone concept is relatively new in India, There are considerably less number of journals and e-books in this field. A few of those resources and publications were reviewed for this preliminary literature review. Special economic zone Act is a program introduced by the state for the development of the country. It has been initiated by the Indian government to create a free market economy and free trade among nations, abolition of national boundaries and dismantling the nation state system giving priority to Market over the state. (Partha Mukhopadhyay; Jan 2008) Special economic zone is a geographic region that has economic laws more progressive than that of the countries typical economic laws. These zones are known by different names in different parts of the world like free trade zone(FTS), bonded free zones(BFZ) , industrial free zone (IFZ) and Export processing zone.( Jona Aravind Dohrmann;January 2006) Export processing zones is an ancestor of special economic zone. The main purpose is to attract industries which are export oriented by offering them favourable investment and trade condition as compared to the rest of the country. The UN industrial development organization (UNID) identifies five attributes of export processing zone they are 1) Dominated by market mechanism. 2) Restricted to a limited region. 3) Specialize in production of export goods and offer special encouragement for such productions. 4) The primary goal is employment generation, foreign investments and foreign exchange. 5) The Secondary goal is technology transfer, developmental linkages and regional development. The Free trade zone policy in 2000 was re launched by the Bharathiya janatha party (BJP). The name was changed from export processing zone to special economic zone. The policies purpose was to make SEZ an engine for economic growth supported by quality infrastructure complimented by an attractive fiscal package both at the central and state level with minimum possible regulations.( Jermy Grasset and Frederic Lady;January 2007) The features of SEZ scheme are No license required for import. Manufacturing or service activities allowed. SEZ units to be positive net foreign exchange earner within 3 years. Domestic sales subject to full custom duty and import policy in force. Full freedom for sub-contracting. No routine examination by custom authorities of export or import cargo. The UPA government enacted the special economic zone act 2005 which was passed in june 2005 and came into force on 10th feb 2006 with the notification of the SEZ rule in 2006. Three categories of SEZ Multi product SEZ Sector specific SEZ Free trade and warehousing zone The first category signifies the manufacturing of services of two or more goods in a sector or goods or services falling in two or more sectors. Contiguous area of 100 hectares or more is required. The second sector is meant exclusively for one or more products or services. This includes biotechnology, gems and jewellery, non conventional energy, hardware and software and electronics. Minimum area requirement of 100 hectares of contiguous and vacant land is required. The third sector the minimum area requirement is 40 hectares of contiguous or vacant land and the built up area should not be less than 10 hectares. 154 SEZ were notified under SEZ act 2005. IT sector has the maximum number. Many issues have been brought up in relation to SEZ in India the main being Locating land. Relaxation of labor laws Usage of water Farmers are protesting against for acquisition of land this leads to destructions of employment of peasants whose land is acquired and provide very little employment opportunity to highly skilled and educated individuals and the totally net employment generated may well be negative. In many cases valuable land has been given away at concessional prices. To conclude the implications of SEZ may cause increasing socio political crisis due to the complexity of the society. In order to avoid polarization of the society, civil society should engage to create a consensus on developmental issues. Hypothesis to be tested: Feasibility of special economic zones after 10-15 years. Availability of land in the future. Data Sources and the Justification for the Choice: Choice of data sources forms the most integral part of any good research. I would use the Peer reviewed Journal articles, articles from Business magazines, Newspapers, reports. Journals like Journal of Business Research, Journal of International Business Studies, Indian Journal of Economics and Business. Magazines such as Business World, Business Today, The Business Magazine, Forbes, Business Week etc. and newspapers like the Financial Times, The Economic Times, The Economists etc. Peer reviewed Journals, Magazines and newspaper form the most trusted source of information and is also available on the internet. Books are the first choice