Essay for the Sandpiper Essay

Tragedy, in multiple views leads to grief, misery and may even cause emotional desensitization. However this solely depends on the cause of such tragedy. A simple tragedy exists as a result of the irony of combining diverse religion and cultures and is especially expressed in the story â€Å"Sandpiper†. Here author Ahdaf Soueif expresses cultural differences through the breaking relationship of a European writer and her Egyptian husband. Acquiescent undermine passivity Being the protagonist, the narrator becomes the view point character in the story and this is where audience criticisms take place. From the beginning she seems to display a sort of weakness and compliance towards events; watching the waves swoop back into the sea; conforming to her lack of work and loss of identity ; â€Å"watching (her husband) vanish†, and watching her daughter â€Å"grow away† from herself. The sand image, as the story opens portrays her compliance-The way she did not wish to o bstruct nature`s pattern of â€Å"one grain of sand† because of her movement. Later as Um Sabir (her â€Å"husband`s old nanny†) prevents her from doing any work, her feminine independence also appears to be deplored yet she simply accepts this fact and though seeming solemn, does not take any action. The reader soon becomes critical about such fragility. Notice how the writer mentions -â€Å"watch† her husband vanish. Due to her foreignness, she seemed to slowly fade away from her and her husband`s relationship and displays severe grief. However it appears indeed so absurd for the reader, because this narrator does not develop any sort of resistance to her dilemma. Furthermore her despondency grows gradually, and it seems that her daughter is being torn away from her the same way as with her husband. She simply pines her heart and the narrator grows a sort of dissent for the protagonist. Sandpiper a coastal bird which cannot fly too high nor too far from the co astal region (due to its habitat and feeding habits) is a perfect name for this story it seems. The way the protagonist’s life appears limited and restricted is definitely the main cause. However the reader may wonder why the narrator does not rebel to this lifestyle. There may be numerous causes. Firstly notice the narrators patience as she sits by the beach observing the water`s â€Å"frilled white edge nibbling at the sand†. As she displays no qualms to her situations (for example being deprived of work as previously mentioned) it seems she still retains hope- of a happy lifestyle. This exaggerated patience she conforms, may perhaps be one of the reason she does not rebel. Another may be simply her love of and to sustain the happiness of her daughter. These causes all sum to the habitat and ability of a â€Å"Sandpiper†, its only restrictions. Therefore it seems that the protagonist subsists in a self imposed jail, like a sandpiper and indeed does not soar beyond the beach which could momentarily give access to another sort of freedom, mentally, from her own conscience. However if we pay attention to the situation the author rejects such criticisms-instead condemning the readers as absurd. Certainly following different cultures is not the protagonists fault. The consistent confusion and grief of the narrator’s situation is perhaps the cause of her helplessness. This way the author deems the protagonist as universal for humans; which either are NOT exceptions, to displaying similar responses, in such emotionally grim situations and though her image is portrayed as weak it is not held true to how we asses her. In some way the writer creates ambivalent views one portraying the theme of ‘fate’ and the other ‘free will’. A customary feature, to be noticed in this story is the authors unvarying image of the beach. Obviously this picture signifies the present and therefore, perhaps, alludes to the narrators ‘drifting’ thoughts. It also seems, the descriptions of the sand and the sea reflect her emotions. As the story opens, observe the serene albeit somewhat somber, descriptions (of the beach), in the past participle: â€Å"I used to see patterns†¦I did not want †¦. I used to sit†. Definitely the narrator is affectionately looking back at nostalgia, yet with regret. Her emotions drift in melancholy as a compliant stream of conscience guides her and suddenly we imagine a somber weak character, in passivity to not stir a single â€Å"grain of sand† from its ‘natural’ pattern. This is where the readers display an interest to this character`s matters. Slowly her emotions begin to frill as the descriptions become gradually violent –â€Å"the sea unceasingly shifts†¦surges forward with a low growl†¦ like thousand snakes† .By now the reader is absorbed into the persona`s feelings. The usage of the personal pronoun â€Å"I† becomes highly universal to the reader and definitely induces sympathy. Finally, as she â€Å"revert(s) to (the) dry grains that would easily brush away† the emotions are returned to the previous serenity however now there seems to be a hint of pain, a hint of helplessness. This way the writer skillfully attains the reader`s attention to the story, and somewhat forth shadows incidents in the story, pertaining to the emotions. Hereby the atmosphere seems so somber, so calm; slowly the reader drifts in with the thoughts of the writer. What the reader may also take notice, with hindsight, is that perhaps Soueif uses this initial beach image as an extended metaphor for the life of the narrator; as in the beginning her life was filled with bliss (in love with her husband), which suddenly changed to desperation and somewhat anger (as he slowly â€Å"slip away† from her) and finally grief (of the freedom she lost). Proactive pragmatic The next imagery of the beach occurs after she mentions the second summer at the â€Å"beach house west of Alexandria†. Here the narrator utilizes the sand and the sea as symbols for her husband and herself, the way these two entities seemed to â€Å"meet and flirt and touch† and establishes the theme of love . However, reading between the lines, perhaps the writer forth shadows a sort of obscurity in the relationship. Notice how the sand and the sea simply â€Å"meet† metaphorically indicating love; although away from this â€Å"edge† such love does not seem to prevail as the sea and the sand form a tight boundary. Also the sea consistently â€Å"drifts† and the sand itself shifts, especially with the pressure of the waves: perhaps the author accentuates fluid emotions which flow and â€Å"shift† with due time and therefore depicts this couple to slowly â€Å"drift† apart from each other. This way another theme, of relativity of time and emotion is established here. The ending of the story also prevails with this beach image. It seems the narrator is back to the present and this picture plays the greatest significance as she sees â€Å"different things from those 6 years ago†. Now she appears calmer yet more melancholic. The reader can effective ly perceive such emotion; especially in the lines â€Å"the last of the foam is swallowed bubbling into the sand† and â€Å"with each ebb of green water the sand looses part of itself to the sea†. This definitely feels somber; as if love is being persistently broken down by the force of nature. Realistically, it seems such force subsists as cultural pressure. Where the couple belonging to 2 different cultures altogether formed such a relationship, the narrators â€Å"foreignness†¦began to irritate him (her husband)†. Cultural pressure and foreign tensions arise as a conflict due to the ignorance of each other`s culture and perhaps a development in this slowly weakened their relationships. Not only does the husband feel irate yet this deplored the protagonist`s freedom- â€Å"I tried at first at least to help, but she would†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ease the duster or the vacuum cleaner from my hand†. Coming back to the coastal descriptions, note how the author mentions â€Å"the†¦foam is swallowed bubbling into the sand† and how these two bodies meet but never ‘mix’. Probably the author, here portrays the theme of immiscibility. As sea and sand are immiscible it appears the foreignness and its resultant family tensions never intended a strong relationship; the love of both the narrator and her husband was immiscible, which would interact, yet as easily drift away. Perhaps this way the author undermines the system of religion. Indeed such a trivial matter, as exemplified is the commencement of weak relations and eventually such tragedies; for certainly, every being strays ethnocentric and this simple arrogance leads to major conflicts. This is later supported as the narrator finally questions-â€Å"But what do the waves know of the massed, hot, still sands of the desert? And what does the beach know of the depths, the cold currents†¦where the water turns a deeper blue.† .Duplicity is heavily prevalent due to ignorance of other religion, and like the sand and the sea it extends massively. What the writer Ahdaf Soueif is attempting to accentuate is that this concept of worldly cultures actually constructs a sort of mistrust amongst others and its great irony is exhibited in the form of this story Another image which we can relate to this theme is the difficulty, even dislike the wife shows towards adapting to a different culture. During the second summer at the beach house the narrator mentions her nostalgia of her hometown (Europe as Georgian sq uare is mentioned) and â€Å"misses† her time spent there. The moment this is mentioned suspicion rises in the readers mind; of her happiness following the new culture. She does display a sort of irritation as she is not allowed to work at home. Finally (later) she appears to complain- â€Å"my foreignness†¦my inability to remember name†¦struggles with his (her husband’s) language†, etc. Definitely the author is attempting to depict another cultural pressure here; despite the passage of time, evidently she depicts, that the wife has problems shifting to the new culture. Ironically, though, this foreignness actually appealed her husband yet now repelled him. LorDhRUv

