Major Earthquake Zones Worldwide

Essay about Pro-Anorexia Websites - 1686 Words

Pro-Anorexia Websites Cyberspace, something that was once considered a fad, has developed into a tool that allows people struggling with anorexia to potentially find a sanctuary from the regulatory systems in popular culture that are applied to women’s bodies. Cyberspace provides an alternative space for women with eating disorders or body issues. The space created by cyberspace is potentially safer for women to meet because it allows anonymity while simultaneously being part of a community that the built environment is unable to provide. The components that make up pro-anorexia websites are usually considered abnormal, repugnant, or deviant within popular culture, because popular culture does not accept the way†¦show more content†¦Before entering most pro-anorexia websites there is a warning page that alerts viewers that the website contains pro-anorexia information, to enter at your own risk, and to not enter if you are not an anorexic or are in recovery. These warning pages make the purpose of pro-anorexia websites quite clear: to provide a space for those struggling with an eating disorder that is free of judgment, and where ideas of encouragement can be provided for those who are not ready to recover. Upon accepting the terms of the warning page and navigating the website, a substantial portion of a pro-anorexia website is devoted to the definition of eating disorders, treatment options, and recovery issues. This information goes beyond removing the webmaster from any liability it has for a person who is interacting with this site, which has already been addressed in the warning page. Instead, the clinical definitions of eating disorders that are usually borrowed from medical texts emphasize the fact the website is an unstable space. Anorexia Nervosa, a mental illness in which a person has an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of their weight and body shape. People with this illness believe themselves to be fat even when their weight is so lowShow MoreRelatedResearch on Pro-Anorexia Website Content Essay610 Words   |  3 PagesThe research problem is to explore the relationships between general media content and pro-anorexia website content, peer influence (general as well as specific influence to view pro-anorexia websites) and the drive for thinness in females, and drive for muscularity in males in the college student population. The researchers assume that pro anorexia website content will cause internalization (which is; when a thought becomes a belief that (in this case), woman should always be thin and men shouldRead MorePro Ana Websites Encourage Harmful Behavior1273 Words   |  6 PagesWomen and girls who are anorexic use pro-anorexia, or â€Å"pro-Ana,† blogs and websites to look for tips and inspiration for their lifestyle. The pro-Ana blogs have tips for women who are looking for ways to lose weight, stay skinny, and trick their doctors, friends, and family. Some suggestions are promoting starvation and the misuse of laxatives. Though the websites are not recruiting people, they do reinforce anorexic behavior and praise the disorder. The websites are primarily for those who have alreadyRead MoreThe Effects Of Influence On Adolescents1273 Words   |  6 Pagesunlikely the age range was intentional. Two studies that looked specifically at pro-anorexia site influence on adolescents were Pryslopski (2011) (11-18 years) and Custer and Van de Bulck (2009) (13-17 years). Custer and Van de Bulck study found a positive correlation between age and viewership in female participants. They found as female adolescents aged, so did their likelihood of viewing pro-anorexia websites, dysfunctional eating, a higher drive for thinness and lower self-evaluation. ExplanationsRead MoreGetting Thinspired: The Danger of Pro-Ana Websites952 Words   |  4 Pagesarray of pro-anorexic websites; these sites provide images and advice for those desiring to get thin quickly, resulting in healthy young girls developing life-threatening eating disorders. Pro-ana websites wage war on the developing minds of young girls. These dangerous resources support young girls in their quest for weight loss, though it is not in a positive way. Photos and forums located on these websites suggest unhealthy methods in which to achieve thinness. Pro-ana websites provide anRead MoreRestricting Pro-ana Blogs1284 Words   |  6 Pagesknown as ‘pro-ana’ or ‘pro-anorexia’. For years ‘pro-ana’ blogs have floated around the inter webs without rules and regulations. Many youths go to websites such as Tumblr and they spend hours looking at images of skinny models and anorexic ‘Tumblr girls’. In this way they themselves begin to lower their own self-esteem and in turn begin living the ‘pro-ana lifestyle’ which includes extreme food restrictions, insane workouts, and punishments if they intake too many calories. The idea of ‘pro ana’ isRead MoreEating Disorders are a Mental Illness1431 Words   |  6 Pagessuch as Twitter and Instagram.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eating disorders are real, complex and devastating conditions that can have serious consequences for health, productivity and relationships. The two most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia (Parks 8). Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that makes people lose more weight than is considered healthy for their age and height. A person with this disorder may have an intense fear of weight gain, even when they are underweight. They mayRead MoreThe Detrimental Effects of Anorexia on the Body and Mind 1103 Words   |  5 Pagesrarely occurs naturally and to pursue that ultra-thin physique at any cost.† Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among young women. Furthermore, one in every ten people with anorexia will die from a complication brought on by the disorder. Although Anorexia is a mental illness, it is most common in teenage females because it is incited by the media through the fashion industry an d pro-anorexia websites. Anorexia is a mental illness that can be identified by its victims starving themselvesRead MoreResponsibility of the Fashion Model Industry1505 Words   |  7 Pagessuffering from anorexia and bulimia. Susan Albers, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic said exposure to thin models is a great trigger in maintaining an eating disorder. When watching America’s Next Top Model or flipping through a Fashion magazine, these young women don’t apprehend that those models are either naturally slim or they are suffering from an eating disorder themselves, in other words, hostages in the dark hell hid behind those runway curtains. The growing number of young anorexia and bulimiaRead MoreEating Disorders And Body Image Issues1655 Words   |  7 PagesEating disorders: noun. A group of psychological ailments characterized by intense fear of becoming obese, distorted body image, and prolonged food refusal (anorexia nervosa) and/or binge eating followed by purging through induced v omiting, heavy exercise, or use of laxatives (bulimia nervosa).These ailments are not pretty. In this society, where only the fit and thin bodies are accepted and appreciated, eating disorders are more common than they should be. Children, starting at a young age, seeRead MoreAdolescent Teens And Young Adults Essay1550 Words   |  7 PagesStates has become infatuated with the idea of being fit, thin and healthy. This ideal has become so popular that it has become the new norm all over different media platforms including the ever growing, trendy, and highly accessible social media websites. Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and even the surprising Pinterest are just some of the few platforms that glorify the ideal that being thin is better and is the ideal to be wanted, loved, and successful in life. While this ideal may seem harmless to

Value of the Arts in Educational Experiences Essay Example For Students

Value of the Arts in Educational Experiences Essay Due to budgetary and other issues arts programs have continuously been cut in many educational institutions. Describing in detail the arts as an area of knowledge what is the value of the arts in the educational experience? Due to several issues, especially budgetary, many art programs have been cut in educational institutions. This is because many institutions, when faced with economic problems tend to cut the expenses of art supplies that are required to sustain art programs offered at places such as schools in order to preserve funding for core classes and prevent staff layoff* However, the arts are an important area of knowledge that holds several artistic forms such as music, theatre, dance, poetry, painting and photography. It is also a form of communication, as necessary as oral or written language that allows individuals to communicate with Other members Of our own species, and its part Of peoples culture. Art allows our emotions to be expressed, to capture the perception of reality and to teach or uplift the mind. That is Why by eliminating the arts in the educational experience we are withdrawing a valuable area of knowledge that should be required in all learning institutions. Educational institutions have rigid standards in reading and math, which they must achieve in order to receive federal funding and that results challenging to many districts causing them to cut their expenses for the area of the arts. Nevertheless, it must be taken into consideration that the arts is an area of knowledge that many argue to he valuable since it plays a fundamental role in classrooms where, many teachers use the arts to increase students interest in reading, writing and math by incorporating creative methods such as creating esters and making drawings that allows students to understand concepts in a more artistic and visual manner, In fact, each individual has a different strength and for instance, if an individuals talent lies in art and the arts is cut from their educational institution in which they rely to learn from, that individual will lose out in developing and exploring their talent. However, it has also been argued that by limiting, and in many cases eliminating art from educational institutions, it has brought students to perform higher in SAT scores and that in schools the rubout rates decreased, since it has allowed students to focus on the core subjects of math and reading exclusively. The arts are an area Of knowledge that allows emotion to be expressed through symbols, colors and pictures, hence it can be said that art is also a tool for communication. By removing it from educational institutions we would be limiting possible alternatives for individuals to communicate their feelings. This is because the arts allow emotions, such those Of love, hate or fear, that seem impossible to place under words. To be expressed. Many people often turn to the arts when they feel something deep inside them that they can not express, part of this reason may be because ordinary language is sometimes incapable of capturing the complexity of individuals deepest feelings or emotions. (Richard van De Legitimate) Thus, art can be viewed as a pay to escape and liberate one self from that frustration they are going through, allowing individuals to make a sense Of the intensity Of their feelings by using a piece Of music, dance or poem. Hence, it is important that educational institutions issue art programs in order o encourage individuals to express themselves and communicate through a different mean rather than through words and written language. Art is also important due to the fact that it holds a connection With the ethics since it has a moral and educative role. This is said because art influences and provokes emotions that affect individuals behaviors and attitudes. For example, the movie Superman played a key role in a young man morals where it shaped many mens views about how they feel regarded by society as manly individuals, ND thus many feel that they must keep up with that role-model that was presented to them through that movie. .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db , .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db .postImageUrl , .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db , .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db:hover , .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db:visited , .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db:active { border:0!important; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db:active , .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uf605e94cb2e9a0169a02eeb5fbb4c7db:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Jophnny tremain EssayNow a day, Hollywood movies and stars might also influence our attitudes about what is considered good or bad, right or wrong, giving individuals different perspectives on things. (Richard van Hence, art can be interpreted as a moral provocation that makes individuals broaden their awareness, questioning them how they should think about themselves or their lives, By cutting art programs, like the study of films, bad influences might be avoided but more importantly, institutions would be imitating the possibility of having individuals be willing to question and reflect upon their own values and the different values that are being presented to them throu gh this educative method of art. Art also allows individuals to learn and express their culture. Culture can be understood as the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements Of a particular nation, people, or other social groups. (Oxford Dictionary) Each culture holds their own form Of art that is also seen as a way Of communication. Gore instance, in Buenos Aries, Argentina, Tango was a cultural ballroom dance that as characterized by its unique marked rhythms, postures and abrupt pauses. It was a cultural dance that emerged from a lower class group en La Boca as a way of expressing their criticism about societys corruption and the constant betrayal between woman and man that occurred during that time. Hence. Institutions by supplying art programs, allow students to learn about the arts in their culture and explore and represent them through music, dances, paintings and several other ways. It is essential to learn about culture and how it is expressed as a form f art that reflects and varies between differ ent groups in society, regions and countries. However, some individuals regard art as invaluable since many argue that the arts are not necessary for a countrys survival and while the study and presentation might be a valuable part of culture, it isnt an absolute necessity for the survival of a society. Arts programs are important since the early exposure to visual art, music, or drama promotes activity in the brain and helps children understand other subjects more clearly, varying from math to sciences and language arts. As suggested by Marries Meyer, art engages children in a process that helps them develop their confidence, self-discipline and motivation; it has them participate in activities that allow them to gain the necessary tools for the understanding of human experiences and to adapt to new ways of working and thinking, as well as communicating ideas and thoughts in a variety of ways. Poor instance, drawing doesnt only provide the basis for other activities such as sculpting, painting and printmaking, but it also provides a direct link with reading. Writing and most significantly, mathematics. There is a clear connection between drawing and geometric shapes and measurements that can be seen in math. Hence, the knowledge area of art is significant in the educational experiences of individuals to learn and reflect their culture, to communicate emotions and feelings that cant be expressed in words with symbols, images, and colors, as well as it facilitates the learning of other core subjects li ke math and reading.

