Why is Panhu such a political entity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Why is Panhu such a political entity - Essay Example Having been with a the company of an invading political figure in the character of Di Ku, he appears to embody a subject whose success implies either acquisition of rank or political reward of choice. The Yao people have become highly associated with such merits when the ‘Yaoren’ who lived in the mountains (Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hunan) were privileged to take no part in paying taxes and have no administrative responsibilities. In profound reference to the exemplary deeds of the Yao/Moyao ancestral lines that trace back to the time of Panhu, eventually, generous provisions extended to the descendants who were known to possess strong relations with the culture of the dragon-dog. Through the continuous honor and respect for Panhu, people of the mountains further took advantage of the socio-political fortunes including exemption from all taxes, autonomy, especially freedom from the control of the influential communities and powerful Chinese officials (Eli

A Comparison Of Liberalism Socialism And Nationalism Politics Essay

A Comparison Of Liberalism Socialism And Nationalism Politics Essay The three most powerful ideologies that emerged in the beginning of the nineteenth century were Liberalism, socialism and nationalism. These ideologies came together to destroy older order that existed in Western Europe. However, there is very little that is actually known about the real origin of these three ideologies. Most of the research only talks about the recognized authorizes that exercises these ideologies but do not talk about the real issue. This essay seeks to compare and contrast these ideologies and trace their origin, development and revolution. Liberalism This was a product of some kind of enlightenment by human thinking. It held that the progress of human beings was inevitable. This is the reason it believed that all human beings should be viewed to be equal before the law and no one was above the law. Moreover, it believed that every person was born free and is good in some aspect let alone owning the chance to improve in skills and general thinking. Liberalization therefore expected that all governments were representative of its citizens and not part of the citizens. According to Hansen, Curt Curtis (2008) this could only be achieved through the freedoms of speech, press, assembly and protection from arbitrary arrest. The nineteenth century liberalism which is also referred to as classical liberalism was against the involvement of the government in the economic and social affairs of the nation. This is therefore very different from what we currently know liberalism to stand for where active government intervention is highly supported and represented through democratic parties. Classical liberalism was first developed by Adam Smith as expressed in his book Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of Wealth of Nations. (Hansen, Curtis Curtis, 2008). He proposed the fact that there was a need for a free enterprise where prices would be regulated by market forces. This he believed would offer a free and equal chance to all citizens to participate in what they do best. In this way both the rich and the poor will benefit rather than a situation where the rich are the only ones who benefit. This was very much different from the earlier situation of mercantilism where the government was very deeply involved in regulation of markets. While the British were experiencing gradual expansion of freedoms and rights of ordinary citizens, the French were denied of such rights until the 1989 when there was the Revolution. Unlike in France, there was no central instrument with which the British used to be oppressed with like the army ready to do what the monarch said. The British liberalization was never aimed at overthrowing the Monarchy. On the contrary it was aimed at reigning its power through the expansion of representation of the people. Because of common political, ethical, cultural and geographical factors liberalization in the United States took so much from the British kind of liberalism than it took from the French. However, during early stages of Beiner (2003) argues that American Revolution, there was much borrowed from the political thoughts of the British. Subsequent developments then later own changed and took more from the French. Some common factors with liberalism during the French Revolution and its development in the European revolution were that they both had one fundamental aspect which was to prevent and stop the oppression of the citizens. Even though the sources of oppression and the methods liberalism might different depending on time or location, liberalization still remained to be the sole purpose of liberal political movement and liberal political thinking. Liberalism was therefore much appealing to the lower social class because it get them equal chance as the rich to make use of their skills and take part in national development. Even though it received much opposition from the rich or those of high social status, it later came to succeed and thats the reason why we even have democratic societies in the Europe and the entire world ( Hansen, Curtis Curtis, 2008). In the time of Industrial revolution, liberalism was very much common in Britain especially with the Factory owners since there was a high demand for works more than they could be supply. The factory owners used this ideology to again support against the labor unions sine they were considered to be interfering with the right to work. In the political field, liberals mainly supported representative government. However, they also believed that it was the male who had the right to own the franchise. Liberals were for the idea of universal education for all. Socialism This was a radical doctrine that originated from France. In fact almost all socialists came from France. They regarded the French revolution that occurred during 1789 together with the Industrial Revolution that took place in England as the beginning of change in the society. However, they were troubled by what they considered to be the end result of the issue of transformation of the society. Some of these issues that troubled them included things to do with political competition and capitalism (Hansen, Curtis Curtis, 2008). According to the socialist, such development were the cause of selfish individualism that ended up dividing the society in the lines of competing factors. During the French Revolution, socialists pushed for economic planning. They were mainly inspired by the occurrences in France during the end of the eighteenth century. It is for this reason that they proposed that governments were to organize their economy rather than hoping that competition would do so. They considered competition to be a very destructive element in the society. In addition, they also had the desire to protect the poor and avoid cases of exploitation they could face from the rich. One common factor therefore between liberalism and socialism is that these two ideologies advocate for the rights of the poor in the society. Each of them wants the society to provide equal ground for the existence of every one in the society regardless of their social status. It is the reason why they advocated for economic equality for both the poor and the rich. Socialisms also argued that the government was supposed to regulate private property or even abolish it and let property be owned by the community. This is one difference between liberalism and socialism (Hansen, Curtis Curtis, 2008). Liberalism advocated for the people owning property. To be specific it was the male who were supposed to own franchise. Socialism on the other hand was for the idea that either the government was to own property or the community. Socialism pushed for the idea that the society was supposed to take charge of most of the things that were going on in the surrounding. They were also to ensure that they do everything possible to develop their economy by the equal utilization of community resources. On the other hand, liberalism was all about the government taking full control of the resources of the country but awarding equal chances for both the rich and the poor to make benefit from them. Socialism was as a result of the stresses that had been caused on the French economy by the revolutionary movement. Workers missed the old good days when there were radical changes in life and the economy used to be regulated. The skilled craftsmen were very against the idea of wage control and thats the reason why they opposed capitalism. According to them, it denied the workers capacity to promote destructive competition(Hansen, Curtis Curtis, 2008). The introduction of Marxist socialism provided a foundation to the modern day socialism and even paved way to the development of socialism into communism. Between 1818 and 1883, Karl Marx came up with his own idea of socialism where he pushed for the idea that labor was the main source of all kinds of value in the society. This meant that human labor was the main reason as to why the economy of any country would grow. In a way, this was similar to the what liberalism had pushed for where factory owners pushed for the rights to work. Socialism was more appealing to the lower social class because socialists like Saint Simon argues that the parasites of the society such as lawyers and churchmen were to give a chance to the doers like scientist and engineers to help improve the status of the society(Hansen, Curtis Curtis, 2008). The main idea was therefore the improvement of the living standards of the poor and later on the improvement of the economy of the entire society. The main oppo nents to this ideology were the rich in the society but they did not succeed. Nationalism This was as radical as the liberalism ideology after Napoleon was finally defeated. This ideology came from an imagined or real cultural identity where the main features were common history, common language and common territory. In other words, the main idea behind nationalism was to turn the cultural identity of citizens into some kind of political identity where people from the same origin would push forward similar agenda to help improve the economic standards of their society. According to Beiner (2003), this led to a situation where political boundaries were based on cultural unity. For instance, during the French revolution, you could find that people from different ethnic groups would find themselves being led by the same leader. The intermingling of groups led to every group finding for some way to create their own identity. The Napoleonic wars together with the French Revolution gave birth to the idea of nationalism. In the time of the Reign of Terror, the Frenchmen as the Republicans used to refer to the people were asked to repel any form of foreign armies which thought of overthrowing the republic. In the time of invasion by Napoleon, the sentiments of nationalists in the entire Europe joined forces to oppose his military campaigns. One renown nationalist is Johann Herder, a German phiplosopher who was of the idea that each and every individual had his own individual spirit and some kind of genius which he could use to survive. This he say was expressed in language and culture (Beiner, 2003). One conspicuous difference between socialism, liberalism and nationalism is that, national advocates for the idea of different groups in the same society. There is the idea of opponents or us and them. This kind of division might hinder social development because every group would want to do things their own way. On the same note there is the creation of boundaries between different groups which means that resources are owned by individual group (Beiner, 2003). This is against the idea of socialism which calls for abolition of individual ownership and proposes for the property to be owned by the government or the community. However, in some way the idea of we created a sense of nationalism where one group was to behave like they were all brothers (Beiner, 2003). This creates some similarity with the sentiments of liberalism which advocated for togetherness and provision of equal opportunities to the members of one country so that they could have a chance to develop and prosper together. The main reason that made nationalism appealing was the idea of people feeling that they are one because of the fact that they shared the same language or cultures. The good thing with nationalism is that people act like they are brothers of one mothers. One good example of nationalism was that demonstrated by the Nazis where they fought as one. However, this could be termed as nationalism gone awry because of the suffering it caused to the Jew.