for trusted information. Use of the Aston library and e-library is the place to get these sources of information. Research Design: A Research Design is the plan for a study, guiding data collection and analysis. A Research Design helps the study to locate the problem and to follow economical procedures. The Research Design for my study will be as follows: Define Terms Background information of the topic of research Locate the problem Create priorities I will follow 2 main types of Research and they are Secondary Research and Qualitative Research techniques. The data that is already written or published by someone else for their purpose of study is classified as Secondary Research. Qualitative Research Techniques consists of Interviews, Focus Groups, and Questionnaire etc. Methodology to be employed: In doing this research I will use Primary Data and Secondary Data. As said earlier, Primary data will involve qualitative techniques such as Interviews, Focus groups, Questionnaire etc. For primary data collection I will choose a real life example of a firm entered the Special Economic Zone, as mentioned earlier Ireo. I will do research on how did the organization setup a Special Economic Zone. Since, the organization is a foreign company entering the Indian market I can gain first-hand information from the firm regarding the challenges they faced while setting up a business in a different country. For this purpose I will Interview certain employees of the firm get information on the research survey conducted by them during the setting up phase.   As far as the secondary data collection is concerned I will use Academic books, journal articles, Magazines articles and Newspapers. After putting through the data collected from both the sources i.e. secondary and primary I can get a clear picture of the past and the current scenario of the development of Special Economic Zones. Then I can answer questions of Hypothesis to be tested. Ethical Considerations: The research will comply with research ethics in terms of: Accurate transcription of data and findings Objectivity as a researcher Compliance with the principles of not harming anyone as a result of this research Compliance with Aston Business School rules on plagiarism Not obtaining information through illegal or restricted procedures Compliance with the respect of copyrights reserved for journals and published

Albinism :: essays research papers

Page:1 Albinism is a very serious disease that could end up in death. Albinism is a recessive inherited defect in melanin, which is metabolism in which pigment is absent from skin, hair, and eyes. Albinism in hair, skin, and eyes is called oculocutaneous albinism. Humans that have oculocotaneous albinism are not able to produce melanin. These people have white, yellow, or yellow brown hair, very light ( usually blue ) eyes, and very pale skin. Their eyes may appear pink because they have very little pigment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albinism just in the eyes is called ocular albinism. Which is a dark biological pigment that is formed as an end product of the metabolism of the amino and tyrosine. People with ocular albinism, which only the eye lacks melanin pigment, while everything else appears normal. People who have this have a variety of the eye disorders because of the lack of pigment impairs normal eye development. These effected are extremely sensitive to bright light. Treatment for ocular albinism includes the use of visual aids and surgery for strabismus.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albinism is very rare in humans. There is a one to seventeen thousand chance that a person will have Albinism. Because of albinism if a person with the disease is exposed to ultraviolet rays they get very sick or get cancer.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Albinism occurs in all races, from white, black, to asian. Regardless of skin color the people are still paler than normal people. Their hair is white and they have pinkish red eyes. Page:2 There is another type of albinism which is called Hermansk-Pudlak syndrome. In the is type of the disease there could be problems with bleeding, and with lung and bowel disease as well. This is a very rare and uncommon type of albinism.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For almost all types of Albinism both parents or mates must carry an albinism gene in order for their child to have albinism. Because the body has two sets of genes, a person may have normal pigmentation but carry the albinism gene. If a person has one normal gene and one albinism gene that is still enough to pass the disease on to their children. Even if both parents have the albinism gene it does not mean they have the sickness. The baby will have a one out of four chance of getting the disease. This is inherited by autosomal recessive inheritance.