Runescape

An essay on Runescape The issues involving Runescape has been a popular topic amongst scholars for many years. I find my self constantly drawn back to the subject of Runescape. While much has been written on its influence on contemporary living, it is important to remember that ‘what goes up must come down. ’ Crossing many cultural barriers it still draws remarks such as ‘I wouldn't touch it with a barge pole' and ‘i'd rather eat wasps' from socialists, who just don't like that sort of thing. Relax, sit back and gasp as I display the rich tapestries of Runescape. Social Factors Society is our own everyday reality.When Sir Bernard Chivilary said ‘hounds will feast on society' [1] he, contrary to my learned colleague Sir George Allen’s recent publication ‘Into the eye of , could not have been referring to eighteenth century beliefs regarding society. A child’s approach to Runescape smells of success. Of paramount importance to any stud y of Runescape within its context, is understanding the ideals of society. Clearly it promotes higher individualism and obeyence of instinct. As soon as a child meets Runescape they are changed. Economic Factors Is unemployment inherently bad for an economy? Yes.We will primarily be focusing on the Fish-Out-Of-Water model. Taking special care to highlight the role of Runescape within the vast framework which this provides. Housing Prices (i had a graph here comparing housing to runescape with a line going upwards) Indisputably there is a link. How can this be explained? Clearly housing prices looms over Runescape this cannot be a coincidence. What it all comes down to is money. Capitalists love Runescape. Political Factors Politics, we all agree, is a fact of life. Placing theory on the scales of justice and weighing it against practice can produce similar results to contrasting 0To quote nobel prize winner Xaviera Rock ‘Taking a walk across hot coals will inevitably hurt your feet. ‘ [2] This clearly illustrates the primary concern of those involved with Runescape. Both spectacular failure and unequaled political accomplishment may be accredited to Runescape. I hope, for our sake that Runescape will endure. Conclusion We can conclude that the Runescape is both a need and a want. It enlightens our daily lives, invades where necessary and never hides. Let's finish with a thought from star Uma Morissette: ‘I love Runescape? Yes! Hurray for Runescape! ‘ [3]

Emergency Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emergency Management - Essay Example Consistent testing and maintenance of warning systems will help a lot to minimize physical damages and loss of life too. (Emergency Management) Emergency services are organizations which work to ensure the safety of the public, by addressing emergency situations. So it must act to its best in providing information about upcoming events to the public. For this, emergency services must adhere to thoughtful risk communication strategy. It should drive out the fear of public upon certain serious crisis. As well as, make the public believe that the risk existing is low, so that the public could stay with ease. Another important thing is that the emergency services should be in a position to provide accurate as well as quick information. To put it in a nut shell, it should not simply alert and alarm people but educate and inform them about the issue. It should make the public understand, no matter how complex the issue may be. (Emergency Management) The support and cooperation of the public could be well attained only through making them understand the intensity of the situation. If the public is threatened or misguided, then they may not response properly during the crisis. Once gained the hope of the public, we need to do rehearsal of emergency cases. For this the help of emergency response team could be sought. (Lindel, Pratter and Perry) While working within the NIMS, at times necessity may occur such that we need to bring in outside organisations for help. The National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) provides consistent mechanism to effectively prepare for emergency incidents. It can contact other organisations or associations such as public health agencies or EMS organisations in regard with the availability of their training. NIMS integrate the MRC unit and the community’s existing public health and medical service infrastructure. Thus it strengthens the integral component of the emergency response system. (Lindel, Pratter and Perry) Evaluation

HOW IT SECURITY AND ROBUST TECHNOLOGY COMPROMISES PEOPLES FREEDOM AND Literature review

HOW IT SECURITY AND ROBUST TECHNOLOGY COMPROMISES PEOPLES FREEDOM AND HOW CAN PEOPLE, GOVERNMENT AND ORGANISATIONS ADAPT TO THESE CHALLENGES - Literature review Example The surveys were conducted between 1978 and 2004, and Westin used the data to build a privacy concern index. According to the index, there are three classifications; privacy fundamentalists (people generally distrustful of organizations asking for their personal data and use of computerized systems), privacy pragmatists (people with moderate concern on the use of technology for intrusion, 57% of US population), and privacy unconcerned (individuals who are trustful of organizations and are not bothered about privacy constrictions by using information technology) (Clarke, 2008). Bennet, (2005) explored the impacts of technology ion privacy; Clarke, (1988, Lyon, (1994) examined surveillance and privacy while Zureik, (2005) attempted communication interception in the age of technology. The innovation telecommunication sector triggered a number of legislations on surveillance. As indicated by Privacy International (2003) states moved in to update their surveillance laws. For instance, the case law in Strasbourg was used to update British legislation to take note of the technological advances. Though it can be argued that the intentions are good, the governments use old legislative instruments to apply new technologies to address the interception of information and networks without taking into account how the technology has altered the nature and sensitivity of information. The European Union introduced a number of legislations as an immediate response to terrorist threats after 2001 attack on the US. Though the trend was replicated by law enforcement agencies worldwide, in an attempt to adopt a more comprehensive approach to the capture, retention of information and access to information systems, Blakeney, (2007, quoted in Akrivopoulou, 2012) notes that the manner in which this was done this remains questionable. As the author notes, much of

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Sytems and operations management - Case Study Example Some of the business models applied in operation management include the input-process-output and value chain models. Information systems refer to a group of interrelated parts, which collect, process and distribute information in order to enhance control and decision making in an organization (Lee, Shiba and Wood 1999, p. 145). In a case study of Blackberry Hill Farm in South England, various business models can be used to analyze the problems faced in their day-to-day activities. These models include the input-process-output model (IPO), value chain model and consumer direct models. The challenges to be analyzed involve balancing the performance of activities, reducing complexity of some operations, as well as, staff management. Operational management involves transforming resources to products and services (McKeown and Leitch 2003, p. 67). The operations in the Blackberry Hill Farm involve agriculture and tourism. The input resources include cattle, crops, mixed woodland, poultry and farm heritage exhibits. The transforming input resources include the facilities such as a farm and the work force (employees). The transformational processes include cultivation, bee keeping and tractor riding. Others processes include selling at farm shops and cafà ©, bakery, preserving kitchen, pick-your own operations, a nd securing the farms and the car parks, as well. The output products include the fruits, vegetables, dough nuts, satisfaction of visitors and more (Kachiru 2007, p. 231). Using the IPO model, one can analyze the challenges by classifying the operations in the farm. It is necessary to arrange and sort out the major and minor activities. Jim and Mandy, the core managers at Blackberry Farm Hill have focused much on agritourism. This may be because of the increased number of visitors reporting to the farm in the previous seasons. Also, due to the adoption of many operations aimed at attracting more visitors would have contributed to low performance in farming.

Classical Era Reflection Paper Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

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Environment Case Information Technology Coursework

Environment Case Information Technology - Coursework Example Technology is catching up with humanity. Microsoft (2010) studied a business model called the hybrid organisation. It is a company designed to maximize their human resources through smart design of buildings, adopt a flexible approach to where work gets done, seek long-term goals rather than fill in short-term scorecards, and reject (or at least question) outmoded practices such as rigorous groups and roles. The findings indicate that the organisation is best positioned to take whatever the economy and other external stimuli had to throw at them. The case of Hydro-Quebec’s radical IT management change in the last two decades is reflective of such case. More out of necessity, rather than choice, it restructured its IT Management to adapt to the new government rules and customer demands. Fortunately for them, they did it early and they did it successfully. Not only were they able to retain their leadership, they were also able to stay ahead of any threat in all its core business es. IT Management is highly affected by internal and external factors but the two are often hard to segregate. Bullish Globalization Globalization refers to the increased integration and fusion of economy and society between countries that result to a better flow of international finance. By opening up markets, organizations get access to a variety of business products and services which allows them to have superior competitive position with lower operating costs, to gain greater numbers of products and services. The end beneficiary is supposed to be the consumers. Hydro-Quebec experienced the first blow of globalization when the U.S. electricity market was deregulated, the Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) required that companies wanting to sell electricity on the American market must open theirs to American suppliers. Their leadership on the production and distribution of electricity in Quebec was threatened so they were forced to reorganize. They set up five divisions: Production, TransEnergie, Distribution, Equipement, Petrole et gaz, and Technologie et developpement industriel (Dube, Bernier, & Roy, 2007). Each division was responsible for its own profitability but they were still to work under the same company. They decided to set up Shared Services Centre (SSC), a unit responsible for the procurement and services as well as the IT department. They decided to keep 100 percent of their IT management and operations within the company. They didn’t yet see the need to go out or outsource. Their business didn’t go beyond Quebec and America anyway. Other companies didn’t have that luxury. Procter & Gamble, DuPont, Cisco Systems, ABN Amro, Unilever, Rockwell Collins, and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals are some of the companies that enjoy the benefits of globalization. While they remain a US company, their manufacturing center, clinic operation, research and development, customer service, and Business Process divisions are all in Asia (Enga rdio,2006). When labour cost is Asia is less than a twentieth of the labour cost in their home country (Bureau of Labor & Statistics, 2011), there really seems no other intelligent option but to shift operation. There will be infrastructure changes, of course, like setting up high speed connection between countries, training new people, and buying new software but even if you multiply those costs by two, you still wouldn’t come close to the efficiency you will get. Efficiency of Technology Accenture’