Changes in Catherine throughout the Play :: A View from the Bridge Arthur Miller Essays

Changes in Catherine throughout the Play "A View From A Bridge" is a play by Arthur Miller. It is set in 1950s New York. The play concentrates on a poor family and what happens when some Italian relatives come to stay, illegally. I have chosen to concentrate on Catherine because I fell she undertakes the most emotional changes throughout the play. Catherine is a 17 year old girl who is still studying at school. She lives with her Auntie and Uncle, Beatrice and Eddie. I went to see a production of the play at the Belgrade theatre in Coventry. Overall the play was good. The first act was a little slow and tedious but the second act was excellent. They did rush the end part in which Eddie dies. Catherine was a little over the top and looked like she was trying to seduce Eddie at one point. I liked how they ensured that they were all in the correct attire. Eddie wore a shirt and trousers with a large belt. Both Catherine and Beatrice were in dresses with their hair tied up. Rodolfo had a big quiff and dresses like an old fashioned "teddy Boy". I thought the way the stage revolved to give the idea of a journey with superb. The play starts and Catherine comes in. She is very cheerful and talkative with Eddie. She has a new skirt on and asks Eddie if he "like[s] it". She tells him that "it's the style now." We can see from the start that she is very reliant on Eddie and she wants him to approve of everything she does. This idea is establish when she has news for him. She has been offered a job but she has to check it is alright with Eddie. This gives the impression that Eddie has kept her away from the world and has protected her. They then talk about the job and Eddie agrees to let her take it. Catherine's mood changes when she hears that Beatrice's cousins are arriving. She is excited because she hasn't met many people and has no social life. She wants to meet new people. When they arrive Catherine is in awe of them. She hasn't much experience with new people and she is quite hyperactive. She asks many questions and we get the impression that she is attracted to Rodolfo. She asks him if he is "married?" She likes the fact that he is blonde because there are not many blonde men about. "He's practically Blonde!" We can tell Catherine is trying to make a good impression when Eddie says "What's

Homosexuality in the Christian Church Essay

Homosexuality is defined as consistent fantasy, interest and arousal toward a person of the same sex. Disagreement exists about the explanation of homosexuality. On the other hand, evidence supports the fact that homosexuality has existed throughout the history of humankind and is not just a development of the 20th century. Early psychoanalytic theory concluded that homosexuality developed from conflicts derived from early developmental disturbances. Investigators more in recent times have explored neuroendocrine explanations as a cause of homosexual development. The results of these studies have been controversial. On the other hand, a lot of experts believe that sexual orientation, whether heterosexual or homosexual, is the consequence of a multifaceted interface flanked by anatomic and hormonal influences during fetal growth. As investigators attempt to reply the question of etiology, others have worked to further define the incidence of homosexuality. Cognitive and communal expansion throughout adolescence is an intricate progression characterized by the acquisition of a sense of self-separate from family, a sexual independence, the capacity for intimacy and the ability to be autonomous. (The Christian Science Monitor) For those young people who grow a homosexual orientation in a society based on heterosexuality, the changeover all the way through adolescence is expanded and expressed to some extent in a different way throughout the stage of acquiring a sexual uniqueness. Interviews with gay and lesbian youth specify a general pattern in which an adolescent accepts his or her own homosexuality. It is the sexual orientation toward people of the same sex. Homosexuality contrasts with heterosexuality, sexual orientation toward people of the opposite sex. People with a sexual orientation toward members of both sexes are called bisexuals. Female homosexuals are often called lesbians. In modern years, the word gay has been applied to both homosexual men and women. Homosexuality appears in almost all societal contexts within unlike community settings, socioeconomic levels, and cultural and dutiful groups. The number of homosexuals in the inhabitants is not easy to find out, and dependable data do not subsist. Nevertheless, current estimates propose that the term homosexual may relate to 2 to 4 percent of men. Estimates for lesbians are lesser. Not all people who slot in homosexual commotion essentially classify themselves as homosexual. (Zgourides, G. ) The move toward greater unity among Protestant denominations has continued in the 21st century; however, within denominations there is still conflict between conservatives and moderates or liberals. One for the most part divisive issue is homosexuality. Denominations debate whether to ordain practicing homosexuals and whether to bar clergy from performing same-sex marriage ceremonies. Some churches condemn all homosexual activity, while others refuse to do so. Consequently, according to the same religious law that many of them use when religiously citing the gay and lesbian community, countless, reputable Christian leaders today, especially within African America, are in a word adulterers. However, you will not readily read of religious leaders publicly denouncing the social and spiritual validity of their fellow divorced clergy who have married more than once, like you will their `cry loud and spare not’ public cries relating to gay and lesbians desiring the equal choice and right to marry only once. There exists no evidence that suggests Jesus ever discussed same-sex anything, publicly or privately, during his ministry. However, Christ, the bedrock of modern-day Christianity, did publicly condemn religious leaders of his age for granting bills of divorcement. However, wading through all the hype in the media these days one might just conclude the opposite. (Knutson, D. C. ) It is considered an act of unconditional grace to say that the immeasurable, unmerited grace available from God stops only at the sin of adultery. Does God’s amazing grace cover only those sins of Old Testament law that are socially comfortable by today’s standards? Let me put it another way: Is divorce (absent of unfaithfulness) a sin? Many Christians might respond, and there is plenty of scripture to back that up. Then will God consider the bed of that remarried person defiled? Most would probably respond, No, absolutely not, because of the New Testament law of grace, and there is plenty of scripture to support this. Christian churches historically have discriminated, excluded, and persecuted homosexuals on the basis of their sexuality. The emergence of new social attitudes and modernization has contributed to the easing of such taboos. However, the role of the church to defend minorities has led to serious conflicts between the gay community and the church’s prohibition of homosexuality. Within the Christian churches, homosexually oriented people have been excluded, marginalized and persecuted in the great majority of cases. The relatively few exceptions, which are known, are seldom taken into account. John Boswell, from whom the most important studies in this area have come, has found examples of liturgical forms for the union of same-sex partners from the churches of Asia Minor. Nevertheless, it must be said in general that in societies, which have morally proscribed homosexual relations, treated them as taboo or legally forbidden them, the sexual ethic upheld by the churches has not represented a divergent position. (Bauserman, R. ) New reflection by the churches in this area began only under the influence of a shift in social attitudes towards sexuality. The processes of modernization and secularization were accompanied by a removal of sexuality from the realm of taboo and a new respect for the private sphere. Furthermore, since the end of the 19th century modern sexual research has brought new insights into how the sexual identity of persons is formed. In addition, constitutional provisions guaranteeing the rule of law have made it possible for the first time for homosexual people to organize and struggle publicly for the abolition of discriminatory laws and regulations. For the most part the churches have supported the decriminalization of homosexuality only hesitantly. Nor was this new orientation primarily the consequence of new biblical insights or spiritual experiences; rather, the reconsideration was touched off by other factors. In the first place, personal encounter with gay or lesbian people, once they no longer had to conceal themselves but could begin to speak for themselves, was certainly important. As a rule, living alongside homosexual persons on the job, in the neighborhood, within the circle of friends or relatives leads to a reconsideration of traditional social or individual prejudices. A second factor was the exposure of individuals or groups in a good number of churches and congregations to the investigations and findings of modern empirical research on sexuality. However, this research is academically institutionalized (usually in connection with faculties of medicine) in only a few countries; and church declarations on sexual ethics draw explicitly on scientific sexological research only rarely and usually in passing. Finally, it should be noted that quite a few churches have accepted the decriminalization of homosexuality and the principle of non-discrimination against people because of sexual orientation through decisions by their competent governing bodies without however immediately reconsidering their own moral convictions and reservations on the issue. Churches time and again have a great deal of freedom for autonomous structuring of their ordinances and especially their offices. They should work at abolishing any remaining discrimination because of individual sexual orientation in the right to hold office and accept homosexual persons as office-bearers of course, as in the case of all office-bearers, according to the measure of their suitability for the growth of the community. (Boswell, J)

Determination of Quinine in Tonic Water Essay

i. The selectivity of fluorimetry is greater than that of absorption spectrophotometry as it depends on excitation, absorption and emission spectra. As for fluorimetry, when molecule absorbs radiation and become excited, fluorimetry detects the intensity of light emitted from the molecule returns to ground state from excited state. Fluorescence is good at rigid molecules as it absorbs UV radiation. When two compounds are excited at the same wavelength radiation, they would emit different wavelength radiation as different compound has its unique spectrum. ii. Second, the sensitivity of fluorescence is greater than absorption spectrophotometry. As for absorption spectrophotometry, the concentration is directly proportional to the absorbance. However, in fluorimetry, concentration is directly related to the luminescent radiant power which is measured against a very small background. Moreover, flourimetry is easier to measure the small difference. Disadvantages: i. Quenching is resulted in a variety of processes such as excited state reactions, energy transfer, complex formation and collisional quenching occur. This will decreases the fluorescence intensity of a given substance and affects the experimental result. ii. Standard solutions or the fluorescent cells may be contaminated, leading to absorption some energy of the incident radiation and transmitted radiation. It will interfere the experimental results. iii. The reflection or scattering of the incident or transmitted radiation in the fluorescent cell may influence the accuracy of the intensity of the fluorescent. iv. Fluorescent substance will undergo decomposition in fluorimetry which is related to the solvent which control the pH, temperature and pressure interfering the excitation-relaxation fluorescence process. The line will be broadened and fused together to give a less structured spectrum in the presence of solvent. 2. Define the term â€Å"quantum efficiency† for fluorescence processes. How does temperature affect quantum efficiency? â€Å"Quantum efficiency† for fluorescence processes is the ratio of the number of molecules that luminescence to the total number of excited molecules. For some species which do not have propriety of fluorescent, the quantum efficiency will approach to zero. The quantum efficiency of a highly fluorescent molecule may approach unity under certain conditions. The quantum efficiency of fluorescence in a lot of molecules will decrease with increasing temperature. It is because the kinetic energy of the molecules and hence the frequency of collisions will be increased with increasing temperature. Some molecules will convert the excitation energy to heat instead of emitting light. So the number of molecules emits fluorescence and hence the fluorescence intensity will be decreased. Result: A calibration curve with fluorescent intensity against concentration of quinine hydrochloride in ppm was plotted by using least square method. The least square equation of the calibration curve is y = 3629. 7x – 12. 157. From this equation, the amount of quinine hydrochloride in the sample was calculated to be 78. 645 ppm. Conclusion: The least square equation of the calibration curve was y = y = 3629. 7x – 12. 157 and by calculation, the amount of quinine hydrochloride in Schweppes tonic water was 78. 645 ppm. According to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the limit of quinine content in tonic water is 83 ppm. The quinine concentration in Schweppes has not exceeded the limit.