Kindred: A neo-slave narrative Essay

Often, man resorts to story-telling as a way of reconciling with a formidable incident in the past. By re-telling the story to another party, he comes to accept that this is a reality to be faced. He realizes that acceptance, rather than denial, is the best way of going about this trouble. Aside from the rehabilitating ability of story-telling with its contributory effect in dealing with a painful memory, others simply do this as a way of remembering. Concretizing the past as a piece of literature would ensure that the incident would not just be buried in the recesses of the memory; that it would be kept alive and the pains and suffering would not be without significance. In this light, it would come clear for readers how and why the proliferation and the presence of slave narratives came about. One may think that with the end of the painful era of slavery, all dialogues and discussion about the subject would also desist. For the African-American slaves and their descendants, this was not the case. The words of Robert Crossley of the University of Massachusetts rerated the thought: â€Å"First-person American slave narratives should have ceased being written when the last American citizen born into institutionalized slavery died. But the literary form has persisted, just as the legacy of slavery has persisted, into the present. † To be more specific, the birth and popularization of the slave narratives started in the nineteenth century. James Olney stated that each narrative â€Å"a unique production† as an autobiography, and â€Å"is not every autobiography the unique tale, uniquely told, of a unique life? † (148). Therefore, the uniqueness of each narrative from the others is a trait of this genre, as it narrates the experiences of the writers which are unique to another’s. However, certain characteristics are evidently similar in the work to be considered a part of the genre. For one thing, it has to tell the story of a black slave’s struggle for literacy and freedom, while testifying against the â€Å"peculiar institution/’ which in practice meant human bondage and humiliation (Gates, â€Å"Introduction† ix). By the second half of the twentieth century, a sub-genre of the slave narrative has arisen; called the â€Å"neo-slave narrative,† it is a fictional mutation of the slave narratives of nineteenth-century Americans (Crossley). This sub-set of the slave narrative genre is very similar with its umbrella genre in the sense that it presents personal accounts of slavery. However, the difference lies in the choice of the author to fictionalize existing accounts, and not his own personal experiences. The authors base the structure of their fictional work on the oral histories and existing slave narratives to make sure that the story would still echo true events in the historical sense. The birth of this sub-set of the slave narrative genre may be attributed to the void that it fills, or attempts to fill. Anita Wholuba in her paper said that the chasm which is attempted to be explored and filled is the ironic presence of silence in slave narratives, despite of the voice earned by the slave narrative writers. Wholuba said that â€Å"while a significant number of scholars have established that certain silences exist in the traditional narrative of history, neo-slave narrative authors have committed themselves to the task of identifying and sounding those silences where the representation of the American slavery era is concerned. † A novel titled Kindred, penned by Octavia Butler, is among the body of neo-slave narratives published in the last century. It was published in the year 1979, and speaks of an African-American woman’s sojourns to the past. The character Dana, lives in contemporary California, but is transported back in time to the antebellum South. In her involuntary travels to the past, she understands how difficult the situation for people before her ancestors actually was. As I was reading Kindred, I had the initial impression that it was just to be appreciated for its science fiction values. Although the science element in this novel was not so much as it was felt in other novels from the same genre, her meshing of science fiction and history was an innovation that should be noted and lauded. In any case, what caught my attention more was the similarity Kindred has with other novels we have read subsequently in the class, which were the Narrative of the Life of Frederic Douglass, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, and Up from Slavery. Evidently, there were characteristics of a slave narrative in the novel Kindred. However, the text didn’t meet the five criteria for it to be called a slave narrative, the genre which the other works fell under. As Kindred is a work of fiction, it would naturally be categorized as a neo slave narrative, a concept I came to be familiar with after research. Kindred as a neo-slave narrative With the plot and simple and direct language employed by Butler, Kindred could not be missed as a neo-slave narrative. Characters that are actual African-American slaves and Caucasian American masters and violence inflicted on slaves are presented in the novel. On a deeper sense, on the other hand, the novel follows the same pattern present in other slave narratives. Wholuba in the same paper added that although the text refers to other slave narratives