The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals, Naica, Mexico Essay Example

The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals, Naica, Mexico Essay Research Paper The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals A mile below one of Mexicos most important lead and silver mines, and a few miles above the earths magma lies a magnificent Geological Wonder. It Is Known As â€Å"The Cave Of Crystals. It contains the largest gypsum crystals known in the world to date. The cave was discovered in 2000 by two brothers drilling 1000 feet below the ground while working for Penoles mining company (Garcia-Ruiz et al. ). Man and mining have had a negative impact on the crystals, and should be held accountable for the future fate of this geological wonder. We must prevent its destruction, and benefit from the knowledge that science can gain studding this unique treasure. Cave mineralogy is a fairly new field of study that will continue to grow and earn a prestigious place in the larger scientific community. This find is the most important geological discovery made in our lifetime. This phenomenon merits a description. Growing up from the floor, the enormous crystals mirror columns of light, perfectly transparent and luminous. Among the giants is a prismatic shaped crystal measuring 11 m long. Many perfectly formed shards up to a meter in size sparkle and shimmer across the ceiling and walls. It is a magical place, described as a surreal fantasy world (London, 25). [pic] In Northern Mexico, about 100km, southeast of the city Chihuahua lies the Naica Mine. It has been operated by the Penoles mining company since 1952. They are the largest producers of lead and silver in Mexico, along with the production of zinc. The opening to the mine is on the North side of the Sierra de Naica, which according to scientific data lies above three known faults, the Gibraltar, Naica and the Montana. We will write a custom essay sample on The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals, Naica, Mexico specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals, Naica, Mexico specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Worlds Largest Gypsum Crystals, Naica, Mexico specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These faults still control the rise of thermal fluids. Hydrothermal circulation is responsible for the location of mineral deposits. Many years ago, tectonic stressors created cavities inside the aquifer; one of these caves today is called â€Å"The cave of crystals. † It is famous for the gypsum giants (Forti, 135). This discovery holds many secrets that will be exposed by science. The geological process that dictated the unique environment from which these giants materialized consisted of the natural pairing of two diverse fluids filling into the cave. One being from the deep, (phreatic), and the other from the shallow or (epi-phreatic) and vadose levels. These hydrothermal fluids, which are directly connected to the origin of the caves and mines, have been functioning as they are today for over twenty five million years. Over time, with these two chemicals overlapping and mixing with one another, we end up with an overabundance, referred to as â€Å"super-saturation† (Fricker, Garofalo, and Gunther, 620) This formed the perfect nursery required to develop these gorgeous gargantuans. A 2011 Journal printed a paper entitled â€Å"Role of Fluid Inclusion Analysis in Understanding Giagintic Selenite Crystal Growth in a Deep Karst Cave. â€Å"The paper offered a recent study of fluid inclusion has shown that the crystals were formed within a small margin of temperature. The solubility of gypsum and anhydrite are the same at just under 54 °C. These crystals grow at low supersaturation and from low salinity solutions. The analysis data shows that dissolution of anhydrite formed during hydrothermal mineralization produces a growth solution consistent with that of oxygen and sulfur isotopic compositions of gypsum crystals. This study puts forth that the huge crystals were created by a self-feeding system, fueled by a solution-mediated anhydrite-gypsum phase transition (Garcia-Ruiz, 327-330). Man and mining have had a negative impact on these wondrous crystals. Based on the current research and data available concerning the growth of crystals, the oldest Naica mine crystals date back about 400,000 years. This date is not exact. Scientists measure present day rate of growth to determine the precise age of a crystal. Unfortunately, these caves were dewatered by the mining industry in 1985. This lowering of the water table stopped the accretion process. The supersaturated water that fed the crystals was no longer available (Badino et al. 124). Man has put an end to this amazing geological environment that has existed for somewhere around four hundred thousand years. According to the International Journal of Speleology, the temperature inside the cave has drastically decreased. The main part of the mine has been connected to the cave and this creates air circulation. The cave temp drops 0. 6 degrees C. per year. The dew point was met in 2005 and a condensation process started. â€Å"At this location the giant gypsum crystals started to rapidly dissolve and new mineral phases began to precipitate† (Badino, 126). Once again, we have evidence of damage being done by mankind. The International Journal of Speleology states that upon analysis secondary minerals that appeared after the dewatering of the crystals the evolution of new speleothems seems to be due to the fluids contained in the crystals themselves. The Journal states: â€Å"Thus, for the first time, the fundamental role played by evaporationcondensation processes have been applied not only to the shape of speleothems, but also to the control of their mineral composition† (Badino et al. 125). There is much to be learned by the scientific community by studying this unique environment. Members of the Suttle Laboratory of Marine Virology and Microbiology were permitted in December, 2009, to take water samples from several different locations inside the mine. The temperatures inside the cave reach as high as 40 C and a relative humidity between 90 and 100%. As a result chemo autotrophic microbes, at present, ( because of their isolation) and their viruses may be related to those which dwelled on our earth at a much earlier time, or even possibly on other planets. It is hypothesized they exist and thrive in this ecosystem. The researchers from the team explained that â€Å"by working with these samples. We hope to gain insight into what types of microbial assemblages inhabit this very unique environment† (Suttle). In 1997 The National Speleological Society published a book titled â€Å"Cave Minerals of the World. The demands made by the Nomenclatures and Classification Commission on New Minerals and by the International Mineralogical Association were met. In 2011 and up-to-date list added 319 cave minerals. Mineralogy has achieved a rapid growth over the last 10 years. This is mostly due to progress in analytical facilities and new technology. The study of speleothems can teach us about quaternary climate change, and show us the difference between many speleogenetic routes and passages. Minerals can also lead us to understand and re-create landscape evolution. New minerals hold valuable information for the fields of the Earth sciences, and many other disciplines of study. They will answer many questions in the future (ONAC et al. ). According to the University of South Florida, Department of Geology, and other experts in the field â€Å"The result of cave mineral studies, when integrating stable isotope analysis with other microanalytical techniques, can be reassembled to test and improve conceptual ideas in mineral precipitation and to quantify geochemical processes associated with it† (ONAC et al. 4). Important discoveries have been made at the mines in Naica. Here are a few examples: Sulfates- Alpersite and Antlerite- Naica mine, Mexico. Cave at 150m. Silicates- Hectorite- â€Å"Cueva de las Espadas, Naica, Mexico. † Grientite- â€Å"Cueva de los Velas, Naica, Mexico† (ONAC et al. 34-36). There is no reason to assume that the most recent discovery, the â€Å"Cave of Crystals† has nothing to offer. This magnif icent find holds the interest of geologists, microbiologists, Earth scientists and many other allied professionals. They should be permitted, no, encouraged, to learn all they can before the cave returns back to its underwater existence, and is lost to us forever. The traditional study of minerals did not include much direct interest in the cave environment. Cave mineralogy is a field relatively new to science. This inattention stemmed from the fact that 90% of minerals found in caves are composed of aragonite and calcite (Bogdan and Forti, 80). Cave minerals known as speleothems are secondary deposits. Many of them have little or nothing to do with the actual cave itself. They were carried or transported as the existing cave was being filled or by corrosion after-the-fact. (Bogdan and Forti,79-80). Entering the 19th century, less than 10 scientific papers were published, detailing around 10 minerals, only including four different caves. Progress was made. By the 20th century 50 cave minerals were known and 250 papers have been published. The 60s brought with them 700 scientific papers on the subject, and some 80 described cave minerals. The third millennium brought about nearly 5000 papers published about 300 cave minerals and their environments were detailed. Today we average 2 to 3 new mineral each year (Bogdan and Forti, 81). Many of these minerals are new to science. Their surprise wealth is the result of separate forces working together. Percolating water causes the leaching of sediment and rocks before entering the cave. (Leaching releases solid-state radionuclides or contaminants into the liquid state. ) Another factor is high hydrogen sulfide solutions or hydrothermal liquid interplay with the cave sediments and the base rock. The same chemical compounds can form totally different product specimens. In other words completely different results can form from the same exact chemical compounds. The type of reaction that is undergone is the determining factor of the formation that is left behind (Bogdan and Forti,80). A variety of reactions take place in the cave environment. The key factors are: pH, Eh, changes in humidity and temperature, the chemistry of the solution and the presence or lack thereof microorganisms. Some common cave reaction types are: segregation and sublimation- processes result in phase transition. The key mechanism is temperature. Geochemical processes: oxidation/reduction, hydration/dehydration and double replacement these key mechanisms seem to be the concentration of acids (Bogdan and Forti,82). The cave of crystals should be left unharmed and be studied by the scientific community. It holds many answers that will benefit us in many ways. It should then be returned to the state in which we found it. This unique treasure and its knowledge are worth more to mankind than the ore produced by the mine. For the time being the caves should be open for geologists to study while there is a chance, as there is much to be learned. Works Cited Badino, Giovanni, et al. â€Å"the present day genesis and evolution of cave minerals inside the Ojo de la Reina Cave, Mexico. † international Journal of Speleology 40. 03926672 (2011): 125-131. Google Scholar. Web. 26 Oct. 2011. . Bogdan, Onac P, and Paolo Forti. â€Å"Minerogenetic mechanisms occurring in the cave environment. † International Journal of Speleology 40. 2 (2011): 79-98. PDF file. Forti, Paolo. Genissis and Evoloution of the Caves in the Naica Mine (Chihuahua, Mexico). † Zeitschrift Fur Geomorphologie 54 Suool . 2. 0115 (2010): 135. Google Scholar. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. Fricker, Mattias B, Paolo S Garofalo, and Detlef Gunther. â€Å"Role of Fluid Inclusion Analysis in Understanding Giagintic Selenite Crystal Growth in a Deep Karst Cave (Naica, Mexico). † Highlights of Analytical Chemistry in Switzerland 65, No 7/? 8 (2011): 620. google Scholar. Web. 6 Dec. 2011. . Garcia-Ruiz, Juan Manuel, et al. â€Å"Formationof Natural Gypsum Megacrystals in Naica, Mexico. Geology 35 no4: 327-330. Google Scholar. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. London, David. Figure 8. 14 Dec. 2002. New â€Å"Cave of Crystals† at Naica, Chihua, Mexico. N. p. , n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2011. -. â€Å"] New â€Å"Cave of the Crystals† at Naica, Chihuahua, Mexico. † Earth Scientist Magazine (2003): 24 27. google scholar. Web. 28 Oct. 2011. . ONAC, Bogdan P, et al. â€Å"State of the art and challenges in cave minerals studies. † Studia UBB Geologia 56. 1: 33-42. PDF file. Suttle, Curtis A. â€Å"Naica. † Suttle Laboratory. University of British Columbia, 27 Nov. 2011. Web. 20 Nov. 2011. .