Data Collection for Special Education

Data Collection for Special Education Data collection is a regular activity in the special education classroom. It requires assessing the student’s success on individual items in his or her goals on a regular basis, usually at least once a week. When a special education teacher creates the IEP goals, he or she should also create data sheets to record the student’s progress on individual goals, recording the number of correct responses as a percent of total responses. Create Measurable Goals When IEPs are written, it is important that goals are written in a way that they are  measurable ... that the IEP specifically names the sort of data and the sort of change that should be seen in a students behavior or academic performance. If it is a percent of probes completed independently, then data can be collected to provide evidence of how many tasks the child completed without prompting or supports. If the goal is measuring skills in a particular math operation, say addition, then a goal can be written to indicate a percent of probes or problems the student completes correctly. This is often known as an accuracy goal since it is based on the percent of correct responses.   Some school districts require that special educators record their progress monitoring on computer templates the district provides, and store them on shared computer drives where the building principal or the special education supervisor can check to be sure data are being kept. Unfortunately, as Marshall McLuhan wrote in the Medium is the Message, too often the medium, or in this case, the computer program shapes the sorts of data that are collected, which may actually create meaningless data which fits the program but not the IEP Goal or the behavior.   Types of Data Collection Different kinds of data measurement are important for different kinds of goals. Trial by Trial:  This measures the percent of correct trials against the total number of trials. This is used for discrete trials.   Duration:  Duration measures the lengths of behaviors, often paired with interventions to reduce undesirable behaviors, such as tantrums or out of seat behavior.​  Interval data collection is one means to measure duration, creating data that reflects either percent of intervals or percent of complete intervals. Frequency:  This is a simple measure that notes the frequency of either wanted or unwanted behaviors.  These are usually described in an operational way so they can be identified by a neutral observer.   Thorough data collection is an essential way of showing whether a student is or is not making progress on goals. It also documents how and when the instruction is being delivered to the child. If a teacher fails to keep good data, it makes the teacher and the district vulnerable to due process.

Why Federal Elections are Held on Tuesday

Why Federal Elections are Held on Tuesday Of course, every day is a good day to exercise our freedom, but why do we always vote on the Tuesday after the first Monday in November? Under a law enacted in 1845, the day designated as Election Day for choosing elected federal government officials is set as â€Å"the Tuesday next after the first Monday in the month of November† or the first Tuesday after November 1.† This means that the earliest possible date for federal elections is November 2, and the latest possible date is November 8. For the federal offices of President, Vice President, and members of Congress, Election Day occurs only in even-numbered years. Presidential elections are held every four years, in years divisible by four, in which electors for President and Vice President are chosen according to the method determined by each state as required by the Electoral College system. Midterm elections for members of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate are held every two years. Terms of office for persons elected in federal elections begin in January of the year following the election. The President and Vice President are sworn in on Inauguration Day, typically held on January 20. Why Congress Set an Official Election Day Before Congress passed the 1845 law, the states held federal elections at their discretion within a 30-day period before the Wednesday in December. But this system had the potential to result in electoral chaos. Already knowing the election results from states that voted in early November, people in states that did not vote until late November or early December often decided not to bother to vote. The lower voter turnout in late-voting states could change the outcome of the overall election. On the other hand, in very close elections, states that voted last had the power to decide the election. Hoping to eliminate the voting lag problem and streamline the entire election process, Congress created the current federal Election Day. Why a Tuesday and Why November? Just like the food on their tables, Americans can thank agriculture for an Election Day in early November. In the 1800s, most citizens - and voters - made their living as farmers and lived far from the polling places in cities. Since voting required a day-long horseback ride for many people, Congress decided a two-day window for elections. While weekends seemed a natural choice, most people spent Sundays in church, and many farmers transported their crops to market on Wednesday through Friday. With those restrictions in mind, Congress chose Tuesday as the most convenient day of the week for elections. Farming is also the reason for Election Day falling in November. Spring and summer months were for planting and cultivating crops, late summer through early fall were reserved for the harvest. As the month after the harvest, but before the snows of winter made travel difficult, November seemed the best choice.   Why the first Tuesday after the first Monday? Congress wanted to make sure the election never fell on the first of November. November 1st is a Holy Day of Obligation in the Roman Catholic Church (All Saints Day). In addition, many businesses tallied their sales and expenses and did their books for the previous month on the first of each month. Congress feared that an unusually good or bad economic month might influence the vote if it were held on the 1st. But, that was then and this is now True, most of us are no longer farmers, and while some citizens still ride a horse to vote, travel to the polls is far simpler than in 1845. But is there, even now, a single better day to hold a national election than the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November? School is back in session and most summer vacations are over. The closest national holiday Thanksgiving is still almost a month away, and you dont have to buy anybody a gift. But the runaway best all-time reason for holding the election in early November is one Congress never even considered in 1845. Its far enough from April 15 that we have forgotten about the last tax-day and havent started worrying about the next one. Bottom line? Any day is a good day to vote.

All Things Political

All Things Political All Things Political All Things Political By Maeve Maddox During the Pope’s visit to the United States, social media and television abounded with comments discussing what is and isn’t political. For example, a television anchor expressed surprise that anyone would categorize such things as â€Å"caring for the poor, protecting religious minorities and integrating refugees† as political: â€Å"I think we are in a weird place in the world when [such things] are considered political.† The anchor’s surprise would have surprised Aristotle (384-322 B.C.E.): The end [or goal] of politics is the best of ends; and the main concern of politics is to engender a certain character in the citizens and to make them good and disposed to perform noble actions.- Aristotle, â€Å"Nicomachean Ethics.† English owes the words politics and political to an ancient Greek word that meant â€Å"public matters, civic affairs.† Through time, different meanings have attached to these words. Here are traditional definitions of politics: The science or study of government and the state. Activities or policies associated with government. Public life and affairs involving matters of authority and government. Public life and affairs viewed as a profession. The word politics is also used in the context of nongovernmental activities: Management or control of private affairs and interests, especially as regards status or position. For example, â€Å"office politics.† The political ideas, beliefs, or commitments of a particular individual, organization, etc. For example, â€Å"the politics of the NEA,† â€Å"the politics of a film,† â€Å"the politics of George Clooney.† (with an indefinite article) A political structure, outlook, or ideology. For example, â€Å"a politics of denial,† a politics of denunciation,† â€Å"a politics of love.† For many modern speakers, the word politics has a derogatory connotation. For example, â€Å"to play politics† is â€Å"to act on an issue for personal or political gain rather than from principle.† Like the noun, the adjective has more than one application. A â€Å"political issue,† for example, is an issue associated with government policy. A â€Å"political football† is a subject of contentious political debate. â€Å"Political correctness† is language or behavior intended to avoid controversy. In a broad sense, political describes just about anything that affects the way people live their lives in an organized state. Here are a few random quotations on the topic of politics: In politics stupidity is not a handicap.- Napoleon Bonaparte In our age there is no such thing as keeping out of politics. All issues are political issues, and politics itself is a mass of lies, evasions, folly, hatred and schizophrenia.- George Orwell. The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.- H. L. Mencken. The greatest power is not money power, but political power.- Walter Annenberg. I believe that political correctness can be a form of linguistic fascism, and it sends shivers down the spine of my generation who went to war against fascism.- P. D. James. Politics is the greatest calling in a democracy.- Boyd A. Martin. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Definitely use "the" or "a"The Four Sounds of the Spelling OU5 Keys to Better Sentence Flow

Assignment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Assignment - Research Paper Example These people strive to gain more power upon the work setup and are best motivated by roles that require them to execute their leadership skills. The third need identified by McClelland is the need for affiliation. People who have this as the most important need are called as the n-aff people. These people seek to make friends in the workplace. The more they socialize, the more they are motivated for work. Putting these people in roles in which they feel isolated makes them lose motivation for work. Although the behavior of workers is a mix of all these needs, yet one of the three governs an individual’s behavior. This theory raises numerous new challenges for the managers. First of all, managers don’t have an objective means to confirm whether the three needs identified by the McClelland’s theory are sufficient to represent all needs. Some people value job security and salary more than power, affiliation or achievement. Even if managers assume that the McClelland ’s theory is sufficient to represent all needs, they don’t have a robust means to identify the way they are combined in different workers. In order to keep them motivated, managers need to be sure that a certain worker values certain need more than others. Then, there is no means to be sure that an individual’s need-combination would not alter with time. After all, people’s preferences in life keep changing from time to time. An individual who values power more than anything else at a certain point in time may start to value achievement more later on. Our likes and preferences are shaped by our daily life experiences. Hence, there is a lot of flexibility in out choice of needs. All these factors render it very difficult for a manager to address the individualistic needs of people and make them remain motivated for work. In this research, I tend to bring answers to the aforementioned doubts by exploring people’s needs in a certain work