Should Health care in America be free Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Should Health care in America be free - Essay Example In terms of employment, Healthcare sector employs more than 1.4 people of the U.S population. Proponents argue that an individual’s right to health helps in reduction of overall healthcare expenditure that improves public health, and curb any medical bankruptcies. These proponents support their argument by the assumption that no person in developed countries can survive without accessing healthcare services. However, opponents of entitlement of Americans to health care services are of the opinion that socialism is created when revenue tax is used to provide healthcare services. Similarly, it is argued that availability and quality of health care is minimal among people who dedicate their time in getting medical coverage insurance. Therefore, despite the opponents’ opinions, America’s health care services should be free to its citizens in order to produce healthy citizens who can work in agricultural, production and industrial sectors (Stossel and Andrew 12-14). Health care system in United States should be free because when it is not free, the country would be classified as having poorest health care services among industrialized countries. An evaluation of 27 high-income democratic members of the economic Co-operation and Development Organization shows that United States has the highest infant mortality rate alongside countries such as Slovakia and Hungary, which is attributed to costly health care system. In addition, in regards to life expectancy at birth, it is ranked in the 23rd position. Unlike other developed countries, United States does not provide its citizens with universal health coverage. Despite this, it ranked number one in per capita health care expenditures among the 193 World Health Organization member states. Its expenditures are estimated at $ 6, 719 per year. According to the WHO rankings, life expectancy in the U. S is seventy-eight thus; it is ranked at number 31 in the world. Similarly, among the 193 member state of WHO, it

A letter from an exchange student in Australia Essay Example for Free

A letter from an exchange student in Australia Essay I’ve been in Australia for about 2 months now and I’m still speechless. It’s such a beautiful country! The land, the people, the climate, everything is amazing! I’ve gotten to experience the most remarkable/wonderful things, things I never could have imagined. As you know I went here as an exchange student and I’m living with a wonderful host family in Brisbane. They have been very welcoming and loving, the student exchange agency made such a good match. Brisbane is located in the east of Australia, in the state called Queensland. I’m attending the Brisbane State High School where I’m taking all the mandatory classes like English, math’s, science, social studies, art, health and physical education and so on. I’ve gotten to continue my French education as well, but everyone in that class is way better than me! Luckily they are all so nice and very patient with me, and that goes for all the classes! I had a hard time understanding the Australian accent at first, but it gets easier and easier every day. My host family taught me some Aussie-slang to help me out a bit, like â€Å"hoo roo† which means goodbye, â€Å"ripper† means something like fantastic or great, â€Å"sheila† is a girl and â€Å"dunny† is a toilet. A word that’s very confusing is â€Å"thongs†. It does not mean what you think it means! It’s another word for flip-flops, which can create quite an awkward situation. Fortunately I managed not to humiliate myself! Anyway, like I said are there mandatory classes just like there is in Sweden. Australia has a national curriculum to make sure that they have the same educational standards in schools all over the country, which resembles our â€Å"Skolverket†. You asked a lot about the schools over here in your last letter, so I’ve asked my new friends in my classes and found out some basic info. Like, something that’s similar to Swedish schools is that you’re in kindergarten or pre-school when you’re 3-5 years old. In Australia you go to Primary School between the ages 6 to 11, unlike Sweden where we go to â€Å"Là ¥gstadiet† and â€Å"Mellanstadiet† when we’re 6 to 12. One year doesn’t make that big of a difference, but Secondary School (High School) resembles both â€Å"Hà ¶gstadiet† and â€Å"Gymnasiet† together. So from what I understand, you can’t choose a specific program like in Sweden, but you can choose some classes you want to take (other than the mandatory ones) in High School. When you graduate from Secondary School you can apply for a University, just like in Sweden. As you can tell there are a lot of similarities to  Australian and Swedish schools, but I found out that there are many differences as well. School uniforms for example, we don’t have any rules about dress code in Sweden, but over here it’s a part of life, at least for the students who attend High School. Almost every school has a special uniform that every student has to wear, even I have to wear one when I go to school. Even in gym class we wear matching shorts and shirts. I think those outfits are better because they’re unisex, and the rest of the day the girls wear skirts while the boys wear pants. I’m not very comfortable in skirts and dresses so I think that if you want to wear pants you should be able to! It’s kind of nice not having to choose an outfit every morning, you only have one thing to wear and everybody else wears it too. There’s not any pressure about having the latest fashion or not changing it up every day. The only thing you have to worry about is bad hair-days! I have to admit that I wish we had to wear these in Sweden as well†¦ Not only are they a gift from heaven for the morning-tired person, they make you feel a bit more fancy and formal too. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that comfortable being formal all the time and I’d probably get sick of wearing it every day, but I like the idea a lot at the moment. I never think it would work, introducing this to Sweden though. Everyone would lose their right to express themselves through their clothes. If we would have to wear school uniforms, I strongly vote for pants for the girls! Most students bring their own lunch to school. There is a cafeteria, but you have to pay for everything there. That is something I miss about Sweden, even though it’s not great food all of the time it’s still really convenient. I’m having a hard time remembering to bring my lunch every day†¦ That makes me really angry with myself because both of my host parents make really good food, especially sandwiches. I promise you, they’re amazing! Public schools here are free and run by the government of state or territory they’re in, just like in Sweden. Parents are asked pay a voluntary contribution fee and they can also contribute to camping trips and extracurricular activities, but it’s all voluntary. Something that also differs from Sweden is the fact that they have 4 semesters. The school year starts in early February and ends in December. They have short holidays between every semester and their summer holiday is in December and January, during Christmas! I know it’s really strange, but that’s when the Australian summer is! I had no idea that the seasons were so  off over here, but I think it’s really amazing how the world works. Apparently all countries south of the equator have their summer during our winter, and their winter during our summer! A few weeks ago I got to be a part of the Australians celebration of ANZAC Day. ANZAC stands for the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. This day is special to Australians because of what happened on this date 1915. The First World War had just started and Australia wanted to create a reputation for themselves to the rest of the world, since they’d only been a nation for 13 years. They joined forces with New Zealand and set out to take control over the Dardanelles (a narrow strait in northwestern Turkey) so that their allies could travel through. When ANZAC landed on Gallipoli in Turkey they were met by Turkish defending forces. A lot of Australian soldiers lost their lives and today the Australians take this day to remember not only them and their bravery, but every soldier who has died in any war or military operation Australia’s been a part of. Each year the remembrance begins with memorial services in big cities all over the country, they’re known as the â€Å"Dawn Services†. Later in the day there are parades where ex-militaries march along. Aussies also celebrate this day off from work and school with drinking and games! They also have the Australia Day, their National Day. I’m not going to be here for that because it’s celebrated on January 26th, but I really wish I were! They celebrate everything that’s good about the country and being Australian, it sounds like a lot of fun! My host family tells me that you can see the Australian flag hanging from windows of cars and houses and that the whole neighborhood smells like barbeque. There are usually fireworks and music as well! It’s more upbeat than the ANZAC Day. We don’t have anything like this in Sweden, which I think is a bit sad. What I mean is, we don’t really have a day where we remember something or celebrate just being Swedish. I feel like we don’t have that kind of love for our country that the Australians do. At least I know I don’t. I only enjoy our National Day because I don’t have to go to school. I honestly don’t even know why we celebrate it, and if I asked my friends I’m sure they would say the same thing. It would be nice to feel that unity and pride that the Australians have. We’ve been in wars, I’m not sure how many or what kind, but we don’t take pride in them. We don’t have any war heroes we remember. During World War 1, Sweden was neutral. We didn’t officially pick a side; we did  everything we could to not get attacked by anyone. We let Germany use our railways to transport iron-stone, which kept us from getting involved in the war (even though that made us a part of Germany’s success). I think we’re right not to take any pride in that†¦ Something that also would be fun to experience here â€Å"Down Under† is Christmas. Since their summer is during December the climate is at its warmest during Christmas. My friends told me that even though it’s sunny and warm everyone still decorates with snowmen and Christmas lights! Most families have a Christmas tree too. Here in Brisbane they apparently have a competition every year for who has the best Christmas lights. I would love to see all of the extremely decorated houses! We should do something like that at home, we should engage more! In some ways our counties spend Christmas alike, but some prospects are still very different. In Sweden, we open presents, eat delicious food and get a visit from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. In Australia they only make the last preparations on Christmas Eve, because it’s all about Christmas Day. Children hope to find presents in stockings or under the tree when they wake up, families go to see their relatives and everyone (most people anyway) spend the evening with their loved ones. Some families eat dinner that’s similar to Europe’s Christmas food, but most Australians barbeque or have a picnic on the beach or in the park. On the beach you can see surfing Santa Clauses too. It sounds really laid back and comfortable, so I would love to be able to experience it (even though it’s no real Christmas without snow!). It’s hard to think of Swedish traditions when you don’t usually acknowledge them, but most traditions come with the holidays. Almost all of our holidays have religious significance, like Easter and Christmas for example, but these holidays are not really about what they originally mark in history (if you’re Christian). Easter is more about dressing up as a witch and knocking on doors collecting candy, than remembering Jesus’s crucifixion. Christmas is all about Donald Duck and opening presents, we don’t celebrate Jesus being born. This is the case in Australia too, except for the witches and Donald Duck. In Australia they celebrate Easter by organizing Easter egg hunts (mostly for the purpose of making the children happy), and you’ve probably heard of the ‘Easter Bunny’? Well, over here they’ve exchanged it for an ‘Easter Bibly’. A bibly is a small rodent, who’s an endangered species and they’re hoping this kind of advertisement is going to help save  it. Besides, rabbits are considered pests in Australia as they destroy crops and other things. As you can tell there are a lot of both similarities and differences between Sweden and Australia, but they are both great counties! Unfortunately I only have a month left of my studies, but I am thinking about living here for a year or so when I graduate. I have fallen in love with this land†¦ Enough about me, how have you been? Is everything as usual back home? Hope to see you soon, Love Emelie Sources of information: Aussie slang: http://stricktlydating.hubpages.com/hub/Common-Aussie-Slang-Words 2013-04-14 http://www.koalanet.com.au/australian-slang.html 2013-04-14 About school: http://www.workingin-australia.com/education/system/overview#.UWr117XIagc 2013-04-14 http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/en/Courses/Schools/Australian-School-System/Australian-school-system 2013-04-14 http://www.studiesinaustralia.com/types-of-education/secondary-education 2013-04-16 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_uniform#Australia 2013-04-16 http://brisbaneshs.eq.edu.au/sites/default/files/bshs/PolicyDocuments/PandC/CanteenMenu.pdf 2013-04-17 http://www.fairhillshs.vic.edu.au/app/webroot/uploaded_files/media/uniform_information_2013.pdf 2013-04-17 http://australianschool1.hubpages.com/hub/Australian-School-Uniform2013-04-16 http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090821161522AAUv95m 2013-04-16 http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/austn-weather-and-the-seasons2013-04-16 Traditions: http://www.awm.gov.au/commemoration/anzac/anzac_tradition.asp 2013-04-21 http://www.realaustraliatravel.com/australian-traditions.html 2013-04-21 http://www.realaustraliatravel.com/Christmas-in-Australia.html 2013-04-21 http://www.realaustraliatravel.com/christmas-lights-brisbane.html 2013-04-22 http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/australia/christmas-day 2013-04-22