Free Essays on Groups And Teams

Groups and Teams In this age of rapidly changing technology, market-driven decision making, customer sophistication, and employee restlessness, leaders and managers are faced with new challenges. Organizations must build new structures and master new skills in order to compete and survive. As work settings become more complex and involve increased numbers of interpersonal interactions, individual effort has less impact. In order to increase efficiency and effectiveness of high performance, a group effort is required. The creation of teams has become a key strategy in many organizations. Team building is an essential element in supporting and improving the effectiveness of small groups and task forces and must be a key part of a total program of organizational change. This paper discusses the characteristics of high performance teams and how a group can become a high performance team. Included is an examination of the impact of demographic and cultural diversity on group behavior. Diversity in culture and demographic characteristics can be a source of friction and conflict or be one of the team's greatest strengths. A group can become a high-performing team by understanding how cultural and demographic dissimilarity influences group behavior. High-performing teams leverage their diversity for competitive advantage. Firstly, let us examine the definition of teams and high performances and the link between those two. A team is a small group of people with complementary skills, who work actively together to achieve a common purpose for which they hold themselves collectively accountable (Schermerhorn, 2003, Ch. 10). The high performance team is the unit of effectiveness for the high performance enterprise. Relevant topics include kick starting a brand new team, the intensity and focus of 'hot groups,' team building success strategies, and team process management. High performance teams are otherwise known as self-managed groups or sel... Free Essays on Groups And Teams Free Essays on Groups And Teams Groups and Teams In this age of rapidly changing technology, market-driven decision making, customer sophistication, and employee restlessness, leaders and managers are faced with new challenges. Organizations must build new structures and master new skills in order to compete and survive. As work settings become more complex and involve increased numbers of interpersonal interactions, individual effort has less impact. In order to increase efficiency and effectiveness of high performance, a group effort is required. The creation of teams has become a key strategy in many organizations. Team building is an essential element in supporting and improving the effectiveness of small groups and task forces and must be a key part of a total program of organizational change. This paper discusses the characteristics of high performance teams and how a group can become a high performance team. Included is an examination of the impact of demographic and cultural diversity on group behavior. Diversity in culture and demographic characteristics can be a source of friction and conflict or be one of the team's greatest strengths. A group can become a high-performing team by understanding how cultural and demographic dissimilarity influences group behavior. High-performing teams leverage their diversity for competitive advantage. Firstly, let us examine the definition of teams and high performances and the link between those two. A team is a small group of people with complementary skills, who work actively together to achieve a common purpose for which they hold themselves collectively accountable (Schermerhorn, 2003, Ch. 10). The high performance team is the unit of effectiveness for the high performance enterprise. Relevant topics include kick starting a brand new team, the intensity and focus of 'hot groups,' team building success strategies, and team process management. High performance teams are otherwise known as self-managed groups or sel...

role media plays in todaysoci essays

role media plays in today'soci essays THE ROLE MEDIA PLAYS IN TODAYS SOCIETY Lets stop the violence by Turning off the Media Violence in our own homes. Stop a moment and think about how television, movies, and video games affect childrens behaviors. In the aftermath of the World Trade Center tragedy, Ive reflected about stories Ive heard: how a four years old cheered when he watched the repeated footage of the plane flying into the building; how a seven year old told his schoolmates, "It's okay, it's only TV." I believe it's time to step up our actions and become more vigilant in tuning out violent and biased programming... programming that our kids watch and emulate. The wrong use of media affects children's cognitive, emotional and social development? No electronic medium's effects are all good or all bad; it's the content that makes all the difference. Many of us overlook how profoundly television impacts children. American children spend more time watching television during their school-aged years than they spend in school. More than 15,000 hours of television compared to 11,000 hours in the classroom. During this time, children watch more than 200,000 acts of violence, including 15,000 murders!!! The recent violence in schools has made safety the number one concern of parents and everyone is concerned about the causes of violence. Most exposure to television by infants and toddlers is actually exposure to programs being watched by someone else; noting that in many homes the television is on so much it becomes part of the home environment. Television is implicated repeatedly for its role in presenting negative role models. The questions are; where do we begin? How can we make a difference? What can we do? We can begin by changing things in our own homes and in our own communities. We can also influence the use of media education in the society. The same goes for what we listen too; especiall y the music of today. Of course...

Ethical issues Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 6

Ethical issues - Essay Example The patients’ relatives asked me for assistance since this was a case of HMO insurance. Without having much experience, I made it a point to tell them that they need to wait for the next available manager. The HMO insurance organization’s reputation was at risk and I needed to do something on my own since it was taking too much time for someone to assist me. Despite the fact that, the whole process was being mismanaged and I did not like the situation that I was forced to overcome. Moreover, I was glad that I was able to win the deal with the HMO insurance case in a professional manner and resolve the dispute that came about as a result. However, the character of the medical profession was under a serious question and this needed to be resolved at the earliest. I immediately called the staff from the cafeteria which was having lunch and asked them to attend to the HMO insurance case. They came running to assist the case so that the insurance process could be resolved professionally. The conscience of the staff was apparent since they almost skipped their meals and showed their real moral character to deal with this HMO insurance scenario. Nevertheless, my senior processor step in and assured me that she would handle it from here, because I was not yet ready to undertake HMO insurance job responsibilities at that time. In conclusion, I was congratulated for my performance and I was moved swiftly through training and I was working as a HMO insurance analyst within two weeks of the

Managerial Applications of Technology (Emerging IT Trends) 1 Assignment

Managerial Applications of Technology (Emerging IT Trends) 1 - Assignment Example This reduces an organization’s operation cost. In business, it is clear that when it comes to technology the entities that adopt a technology first are always the highest beneficiaries of the technology. This is because by the time the other organizations start adapting the new technology they would have already integrated the new technology into their system. By integrating a technology first a business organization, a business organization will be able to gain a competitive advantage over their competitors. It is therefore advisable for a business organization to adopt new technologies as early as possible (Alam, 2014). However, this should come after serious considerations and research on whether the technology in question will be of any benefit to the business organization. The risk involved in early adaptation is that it is always a big gamble with no assurance of the effectiveness of the technology. The other consideration regarding emerging trends in information technology is that a business organization might decide to prototype a technology before actually adopting it. This will enable them to know if the technology will actually be viable for the organization (Brunetti, 2014). However, the negative thing about prototyping is that it can sometimes be