The European Sociopolitical Foundations of Anthropological Thought Essay

The European Sociopolitical Foundations of Anthropological Thought - Essay Example The European colonization which can be traced back in the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th, century evolved together with the birth of Anthropology which is rooted from the evolution of natural history. But it was in the 18th century, the so called "era of the enlightenment" that humans tried to look for reasons in the things that were happening and the things that were surrounding them. It was also the time when people looked for rationality and empiricism in the society. Anthropology just like the world evolved, and has created different walls of ideas like the unilinealism which according to Wikipedia is a "19th century social theory about the evolution of societies and cultures. It was composed of many competing theories by various sociologists and anthropologists, who believed that Western culture is the contemporary pinnacle of social evolution. This theory is now generally considered obsolete in academic circles." It can be recalled that in the 18th c... The idea was also intensified by Christianity which made it worse. At the time, Europeans did not have confidence to acquire a positive view of the world until the age of the "Enlightenment." The enlightenment or the age of reason was dated back also in the 18th century which also covered the late 17th century. Wikipedia defines the age of enlightenment as "Inspired by the revolution in physics commenced by Newtonian kinematics, Enlightenment thinkers argued that same kind of systematic thinking could apply to all forms of human activity. Hence the Enlightenment is often closely linked with the Scientific Revolution, for both movements emphasized empiricism, reason, science or rationality, but here applied also with natural law to the ethical and governmental spheres in exploration of the individual, society and the state. Its leaders believed they would lead the world into progress from a long period of doubtful tradition, irrationality, superstition, and tyranny which they imputed to the Dark Ages, though not from religious belief. The movement helped create the intellectual framework for the American and French Revolutions, the Latin American independence movement, and the Polish Constitution of May 3; and led to the rise of classical liberalism, democracy, and capitalism." During the era of rationality and reasoning, philosophers like Hegel, Rousseau and Hobbes thought of a progressive society as a possible thing. For George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, evolution of man is consist of contradictions and tensions that are necessary and are need to attain the knowledge that is "absolute." The process of negation and contradiction leads to attaining the "rational unity" which happens in the mind and does not happen outside or in the external

Gulf Regional Legal Environment of Business Essay - 2

Gulf Regional Legal Environment of Business - Essay Example For example, Sadah (2010) has pointed out those countries like Oman lacks in proper legal framework which can not only protect domestic players but also attract foreign investors. Hence, it can be said that providing a stable legal framework to domestic and foreign companies is related to Oman’s growth and prosperity. McConnaughay (2001) has defined law as a structure and combination of principles which provide guidance to companies on how to do business and also takes care of the interest of investors. In Oman, Commercial Companies Law under the Royal Decree No. 4/1974 takes care of most of the business entities such as Joint-stock Companies, Limited Liability Companies (LLC), joint venture between partners etc (Morison Muscat, 2010). However, such an old prescription is not helpful for Oman to solve the entire pertinent and current day business problem. For example, the age old Royal Decree No. 4/1974 is not helpful to guide business operation of commercial companies which m ight or might not have principal operation in Oman. Another important thing is that, in last 20 years, rapid industrialization in Oman has increased interest of foreign investors to invest money in order to expand business in the country (Morison Muscat, 2010). ... Part 2 Research scholars such as Siviglia (1993), Fox (2009) and Christou (2009) have pointed out that, commercial agreement between countries is important facet of international trade policy for government of any country. Careful analysis of the work done by Fox (2009) shows that commercial agreement between Sultanate of Oman and any foreign Country is exposed to both advantages and disadvantages. Commercial agreement between Sultanate of Oman and international countries comes under the Royal Decree No. 102/94- FCIL and foreign capital investment policy (Morison Muscat, 2010). According to the law, foreign companies need to get license from Omani government in order to commence business in the country. Investors of foreign countries are allowed to invest in tourism, construction, infrastructure, technology or own share of Omani company. Commercial agreement between foreign countries and Oman also includes the clause that, foreign investors will be eligible for tax holidays if their service is found to be necessary to economic growth of Oman by the Council of Ministers (Morison Muscat, 2010). There are plenty of advantages associated with signing commercial agreement by Sultanate of Oman with international countries such as, foreign partners will invest additional fund to the Oman economy which will positively impact the gross domestic product growth of Oman, technological partnership between foreign companies and domestic players will ultimately increase the overall technological capacity of the Oman, foreign investors will create job opportunity by investing money in Oman which will significantly improve the labour market condition

Discussion question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 12

Discussion question - Essay Example t they are self-evident and inalienable (MacKinnon, 76).† In fact, American Declaration of Independence 1776 is the clearer formulation of this concept. Thomas Jefferson mentions a quote about the equal rights of all men â€Å"....... that all men are created equal, .......... with certain inalienable rights........† This is the source for ascertaining what should be weighed â€Å"natural right.† Another time, the U.S. Border Patrol Agents’ similar assertion from the case when they state it is justified for the reason that a considerable amount of Latinos in border regions are in America illicitly (MacKinnon, 76) their assertion moves against the â€Å"natural right† in accordance to what Jefferson told. Moreover, the statement disagrees with the equality principle. Author also defines the principle of equality in this book as, â€Å"It is unjust to treat people differently in ways that deny to some of them significant social benefits unless we can show that there is a difference between them that is relevant to the differential treatment (MacKinnon 196).† America has archaic laws regarding drugs. Against the trade of drugs, the law enforcement has been very restricted to imprisoning causal drug users. In Mexico, the drug lobbies, and the prison lobbies that are operated privately, both expend obscene amounts of wealth, to see that recreational drugs stay illicit. Until the U.S. laws are restructured, the jails will be overloaded, with people who are young, incarcerated for non-violent offences, like use or possession of just a small amount of drugs. As noted by Auroch, most of the privately operated jails are owned by the â€Å"1 per cent,† and the Republican Party is controlled by this â€Å"1 per cent†. (HumanJustice.org. 2010) However, it is obviously not accepted and the U.S. government should consider this massive issue and make suitable laws about this because this is against the human

Industrial Repair Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Industrial Repair - Case Study Example The company management realizes that it is getting difficult for them to attract customers unless the company relocates its facility to ensure easy access to customers. It can either relocate the current facility to some other regions or it can operate two facilities at different locations. The sole objective is to enable the crew to reach customers within 30 minutes drive. The accountants reached the conclusion that if the company opens a facility it will cost $100,000; whereas if it operates two facilities it will cost an extra $70, 000 per year in operating expenses. The company assigned Andrew Morgan as the facility manager to examine if company has to maintain two facilities. Furthermore he was asked to suggest a new location for the company if it has to be relocated. He has to consider both transportation costs and the percent of customers within the time zone of proposed facilities. He can use OM Explorer Solver which gives address and number of existing customers. With the help of OM Explorer Solver he can calculate the time and distance for each customer to reach the nearest

Intercultural communication in language class of culturally diverse Essay

Intercultural communication in language class of culturally diverse students - Essay Example The aim of this paper is to present two case studies identifying two major issues that come in the management of inter-cultural learning for students (World Bank, 2010). The study will be focused on the barriers among students of various cultural backgrounds. It will also elaborate how these students as learners of English as Secondary Language (ESL) respond to the difficulties? The study is comprised of two case studies and will incorporate the case scenario, its discussion and critical evaluation for each case study and will conclude with a formal conclusion. In the English language class one third of my students were from China including Zhang Li, and the rest were mixed of various nations. In learning English language class, the Chinese students were tend to be shy, introvert and reserved. They were poor in communication other students and with instructors and not very often participate in the class discussions. All members of the Chinese group including Zhang Li used to live, st udy and play together. Their attitude showed a fear and hesitation in self-expression. They were very conscious of using English as a medium of interaction. They tend to ignore the cultural aspects of the language and often confused while using phrases and explaining contexts. Moreover, all the Chinese and in particular Zhang Li, felt chauvinistic about their own Chinese culture and were obsessed with fear of interacting with foreign culture. While in English language class their belief on ethnocentrism held them back from developing cultural relations with the American culture and language.

Industrial Repair Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Industrial Repair - Case Study Example The company management realizes that it is getting difficult for them to attract customers unless the company relocates its facility to ensure easy access to customers. It can either relocate the current facility to some other regions or it can operate two facilities at different locations. The sole objective is to enable the crew to reach customers within 30 minutes drive. The accountants reached the conclusion that if the company opens a facility it will cost $100,000; whereas if it operates two facilities it will cost an extra $70, 000 per year in operating expenses. The company assigned Andrew Morgan as the facility manager to examine if company has to maintain two facilities. Furthermore he was asked to suggest a new location for the company if it has to be relocated. He has to consider both transportation costs and the percent of customers within the time zone of proposed facilities. He can use OM Explorer Solver which gives address and number of existing customers. With the help of OM Explorer Solver he can calculate the time and distance for each customer to reach the nearest

Summary of patents and standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Summary of patents and standards - Essay Example This invention comprised readable data for a computer, which represents an encoded pixel collection. The collection comprises several pixels organized to form a source graphic symbol of the part geometrically similar to an exclusive attribute of the intended graphic symbol. In addition, it is possible to pixel the target graphic symbol using one or more coded pixel cluster. This is the major assertion that the owner of this patent claim, which is similar to other claims. The main objective of this innovation is to encode graphic symbols founded on both the keyboard printable characters for instance letters and numbers and on other printable graphic symbols. Consequently, this will render the decoding more precise even when the printed symbols are only partly clear. The above assertion explains the first and second feature of the invention. The third feature of the invention, involves a technique for processing a printed document containing the intentioned computer legible graphic sym bols. This method can help in identifying the intentioned graphic symbols. This method serves various functions. First, it has a pixel collection fashioned by vision photographing, which are adequately identifiable even at high resolution.