Savannah State Parking Essay Example for Free

Savannah State Parking Essay It’s common for a commuter or resident student to be on campus at Savannah State and not find a parking space. Parking has been a huge issue on campus lately. Nobody appears happy with the rules and regulations for student drivers. â€Å"It’s just not enough parking spaces,† freshman Morgan Walden said. â€Å"They tell us to buy decals, but when we buy them it’s still nowhere to park on this campus. I don’t see the point to spend my money when I don’t get the benefit that it’s supposed to be used for. † There are four different types of parking categories on SSU’s campus; orange for resident, blue for commuter, brown for faculty, and black for reserved. Decals are sold to determine where he or she may park around campus. In between classes I don’t have a place to park my car, and I can’t wait for the bus transportation to pick me up on time,† SSU commuter student Kim Wilson said. She feels like it forces her to park in areas where she may receive a ticket. Many drivers fear the idea of getting their vehicle either ticketed or booted while on campus. More tickets are given in the start of the fall semester, Robert Lemons said. Lemons oversee the writing of tickets and issuing of tire boots on campus. He also stated most tickets are given when students park in a reserved space or on the yellow curb and he alone issues about 10-20 tickets a day himself. Lemons has 3 student officers that work under him. Other schools have different ways of dealing with parking problems, although they also give tickets and boots. â€Å"Early in the morning most of the parking spaces are taken,† Georgia Southern student Kirvin Roberts said. GSU has about five different areas they are allowed to park at on campus. Their parking passes cost $120. They face a limited number of parking spaces like Savannah States which causes students to park in places where they aren’t supposed to. That is how their tickets accumulate. All fines are $30 and if you receive over $100 in tickets their vehicle will be booted. Savannah State is not the only campus that could use more parking spaces. The most recent addition to the campus was adding a new parking lot located where the old tennis courts was positioned. If there were more parking spaces that students were able to park their car, it would reduce the number of tickets giving out on campus on a daily basis.