Describe the main theoretical models of child abuse Essay Example for Free

Describe the main theoretical models of child abuse Essay Medical model, sociological model, psychological model, feminist model and contextual model are all theories relating to abuse. Although there are many different types of child abuse and many different reasons why it may occur, most cases have been wilted down to fit into one of the five main theories named above.  Medical mode is when the reason for abused is classed as a disease or an illness. Kempe and Kempe were the inspiration for this theory when they described it as battered child syndrome which was linked to Bowlbys theory on attachment. Bowlby came to the conclusion that children who failed to form this bond with their mother in the first three years of the childs life would have problems in later life bonding with people and trusting people. He also described a child with a lack of bonding to be an affectionless psychopath, which he described to be someone who shows lack of guilt when done something wrong has difficulties showing emotion to things around them or someone with behaviour problems. Another affect of not having an attachment in this critical period as it was also known in Bowlbys eyes was development retardation which meant the child may grow up with learning difficulties or slower intellectual skills. So if the main caregiver failed to have a strong bond when they were young then they may find it difficult to form a bond with the child. It is a vicious cycle that goes round and round. This type of abuse is shown in the case study in some ways. This is because the mother of the children had failed to form a bond with her mother, and there for she is struggling to form a bond with her children. Will these children grow up failing to form a bond or a strong relationship with their children because of this? Bowlby would have described Kerry, the mother as an affectionless psychopath. Sociological model is all about the environment that the child is being brought up in and around. Areas of social deprivation are often linked with abuse which has been proven in some research that has been carried out. Children need to be safe and grow up in healthy environments for them to get a good start in life and grow up healthy. Some people react to how they were treated when they were growing up. In other words if a child is abused or neglected then there is a higher chance that when they grow up they will forward this behaviour on to the children in their care. This is because this is what they are used to and they may think that it is normal was to treat children if they have seen no different. Another reason may be they feel that they have to suffer through it all and so should their children. It is not always this case however, some abused children grown up with the determination to treat the children with the love and kindness that they never received themselves. The case study states that the children are living in a high rise block of flats with faulty wiring, damp, and a lack of hygiene. The children are constantly around alcohol, drugs and known criminals. This is definitely not an appropriate environment for the children to be around and this is why I feel it fits in to this area of abuse.  Psychological model is based around the family and its relationship status. It involves one particular member of the family being scapegoated by the rest of the family and getting the blame for all the problems that arise in the family. This type of abuse can be linked with the case study because the older child Katie gets blamed for a lot of the things that go wrong in the flat especially linked with her brother. Her brother is only a baby and if he cries then Katie gets in to trouble. She is given the responsibility to take care of the baby even though she is only 3 years old herself.  The theory described as the feminist model is about the different sexes and the power and force in which the male figure has. This theory links mainly with sexual abuse.

black history Riggie White :: essays research papers

Riggie White Minister of Defense Riggie White was not only an outstanding Football player but also a well-established Minister. He had many outstanding achievements during his foot ball career. He has also done a lot for the church. So white was a well-rounded leader in the African American Community. After an All-American senior season at Tennessee, White began his pro career with the Memphis Showboats of the USFL in 1984. He joined the Philadelphia Eagles, who held his NFL rights, after the USFL folded in 1985. For eight years, he played a major role in Philadelphia's "Gang Green Defense." Which seem to be unstoppable at this time. White signed as a free agent with Green Bay in 1993 for $17 million over four years. His signing, along with a trade for Favre, helped make the Packers champions again. He was the first major black player to sign with the Packers as a free agent. With this decision he made surprised many b/c he want to be in a large city where he could minister to young black youth. While with the Packers White and the team made consecutive appearances to the Super Bowl where in 1997 with a win over New England White set a record with three sacks. White was 39 when he finished his NFL career with Carolina, leaving the game with 198 sacks. That was actually White's third retirement. He retired for one day before the 1998 season, but then said God had told him he needed to play again, and he returned to the Packers. White retired again after the 1998 season and took a year off from football. After the Packers allowed him out of his contract, White returned to play for the Panthers where he finished his football career. White worked tirelessly in the off season with inner-city youth. But his image was tarnished when he gave a speech to the Wisconsin Legislature in which he denounced homosexuality and used ethnic stereotypes. White later apologized for any harm his comments may have caused. He put his fame and star powers to less controversial use in 1996 after his Tennessee church was burned down.

House Bunny Movie Review Essay

In the film House Bunny, a 27-year-old girl, Shelley Darlingson, played by Anna Farris, finds herself tricked out of the Playboy Mansion by another bunny for being too old. Shelley winds up at the University of Southern California and becomes the house mother in a very poorly kept sorority house, Zeta Tau Alpha, consisting of six socially awkward girls. After gaining the girls’ trust by showing them she is nice and can attract boys, she does her best to turn the ZTA girls around to be popular beautiful young ladies who are ‘better’ than the other sorority girls. However, the changing of personalities goes too far and the girls realize they’ve changed for the wrong reasons and begin to judge everyone. During the time Shelley is being blamed, she receives a call about how ‘being too old’ was a lie to get rid of her. When expecting Shelley to immediately drop everything and return to the Mansion, she decides to stay the hose mother of the Zetas. U sing this movie I plan on analyzing the movie through different scenes of the typical activities of the sorority girls on campus and comparing them to how college life is today and what could be done differently. Throughout House Bunny, a constant rival goes on between Phi Iota Mu and Zeta Tau Alpha. When Zeta, a now popular sorority, throws a mixer party the same night as popular PIM, all of the girls going through rush and all of the fraternity boys enjoy their evening at Zeta instead of PIM. Girls are initiated at the party through ‘sacrificial rights’ because they still have their virginity, music is played for everyone to dance to, and everyone enjoys their nights. These girls are focused on looking good now and being popular. Girls are very similar but a little different today. In today’s society in the typical college experience, girls are not initiated in this way and girls do not throw the parties. The girls, instead of throwing their own parties, get all dressed up and head out to other fraternities to listen to music, drink and get together with different guys. Several girls nowadays waste their time and throw away their good morals every weekend, when they coul d be choosing better alternatives such as a staying in for the weekend or at least one night and study or relax with some friends. Time management and studying are two of the hardest strategies to master as a college student. Unfortunately when we have free time we cling to more fun activities at all times and then get caught up later when it is the last possible second to do homework and we realize we should have been working on homework rather than partying. Studying is not the most fun activity nor does it sound better than going out with friends to drink or participate in crazy college activities; however, everyone has to do it eventually and it would just be easier if you studied a little every free moment and then you would have more free time later. You would be more successful if you thought about every possible outcome of each choice clearly before doing anything. In the movie, after the Zeta girls become popular and look prettier, thanks to Shelley, they set up a tent at the involvement fair. All of the students rush towards their tent because they have food, games, and calendars of the girls looking t heir best. The Zetas are getting more involved around the campus, as students should, but through popularity not service. From this popularity the Zetas go downhill from there and turn into the popular rude crowd to those who do not ‘belong.’ The Zeta’s stopped being who they were before Shelley became the house mother, the smart, nerdy, different crowd, and became the jerks who judged people off appearances. When trying to decide on bids for their house, they talked about how they had seen one of the girls before and thought they were weird and shouldn’t be allowed in their house. The Zeta’s stopped focusing on academics and their true personalities and tried to change for the ‘better’ when it was clearly for the worse. Involvement is a key to surviving in college. You should get involved to make new friends, find others like yourself, develop study groups, and stress-reliever outlet clubs. However, when you try to be involved with the rest of the campus through primarily popularity and parties, you are getting ‘involved’ in all of the wrong ways. Instead of changing to be the popular crowd by looking hot and becoming a preppy jerk to ‘fit in,’ just express yourself more and get out in the real world to try and make more meaningful friendships that could last a lifetime. If people could be more accepting and friendly instead of being quick to judge, everyone would have more friends and the world would be a better place. Acceptance is one of the biggest problems especially at a college where if you aren’t accepted you just hide from everyone and get discouraged. Everyone as a whole should work to be more accepting of others for who they are. I am not saying everyone has to like everyone else, but I am saying at least give everyone else a chance to shine and join the group. When a smart nerdy group of socially unaccepted girls get a new playhouse bunny house mother they turn into a stereotypical group of rude sorority girls who just want everyone to be in their house so they can be more popular as long as they are ‘normal.’ If people took the time to accept everyone and give everyone a chance, people would have more friends and not be as nervous to try to make new friends. Getting involved on campus is smart as long as you are getting involved in the right ways with the right group of people so you can make a difference in your community. Getting involved also has advantages, because it can help manage time and studying habits or even study groups. Involvement in the college community is smart so good grades can be attained, meaning better opportunities later. Managing your time and taking the time to study receives full benefits later, as well. College is not easy, especially when coming in as a freshman new to the whole idea of college. However, college can be enjoyed and mastered if you try to get involved, study more, accepts more people for who they are, and manage your time to the best of your ability. Works Cited The House Bunny. Dir. Fred Wolf. By Karen M. Lutz and Kirsten Smith. Perf. Anna Faris, Colin Hanks, Emma Stone, Kat Dennings, Hugh Hefner, and Tyson Ritter. Columbia Pictures, 2008. DVD.