Role of Hospitality Related Organizations

Role of Hospitality Related Organizations AC 1.3 Assess the role of hospitality related organizations and professional bodies. This research is about the role of the hospitality related organizations and the professional bodies involved, it will also state the role of hospitality related organizations and professional bodies in the UK like the People 1st, British Hospitality Association, Institute of Hospitality and British Institute of Innkeepers, Springboard UK. An assessment of the role of the listed hospitality organization and professional bodies will be made then a conclusion will be drawn to about the above mention. Listed below are the roles of four hospitality related organizations and the professional bodies: People 1st Work with employers to implement solution to increase performance via people. Act as a means of accreditation for colleges and training providers to certify their training programs. People 1st support regional and local bodies growth plans, from destination organizations to councils and local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) says people1st.co.uk Helps with job opportunities and information (people1st.co.uk) British Hospitality Association Implement new polices that create new jobs. 5|Page Contribute to export earnings. Creates a competitive advantage for the UK. (British Hospitality Association, 2016) Institute of Hospitality Its an educational system which certifies students in all aspects of the hospitality sectors worldwide. Supports and approve the hospitality training. (instituteofhospitality.org) British Institute of Innkeepers Represent workers across the hospitality industry. Provide advice and support. Promote professional standards. (BII, 2016) Springboard UK Help youths to achieve their goal. Help people to find jobs. Promote hospitality and tourism. Provide learning outcome for teachers to make their classes Innovative. (springboard.uk.net) The hospitality industry is a very vast and growing industry with different sectors and millions of people working in it to make it function, organizations and professional bodies have been developed to help make this industry flow by engaging in training and certifying activities and to be the back-bone supporter of the people working in the industry. Some of these organization are springboard UK, British Institute of Innkeepers, Institute of Hospitality, British Hospitality Association and People 1st.The springboard UK is responsible for influencing the young people to achieve their goals and to help people of all ages to be employed, they also promote the hospitality and tourism industry (springboard.uk.net). Springboard UK is important as it act as a haven for not only young people bout all  ages so they can have a second chance. British Institute of innkeepers act as a union to support, help and give advice when every they need it, this body is exceptional because the workers need someone to help voice their opinion and problems (BII, 2016). Institute of hospitality is a charity organization that help people to be certified in any sector of their choice doing this promotes the hospitality industry and helps people who cant afford to attend a hospitality school (instituteofhospitality.org). Peoples 1st roles are to increase performance also act as a means of accreditation for hospitality schools doing this helps with job opportunities because upon hiring, companies want to know that the person they are hiring are well accredited (People1st.co.uk, 2016)). Conclusion In conclusion, the role of the organization and professional bodies are very much important to both the industry and the people and it plays a major role in the UK hospitality industry, with helping with job opportunities, training, accreditation for schools also being the voice of the people put it a set above, thus making this very vast industry more manageable.

Interview with a Massage Practitioner Essay -- Interview Essay

Many people pass this concrete stucco looking office on the strip mall. Most people who pass by may go to the bar next door to Dr. Mason’s chiropractic office. No one pays much attention to a place where all the windows are low tinted dark with a door that has the word doctor on it. People only look for doctors when they are injured or sick. I’m sure the lighted Budlight sign flashing and smell of food attract more people. It was different than what I expected from a doctor’s office. Surprisingly the roof was flat not pointed like most offices and not a very tall building. I expected lots of rocks, small bushes near the door, smooth concrete building with slight indentions for decoration, metal plaque inside the concrete and the area to be surrounded by other doctor offices. I was nervous as I stepped over the curb and onto the side walk to the entrance. â€Å"What if she is really busy or rude,† I thought, â€Å"But massage therapist are usually nice and calm.† The door was average height and swung open very easily. Inside the clinic it smelled crisp and was cool. The sun shined through the windows where the shade was raised. All the walls were painted in a slight off-white color. Instead of the typical tile or vinyl flooring carpet was used. The freestanding reception desk was in an open area with plants, filing cabinets, and a copy machine next to it. Behind the desk was a full height wall that changed to a chest height wall. In the open office there are two chiropractic tables, which were separated by a wall that is about chest height. On the other side of the room is a traction station, two stretching machines, a massage chair. In the lobby section of the open office there are two flat screen TVs and lots of children movies... ... people to unwind and relax. Mary entered the job knowing her skills and prepared to put them to work. A massage â€Å"is the manipulation of superficial layers of muscle and connective tissue to enhance the function and promote relaxation and well-being.† I asked Mary if she like her job. â€Å"I love my job it is never boring I treat people from ages ten to seventy-five. I love helping people and I find the human body fascinating. Today people are trying to live a long and health by taking care of their body, my job helps.† There are many schools that offer massage therapy. Anyone who would like to pursue it as a major should be comfortable with touching other people. Before leaving I told Mary I appreciated the time she took to allow me to interview her. I was satisfied overall with the interview. The environment made me happy that I chose a relaxing career to explore.

Holden Caulfield in The Catcher in the Rye :: essays research papers

Holden Caulfield can be analyzed through his thoughts, actions and circumstances which surround his everyday life. Holden acts like a careless teenager. Holden has been to several prep-schools, all of which he got kicked out of for failing classes. After being kicked out of the latest, Pency Prep, he went off to New York on his own. Holden seems to have a motivation problem which apparently affects his reasoning. The basis of his reasoning comes from his thoughts. Holden thinks the world is full of a bunch of phonies. All his toughs about people he meets are negative. The only good thoughts he has are about his sister Phoebe and his dead brother Alley. Holden, perhaps, wishes that everyone, including himself, should be like his brother and sister. That is to be intelligent, real and loving. Holden’s problem is with his heart. It was broken when his brother died. Now Holden goes around the world as his fake self, wearing his mask. Holden is looking for love, peace and understa nding. He is scared to love because he is afraid he might lose it like he did with his brother. That is the reason for Holden's love of the museum, he feels safe because it never changes it always stays the same. Holden is troubled with the pain of death, it effects every aspect of his life causing him to not care about the future, himself or anyone, except Phoebe and Alley.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The theme of alienation is demonstrated by Holden. He alienates himself from the world because he fears change and false people, he wants love and security. Holden alienates himself from all the changes that occur around him. Holden isolated himself when he didn't go down to the seats for the final football game at Pency. He isolates himself because he gets kicked out of all the schools he goes to. All those changes scare Holden off, he becomes afraid to feel secure. Holden also alienates himself because he trusts no one, he thinks everybody is phony. When Holden was in a bar and he lied and said he had to go, just to not talk to his brothers old girl friend; Holden thought she was annoying and left the bar even though he didn't feel like it. Holden is also alienated by his inability to love. Holden seems not to care about his old girlfriend Sally, he told her he loved her but he didn’t mean it.