Theories: Ways to motivate employees

Theories: Ways to motivate employees Ways of motivating employees Motivation of employees is one of the most important processes that managers should develop. An organization is highly dependent on people; therefore, their motivation for higher productivity is crucial for the whole company. Thus, the success of any organization depends on the ability of managers to provide a motivating environment for its employees. Motivated employees are more productive, happier, and stay with the organization longer. One of the primary tasks a manager faces is to find out how to motivate their employees. Different ways of motivating employees are described by academics and business people. The motivation of employees also depends a lot in the culture where the employees reside. Some of the organizations reward their employees according to performance while some others provide only static income and measure the performance according to that. The purpose of this assessment is to describe the common theories of employee motivation and also practical ways of motivat ing employees in an organization regardless of the culture. One of the basic theories of employee motivation is the scientific management whose basis is considering employees as an input to the production of goods and services. The approach stresses on scientific selection, training and development of workers instead of allowing them to choose their own tasks and training methods and its objective is to carry out work in accordance with scientifically devised procedures. One of the pioneers and inventor of scientific approach to management was Frederick Taylor. Frederic Taylor, (1856-1915) was the first to analyze human behavior scientifically with his machine model by making individuals into the equivalent of machine parts. He broke down the tasks to its smallest unit to figure out the best approach. After careful analysis of the job, workers were trained to do only those motions essential to the task. Taylor attempted to make a science for each element of work and restrict behavioral alternatives facing worker and looked at interaction of h uman characteristics, social environment, task, and physical environment, capacity, speed, durability and cost. The overall goal was to remove human variability (Terpstra, 2005). Taylors machine model was a success and did increase production and profitability because rational rules replaced trial and error and management became more formalized which eventually led to increased efficiency. But Taylors treatment of human beings like machines faced resistance from managers and workers who considered this way of working as dehumanization of work. This method also faced stiff group resistance because no one likes to be so close monitored for each little part of the work he/she does. Despite its criticisms, Taylors methods had a great impact on work because he invented a new, efficient and more productive way to work that changed the complete nature of the industry. Before scientific management, departments such as work study, personnel, maintenance and quality control did not exist (Buf ord, 2000). The core elements of scientific management remain popular and have only been modified and updated to suit the current times we live. The second most common and widely know theory of employee motivation is the behavioral approach. Unlike scientific approach behavior approach places emphasis on what motivates people and seeks to identify and account for the specific influences that motivate people. Maslow (1943) put forward the hierarchy of needs theory which saw human needs in the form of a hierarchy, ascending from lowest to the highest. He argued that lower level needs had to be satisfied before the next higher level need and once one set of needs is satisfied, this kind of need ceases to be a motivator. According to Maslow (1943), the five needs are: Physiological needs Safety or Security needs Social Needs Esteem Self actualization Looking at Maslows hierarchy of needs triangle, as each needs are substantially satisfied, the next need becomes dominant. (eg. esteem needs become dominant after social needs are satisfied).Also, when a need gets substantially satisfied, it stops to be motivating. The core of Maslows theory is to focus on finding out the level of hierarchy the person is in and focusing on satisfying his/her needs and the needs above it. Maslows theory of needs has been wider recognized and is being practiced by managers across the globe. The theorys ease of understanding and intuitive logic makes it easy to implement, but there is no empirical evidence to validate the theory and there is no metric to measure the success of the theory after being implemented. In addition to the theories of employee motivation, there are a number of practical ways for managers to motivate their employees. One of the main ways to motivate your employees is make their tasks and activities as fun. Frederick Herzbergs (1959) famous quote says If you want people to do a good job, give them a good job to do. Some workers really want to enjoy the work they do. Many who enjoy the activities they participate in at work look forward to the day each morning. The opposite also can be true when workers dont enjoy the tasks they perform at work, but they may like their social activities after work (football, shows, movies, going out with friends, community events). These are the individuals that get excited at the end of the day knowing that the fun can now begin. Leaders should take notice of these signs. If your workers are more excited at the end of the day (to leave) than they are at the beginning of the day (to arrive), then there is probably a lack of motivation taking place in the area of intrinsic process or fun. Managers should look for tasks which are each of employees favorites, find ways to assign more of the tasks they enjoy and fewer of the ones they dont like to do and also create a good climate in the whole organization. Finally, it is important in this regard to plan social events for your employees, organize a company ball (softball, baseball, basketball, volleyball, football) game, sponsor a company barbecue, take your employees out to dinner or invite them to your house for dinner, and Have company-wide events that are intended to let everyone have fun. Secondly, a motivation factors which is valued a lot especially in the Western culture, is the rewards according to performance. The basic idea is that performance is the responsible factor that leads to intrinsic as well as extrinsic rewards and these rewards, along with the equity of individual leads to satisfaction. Hence, satisfaction of the individual depends upon the fairness of the reward (Bowen 1991). Many workers need to know their work will be rewarded to be motivated to perform. Per hour pay is what keeps people coming to work, but this isnt what will motivate them to excel in their work. People motivated by rewards will look beyond whether they are getting something tangible for their work. They will also consider what others are getting for their work and often will compare their output with others. For example, if a worker notices that he or she consistently outperforms coworkers, but knows that those coworkers earn a higher salary, this will not sit well with a person motivated by rewards. In fact, it will make a worker want to work less hard if colleagues earn more without being more productive. The opposite also works against motivating an instrumentally motivated worker. If a worker earns more than a colleague, but is less productive than the other worker, this wont cause this person to work harder. It will not cause this person to change their effort level at all. The reason for this is that if a worker motivated by rewards doesnt think that his or her pay really depends on how well they perform, then they wont be motivated to work harder. Extra effort and hard work will come from these individuals only when it is clearly rewarded and when it will affect their rewards. In addition to rewards and fun, many employees need the respect and upgrade of their reputation. People motivated by reputation have a strong need to enhance their image or esteem with others. There are a lot of people out there who want others to think highly of them. Many people are just plain hungry, starving in fact, for some attention and accolades. Individuals striving for popularity or fame characterize the self-concept external motivation. Many workers will not work hard unless they believe their efforts will be noticed and recognized. Workers often say that their managers dont care for their contribution. Other workers will work hard for a short while until they realize that their boss doesnt verbalize any appreciation for their efforts. When this happens, motivation disappears. People motivated by this source will go to great lengths to save face in the public eye. These are the individuals who take great pride in their appearance, in the clothes they wear, the cars they d rive, the neighborhood they live, and other outward things. These people are seeking approval from others. Thus, managers, in order to motivate employees through reputation, should give workers lots of feedback about the way they are performing, give praise in front of other people, criticize these individuals only in private and never in front of others and give unsolicited compliments and positive reinforcement to workers for jobs with which you are satisfied The last among most common ways of motivating employees, is the purpose. Individuals who are motivated by purpose look beyond themselves. They really arent concerned with their own self-interests or with who may notice what theyve done or whether they are being pushed and challenged. What matters to a person motivated by a strong sense of purpose is that they must believe in what the organization is doing. If they agree with what the company stands for and what the company is trying to do, then they will join in and give their fullest efforts to achieve the organization goals. However, if these individuals dont feel called by the vision or purpose, they will seem rather lethargic or uninterested in whats going on. Instead their best efforts will be reserved for other causes in their lives more deserving of their heart and soul effort. These are the individuals who commonly will work very hard on community-based problems or charity. Goals are important for purpose-driven persons; ther efore, an organizations that has clear mission and vision and also clear goals in implementing their strategies, would help those people and motivate them for further work. To conclude, employee motivation is very important for an organization and for its productivity. There are a number of theories on the employee motivation. The scientific method claims that motivation is the scientific management whose basis is considering employees as an input to the production of goods and services. Unlike scientific approach behavior approach places emphasis on what motivates people and seeks to identify and account for the specific influences that motivate people. In addition to the theories, among the practical methods of employee motivation is that employees should always like what they do in order to achieve optimal productivity. In addition, employees should be rewarded according to their performance, their reputation should be respected and also they should be given a purpose in line with their interests. Following this ways of employee motivation, managers will manage to motivate them and increase their productivity, fruitfulness and create a good climate in their organizations. Works cited: Bowen, B. E., Radhakrishna, R. B. (1991). Job satisfaction of agricultural education faculty: A constant phenomena. Journal of Agricultural Education, 32 (2). 16-22. Buford, J. A., Jr. (2000). Extension management in the information age. Journal of Extension, 28 (1). Herzberg, F., Mausner, B., Snyderman, B. B. (1959). The motivation to work. New York: John Wiley Sons.. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, July 1943. 370-396. Terpstra, D. E. (2005). Theories of motivation: borrowing the best. Personnel Journal, 58. 376.

Brief History of Buddhism :: Religion Theology Essays

Brief History of Buddhism Buddhism is one of the major religions of the world. It was founded by Siddhartha Guatama (Buddha) in Northeastern India. It arose as a monastic movement during a time of Brahman tradition. Buddhism rejected important views of Hinduism. It did not recognize the validity of the Vedic Scriptures, nor the sacrificial cult which arose from it. It also questioned the authority of the priesthood. Also, the Buddhist movement was open to people of all castes, denying that a person's worth could be judged by their blood. The religion of Buddhism has 150 to 350 million followers around the world. The wide range is due to two reasons. The tendency for religious affiliation to be nonexclusive is one. The other is the difficulty in getting information from Communist countries such as China. It's followers have divided into two main branches: Theravada and Mahayana. Theravada, the way of the elders, is dominant in India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. Mahayana, the greater vehicle, refers to the Theravada as Hinayana, the lesser vehicle. It is dominant in India, Tibet, Japan, Nepal, Taiwan, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Mongolia. Siddhartha Guatama was born in Kapilivastu. His father was the ruler of the small kingdom near the Indian/Nepal border. As a child, his future was foretold by sages. They believed that he would someday be a fellow sage or leader of a great empire. He led a very pampered and sheltered life until the age of twenty-nine. It was at that time that he realized that he had led an empty life. He renounced his wealth and embarked on a journey to seek truth, enlightenment, and the cycle of rebirths. In the first years of his journey, Siddhartha Guatama practiced yoga and became involved in radical asceticism. After a short time, he gave up that life for one of a middle path between indulgence and self- denial. He meditated under a bo tree until he reached true enlightenment by rising through a series of higher states of consciousness. After realizing this religious inner truth, he went through a time of inner struggle. Renaming himself Buddha (meaning enlightened one), he wandered from place to place, preaching, spreading his teachings by word of mouth. He also gained disciples, who were grouped into a monastic community known as a sangha. As he neared his death, Buddha refused a successor. He told his followers to work hard to find their salvation. After his death, it was decided that a new way to keep the community's unity and purity was needed, since the teachings of Buddha were spoken only.