Team Sports and Individual Sports

Learning to play team sports is an important part o f a child’s education. Do you agree or disagree? Practicing sports provides athletes with opportunities to develop their social skills during the academic portion of their life. Nowadays, the effect of practicing on children is very significant in a way they practice individual sport or joining a team. But is learning to play team sports an important part of a child’s academic portion? I personally agree and think that team sports are a much better option for the following reasons:First, there is no better alternative than learning how to be peer helper in your community, especially in a friendly environment. Practicing with a team will create an important relationship between the teammates that will know you and can direct your learning and adapt the pace of the practicing in a way that is more suitable to your capacities. Individual sports don't generally offer this type of flexibility as you don't really interact ph ysically with the others. What you basically have is a set of instructions, by your supervisor, that you have to follow alone.For example, if you have an exercise with a given discipline, when you are being in individual sport all you can do is to do it again and again alone and try to understand. You can maybe make it to succeed during the training but still that doesn't guarantee that you will get it in an official competition. But when you are with a group at your disposal, you can easily ask your mates and they would provide more information on the desired task from other perspectives that would definitely help you to understand better and get the idea.Another reason is that team sport, as opposed to individual sport, fosters the development and sustainability of social relationships between teammates. This is a very important point because learning after all is not only about acquiring information, but it is also about learning to interact with peers, forming social relationshi ps, being socially apt to live in a society of different individuals. Teamwork role is to prepare the members for an outer world, a society where having social skills and being able to form relationships is very critical.Individual sports contribute very little to the development of such a skill, as young athletes will be practicing alone in a very limited context while such skills are acquired through the physical interaction with other peers. If we take the example of a kid who practices with a team and another one who practices alone, we would clearly see differences in their personalities: The â€Å"team† boy would have a more extravert personality while the â€Å"alone† boy would be more introvert.There are no doubts cast on which one of the two boys will perform better in society. For these reasons, I believe that team sports are very important for the academic development of children, rather than individual sports. Even if the academic experience, the amount of information could be the same but team sports teach skills that cannot be guaranteed during a training of an individual sport, skills that are essential in the development of the individual later on in the society.

Argumentative Essay Sample on Watching TV

Argumentative Essay Sample on Watching TV Watching TV has become a bad habit among human beings. They require some kind of etiquette to educate human beings for watching TV excessively. We have lost all our old heritage to socialise to the environment. Watching TV does not involve the persons active participation. In sub-consciousness we just go on watching the subject without involving our active mind. We are also losing the social activities as well as outdoor ones which gives boosting effect on a humans mind. We should generate awareness among people about the disadvantage of watching TV. Although this great invention of science has played a major role in human life to give more comfort as well as information that a human being requires, but in my view disadvantages has also played a vital role to destroy of the old age heritage. In fact, it has been scientifically proven that outdoor activities as social ones give metal and physical satisfaction. As we are aware of the fact that our ancestors have developed a sense of vi sualising the events happening at far distant places.This has happend because human has practiced his body in such a that they can see adn visualise the thing before the events take place. But TV may not give this opportunity to develop the human mind. Watching TV has become habbit and some time we do not prefer to visit relatives and friends house and also do not prefer to be visited by them. We would like to generate the awareness in the human being to visulaise this drawback in order to avoid untoward incident to happen in futre and repent on this activity at later date. We must develop and generate a group who can devote the time to make people aware about the outcome of this activity. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on TV at our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with custom papers written by highly qualified academic writers. High quality and no plagiarism guarantee! Get professional essay writing help at an affordable cost.

Theory vs. Hypothesis

Theory vs. Hypothesis Theory vs. Hypothesis Theory vs. Hypothesis By Sharon I have a theory or do I? Perhaps what I have is an idea, a hypothesis or a conjecture. In science, a theory is a set of related hypotheses that serve to explain or provide rules for certain phenomena. If these hypotheses can be linked together to predict behavior or events, then they form a theory, such as the theory of evolution. A hypothesis is a proposition which needs to be evaluated. In other words, its something that makes sense based on the knowledge you have but you still need to prove that it works. A conjecture is an idea which has no basis in fact (often called a theory in the vernacular). Here are some quotations from newspapers: these theories are promulgated there,† said Mr. Nunberg, who disputed that â€Å"Spygate† qualified as a conspiracy theory. Mr. Trump’s talk of conspiracies has also gained currency within a Republic (www.nytimes.com) idea, referred to in the jargon of economics as the efficient market hypothesis (technically, the strong efficient market hypothesis), implicitly underl (www.nytimes.com) million dollar problems. If they are right still a big if and somebody really has cracked the so-called Riemann hypothesis, financial disaster might follow. Suddenly all cryptic codes could be breakable. No internet transaction woul (www.theguardian.com) germs and dirt finding their way into a child’s mouth. But many have also heard in recent years of the â€Å"hygiene hypothesis,† which holds that some exposure to germs and microorganisms in early childhood is actually good for us (www.nytimes.com) 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:What Is Irony? (With Examples)Precedent vs. PrecedenceHow Do You Pronounce "Often"?

Choose 1 from 3 topics below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Choose 1 from 3 topics below - Essay Example Released in 1937 and directed by Yuan Muzhi, Street Angel is one such Chinese film that shows the society’s gender roles. According to the films, girls are vulnerable groups who must always live in a specific manner and in the guidance of a family. The two sisters, Xiao Hong and  Xiao Yun flee the war in in North Eastern parts of China to Shanghai. Girls are always more likely to suffer massive loses in cases of war among other types of conflicts. The same is the case in the film since the girls have to flee their hometown in order to avoid brutal murder in the wars. The developers of the film portray the vulnerability of the two girls from the beginning of the film where the girls cannot survive in the war torn areas in the North Eastern parts of the country and must therefore flee. The film shows that among those fleeing are women and children. Women and children belong to the same category owing to their vulnerability and defenseless nature especially in cases of such militarized conflicts. They must therefore seek refuge in safe parts of the country. The fact that gender roles are cultural features of a society implies that the roles are as dynamic as cultural and social values are. Cultures change with time and this often influences the gender roles in the society, which must always conform to the prevailing values. Wars are social features that epitome the internal or external conflicts in a society. During wars, people disregard the social and cultural values since they seek to resolve their conflicts after which they will create new social structures. The film begins with a war in North Eastern part of China. The war creates mayhem in which causes deaths of children and rape of women and girls. Such basic occurrences expose women and children to an unfamiliar harshness. This validates the need for the two vulnerable

Social desirability effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social desirability effect - Essay Example Field study is one of the methods employed by researchers in studying human behavior. Field studies are undertaken in a natural setting rather in a structured environment (Kitayama & Cohen, 2010, p. 220). It involves a naturalistic observation wherein researchers discreetly observe behaviors that occur in a natural setting. Field study also entails observation of individual’s reactions to stimuli or events designed by researchers in the natural setting (Kitayama & Cohen, 2010, p. 220). This particular method of study is interesting as it offers an in-depth detail of a social phenomenon. However, the results derived from these studies fail to provide objectivity as it relies on the researcher’s judgment. The means to improve such method become an interesting area of study. Field study can serve as an insightful means of defining group behaviors. Wimmer and Dominick (2010) stressed that field studies possess an advantage of being nonreactive. Reactivity refers to the effe cts of the subject’s awareness of being observed or measured on her or his behavior. The objectivity of studies often suffers from subject’s awareness of being observed (p. 225). Sevilla, Ochave, Punsalan, Regala, and Uriarte (1992) reiterated that there are variables in social psychology that cannot be explored through experimentation (p. 154). Thus, field study offers insights into these phenomena. It presents a great breadth and depth of understanding unattainable by quantitative researches (Shepard, 2004, p. 50). Shepard (2004) stressed that findings in a particular situation may not be applicable to other situations. In addition, most field studies fail to employ standardized measuring devices. Researchers rely on subjective interpretation and judgment. The researcher’s judgment is vulnerable to biases and blind spots (p. 50).

Case Study of Marketing Christmas Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Case Study of Marketing Christmas - Essay Example The management styles and thought processes of the prevailing business organisations has led to major improvements in the business activities and hence, the scope of business opportunities has multiplied. Moreover, the free trade policies have further encouraged the business organisations to enter into new markets with greater opportunities as the regional trade alliances became an integral part of the economic growth oriented strategy (Parker, 2005, p.303). With these developments, many new business concepts, theories and model have evolved and business organisations are using these concepts for better business managements. Business organisations have realized that there is very close relationship between the business activities and various aspects of society and culture. The social and cultural aspects offer major business opportunities and the business organisations are using their strategic moves to identify and cater to these opportunities (Carroll and Buchholtz, 2008, p. 349). For example, Christmas celebration in the Western countries offers greater business opportunities to the Chinese economy as the manufacturers from China produce and export low cost Christmas gifts, cards to the European markets. In this process, the business organisations are also exposed to multiple risk factors that may bring fatal consequences to a business. However, the emergence of the contemporary business and marketing theories has facilitated better techniques to counter these risks. Christmas as the ‘grand celebration of consumption’ Christmas celebrations are today driven by the marketing strategies of the sellers of Christmas products. Business houses aim to create the ‘air of celebration’ and create a festive atmosphere which drives the customer to jump start the festive bandwagon. Marketers consider the festive seasons as an opportunity where they can employ marketing strategies to double and treble their sales as compared to that in a normal y ear. Very often, New Year and Christmas sales accounts for more than half of the sales in other years. Marketers exploit this opportunity by tempting the customers to buy festive products. As demonstrated by Belk and Bryce (1993), Christmas is nothing but a â€Å"grand celebration of consumption† (Belk & Bryce, 1993), where consumers flock to the markets for products which they actually do not need. Based on their observation, it can be said that the trend of shopping has undergone a drastic change over the years. They have also claimed that today ‘Christmas shopping increasingly reflects the search for the disintegrated self while it decreasingly reflects the celebration of home and family† (Belk & Bryce, 1993). Belk and Bryce have explained this in terms of materialism, which is a complex and multifaceted concept and has been popularised through the media. This happened in response to America’s preoccupation with the consumer goods and materialism. Severa l studies have been undertaken with regard to materialism. Inglehart has put forward that materialism demonstrates itself through the extent to which social groups or nations emphasise on the value involving material things or objects. Influenced by the needs hierarchy presented by Maslow, he proposed that the western world has been able to satisfy majority of human’s needs and requirements involving material