China’s Current Foreign Investment Environment Essay

Since the reform and opening up, China’s utilization of foreign investment is developing constantly. Along with the continuous improvement of the investment environment, the scale of foreign investment into China has been continuing expanding, which making China became the world’s second largest inflow of funds country. In the backdrop of China’s own economic development, in 2010, China became the second largest economy in the world, with a 5878. 6 billion dollars GDP at the same year.? Inside the country, foreign investments forming a large-scale foreign economy, and made important contribution to China’s economy and pushed it into the international economic system. I would like to talk about my own views about China’s current foreign investment environment, and analyze its opportunities and challenges. The quality of investment environment is directly related to the ability to attract high-quality foreign capital investment. Investment environment affected by many factors, and these factors work together, such as national macroeconomic policies, the basic anagement system of national government, the level of infrastructures and so on. First, I’d like to analyze the advantage of China’s current foreign investment environment, which directly related to the opportunity for China to attract foreign investment. Advantage: Good economic environment A country’s economic environment determines the future direction and development of the country’s economy, while China is in a good momentum of economic development stage. China’s macro-control policies become more and more mature after years of development, and have accumulated a lot of valuable experience. These policies have played a catalytic role for the country’s overall economic development. In order to develop an opening-up economy, in 2001, China became a member of the WTO, provided a good opportunity to make China’s economic more opening to the outside world and provide better investment environment. By accepting new things and developing China’s own economic growth model, the level of China’s economic grows rapidly. China has a strong domestic purchasing power, which reflects China’s huge market size and market potential. According to the effective demand theory of Keynes, due to the economic crisis, there is a lack of effective demand in western countries. Effective demand makes up with consumer demand and investment demand. Diminishing marginal propensity to consume, diminishing marginal efficiency of capital and liquidity preference is the three major social and psychological factors resulting in lack of consumption demand and investment demand, and then reduce the investment rate in developed countries.? Thus, more foreign investors would turn to find a better place to invest, it is the opportunity of China’s foreign investment environment. Advantage: Stable political environment Since China’s reform and opening up, people’s living standards continue to improve, China’s international status and international influence also has been enhanced at the same time. China could maintain a stable developing social environment. This is the basic guarantee of the investment environment. For example, the reason why Wal-Mart invested a large amount of money on shopping plaza, Sam shops, and community shops in China, is that Wal-Mart believed China has a stable political and social environment. A stable political and social environment is an important factor that can nsure the safety of foreign investments. Advantage: Acceptable infrastructure China has the world’s largest infrastructure construction. After years of development, the level of China’s infrastructure has been significantly improved. For example, the government invested a lot of money on the construction of transportation, electricity, water, and natural gas supply. The ability to provide materials and efficient transportation are favorable factors for attracting foreign investment. For example, Wal-Mart relies on its efficient logistics and distribution, and Wal-Mart decided to locate its distribution center in Tianjin. Tianjin is a coastal city, it not only reflects the natural advantage of Tianjin, but also reflects that in recent years, Tianjin’s tremendous achievements in constructing infrastructure. Advantage: Abundant labor China has the largest population in the world, and also provides a lot of cheap labor resources. Companies could enjoy cost advantages because of the cheap labor cost, especially in labor-intensive industries. China also has a comparative advantage in labor-intensive industries. Wal-Mart has 50,000 employees in China. The company gives their employees necessary training to meet the needs of high-tech industries and enjoys low cost of labor. Labor and capital are substitutes. In China, Wal-Mart’s development relies heavily on a lot of cheap labor. Imagine Wal-Mart has such a large number of employees in developed countries, the labor cost is much higher than in China, therefore, the actual profit must be affected. In this way, invest in China is a good choice for War-Mart. I have talked about the advantages of the foreign investment environment in China, and then I would like to talk about the disadvantages. Disadvantage: The laws of the market economy system are not perfect China joined the WTO in 2001, which means that China can be on an equal footing with the developed countries. However, China’s current economy is a market economy with Chinese characteristics, which has some differences with the mature market economies in developed countries. China’s market economy has been accepted for a short time, with little experience, many laws and regulations are unreasonable. China’s legal basis, the legislative process, operational mechanism is still not completely turned to erve market economy. Some existing laws and regulations confront with the principles of market economy. In terms of implementation, many laws and regulations are not uniformed in the implementation process, which have caused lots of problems for foreign investors. The imperfect legal system also affects employee’s rights. For example, Wal-Mart, Dell, Kodak and other foreign companies are refused to establish union in China. Actually, there are few laws to protect employee’s rights in China. These foreign companies are not afraid of these imperfect laws. Foreign companies like Wal-Mart, has a long operation history in many countries around the world, has many experiences of how to deal with workers in many countries, the legal basis in China is still very weak. Disadvantage: Low government efficiency Bureaucracy and corruption is a significant problem of the government. In the Chinese government system, the institutional settings are bloated, some department’s functions are unclear, policies and regulations are not uniformed between the various departments. These problems are particularly serious in recent years, greatly limits the improvement of the foreign investment environment. Foreign investors lack of a complete understanding of the Chinese government, they will face a lot of problems but do not know how to deal with it. Disadvantage: The low efficiency of the financial sector According to a survey conducted by the World Bank, China’s financial resources are concentrated on state-owned enterprises. For some companies with high potential, especially for some small and medium-sized private companies, they can not get strong financial support from the bank in a short time. Lack of support also leads these companies to the slow development or even the bankrupt. This is also a disadvantage to foreign investors. Foreign investors in China want to get the financial support have to face cumbersome procedures, mainly because of the financial institutions system is not perfect. At the same time, the interest rate is not determined by the market, which limits the flow of credit funds to the foreign companies, the private sector, and small enterprises. Disadvantage: The investment environment and labor distribution has regional differences China has large land area, but because of the natural causes, history and other factors, the investment environment and labor distribution are various from region to region. In the southeast coastal areas, infrastructure, labor resources, and policies are attractive to foreign investors. In the central and western regions, due to the geographical conditions and the limitations of natural resources, economic development is relatively slow, the policy is not attractive to foreign investors. For example, Wal-Mart opened 191 stores in China are mostly located in the southeast coastal areas. As shown below: Wal-Mart China mainland outlets maps Disadvantage: Resources and environmental constraints China is a big country. However, the resources for every person rank very low around the world. With the economic development, social development and the improvement of the consumption level, there are some limitations in the energy, land and other natural resources. China’s economic growth mainly depends on high pollution industries, and has not fundamental changed. Environmental pollution makes retail enterprises such as Wal-Mart faces a lot of problems in the procurement process. A lot of goods can not enter the mall because of the pollution. China’s foreign investment environment and also be limited, therefore, the transformation of economic growth mode is the top item of China’s current economic development. Summary In summary, the entry of foreign capital is an inevitable trend in China, which has made more demands on China’s investment environment. How to use the opportunities and advantages of the China’s investment environment are important issues need to be considered by the government. Only by analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of China’s investment environment, developing relevant policies and regulations, increasing the anti-corruption efforts and transforming the economic development mode, China could improve the foreign investment environment to the next level. In this way, China could receive a more important role in the world economy.

Case Sharp Printing Essay

Three years ago the Sharp Printing (SP) strategic management group set a goal of having a color laser printer available for the consumer and small business market for less than $200. A few months later the senior management met off-site to discuss the new product. The results of this meeting were a set of general technical specifications along with major deliverables, a product launch date, and a cost estimate based on prior experience. Shortly afterward, a meeting was arranged for middle management explaining the project goals, major responsibilities, the project start date, and importance of meeting the product launch date within the cost estimate. Members of all departments involved attended the meeting. Excitement was high. Although everyone saw the risks as high, the promised rewards for the company and the personnel were emblazoned in their minds. A few participants questioned the legitimacy of the project duration and cost estimates. A couple of R&D people were worried about the technology required to produce the high-quality product for less than $200. But given the excitement of the moment, everyone agreed the project was worth doing and doable. The color laser printer project was to have the highest project priority in the company. Lauren was selected to be the project manager. She had 15 years of experience in printer design and manufacture, which included successful management of several projects related to printers for commercial markets. Since she was one of those uncomfortable with the project cost and time estimates, she felt getting good bottom-up time and cost estimates for the deliverables was her first concern. She quickly had a meeting with the significant stakeholders to create a WBS identifying the work packages and organizational unit responsible for implementing the work packages. Lauren stressed she wanted time and cost estimates from those who would do the work or were the most knowledgeable, if possible. Getting estimates from more than one source was encouraged. Estimates were due in two weeks. The compiled estimates were placed in the WBS/OBS. The corresponding cost estimate seemed to be in error. The cost estimate was $1,250,000 over the senior management estimate; this represents about a 20 percent overrun! The time estimate from the developed project network was only four months over the top management time estimate. Another meeting was scheduled with the significant stakeholders to check the estimates and to brainstorm for alternative solutions; the cost and time estimates appeared to be reasonable. Some of the suggestions for the brainstorming session are listed below.