such as the work written by Douglass’, in an effort to explore existing themes, the novel still manages to introduce new themes. The new themes that this novel presented, according to Wholuba still, include a more blunt â€Å"analysis and depiction of the slave’s struggle for sexual autonomy, the experience of middle passage, and the concept of memory. † As was mentioned, the novel Kindred follows the typical pattern for a slave narrative, and this will be the thesis of the paper. It will attempt to discuss and prove the characteristics of a slave narrative present in Butler’s popular piece of art. Another writer mentioned some of the other patterns commonly found in neo-slave narratives. Lysik mentioned in her essay that neo-slave narratives portrayed the â€Å"vital slave culture† in a positive light as it could serve as a means of surviving the brutal reality they are subjected to (Lysik). What this implicates is that the writers of the neo-slave narratives provide a new perspective in terms of viewing the arduous tasks and obligations slaves have to fulfill. Most authors show how slaves then turn this otherwise appalling condition to something that they could actually seek refuge in. First and foremost, the novel carried a prefatory statement by a person from Caucasian American race attesting to the authenticity of the author. The second criterion which has to be satisfied is the movement from slavery to freedom. Kindred has been classified under slave narratives by critics as leans toward the freedom narrative category. This concept will be further discussed in the following paragraphs. Aside from this, the most obvious criterion which the novel has to satisfy is that the story should portray the physical, emotional, and spiritual deprivation of slavery. Kindred, undeniably, does not fall short on this end. As the journey through time and space allows Dana to witness the events during the period of slavery firsthand, the novel is rich with narration regarding the struggles of the African-American slaves. Through Dana’s experiences, the tales of the different forms of deprivation and coercion were regaled to the readers. James and his contemporaries talked of this in a paper, saying that many forms of violence and intimidation were observed to be used to maintain white dominance in the slave economy through the eyes of the character of Dana. These â€Å"preservation† measures, so to speak, included the sexual violence against black women that was common during slavery, the assault on black families, the difficult choices that black people were compelled to make in acts of love, survival, and resistance, and the outcomes of internalized oppression (James, et. al). A specific scene in the novel would be that time when Dana personally witnessed the beating of a slave. The slave was hunted by white patrollers because of a crime that would seem absurd for people of the modern times: the slave was found spending time with his wife in their own bedroom without the slave master’s permission.

Discuss the relationship between sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour in relation to the evolutionary theory

Differences exist between the male and female reproductive behaviours and according to evolutionary theory, these are due to different selective pressures. Characteristics that indicate reproductive success are selected for our mates. Dunbar and Waynforth found men valued physical attractiveness and youth in females, supporting the concept that males seek fertility and reproductive success in females. Females on the other hand value financial security in males to ensure they can support and provide for a family. These findings have cross-cultural strengths as Buss collected data from 33 countries. This suggests that these traits are genetically determined with an evolutionary value rather than a nurtured preference. However, Bereczkel et al found that women actually want males that are more family orientated therefore are less concerned about resources therefore contradicting this theory of choosiness and human reproductive behaviour. In addition, it has been argued that men prefer a youthful female because of social power. Younger women are easier to control and are therefore preferable as mates. But Kenrick et al found that that teenage males are attracted to females who were 5 years older. This therefore goes against the evolutionary explanation. Buss’s study also may not provide strong support for the relationship between sexual selection and human reproductive behaviour because answers they gained may be what they preferred but not what they had because they may have compromised. However, another study conducted by Buss of actual married couples supported the original results that men do marry women that are younger than them, thus increasing the validity of this explanation. According to Darwin selection processes shape are reproductive behaviours. Intersexual selection (competition between genders) is dominant within females, whilst Intrasexual selection (completion within the same gender) is more dominant in males. Therefore men’s best mating strategy is to have many sexual partners to ensure reproductive success as they have lots of small mobile sperm which they produce over a long period of time. Whereas women benefit from nurturing selected offspring as they produce, fewer larger eggs over a short