Chiquita Banana Overview Essay Example for Free

Chiquita Banana Overview Essay Chiquita Brands International, Inc. is one of the most important international marketers and distributors of food products derived from bananas, as well as other fruits and healthy snack products. Chiquita Banana revenues for about $3 billion dollars a year and employs more than 21,000 people and operates in about 70 countries worldwide. Chiquita Banana  together with Dole, Del Monte and Fyffes control about 80% of the global banana market. In 1993 the EU created the Common Organization of the Market in Bananas (COMB) to deal with the harsh competition between these companies. They would allow duty free access to the EU but subject to quotas to bananas from the Africa’s, Caribbean and Pacific, while bananas from Latin America were subject to an import tax of 176 Euros per ton and a quota of 2533 t. As an American company we have decided to take advantage of the new treaty restricting Latin American and ACP countries from exporting bananas to the EU. It will not be an easy task because we still have to compete against European banana producers, but we are an established company and we are determined to benefit from this event and gain market share in the European Union. PESTEL analysis for the European Union POLITICAL: †¢The European Union is composed of 28 member states. †¢The EU has created a single market by standardizing laws within the member states. †¢Some of the objectives of creating this union is to create a better flow on the circulation of goods, capital, people and services within the union. Once a good or service is accepted within the union it is protected from customs, taxes and import quotas as long as they remain within the union. †¢Free movement of capital is intended to allow investment of properties between countries, something that could help banana growers since they can look for more fertile land in neighboring countries. †¢The monetary policy is the Eurozone and is governed by the European Central Bank. ECONOMIC: †¢The European Union’s GDP is ranked as number one in the world accounting for $16.58 trillion dollars. †¢Export goods account for $1.687 trillion, some of the main export partners of the European union are: oUS 17.3% China 8.5% Switzerland 7.9% Russia 7.3% Turkey 4.5 % †¢Food, drinks and tobacco account for 5.9% †¢Import of goods account for $2.302 trillion dollars and the main import partners are: China 16.2% Russia 11.9% US 11.5% Switzerland 5.8% Norway 5.6% †¢Food, drinks and tobacco account for 5.2% of import goods. †¢The service sector is the most important one in the EU making up 69% of the GDP followed by the manufacturing industry with 28.4% GDP and agriculture for only 2.3% of GDP †¢The agricultural sector is supported by subsidies from the EU and currently represents 40-50% of the EU’s total spending. SOCIOCULTURAL FACTORS: †¢There is limited data on European children’s fruit intake, but the data shows that the average fruit intake is about 141 g per day. Fruit intake is highest in Austria and Portugal and is the lowest in Iceland and Spain. †¢Girls and women consume more fruits and vegetables and boys and men do, there is no simple explanation to this but it’s believed to be because women in general are more concerned about their weight and keeping a slim fit figure. †¢Children tend to eat less fruit as they age, but it’s the exact opposite with adults. Intake levels increase with age, possibly because income and knowledge increases and one becomes more aware of the benefits of good eating habits. †¢Men once they are married have an increase in fruit intake. Women seem to have an impact on their husband’s fruit intake as well as the variety of fruits eaten. Women tend to handle ‘health-related’ issues more commonly than men so they tend to buy and cook more food than men. †¢Children’s fruit intake levels directly correlate with how much their parents consume. But pressure to eat fruit does not positively affect children’s intake, but it is enhanced when parents are good role-models and encourage them to eat fruits and vegetables. †¢People with self-efficacy tendencies have a higher fruit intake in adults, also people with a high self-esteem tend to eat more fruits and vegetables because they take their health into account. TECHNOLOGICAL: †¢The EU is funding a project for pesticide free fruits and vegetables by removing the threat of fruit flies. Helping farmers meet customers’ demands for safe fruits while being environmentally conscious. oThe project pretend to use an insect attractant to draw insects and pathogens such as: infectious micro-organisms, virus, fungus that cause diseases in fungus. oThis attractant will be applied in the form of an insect trap near plantations to take bugs away from plantations, this will be a long-lasting and biodegradable baiting station. †¢Europe is becoming more conscious about maintaining a cleaner environment, the EU is committed to providing a better future for the next generations. So they specialize on clean energy, from turbines in Germany to solar panels in Spain, and countries across the EU are using natural resources of sustainable energy bringing investment to businesses and citizens. LEGAL: †¢With the birth of the Single European Market in 1993 the Common Market Organization for Bananas was put into effect (COMB). COMB is concerned on the importation, sale and distribution of bananas. †¢A policy was set in motion allowing EU suppliers to export duty free bananas to all EU states. Also quotas were set for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (ACP) imposing import licenses for a fixed rate of volume of bananas, and limited imports through excessively high tariffs. oA quota of 857,000 tons for duty free access from ACP countries †¢Three types of licenses were issued in order to regulate this quota to ACP countries †¢Third countries that were not considered in the quota are subject to a tariff of Ecu 850 per ton. †¢In order to prevent any loss of income by EU banana producers a compensation of payments for 850,000 tons were granted in case the prices fell below the production costs. ENVIRONMENTAL: †¢Flat-free water chargers are common in some countries in Europe. This does not encourage efficient behavior to households and agriculture according to a report from the European Environment Agency (EEA). †¢The EEA is considering water pricing in the following countries: Croatia, England and wales, France, Germany, Netherlands, Scotland, Serbia, Slovenia and Spain. †¢In most countries, farmers are allowed to use as much water as they want  for a flat rate. By charging the amount of water used in Europe it prognosticated to cut down on water used by agriculture for about 10 – 20 %. This will push farmers to not only cut down on their water consumption but to invest on better irrigation system as well as fixing water leaks. †¢The general population in the European Union seem to support this motion to cut down water overuse, about 84% of the population agree with this principle. Marketing Mix In order to better penetrate the European market we have to better understand our own products, so a marketing mix was created to see what we can offer to the market and this will help us to better oversee our operations in the European market. PRODUCT: Chiquita banana takes pride in their first class bananas. But banana consumption vary from country to country so they have other products to fulfill the change in each countries demand. They always keep in mind the environment and consumer’s health, so they have products that meet these two qualifications, products such as: readymade salads, fruit snacks. An independent survey was conducted about people’s preferences and attitudes about bananas, and the poll indicated that the taste of Chiquita bananas was better than competing brands and people preferred it 2 to 1 to the leading brand. The bananas by Chiquita banana are 100% organic approved and certified by the USDA which means that they adhere to the requirements and meet the organic standards of growing bananas. PRICE: These are the prices for bananas per metric ton for the last few months. Bananas prices vary depending on the location where they are being sold. In France the average price for a kg is about $2.00 dollars. In Spain is about $1.00 per kg. But these prices tend to fluctuate with the seasons as well, and some variables take place to why this happens. One of the reasons is that bananas grow in tropical areas so they need hot weather to grow, but it’s harder to maintain them fresh during summer. PLACE: Chiquita banana sells its products internationally to about 70 countries worldwide. The majority of the products grown come from South America and the Caribbean which are then sent to distribution centers. Europe is the largest consumer and importer of bananas in the world, so this would be the best place for the largest banana producer in the world to invest and tap into this gold mine. In the year 2011 people living in the European Union consumed an estimate of 5 million tons of bananas and about 4.6 million tons were imported. Europe would be the best market to try to penetrate and take market share from. Sweden, UK, Denmark, Finland and Portugal are the main consumers of bananas in Europe (see Appendix A). These are the countries within the EU for Chiquita banana to penetrate first. PROMOTION: The way that Chiquita banana promotes their product is very innovative. They have sticker contests and they encourage people to send drawings for possible logos for their stickers. But their latest promotion is endorsing the charismatic minion characters from the movie Despicable Me, they have even worked on an app game available for apple and droid. The point of this game is to run and get as many bananas as possible without running into any obstacles. There is no record for the increase in sales of Chiquita bananas yet because the game is recent, but it’s safe to say that this gamification strategy will work well for the company. Also, as a part of their promotion they attend school lunches, celebrate major anniversaries and sponsor Olympics. They use the slogan â€Å"quite possibly, The World’s Perfect Food† SWOT Analysis STRENGTHS: †¢Chiquita Banana is number one in the fruit market in the world and sells its products to more than 70 countries worldwide. †¢The company had a $3 billion dollar revenue last year. †¢Its net income is about $405 million dollars. †¢The company is committed to being socially responsible A decade ago they implemented social accountability 8000 which has helped improve their practices to better serve the community. â€Å"SA 8000 provides standards based on national laws, international human rights norms and the conventions of the International Labor Organization. Management system  requirements ensure that these standards are consistently implemented over time, and independent audits and certification help measure progress and identify areas for improvement.† WEAKNESSES: †¢The company has not been able to reach out to consumers in Europe, they had a $2 million profit during the last quarter, better compared to the previews year where there was an $11 million loss. †¢Sales fell 2% from $793 million to $774 million in one year. †¢There was an 18 an article was published of ‘Chiquita secrets revealed’ by the enquirer, where the company had been accused of mistreating workers in Central America, polluting the environment and allowing cocaine to be brought to the US in its ships. OPPORTUNITIES: †¢With the new regulations from 1993 the European market has opened for banana companies that do not belong to the ACP countries and Latin America. †¢Our opportunities go hand in hand with the highest consumers of bananas in the EU. According to appendix A, they are: oSweden UK Denmark Finland Portugal †¢These are the first countries that we must try to focus our internationalization efforts into, since they are the highest consumers of our product. †¢Even with the new regulations by COMB Chiquita banana has no real competition from European banana growers, European countries are not optimal for banana growth. Chiquita banana can bring larger quantities at competing prices. THREATS: †¢Some of the threats come from competing companies like: Dole, Del Monte and Fyffes. †¢The analysis of this figure shows Chiquita’s market share shrinking from 1966 to 1995 and then remaining constant at 25% market share. †¢We can also observe that for the year 2007 Dole Company had a bigger market share than Chiquita. †¢Chiquita has to be attentive of the existing competing brands but also the new incoming brands that are stealing market share from the company. Internationalization Strategy and Viability As already stated before, the European Market is the biggest consumer and importer of bananas. Which is why we are interested in creating an internationalization strategy in order to visualize which cities in the European market target more specifically. There is a map in appendix A portraying the European Countries and an estimate of banana consumption, we can see that the northern countries together with Portugal enjoy eating bananas the most. Then we can see a ranking list with the countries that consume the most bananas in Europe, with Sweden being on top of the list. Chiquita banana Co. gets their product from the countries with a yellow dot. Since these are countries that have hot and humid temperature, adequate for banana growth. This map shows us that that in order for the bananas to be shipped from this countries to the EU they have to be shipped in a boat that has to travel the Atlantic for about 6,000 miles. These bananas are stored and refrigerated. This crossing of the A tlantic takes an average of 5 days and the bananas are refrigerated to a temperature between 13.5 and 15 C stalling ripening. Even though flavor and consistency remain virtually intact, this voyage shortens the shelf life to be 7-10 days. Portugal would be a strategic point for the company’s internationalization strategy. A logistics platform could be set up in Porto, a northern city in Portugal, this way we can kill two birds with one rock. We re-fuel the ships and get them ready for their journey to Sweden (our top priority in terms of distribution) and unload some containers to distribute Portugal’s banana demand. Aside from Portugal the countries with the highest consumption of bananas per capita is in Northern Europe, so another logistic platform would be convenient as a final stop before the final destination in each country. Le Havre, France would be a convenient location since it is south of the UK and it is cheaper to have a distribution center there because the euro is not as strong as the sterling pound. Once we have our logistics platform set up in Le Havre we can make accommodatio ns and agreements with companies and retailers that handle fruits and vegetables belonging to the countries that have the highest banana consumption. We would deliver to the following  terminal or ports: †¢Gothenburg, Sweden †¢Brighton, UK †¢Skagen, Denmark †¢Finland is a little more inaccessible through the Baltic Sea, so we would ship Finland’s required bananas to Gothenburg, Sweden as well. From Sweden we could work another logistic route to get to Finland by truck. †¢Porto, Portugal †¢Le Havre, France CHANCE: Iceland is Europe’s top producer of bananas with their world of the art greenhouse installations, even though they rely on their technology they have to constantly monitor their products and create the proper environment for the bananas. This is where Chiquita banana has an opportunity since they don’t have to worry about creating the right conditions for banana growth, the company looks for a convenient location for banana growth and plants the fruit. This enables the company to worry solely on cropping and shipping. Another advantage that the company has over the biggest European banana producer is that, Chiquita banana can acquire bananas in massive quantities while Iceland’s producers have to create the environment to grow more bananas. This is unless the COMB sets a tighter quota. Incoterm An incoterm is a made up word composed of three words. ‘in’ means international, ‘co’ commerce and ‘term’ means term. Incoterms are used to describe the type of relationship between buyer and supplier and they type of contract they use to deliver and receive a product. POSSIBLE INCOTERMS FOR THE COMPANY As a seller the most optimal incoterm for the company would be to agree with the buyer of working with ‘Ex Works’ since the buyer would have to assume the transportation costs and the risks of brining the goods to their stores. I believe this to be very one sided and not efficient, since in order to maximize profits a business deal has to be long-term. Sooner or later one of  the competing brands could offer our buyers a better agreement and we would be out of business, so I would call this a ‘lose-lose situation’. Another option would be the exact opposite from ‘Ex works’ where the seller mantains most of the obligations and expenses while there is minimum for the buyere. This would be a DDP, here the â€Å"seller is responsible for delivering the goods to the named place in the country of the buyer, and pas all costs in bringing the goods to the destination including import duties and taxes. Seller is not responsible for unloading.† t his is also very one sided. My belief is that if we are going to have a long lasting relationship with our business partner we have to compromise, and here we would be taking all most of the bourden of the business deal. Solution As already stated before, in order to create a long lasting relationship with our business partners and maximize profits we have to compromize. Chiquita Banana is trying to gain marketshare in Europe, so the best thing we can do with our business partners is to share the transportation burden and costs. Deliverd at Terminal (DAT) incoterm would be the best viable solution for Chiquita and our buyers. We can promise to deliver the product fresh, safe and sound to the following city ports: Gothenburg, Brighton, Skagen, Porto and Le Havre. We can accept all costs and risks (except for import clearance costs) and from each terminal they can send the bananas to their respective distribution centers or directly to the retailers. That is up to our business partners to decide. It is safe to say that we are taking most of the costs, since it is expensive to cross the atlantic with ships and maintain the fruit at a certain temperature to keep it fresh. But in order to have our buyers support, we have to go the extra mile. This strategy at the same time will speed up the process of internationalization and market share gain for Chiquita Banana. Works Cited European Union. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013 Economy of the European Union. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013 Economy of the European Union. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Intelligent Approaches to Achieving Pesticide-free Produce. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. CHAPTER 3 BANANA IMPORTING COUNTRIES AND TRADE POLICIES. The World Banana Economy, 1985-2002. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Water: Charging Full Cost Can Encourage More Efficient Use. —. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Chiquita.com Chiquita Organic Bananas: Organic Food. Chiquita.com Chiquita Organic Bananas: Organic Food. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Europe Largest Banana Importer Worldwide. Europe Largest Banana Importer Worldwide. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Chiquita.com Social Responsibility Is How We Conduct Business. Chiquita.com Social Responsibility Is How We Conduct Business. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Chiquita Banana Sales Remain Weak in Europe. Chiquita Banana Sales Remain Weak in Europe. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013 Chiquita Brands International. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Banana. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 20 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Martin Stott. Iceland: Europe’s Biggest Producer of Bananas. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. Economy of the European Union. Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.