Beowulf :: Epic of Beowulf Essays

Beowulf Beowulf was written during the Anglo-Saxon time period. Beowulf is a story about a young warrior and his quest through life. Some people consider Beowulf a tragic hero, and some people just consider him a hero period. Whether Beowulf is a tragic hero or not, he fights many great battles. The reason Beowulf fights stays basically the same but it changes a little. In the beginning of the book, Beowulf goes to help the Danes out by killing Grendel. Grendel is a ferocious monster that has been killing the Danes in the mead hall (115). During this time period, warriors will celebrate their victories and tell of their accomplishments by singing. This social gathering has started bothering Grendel because he can hear all the noise and happiness coming from the mead hall. This is making Grendel jealous because he is a descendant from Cain, and knows he will never feel happy (106). Grendel goes into the mead hall at night, and he begins killing everyone in there. News of how Grendel is murdering the Danes starts to spread all over. When Beowulf hears about Grendel, he feels that it is his obligation to stop Grendel from killing anymore. Beowulf leaves to go to Herot to kill Grendel. He is mostly being praised for his long journey to face this terrible monster. Beowulf says, "Grendel is no braver, no stronger than I am! I could kill him with my s word; I shall not" (677). Beowulf feels that he can defeat Grendel even without a weapon. The first night, they have a celebration in the mead hall, and the warriors fall asleep in the hall. Grendel makes his usual nightly visit and finds many victims waiting to be killed (725). To his surprise, he meets his match, which happens to be Beowulf (748). After a brief confrontation, Beowulf rips Grendel’s arm off, and Grendel runs away to die (823). Beowulf is considered a hero now for risking his life to stop Grendel from killing anymore Danes (837). Not only does Beowulf protect all the Danes, he also receives many rewards. Beowulf is doing a good thing, but all his motives are not the most honorable motives. This shows the Pagan values of the time. Materialistic things meant a lot to people during this time. The next day, there is a celebration of Grendel’s death. Beowulf and his group of warriors leave the mead hall to go sleep in their beds (1300).