time. Penton-Voak et al supported the idea that females use intersexual selection. They found that the female mate preference varied depending on menstrual cycle stages. During high contraceptive risk phase of the cycle, females preferred masculinised faces and short term sexual relationships. In contrast outside this stage, they focus on long-term relationships. This supports that our sexual selection is underpinned by reproductive behaviours and evolutionary origin. This is because short term mating is linked with childbearing and therefore key preferences could be strong genes and attractiveness emphasised by masculine measures, whereas long term the mores important traits are competence in raising a child and resources so softer features associated with support and nurturing. Miller et al’s research does suggest that despite gender stereotypes, women are biologically programmed from reproductive opportunities. He found that lap dancing females who were in the most fertile stage of the cycle gained more tips. Suggesting males are most attracted to females who are in the most fertile point. However, clear gender difference in the general willingness to engage in uncommitted sex. Clark and Hatfield found 57% of males would accept an offer for a one night stand with a stranger compared to 0 females. This suggests males have evolved a motivation for casual sex. The implications of the research were supported by Buss et al who found that women want less sexual partners then males. This approach suffers from a strong gender bias as males are accused of wanting to spread their seeds due to evolutionary reasons but this behaviour would not be learned without willing females. As a result, the role of females in this process is under evaluated. Grilling and Buss suggested that females could also profit from short term mating such as a way to leave a poor relationship or producing more genetically diverse offspring. Therefore, short term mating suffers from gender bias, particularly saying that women cannot be sexually promiscuous and that it is a male characteristic, which is isn’t in modern society. Overall, these explanations can be criticised for being reductionistic as they cannot explain homosexual relationships and the drive for these relationships, as there are no reproductive advantages. Reproductive behaviours have changed dramatically over the last century with non-heterosexual relationships, widespread of contraception and choosing to not have children. This implies we have more free will over our behaviour than implied by the evolutionary approach. The approach also supports gender stereotyping with men being players which suffers from ethical implications. Therefore a more holistic approach which included psychological rationale might be more appropriate form explain homosexual relationships and provide a more balanced explanation rather than an approach that suggests we are a product of our genes.

Differences Between the Words Device and Devise

Differences Between the Words 'Device' and 'Devise' The words device are devise are commonly confusedprobably because they sound similar and their meanings are related. However, device and devise are two different parts of speech. Definitions The noun device means an object, a gadget, or a piece of equipment made for some special purpose. The verb devise means to plan, invent, or form in ones mind. Examples A smartphone can be a handy device for avoiding work.The sink is a magnificent device: it fills with water, holds it awhile, and then, when the drain is released, it empties.(George Carlin,  Napalm Silly Putty. Hyperion, 2001)We need to devise new solutions to old problems.Scientists at the University of Bologna in Italy have  devised a hand-held device  that, when passed over the body, identifies different resonations of body tissues in response to a fluctuating frequency of microwaves.(The Science of Anti-Aging Medicine, ed. by R. Klatz and R. Goldman. American Academy of Anti-Aging Med, 2003) Usage Note A device is a machine or tool; to devise means to invent or concoct something. (To devise one must be wise. Will ones device work on ice?) The stable hand would like to devise a device that cleans up after the horses. (Phineas J. Caruthers,  Style Circumstance: The Gentlepersons Guide to Good Grammar. Adams Media, 2012) Idiom Alert: "Left to Our Own Devices" When were left to our own devices we use the learning-by-doing method. Left to our own devices means theres no one looking over our shoulder in front of whom we feel embarrassed if we fail.(Roger C. Schank,  Making Minds Less Well Educated Than Our Own. Lawrence Erlbaum, 2004)Have you received the message by now that our emotions dont treat us well when it comes to managing our money? Left to our own devices, we tend to do stupid things with our money.(A.J. Monte and Rick Swope,  The Market Guys Five Points for Trading Success. Wiley, 2011) Practice Exercise (a) We must _____ a way to rescue Lassie from the well. (b) Maybe a _____ involving pulleys and kittens will work. (c) My father, in the  firefly-rife backyard  of my first home, lights a bundle of little firecrackers and darts dramatically back, and we all stand around in an awed circle, at what we hope is a safe distance, as the _____ twists and jumps and shouts its furious, frustrated noise.