The Grandmother in Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find :: O’Connor A Good Man is Hard to Find

The Grandmother in Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery O’Connor is a master of the ironic, the twisted, and the real. Life is filled with tragic irony, and she perfectly orchestrates situations which demonstrate this to the fullest extent. A Good Man is Hard to Find is an excellent example of the mangled viewpoint which makes her work as compelling and striking as it is. Although this story is told in the third person, the reader’s eyes are strictly controlled by the meddling, ever-involved grandmother. She is never given a name; she is just a generic grandmother; she could belong to anyone. O’Connor portrays her as simply annoying, a thorn in her son’s side. As the little girl June Star rudely puts it, â€Å"She has to go everywhere we go. She wouldn’t stay at home to be queen for a day† (117-118). As June Star demonstrates, the family treats the grandmother with great reproach. Even as she is driving them all crazy with her constant comments and old-fashioned attitude, the reader is made to feel sorry for her. It is this constant stream of confliction that keeps the story boiling, and eventually overflows into the shocking conclusion. Of course the grandmother meant no harm, but who can help but to blame her? O’Connor puts her readers into a fit of rage as â€Å"the horrible thought† comes to the gra ndmother, â€Å"that the house she had remembered so vividly was not in Georgia but in Tennessee† (125). O’Connor uses many symbols to warn the reader of the impending doom that is about to befall the unknowing travelers. The grandmother is, of course, worried about The Misfit, and, not surprisingly, the family brushes off her concern. Here again is another conflict. If the grandmother can be blamed for the accident, can the family then be blamed for taking the trip in the first place? The grandmother warned them didn’t she? This may sound foolish, but it does follow the same logic. The grandmother also foreshadows the horrible events to come with her choice of attire to ride in the car. The â€Å"purple spray of cloth violets† (118) that she had placed on her blouse were to serve a purpose. The Grandmother in Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find :: O’Connor A Good Man is Hard to Find The Grandmother in Flannery O’Connor’s A Good Man is Hard to Find Flannery O’Connor is a master of the ironic, the twisted, and the real. Life is filled with tragic irony, and she perfectly orchestrates situations which demonstrate this to the fullest extent. A Good Man is Hard to Find is an excellent example of the mangled viewpoint which makes her work as compelling and striking as it is. Although this story is told in the third person, the reader’s eyes are strictly controlled by the meddling, ever-involved grandmother. She is never given a name; she is just a generic grandmother; she could belong to anyone. O’Connor portrays her as simply annoying, a thorn in her son’s side. As the little girl June Star rudely puts it, â€Å"She has to go everywhere we go. She wouldn’t stay at home to be queen for a day† (117-118). As June Star demonstrates, the family treats the grandmother with great reproach. Even as she is driving them all crazy with her constant comments and old-fashioned attitude, the reader is made to feel sorry for her. It is this constant stream of confliction that keeps the story boiling, and eventually overflows into the shocking conclusion. Of course the grandmother meant no harm, but who can help but to blame her? O’Connor puts her readers into a fit of rage as â€Å"the horrible thought† comes to the gra ndmother, â€Å"that the house she had remembered so vividly was not in Georgia but in Tennessee† (125). O’Connor uses many symbols to warn the reader of the impending doom that is about to befall the unknowing travelers. The grandmother is, of course, worried about The Misfit, and, not surprisingly, the family brushes off her concern. Here again is another conflict. If the grandmother can be blamed for the accident, can the family then be blamed for taking the trip in the first place? The grandmother warned them didn’t she? This may sound foolish, but it does follow the same logic. The grandmother also foreshadows the horrible events to come with her choice of attire to ride in the car. The â€Å"purple spray of cloth violets† (118) that she had placed on her blouse were to serve a purpose.