Research Methodology Essay

â€Å"The study of man contains a greater variety of intellectual styles than any other area of cultural endeavor. How different social scientists go about their work, and what they aim t accomplish by it, often do not seem to have a common denominator †¦ Let us admit the case of our critics from the humanities and from the experimental sciences: Social science as a whole is both intellectually and morally confused. And what is called sociology is very much in the middle of this confusion. † Wright Mills Images of Man Abstract The quest for knowledge has always been at the forefront of societies mind. What makes us tick as a society or an individual, what circumstances have to come about to lead to different phenomena to occur? Sociologists, psychologists, philosophers and social scientists have spent eons of time pondering on these questions. Research is the way in which these questions may be answered, but the question remains, as to what type of research leads us to the right answer or, if there is a right answer, what is the one true answer? If different research methods produce different answers, which is the right, the true answer and if we find it does this render all the other answers null or wrong? These are some of the questions that I will be asking in this paper through examining concepts such as the symbolic order in research, the role of emotions in research, the grouping together of different methodologies to create a clearer picture of the research and the importance of reflexivity during the research process. Keywords; emotions, symbolic order, reflexivity. The word research originates from the late 16th century French word recerche, re (expressing intensive force) and cherchier to search. It means the systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. In this essay I will be focusing on qualitive research methods, examining some of the problems that may be encountered when conducting social research and how these problems may be overcome and used to advantage. Qualitative research takes an interpretive, naturalistic approach to its subject matter; qualitative researchers study things in their natural settings, attempting to make sense of, or interpret, phenomena in terms of the meanings that people bring to them. This process begins by understanding that there are a variety of ways of making sense of the world and therefore focuses on discovering the meanings that are seen by those who are being researched, to better understand their view of the world. The methodology used in research will vary in accordance with the research being conducted, this can be limiting if a type of methodology is decided on and rigidly adhered to throughout the research leaving no room for reconsideration or change of view. Different Methodological Approaches. The manner in which sociologists study society varies greatly between individual sociologists. There are many reasons for these varying views such as backgrounds, culture, family influences, religion and experiences with these experiences leading them to come to certain conclusions about certain situations. For this reason it is important not to rely on one type of sociological perspective which may constrict the researcher in the researching of certain phenomena. In research however objectively the reality of the social world was approached, its meaning was never self evident but always subject to interpretation with this interpretation being subject to the researchers biases formed out of the afore mentioned factors. Some of the different methods of researching or research style are Positivism which means scientific; positivists would argue that it is possible and desirable to study social behavior in ways similar to those used by natural scientists when studying the natural world. The interpretive approach to research has been gaining attention in recent years as an alternative to the more traditional positivist approach (Lee 342). Lee describes the interpretive approach as â€Å"such procedures as those associated with ethnography, hermeneutics, phenomenology and case studies. By the positivist he refers to inferential statistics, hypothesis testing, mathematical analysis and experimental and quasi experimental design. Ethnography (Greek ethnos = folk/people and graphein = writing) is a qualitative research method often used in the social sciences, particularly in anthropology and in sociology. It is often employed for gathering empirical data on human societies/cultures. Data collection is often done through participant observation, interviews, questionnaires, etc. Ethnography aims to describe the nature of those who are studied (i. e. to describe a people, an ethnos) through writing. In the biological sciences, this type of study might be called a â€Å"field study† or a â€Å"case report,† both of which are used as common synonyms for â€Å"ethnography. Lee states that the difference between positivist and interpretive approaches has been described as objective versus subjective (Burrell and Morgan 1979), outsider versus insider (Evered and Louis 1981), quantitive versus qualitive (Van Mannen 1979) and etic versus emic (Morey and Luthans 1984). In literature it may seem that these 2 methods of research are opposed and irreconcilable and there is some concern over what Morey and Luthans call the â€Å"widening gap between the two major orientations to organizational research† (1984, 84). Lee puts forward the idea of joining the two methodologies together as he argues that they both have something to offer the researcher. He devised a framework called three levels of understanding. [pic] The first level belongs to the observed human subjects, this consists of common sense and meanings which are true for these subjects and how they see themselves, which give rise to the behavior that they manifest in socially constructed settings. The second belongs to the observing organizational researcher. This understanding according to Lee is the researchers reading and interpretation of the first level, common sense understanding where the researcher may use concepts such as subjective interpretation, the hermeneutical circle or thick description. The third level of understanding also belongs to the researcher. This understanding is one that the researcher creates and tests in order to explain the empirical reality that he is investigating. This explanation is called scientific theory is made up of constructs that belong only to the observing researcher. This explanation consists of formal positions that typically posit the existence of unobservable entities such as social structure, issues that may attempt to account for the influence of certain factors of which the observed subjects may not even be aware. The above diagram shoes the flow of ideas and understanding between the three levels of understanding and the relevance of the two methods of research in question. This illustrated the importance of varying the methods of research used, to create a legitimate piece of research work it is vital to come at the work from different angles rather than taking a blinkered approach. This is vital all there can be no definite knowledge in research as there are so many variables and researchers take the research on for so many different reasons with so many different worldviews. Identifying applicable research strategies is almost as difficult as methodologies tend to differ according to the various factors found within the desired outcome. Yet methods cannot be orchestrated to generate this outcome from the data, but merely facilitate its collection and synthesis. Any successful research methodology does not, therefore, create knowledge, but rather is an applicable strategy for identifying and processing the information which exists. Hathaway (1995) stresses that there are decisions embedded within the creation and conduct of research methodologies that are generated both within the research setting and within the perceptions of the researcher. The concept of an unbiased methodology is thus inherently impossible: Are we creatures of reason and logic? Or are we better characterized as the victims of unconscious drives, forces and emotions? Does the different language we use really make such a difference in what we have to say? Are we saying something better and more academic if it is considered almost too technical for the reader to understand? Are texts considered more valid if they are difficult to understand and read? Are these technical essays and writings elitist, written by elitist academics just to be appreciated by like minded and like educated individuals? Why publish research ideas that are inaccessible to society? All researchers come to the experimentation process with preconceived opinions of how and why the research process should transpire. â€Å"When one chooses a particular research approach, one makes certain assumptions concerning knowledge, reality, and the researcher's role. These assumptions shape the research Endeavour, from the methodology employed to the type of questions asked. † (Hathaway 1995). So how do we carry out the most informed research possible? It is important not to take a ‘sat nav’ approach to the research, asking a question that you already know the answer to and not be prepared to change course along the way, the research process is the information that the researcher finds along the pathway to the research, the phenomena the researcher encounters along the pathway is as relevant as the final conclusion and it is vital to include this in the research process. If the research question is not working is it preferable to change the question or come at the research from a different angle rather than trying to fit your research question into every area of the study? Reynolds argues that the methodologist turns research technician, in spite of himself, and becomes an aimless itinerant, moving in whatever direction his research techniques summon him, studying changing patterns of voting because these are readily accessible to his techniques rather than the workings of political institutions and organizations for which he has not evolved satisfying techniques of investigation. Reynolds 190). In my own research on texting differences between adults and teens I will be using field work which will consist of focus groups with informal questioning and conversation, individual interviews and data analysis in the form of analyzing a number of text interactions in both focus groups. Bourdieu and the Importance of Reflexivity in Social Research. Is knowl edge independent of the situation of the knower, or a product of it? Bourdieu stresses the importance in reflexivity while conducting social research. The sociologist must at all times be aware of their own habitus, their position of thought and in life and how bringing this to research will affect the research outcome. According to Bourdieu it is impossible for our objectivity to remain unbiased and unprejudiced due to our preconceived habitus. It is only by maintaining such a continual vigilance that the sociologists can spot themselves in the act of importing their own biases into their work. Reflexivity is, therefore, a kind of additional stage in the scientific epistemology. If there is a single feature that makes Bourdieu stand out in the landscape of contemporary social theory’, wrote Loic J. D. Wacquant (1992: 36), ‘it is his signature obsession with reflexivity. ’ For Bourdieu, reflexivity is an epistemological principle which advises sociologists, as ‘objectifying subjects’, to turn their objectifying gaze upon themselves and become aware of the hidden assumptions that structure their research. Without this reflexive move, sociology cannot escape the ‘fallacies of scholasticism’ and loses its chances to provide a truly scientific analysis of the social world. Reflexivity requires an awareness of the researcher's contribution to the construction of meanings throughout the research process, and an acknowledgment of the impossibility of remaining ‘outside of' one's subject matter while conducting research. Reflexivity then, urges us â€Å"to explore the ways in which a researcher's involvement with a particular study influences, acts upon and informs such research. † (Nightingale and Cromby, 1999, p. 228). In the rush of interest in qualitative research in the past 15 years, few topics have developed as broad a consensus as the relevance of analytic â€Å"reflexivity. † (Macbeth 2001). Macbeth argues that contemporary expressions of reflexivity have attachments to critical theory, standpoint theory, textual deconstruction and sociologies and anthropologies of knowledge and power and agency with theorists such as Bourdieu and Wacquant at the forefront of this type of thinking. Bourdieu has problematised social research in relation to his concept of habitus stating that the researcher must at all times be aware of his habitus,(prevailing and long learned personal norms and biases, formed over a lifetime) and take steps to acknowledge this habitus by looking back on himself and his research with a critical eye. The postmodern condition is such that there are no certainties in social research as norms and values become intertwined, identities and culture intermingle and clash as do gender and sexualities, power is gained and lost through means of popularity alone and social researchers can only strive to explore every avenue of their research subject reflexively in the quest for knowledge and answers. In research this reflexivity can be put into two categories, personal reflexivity, which involves the researcher acknowledging their own habitus and how this is affecting their research and in turn affecting the researcher carrying out the research. The second is epistemological reflexivity which requires us to ask questions of the research such as: â€Å"How has the research question defined and limited what can be ‘found? ‘ How have the design of the study and the method of analysis ‘constructed' the data and the findings? How could the research question have been investigated differently? To what extent would this have given rise to a different understanding of the phenomenon under investigation? Thus, epistemological reflexivity encourages us to reflect upon the assumptions (about the world, about knowledge) that we have made in the course of the research, and it helps us to think about the implications of such assumptions for the research and its findings. † (Willig, 2001). The Use of Emotion in Social Research. Williams and Bendelow (1996), map the field of sociology of emotions onto the concerns of sociology: â€Å"emotions have fundamental implications for a range of pertinent sociological themes and issues including social action, agency and identity; social structure; gender, sexuality and intimacy; the embodiment of emotions across the life-course (from childhood to old age); health and illness; and the social organization of emotions in the workplace (formal and informal). Emotions play an important part in the field at a number of levels. It is important to realize that the researcher's identity and experiences shape the ideas with which they go into the field, their political and ideological stance, and there is an analytic cost if this interplay of person and research is not taken into consideration. The researcher takes assumptions and emotions into and generates emotions in the field about the researched. Kleinman and Copp (1993) suggest that if a researcher experiences negative emotions about their participants they would prefer to ignore, or repress those feelings, since to admit them might constitute a threat to their professional and personal identity. But these can be the very feelings (anger and disappointment perhaps) that could help the researcher to understand their own assumptions and their participants. It is clear to me that emotions are very important in fieldwork, both those of the participants and of the researchers. The researcher's emotions can have effects at the personal and professional levels, in relation to their understanding of their self and identity, and their capacity to perform in a fashion that they would themselves regard as professional, and these effects can be long term. A considerable amount of emotion work is called for in qualitative research, and often the dangers consequent on this are not recognized. In some instances researchers have been made quite ill (physically or emotionally) through their experiences of denying, ignoring or managing emotions. The emotions experienced by respondents in the field are data and need to be drawn into analysis and interpretation. It has been suggested here that emotions are important in the production of knowledge from a number of perspectives. In most cases, despite some unpleasant experiences, researchers value the extra power in understanding, analysis and interpretation that the emotions they experience in the field can bring to the research. In his article Hidden Ethnography: Crossing emotional Borders in Qualitive Accounts of Young People’s Lives. Shane Blackman concludes that different ethnographic episodes show how powerful feelings of emotions from love to hate grip both the researcher and the researched. He states that his fieldwork consisted of constant negotiation and respect with participants who allowed him access to their public and private spaces. He advises that to advance more open, reflexive approaches that explain how research is conducted and written, sociology needs greater disciplinary understanding and recognition of the real challenges and opportunities faced by qualitive research, which demands emotion. The Symbolic Order in Social Research. â€Å"The â€Å"Symbolic Order† achieved its currency in Anglo-Saxon human sciences by way of Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytic theory but originated in Claude Levi-Strauss’s Les structures elementaires de la parente (1949) [translated into English as Elementary Structures of Kinship, 1969] which used the term to group the many different codes which constitute human societies—from social identities and kinship relations to cooking and feasting rituals and religious observances—in short all cultural practices and inscriptions, whatever their language. Levi-Strauss showed that patterns we can observe in one level are invariably linked to and determined by similar patterns in other levels†. (Clark 2004) How important is the symbolic order in social research? There are many factors to take into account when discussing the symbolic order in relation to research. Gusfield and Michalowicz argue that in recent years, sociologists and anthropologists have conducted â€Å"significant studies of modern life using concepts and perspectives derived from symbolic anthropology. Among anthropologists words like ritual, myth, ceremony and symbolism are central to the study of social life in primitive societies. In contemporary society they have been peripheral terms and the activities they denote have not usually been studied in modern societies. † (Gusfield and Michalowicz 1984). The symbolic is of huge importance in social research and cannot be separated from it. When researching we must ask, what is happening here? Recognizing the potentially multiple responses to this question illuminates the way in which meaning is mediated by cultural categories and structures of thought. This awareness of the social construction of reality, which Richard Brown calls symbolic realism (Brown 1977), implies that any segment of human, social activity can be experienced in different and in multiple ways by diverse actors and observers. David Blacker in his thesis argues that for Gadamer, all understanding — whether of a text or of another person — is interpretive. This means is that, whatever else it is and does, understanding moves in what Heidegger called a â€Å"hermeneutic circle. † This circle is productive of meaning. To generate meaning from a text, for example, one must always move around from whole to part and back again. The â€Å"whole† may be the language in which the text was written, the literary tradition to which it belongs, its historical period, the life circumstances of its author, and so on. This â€Å"whole,† then, provides the backdrop against which one gives significance to the â€Å"part,† e. g. , the particular words comprising the text, the individual work in question or the specific period of the author’s life. A helpful analogy is with understanding an ambiguous word within a sentence. If the meaning of the word itself is not immediately obvious, one must find it in its larger context. The newly appreciated meaning of the part (the word) then alters to a degree the meaning of the whole (the sentence). One never escapes â€Å"outside† this whole-part circuit — even the dictionary only relates words to other words. In my own research on ‘the difference in meaning of texting between teens and adults’ the symbolic order plays a large part. The mobile phone will mean different things to these two groups and these issues must be taken into account when formulating the research. Mobile telephone has been widely adopted by many people in society. As it integrates into daily life, it alters the way people communicate, identify their personalities and relate to others in social system. It affects socio-economic structures as well as individual life. Mobile telephone enables accessibility, emancipation, security and micro-coordination and serves as a symbol of prestige, pride and self-identity. The aim of this study is to explore the symbolic factors influencing the use of mobile telephone among teens and dults where in the case of adults the phone may be vital for communication; the teen may find it impossible to function socially without the use of the phone and the texting facility. Conclusion There is no way of determining a sure path for arriving at sociological knowledge; there is unlikely to be, just over the horizon, a new approach, paradigm or perspective to rescue us from the intellectual difficulties involved in a sociological theorizing which can giv e us a better understanding of our social world. Reynolds 339) As researchers we must be aware of our limitations in the social world in so much that we cannot really promise to theorize in a way that explains everything. This is not possible in life as there are too many different collective and individual ideas that are thousands of years in formation. In social research these variables and ideas must be acknowledged and given importance within the research area and with their relevance acknowledged the researcher may move on to the findings of her own particular studies. Karl Mannheim answers critics in letter to the members of a seminar on the sociology of knowledge, by stating that â€Å"if there are contradictions and inconsistencies in my paper this is, I think, not so much due to the fact that I have over looked them but because I make a point of developing a theme to its end even if it contradicts some other statements. I use this method because I think that in this marginal field of human knowledge we should not conceal the inconsistencies, so to speak covering up the wounds, but our duty is to show the sore spots in human thinking at its present stage. In a simple empirical investigation or straightforward logical argument, contradictions are mistakes; but when the task is to show that our whole thought system in its various parts leads to inconsistencies, these inconsistencies are the thorn in the flesh from which we have to start. The inconsistencies in our whole outlook, which in my presentation only become more visible, are due to the fact that we have two approaches which move on a different plane. (Mannheim in Reynolds 1970) David Hume held that we can never be absolutely sure that what we know is true. (Bernard 2006). He argues that we come to understand what is true from what we are exposed to. This reiterates the fact that research is personal even when we try our best to avoid this being the case. We can never be sure according to Hume what we know is true, Humes brand of skepticism is a fundamental principle of social science according to Bernard, â€Å"the scientific method, as it is understood today, involves making improvements in what we know, edging towards the truth, but never quiet getting there and always being ready to have yesterday’s truths overturned by today’s empirical findings.. † (Bernard). In the social sciences we can see sociologists, philosophers and social psychologists such as Michael Foucault, Fredriech Nietzsche, Pierrie Bourdieu and others changing their views on subjects and seemingly contradicting themselves but I would consider that this is paramount when conducting any type of research, as society evolves, technology changes and people become more individualized the world is changing rapidly so we as researchers must be open to change and not be afraid to re-examine our research and research motives to ensure that we are generating the most informed and comprehensible research possible. In the case of Foucault , Tom Keenan argues that â€Å"these contradictions and paradoxes do serve a very important strategic purpose since they allow to articulate a critique of the juridical discourse on a theoretical level. Foucault’s work produces paradoxa since it struggles against doxa, it seeks to place in question orthodoxies of political thought and leftist critique. It is contradictory since it contradicts dominant forms of critique that itself functions as a constraint for imagining political alternatives (Keenan 1987)†. Bibliography Blacker, D. (1993). Article on Education as the Normative Dimension of Philosophical Hermeneutics. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA. Bourdieu, P & Wacquant (1992). An Invitation to Reflexive Sociology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago. Burrell, G. , & Morgan, G. Sociological Paradigms and Organizational Analysis, Heinemann, 1979 Cuff. E. C, Sharrock. W. W, Francis. D. W (1998) Perspectives in Sociology. Fourth Edition. Routledge, London. Clark, R. (2004) â€Å"The Symbolic Order†. The Literary Encyclopedia. March 2004. Evered, R. , Louis, M. R. (1991), â€Å"Research perspectives†, in Craig Smith, N. , Dainty, P. (Eds),The Management Research Book, Routledge, London Gusfield. J & Michalowicz. J (1984). Secular Symbolism: Studies of Ritual, Ceremony and the Symbolic Order in Modern Life. Annual Reviews Inc 1084 Holland, J (2007) International Journal of Social Research Methodology. Volume 10 Issue 3. July 2007. Keenan, T, (1987) The ‘P aradox’ of Knowledge and Power: Reading Foucault on a bias, in: Political Theory, Vol. 5, No. 1, 1987. Kleinman, S. & Copp, M. A. (1993) Emotions and fieldwork. Sage, Newbury Park, CA Macbeth, D. (2001). On â€Å"reflexivity† in qualitative research: Two readings, and a third. Qualitative Inquiry. Morey, N. , and Luthans, F. (1984) â€Å"An Emic Perspective and Ethno Science Methods for Organizational Research,† Academy of Management Review (9:1), 1984. Nightingale, D. & Cromby, J. (Eds) (1999). Social constructionist psychology: A critical analysis of theory and practice. Buckingham: Open University Press. Reynolds, L & J (1970). The Sociology of Sociology. Analysis and Criticisim of the Thought, Research and Ethical Folkways of Sociology and its Practitioners. David McKay Company INC, New York. Van Maanen, J, (1979). â€Å"Reclaiming Qualitative Methods for Organizational Research: A Preface,† Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 24 Williams, S. J. & Bendelow, G. A. (1996b) Emotions and ‘sociological imperialism': A rejoinder to Craib. Willig. C, (2001) Introducing Qualitative Research in Psychology (p. 10).