Ritz Carlton Сase Study

The history of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. originates with The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. The standards of service, dining and facilities of this Boston landmark serve as a benchmark for all Ritz-Carlton hotels and resorts worldwide. The legacy of The Ritz-Carlton, Boston begins with the celebrated hotelier Cesar Ritz, the â€Å"king of hoteliers and hotelier to kings.† His philosophy of service and innovations redefined the luxury hotel experience in Europe through his management of The Ritz Paris and The Carlton in London. The Ritz-Carlton, Boston revolutionized hospitality in America by creating luxury in a hotel setting: Private bath in each guest roomLighter fabrics in the guest room to allow for more thorough washing White tie and apron uniforms for the wait staff, black tie for the Maitre d’ and morning suits for all other staff, conducive to a formal, professional appearance Extensive fresh flowers throughout the public areasA la carte dining, providing ch oices for diners Gourmet cuisine, utilizing the genius and cooking methods of Auguste Escoffier Intimate, smaller lobbies for a more personalized guest experienceCesar Ritz died in 1918 but his wife Marie continued the expansion of hotels bearing his name. In the United States, Albert Keller bought and franchised the name and established The Ritz-Carlton Investing Company. In 1927 The Ritz-Carlton, Boston, opened and other hotels followed in New York (at Madison and 54th), Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City and Boca Raton, followed by the Miami hotels including the south beach location. However, by 1940 none of the hotels were operating except The Ritz-Carlton, Boston. The hotel embodies the vision of Cesar Ritz, Yankee ingenuity and Boston social sensibilities.The Ritz-Carlton south beach resort was first created in 1953 with the acquisition and restoration of the Morris Lapidus-designed Di Lido Hotel in Miami's South Beach district. The new resort featured 375 rooms; a 16,000 -sq.-ft. spa located on the third level; and 20,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, including a 10,000-sq.-ft. ballroom capable of seating up to 1,000 guests. The historic restoration retains the exterior flavor of the Morris Lapidus design, characterized as Art Moderne or MiMO (for Miami Modern). A three-story addition on top of the existing eight-story hotel, along with the incorporation of other surrounding buildings into the new resort, brings the Ritz-Carlton to approximately 500,000 sq. ft. These futures along with the rich history of the building make this hotel resort one of a kind and a must see destination.II. Company ProfileThe Ritz-Carlton South Beach hotel lies on Miami’s most famous beach and is located just steps from Ocean Drive and Lincoln Road. This is a 10-block  pedestrian esplanade with the best shopping, dining, nightlife and people-watching South Beach Miami has to offer. This hotel caters to the most discerning hotel guests, dignitaries and celebrities and includes features that you may not find anywhere else. The hotel has 375 luxurious guest rooms, including two poolside lanai wings in the style of early Miami Beach. It also provides more than 20,000 total square feet of exceptional South Beach meeting and conference facilities and a 16,000-square-foot Ritz-Carlton spa.This resort is a prime location, within walking distance to Miami's Ocean Drive, Lincoln Road and South Beach nightlife. The hotel went through a complete restoration of the original 1953, Morris Lepidus-designed, landmark South Beach Miami hotel in order to provide their customers with the luxurious experience associated with the Ritz Carlton name. The hotel is rated as a triple a diamond tier 4 hotel, making it the recipient of the highest rating award for a luxury hotel. Guest Room Features & Amenities400-450 square feet Views of the Atlantic Ocean, pool, and South Beach Contemporary, warm furnishings inspired by South Beach’s vibrant ocean destination with the luxuries of home, accented with colors of blue, sea mist green, and coral Generously sized desks iPod docking stations, with AM/FM clock radios In-room laptop-compatible safe Computer and fax hookups Multi-line telephones with hold button Choice of one king or two double beds Goose down and non-allergenic foam pillows Luxurious 100% cotton linens Sumptuous marble baths Suit, skirt and padded hangers Fully stocked mini refreshment bar Rollaway beds available ($50 per day) All rooms in our South Beach hotel are non-smokingProperty Features & Amenities The Ritz-Carlton Spa The Signature Shop Two restaurants, including upscale dining and casually chic oceanfront lounge dining Elevated outdoor pool and private day beds overlook the Atlantic Ocean $2 million original art collection featuring established and emerging artists 24-hour room serviceValet parking available at our Miami hotel: Daily $27 / Overnight $36 Limousine services available upon request Personal shoppers available up on requestIII. Balance scorecardThe balanced scorecard is a strategic planning and management system that is used extensively in the hotel industry to align business activities to the vision and strategy of the organization, improve internal and external communications, and monitor organization performance against strategic goals. The balanced scorecard has evolved from its early use as a simple performance measurement to a full strategic planning and management system. The â€Å"new† balanced scorecard transforms an organization’s strategic plan from an attractive but passive document into the â€Å"marching orders† for the organization on a daily basis.It provides a framework that not only provides performance measurements, but also helps planners identify what should be done and measured. It enables executives to truly execute their strategies. The Ritz Carlton uses this strategy and is comprised of some key basic concepts, which are Financial, Customer, lear ning and growth, and internal business processes. By adopting this crucial strategy, Ritz Carlton south beach will be able to create a consistent level of service and ensure a path of future growth.A. Service cultureWho We Are The Ritz Carlton separates itself from its competitors in the hospitality industry by offering experiences of exceptional quality. Our objective is to  be considered the best luxury hotel brand in the world with each and every location personifying that goal to our customers. We build properties that are designed to take you away to a dream of unlimited possibilities and while also creating a service culture that is the best in the industry. Doing so allows Ritz Carlton to satisfy the needs and tastes of our customers, and to maintain our position as the world's premier luxury hospitality company.What We Believe Our greatest asset is our team. We do not label our staff with the term â€Å"employee† or â€Å"worker† because it takes a true team effort to provide the type of experience that the Ritz Carlton is world renown. We believe that each team member exemplifies that notion and proudly instills the image of Ritz Carlton to our customers. Our success depends on the work of our team and we will always be known as having the best team members in the land.How We Succeed We succeed when all the core components of the BSC are achieved. We must focus on the needs and desires of our customers while also maintaining a safe and surplus level of revenues and profits while minimizing our expenditures. We must account for our outside competitive set and deliver a product to our customers that cannot be matched.How We Behave We demonstrate our behavior through hard work, compassion, and a true love for what we do. We pride ourselves on having the best code of conduct policy which adheres to all state and federal guidelines while ensuring the happiness of our guests and team members.B. Balance Scorecard table (exhibit 1) â€Å"A br oad look†(Exhibit 2) â€Å"a detailed look into BSC†Perspectives Objectives Measures Target Initiatives/Actions Financial 1.Increase Revenue 2.Increase RevPAR 3.Increase profit margin 4. Minimize expenses P&L statement STAR reports Department operations reports Operating budget -Maintain RevPAR Index Achieve higher ADR, RevPAR and OCC% than comp set 30-40% profit -secure market share from competitors. -Maintain optimal ADR by appropriate revenue management – Up sell high margin services Customer -Customer service – No guest dissonance -Happy guests-Customer Satisfaction Repeat customers Referred customers -Online surveys -100% customer satisfaction – Repeat business -Loyalty-Monitoring social media -Mystery shoppers -Score cards with incentives to give any feedback -Creating internal network for sharing customer ifo between associates Internal Business Processes – Adherence to brands standards for operations processes – Following stand ard operation and billing procedures in the catering department -Service errors -Failure rates -Maintenance and renovation of physical assets – Guest complaints – Bill disputes-3ÃŽ ´ level of quality for all business processes – Less than 1% bill disputes -Hiring an Operations control manager – standardized Training for all employees -operating inventory cycle monitoring Learning and Growth – Grooming and retaining the best associates. – Shorter work hours and rested more attentive employees in catering department. – Internal Promotion – Turnover rate – Associate retention – Employee overtime – Employee burnout – Service satisfaction ratings for F&B department -70% promotion from within -turnover below 40% hourly & 10% managerial -5-15% overtime for F&B employees maximum -Developing effective training programs-Quarterly reviews and evaluations – Incentives for employees staying in the company -promotion from withinThe BSC tables shown in exhibit 1 and 2 highlight the objectives considered important for the Ritz Carlton at south beach to succeed. Due to the fact that it is a luxury property, the objectives considered in this table are aligned with strategies targeting upscale travelers with unique demands and needs. In a luxury hotel, the top line revenues and profits depend on the level of guest satisfaction.It is assumed that wealthy travelers are willing to pay a premium if all their needs and demands are satisfied. Thus exquisite hotels such as The Ritz Carlton depend directly on the level of satisfaction of their guests as well as the public perception of their brand name and property when setting room rates and other pricing strategies. With all being said it makes sense that such an emphasis is put on the level of service in this second exhibit of BSC.The balanced scorecard approach allows a hotel to asses what its biggest area of opportunity is to succeed and buil d upon that to better serve its customers worldwide. Financial and business process measures are taken into account to assure that the company is running at optimal efficiency and that money is being made at an acceptable rate. Although these measures are important, they would mean nothing without the loyalty, retention, and happiness of your team members. In this case, the Ritz Carlton is a luxury hotel, so focusing on the retention and overall happiness of your team members is what will ultimately benefit you the most.Companies make it a priority in finding and retaining top team members, but it is very difficult. This is why managers must acknowledge the presence of such members on their staff and make an effort to keep them in the company. The retention and development of these members is key in the success of the hotel. You must also understand that not every person is suited for the luxury service culture, so finding the best mix and combinations of team members will bode help ful in the long run. Training courses and a structured system for development should also be put in place to ensure a consistent service culture.A huge retention meter would be to offer employees incentive for their performance. This can be money based, recognition based, or promotion based. Internal promotion is a practice adopted by upscale properties more than many other types of hotels because the team member is battle tested. They have been brought up from within he/she has learned the company culture along the way and already has the attitude and approach needed to be successful. Another benefit is the fact that this person is familiar with a large portion of the hotels operations, making the transition easy to any department or manager role when needed.Maintaining and exceeding financial goals and measures are important to the short-term operational success of the hotel; however, the purpose of the Balanced Scorecard is to emphasize the importance of non-financial measures fo r the success of the business. By following this objective, you will create team member satisfaction, which will cause the customers to experience the full luxury experience, and it will all trickle down to the bottom line, which is increased revenue, and high profits from all departments.C. Strategy mapThe Strategy Map below shows how the four perspectives of the BSC influence each other and how the objectives in the bottom affect the ones above them. This ultimately leads to superior workforce effectiveness. Not only does this show workforce effectiveness, but also the overall guidelines to superior financial performance.IV. Operating Budget(See attached Excel document)Market segmentsThe Ritz Carlton at south beach differentiates its potential guests into 2 main market segments – corporate (business travelers) and leisure (vacationers).Corporate Luxury hotels have traditionally focused on the business traveler because of the amount of money they make and spend, and the freq uency of their visits to the property. However, many of the luxury brands including the Ritz, have shifted their focus to other segments. Business travelers rarely use all the amenities available to them at the resort, and restrict their visit to a â€Å"professional† exposure.Even with that known, Corporate business during high season is still considerably high. Luxury brands do not discount as much as their lower end neighbors. During low season the hotel can try to attract some large corporation meetings to offset other lost opportunities.Leisure Just as stated above, the leisure segment is picking up popularity each and every year and many luxury properties have concentrated their efforts in attracting these leisure guests, whose main purpose is to utilize wide array of services and products offered, thus generating additional revenue through the alternative revenue sources. (Unlike the business traveler). There are multiple types of subgroups within the leisure segment s uch as transient, and group rates.The transient rates vary depending on the time of year or season. For luxury hotels such as the Ritz Carlton, the rates can skyrocket in season, and fall drastically off-season. Group rates are tailored to meet the needs of different companies, charities, and other organizations with better pricing for bulk deals. Rooms Department – a P&L evaluationThe sample data below was fabricated to reflect similar numbers that is shown their most recently available STR report. The data is an approximation, but will show key patterns in ADR, RevPAR, Occupancy percentage, and revenues.Jan Feb March April ADR $649 $729 1399$ $679 OCC% 80% 88% 95% 85% RevPAR $519.20 $641.52 $1329.05 $577.15 Revenue $5,841,000 $6,735,960 $15,450,021 $6,492,93730 28 31 30May June July August ADR $329 $379 $389 $299 OCC% 60% 52% 55% 41% RevPAR $197.40 $197.08 $213.95 $122.59 Revenue $2,294,750 $2,217,150 $2,487,168 $1,379,13731 30 31 30Sept October Nov Dec ADR $319 $379 $399 $ 529 OCC% 49% 65% 68% 75% RevPAR $156.31 $246.35 $271.32 $396.75 Revenue $1,817,103 $2,863,818 $3,052,350 $4,612,21831 31 30 31CATEGORY YTD AVERAGES ADR $539 OCC% 68% REVPAR $405.72 REVENUE 4,573,634 total = 54,883,612From the data above, we can get a clear picture of how the different times of year affects the hotels key measures. Average Occupancy Levels for this segment have been estimated at 68%, which was estimated from the charts above. Many luxury hotels, including the Ritz Carlton, keep a relatively high occupancy through the year because of brand recognition and popularity. The ADR rates were estimated through the research of other competing properties in the area.The RevPAR was then calculated by multiplying the OCC% by the ADR. The RevPAR indicates how well the Revenue managers did in optimizing the financial performance of the hotel. Luxury hotels such as the Ritz Carlton typically stay away from the â€Å"price war† tactic of attracting business, but on slower mon ths, doing this may actually increase your revenues and all the other key measures. Food and beverageThe DiLido Beach ClubThe only oceanfront restaurant and lounge on South Beach with a relaxed, chic ambiance perfect for people-watching Ocean-table cuisine features a selection of fresh local seafood, small plates, salads, sandwiches and a selection of homemade sangria Home to special events including the Down-home, Beachfront Crab boil or D.B.C and the Far East Summer Nights 1 Hours of Operation:Open seven days a week from 12- 8 p.m.Lobby Bar A chic, relaxed but vibrant gathering spot designed for socializing, sipping cocktails, enjoying light bites and people watching, located in the hotel's upper lobby Live entertainment at this South Beach restaurant Friday and Saturday from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Signature cocktails by master mixologist Ramsey PimentelBistro One LR Contemporary American bistro infused with Spanish flavors. Specializing in fresh, local seafood and exceptional st eaks. Miami’s leading Sunday Brunch featuring delicious cuisine, unlimited mimosas, champagne, Bloody Mary’s and live entertainment every Sunday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. 1 Hours of Operation:2 Breakfast: 7 a.m. – 11 a.m./Saturday and Sunday until 11:30 a.m. 3 Lunch: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. 4 5 Dinner: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.lapidus Lounge Lapidus Lounge, named after the famed architect Morris Lapidus – who designed the hotel when it was built in the 50s, serves specialty cocktails, light bites and sushi inside amongst the sophistication and poolside under the stars.CompetitionAlthough the Ritz Carlton has the name recognition and the luxurious fortitude to be the top dog in its competitive set, the hotel still has a few direct competitors in the south beach area of Miami. These hotels include:1. SLS hotel south beach 2. The W south beach 3. Bentley hotel south beach 4. Z ocean beach hotelThese hotels are direct competitors to the Ritz due to their similar p ricing strategy and their â€Å"suite style† rooms. These hotels do provide something that the Ritz cannot. Customized experiences. These hotels do not have the brand recognition and corporate structure so they can adapt to customer wants and needs on the fly. This is there main advantage in the marketplace. P & L overviewAfter careful review of the P&L statement, we can see that the rooms department generates the most total revenue for the hotel and food and beverage and Clubs and entertainment generate the rest of the revenue. Clubs and entertainment is very revenue driven, but lacks profit margin, so focusing on other areas is key for the Ritz. With the emergence of the Internet and mobile devices, it’s safe to say that telephone reservations are at an all time low, causing that department to bring in relatively low figures.The spa for the hotel is generally provided as a luxury for the guest but is not intended to be a moneymaking department for the hotel. Many tim es that service is deemed complimentary in which the hotel would incur a loss liter for that sale for the room. With fixed and overhead expenses being as high as they are, the key takeaway from this is to maximize the room revenue and profits by providing a luxurious experience through all of the other departments.