(John Updike, The Fourth of July, 1991) (d) You can imagine, Watson, with what eagerness I endeavored to piece together our scientific findings and to _____ some common thread on which they might all  hang.(Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual, 1893) Answers to Practice Exercise (a) We must  devise  a way to rescue Lassie from the well.(b) Maybe a  device  involving pulleys and kittens will work. (c) My father, in the  firefly-rife backyard  of my first home, lights a bundle of little firecrackers and darts dramatically back, and we all stand around in an awed circle, at what we hope is a safe distance, as the  device  twists and jumps and shouts its furious, frustrated noise.(John Updike, The Fourth of July,  1991) (d) You can imagine, Watson, with what eagerness I endeavored to piece together our scientific findings and to  devise  some common thread on which they might all  hang.(Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual, 1893)

Strategic Management at Nokia Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Management at Nokia - Coursework Example Strategic thinking is defined as â€Å"an intent-driven approach to a strategy based on critical theory and supported by a complex cluster of cognitive capabilities that are distinct and different from strategic planning†. It can be clarified further as a cognitive process that is quite different from the strategic planning process and can stand independently as a formally created planning process. It depicts itself differently irrespective of being generated by an organization, team or an individual (Grundy and Brown, 2002). The main purpose of strategic thinking is problem-solving and leading a rigorous process of challenging, exploring and examining the underlying premises of the strategy and at the same time, generating new options for creating a sustainable, innovative and winning strategy. Strategic thinking is imaginative, inclusive and based on critical-reflective process. The positioning of future competitive advantage for the organization is the heart of every strate gy. In this regards, strategic thinking should reflect this essence. Strategic thinking is the process that helps in driving the strategy. Positioning the future competitive advantage signifies that competitive advantage of an organization erodes with time and strategic thinking is required in this respect for continuously strengthening and developing it. In an organization, the executives, the policymakers and senior line managers are seen to exhibit strategic thinking. A similar situation is also observed in the case of Nokia. The smartphone strategy implemented by the CEO of Nokia, Stephen Elop is a manifestation of strategic thinking. This strategy change was necessary for the organization since it was facing a decline in its market share caused by the fierce competition in the smartphone segment. Nokia experienced profound changes after initiating the smartphone strategy and has marked the end of an era. Moreover, the CEO of Nokia had correctly found that the present battle in the smartphone segment was not about the devices but the ecosystem. In this context, the CEO of Nokia had shown strategic thinking and had foreseen the future. Thus, the company ended up merging with Microsoft as both of them has positioned themselves to construct a competitive and viable mobile ecosystem.

Psychology Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Psychology - Research Paper Example He was devoted in the field of physiology and even won the 1904 Nobel Prize for his work in physiology (Martin, 1988). Even though Pavlov was never a psychologist and never wanted to be associated with psychology, he is one of the greatest contributors to the field of psychology. He came through most of his findings through experiments that he performed on animals such as dogs. One of his greatest contributions to the field of psychology is classical conditioning. This is one of the most useful discoveries in the field of psychology and most psychology students have to pass through it in their early years of study. While studying the digestive system of his dog, he noticed something that was very interesting and that led to the development of classical conditioning. He noticed that whenever his assistant entered the room, his dog would immediately start salivating. In the experiment, they started introducing different items to measure the level of salivation that the dog had. He later went on to note that salivation was an automatic response or reflex process (Prokasy, 1965). From the experiments and their outcomes, Pavlov was able to conclude that salivation was a response that could be learned. He noted that the dogs were responding to different stimuli that were presented to them just before food was delivered. They therefore learnt to connect these things with food. He noted that there was the salivary response which came when the dog was presented the food and the conditioning reflex that came when the dog was expecting food. After several experiments, he noted that there was a conditioned stimulus which was food for the dogs and the response which in this case was salivation. This discovery is still the most important discovery in the field of psychology. Apart from the fact that this discovery led to the formation of behavioral psychology, the discovery is used today in the treatment of some health issues as well as the modification of behavior