Ethical Judgements

1. Ethical judgements limit the methods available in the production of knowledge in both the arts and the natural sciences. Discuss.a. What areas of knowledge & ways of knowing should be investigated? The arts, the natural sciences, ethicsb. What’s the question getting at? The question is asking about the way in which ethical judgements can impinge on the way we both create (rather than interpret) the arts and the natural sciences. Basically, it’s leading students on to an exploration of controversies within the arts and the natural sciences in terms of the subject matter they deal with.c. What are the potential knowledge issues? To what extent do ethical considerations constrain the way the arts are created? To what extent do ethical considerations limit natural science experimentation and research? For more ideas, check out section 10 of the Essay Guide.d. What sort of real life situations can be drawn on? We’re interested in examples of where artists and scien tists have been hampered (or encouraged) by ethical judgements. There are many ready-made examples for the natural sciences. For the arts, it is perhaps not so straightforward, but there are still lots of examples of ethically questionable works of art. In terms of counterclaims, it is the arts that are better served by real life situations, with plenty of pieces produced in order to tackle (and produce) ethical judgements.But here, too, you should be able to find scientific knowledge that has been discovered in order to solve ethical problems. You’ll find more specific examples, in the last section of the Guide.e. What are the difficulties and challenges of this question? The question is perhaps a little confusingly worded, but it is clear in terms of the areas of knowledge to be tackled. Including personal examples will be trickier in this question than finding outside examples.2. â€Å"When the only tool you have is a hammer, all problems begin to resemble nails† (A braham Maslow). How might this apply to ways of knowing, as tools, in the pursuit of knowledge?a. What areas of knowledge & ways of knowing should be investigated? The question is a broad one, and allows students to focus on their own choice of WOKs. It also potentially allows students to bring in the AOKs as well – particularly natural/human sciences (the scientific method), history (the historical method), and the arts (creation of art).b. What’s the question getting at? The question asks students to consider the way in which WOKs are used to provide us with knowledge.The quote suggests that if we view WOKs in too narrow and homogenous a way, it could limit the amount and type of knowledge we are able to acquire. The question requires students to consider the nature of each way of knowing, and try to think a little more creatively about each one; in addition, students could also consider how the areas of knowledge can themselves act as ways of knowing – ie, in terms of the scientific or historical method, and in terms of art as a way of knowing rather than an area of knowledge. Given that this is a question for the 2008 curriculum, its focus are the four ways of knowing (emotion, language, reason, sense perception).A quick look at the new curriculum will provide new possibilities for this, and perhaps provide a key to approaching the question (considering the validity of faith, imagination, intuition, memory).c. What are the potential knowledge issues? Are the four ways of knowing the only means of acquiring knowledge? Do we acquire knowledge only through the ways of knowing, or can it be acquired via the areas of knowledge? For more ideas, check out section 10 of the Essay Guide..d. What sort of real life situations can be drawn on? Given how broad the question potentially is, there is a large range of real life situations that can be drawn on. You’ll find more specific examples, in the last section of the Guide.e. What are the d ifficulties and challenges of this question? The quote is a lovely one, and it could lead on to some interesting knowledge issue discussion. However, the non-specific nature of the question (not only does it not stipulate which WOKs/AOKs, it also does not mention how many should be considered) means that it will be very easy to go astray with this question. Responses have to narrow down specific examples of how the ways of knowing can sometimes impeded our pursuit of knowledge if we do not apply them in an imaginative way.3. â€Å"Knowledge is nothing more than the systematic organisation of facts.† Discuss this statement in relation to two areas of knowledge.a. What areas of knowledge & ways of knowing should be investigated? This is another broad question, although unlike title no.2, it does state how many WOKs/AOKs should be tackled (two AOKs). Given this, it would make sense to focus on two distinct AOKs, such as ethics and natural sciences, or the arts and history.b. Wha t’s the question getting at? The question asks students to consider the nature of knowledge within their two chosen AOKs. ‘Systematic organization of facts’ suggests quantitative knowledge; students must consider to what extent this is true, and then offer a counter-claim in which they discuss how much qualitative knowledge, and other forms of knowledge the particular AOKs consist of. Students should bear in mind that the title implies a process – ie, ‘organizing facts’, rather than a static type of knowledge – ie, ‘organized facts’; the two possible meanings could lead to different types of essays. A clear definition of ‘facts’ needs to be provided in the introduction, to give responses a firm footing.c. What are the potential knowledge issues? To what extent can we build up a thorough understanding of the human/natural sciences by processing purely quantitative knowledge? To what extent does ethical knowledge involve the consideration of factual information? For more ideas, check out section 10 of the Essay Guide.d. What sort of real life situations can be drawn on? Real life situations can be taken easily from personal experiences related to the AOKs chosen, so students can think about the level of the understanding they have built up by dealing with systemized facts. You’ll find more specific examples, in the last section of the Guide.e. What are the difficulties and challenges of this question? Given that the essay is clear about its scope, this question is probably easier to approach than question 2. Having said that, it depends on how students tackle this notion of ‘systemized facts’. If they do so in terms of ‘natural science consists of systemized facts’, they may have problems; if they do so in terms of ‘natural science consists of building up systemized facts’, they will be able to tackle the question more easily.4. â€Å"That whic h is accepted as knowledge today is sometimes discarded tomorrow.† Consider knowledge issues raised by this statement in two areas of knowledge.a. What areas of knowledge & ways of knowing should be investigated? Similar to question 3, this title asks students to consider two AOKs. The question lends itself to AOKs that offer more objective, yet regularly updated, knowledge, such as history, the human sciences, and the natural sciences. Ethics also ties in very well, and could link up very nicely with history.b. What’s the question getting at? The question is referring to the extent to which knowledge is subject to review and revisionism over time. Thus, although we may believe we possess objective facts, from a different perspective gained by progress, such facts become re-interpreted in the light of new evidence, discoveries, technology, or societal trends. In short, the question is asking students the extent to which knowledge is provisional. Note the use of the word ‘sometimes’, though, meaning that you shouldn’t make generalizations about the whole of knowledge.c. What are the potential knowledge issues? To what extent does historical knowledge need revision? Are there any theories or laws in the human sciences that have withstood the test of time? For more ideas, check out section 10 of the Essay Guide.d. What sort of real life situations can be drawn on? In terms of the AOKs mentioned above, appropriate real life situations may involve a way of interpreting a past event, a method of studying human behaviour, knowledge about the natural world, or an accepted way of behaving. In terms of personal examples, students can easily apply their own learning of a particular subject (related to one of the AOKs they have selected), and how their understanding of it has been subject to change over time. You’ll find more specific examples, in the last section of the Guide.e. What are the difficulties and challenges of this ques tion? This is a more straightforward question to get to grips with, as it focuses on a concept that should be familiar to most students.5. â€Å"The historian’s task is to understand the past; the human scientist, by contrast, is looking to change the future.† To what extent is this true in these areas of knowledge?a. What areas of knowledge & ways of knowing should be investigated? This question is clearly focused on history and the human sciences. It could require some consideration of the method used by both historians and human scientists, in an attempt to gauge the purpose of each one.b. What’s the question getting at? The question asks students to consider the purpose of both AOKs, and decide to what extent one merely looks back, and one looks forward. Obviously, the title is a rather arbitrary one: there can’t be only one purpose to an AOK, and AOKs overlap hugely anyway (particularly history and the human sciences). So students should use the ques tion for a launching pad into a more wide-ranging discussion of the aim of both AOKs, not, perhaps, sticking quite so rigidly to the assertion implicit in the title.c. What are the potential knowledge issues? To what extent is history only focused on past events? To what extent do the  human sciences aim to change the way societies behave? For more ideas, check out section 10 of the Essay Guide.d. What sort of real life situations can be drawn on? The arguments for this essay need to be based on history studies that have been done only in the context of the past, and human science cases that have not drawn on past events. Counterclaims need to contrast those RLSs – which will be much easier to do. You’ll find more specific examples, in the last section of the Guide.e. What are the difficulties and challenges of this question? The two AOKs are very similar ones – indeed, outside the world of TOK, history is a human science, so students may find it hard to contr ast the respective methods used, and knowledge that is acquired. Historians often work alongside human scientists, and vice versa, in order to understand past, present, and future societies, so using such an arbitrary and contrived statement will present problems for students. Finally, talking of an overriding ‘purpose’ for AOKs is fraught with difficulties: can we say there is one reason why historians/human scientists do their respective jobs? Having said all that, there’s plenty of scope to attack the question!6. â€Å"A skeptic is one who is willing to question any knowledge claim, asking for clarity in definition, consistency in logic and adequacy of evidence† (adapted from Paul Kurtz, 1994). Evaluate this approach in two areas of knowledge.a. What areas of knowledge & ways of knowing should be investigated? This is the third title that asks students to consider two non-specific areas of knowledge, and the fifth one that focuses on AOKs rather than WO Ks. For this title, appropriate AOKs are ones that make knowledge claims of which people can ‘question†¦asking for clarity in definition, consistency in logic and adequacy of evidence’. In other words, AOKs that require clear evidence to support the knowledge they deal with. Although this could conceivably work with any AOK, the arts are trickier to use within this title, as is mathematics.b. What’s the question getting at? The question provides a framework (ie the way a skeptic approaches knowledge) that can be applied to the two AOKs. As outlined in ‘e’, what this framework leads us onto is not immediately apparent. Presumably, the essay is supposed to assess how well this approach can be applied to the chosen AOKs, in order to provide us with certain knowledge.c. What are the potential knowledge issues? To what extent does the natural sciences/human sciences/history/ethics require logic and evidence in order to acquire knowledge? For more ide as, check out section 10 of the Essay Guide.d. What sort of real life situations can be drawn on? Appropriate RLSs depend on the AOKs chosen, but what is needed here are RLSs that illustrate how the approach can work, and RLSs indicating that such an approach is not always effective. You’ll find more specific examples, in the last section of the Guide.e. What are the difficulties and challenges of this question? The difficulties are in working out what the question wants students to do with the skeptics’ approach to knowledge. Does it want students to assess how well this approach works in the two AOKs (ie whether it leads us to certain knowledge)? Does it want students to assess whether such an approach can be used at all? Does it want us to focus on the skeptic, or on the AOK?