The Natural Disasters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Natural Disasters - Essay Example These two cases were of great significance to the governments of both nations and hence elicited responses as they occurred. The earthquake that took place in Italy provoked the government to declare a state of emergency and it dedicated all its attention towards the earthquake and the effect it had on the general Italian populace e.g. the prime minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi decided to cancel an official visit to Russia in order to pay a visit to and assess the area that had been hit by the earthquake. Such a declaration was not made in China. Relevant government officials undertook an assessment of the area and immediately got into directing their efforts towards combating the effects of the disaster and looked into disaster preparedness. It has been recorded that Italy had been warned of the earthquake by a seismologist but the government had decided to ignore it and decided not to act on it. China embarked on the mass disposal of the bodies and influenced the DNA tests that were meant to assist with the identification of the bodies yet Italy’s engagement in this is unknown. The governments of the two countries embarked on resettling the survivors and the displaced persons to areas of safety and took measures to ensure the people stayed off the affected areas to avoid the possibility of accidents and to maximize safety. The displaced persons were offered tents, food, and water among others. Both countries also arraigned necessary services e.g. medical, temporary academic and water, at the campsites.

National Sports Day in Qatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

National Sports Day in Qatar - Essay Example This way the students, employees and every person in Qatar have a chance to participate in sporting events and camps organized by the government. On its, introduction in 2012, CAN-Q did not see much use of the facilities meant for sporting. Both the student body and the staff did not turn up for the events and camps. This report is going to look into the reasons as to why people did not attend the events and camps, by conducting a pestle in addition to customer and competitor, analysis. Furthermore, the report will look at market research and problems faced, and how to resolve these problems by research. CAN-Q is among the oldest colleges in Qatar that provide high learning to the local residents since 2002. The college has a staff of over 650 personnel and a student body of 4600 students. The institution has excellent sporting facilities, which range from football, tennis and basketball courts to the fully equipped male and female gyms. There are two male and female swimming pools located in their respective gymnasiums. The pools have lifeguards who work round the clock, shower and locker room facilities, maintained in top condition. The target market for these facilities is the staff and students of CAN-Q. Both the staff and student are constantly encouraged to make use of these facilities to balance work and exercise and to keep fit and fresh to perform their roles even better. The service gets a fair amount of promotion through email, posters, and flyers and even through word of mouth among the students. Moreover, the service is free of charge to all the staff and students in addition to the alumni of CAN-Q. This is the section where one conducts an environmental analysis of the situation surrounding the sports day in CAN-Q. The result of this will bring a better understanding of the pros and cons around the college. The National sports day is a political initiative made by the ruler of Qatar.  

The theoretical framework of social marketing Essay

The theoretical framework of social marketing - Essay Example (Canada Health, 2005) Social marketing is not a new concept it has been around for a long time in one form or the other. Ever since there have been societies people have tried to persuade, inform, motivate and some how gain acceptance for their ideas and hence bring about a change. But social marketing was first introduced as a discipline in 1970 by Philip Kotler and Gerald Zaltman when they realized that the same marketing principles and strategies used to sell products can be used to sell and promote ideas, attitudes and behaviors. Kotler emphasized that the only difference between marketing and social marketing was that in social marketing the aim is not to maximize the benefit for the seller but to bring about a social change. (Weinreich, 2006) Six basic principles of social management set it apart it from other marketing approaches. Firstly the marketing conceptual frame work is intended to bring about a change that is the ultimate goal of marketing is to influence an action. Secondly there should be recognition of competition as recommended behaviors almost always have competition that should be understood and addressed. Thirdly there is a consumer orientation which is the focus on meeting the needs of one's consumers. Fourthly seminal research is to be used to identify with consumer's desires and needs that is programs will be more successful if they are based on the target audience's own perceptions and views. Fifthly there is to be a segmentation and careful selection of the target audience as audiences are rarely consistent in their perceptions or likely responses to marketing efforts and thus should be separated. And sixthly there is to be constant monitoring and modification of program tactics as the market is cons tantly changing and the management should be ready to rapidly adjust and alter its strategies. (Social Marketing Institute, n.d) Social marketing relies on the commercial marketing's conceptual frame work to guide program development and implementation. This frame work places the consumer at the heart of the exchange process where they try to maximize their wants and needs and minimize their costs of doing so. There fore social marketing identifies consumer wants and needs and tries to develop ways to satisfy them. In other words social marketing focuses on the consumer and tries to learn what the consumer wants and thus attempts to provide for the his or her needs. The planning process takes this consumer focus into account by concentrating on the elements of the marketing mix. This refers to the Ps of social marketing which incorporate the four Ps of marketing which are price, product, place and promotion as well as a few others. (Meischke, n.d) The first "P" is the social marketing product which might not always be in physical form. Products can be tangible such as condoms, ideas such as environment protection, habits or practices such as healthy eating and even services such as regular medical check ups or exams. For the product to be effective the consumers have to identify the fact that they have a problem and that the product offers a good solution to that problem. Here research can be used to determine the consumer's perception of their problem and how willing they are to solve that problem. (Weinreich, 2006) The second "P" is price which refers to what the consumers