Agro Processing Industries Essay

Rural Entrepreneurship through Agro-Processing Industries Mrs. P. Geetha, Lecturer in Economics, Sri GVG Visalakshi College for Women, Udumalpet, TamilNadu, India In India there are about 6. 3 million villages and 340 million workers in rural unorganized sector who contribute 60% of national income. About 75% of populations who live in villages have to utilize the village resources. In rural areas mainly three types of economic activities are being undertaken. These activities are: primary, secondary and tertiary activities. When we talk of rural development, the emphasis is on the development of agriculture, industry, trade and service sectors. Among these activities, agriculture till now is the main occupational activity in the rural areas as most of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihood and employment. A small stimulation will dynamite the rural economy and lead to improved quality of life. Rural areas must try for better utilization of human resources to improve the rural economy. Promoting agro-based industries, cottage and small-scale industries would serve the purpose of rural entrepreneurship development. Importance of Agro-Processing Industries Agro processing could be defined as set of techno economic activities carried out for conservation and handling of agricultural produce and to make it usable as food, feed, fibre, fuel or industrial raw material. Hence, the agro-processing industry is regarded as the sunrise sector of the Indian economy. Properly developed, agro-processing sector would not only encourage rural entrepreneurship but also can make India a major player at the global level for marketing and supply of processed food, feed and a wide range of other plant and animal products. Categories of Agro – Industry i) Village Industries owned and run by rural households with very little capital investment and a high level of manual labour. Ex. pickles, papad, etc. ii) Small scale industry characterized by medium investment and semi-automation. Ex. edible oil, rice mills, etc. iii) Large-scale industry involving large investment and a high level of automation. Ex. Sugar, jute, cotton mills, etc Prospects The agro processing sector offers scope for development of several industries such as solvent extraction, oleoresins, kinnow/orange juice, malt extracts, floriculture and a host of other items.

Policing in the United States Essay

Does homeland security issues influence the way police enforce the law? Please give an example. I agree with the statement that homeland security issues do influence the way the police enforce the law. My reasons for doing so will make most people agree with me. If a country is very strict about its homeland security issues example the United States after the 9/11 attacks, the police will have a more autocratic role to play. In contrast to this, a country which is seemingly lax about its security issues such as India (where policemen are not equipped with weapons but with sticks to deal with any anomaly in the law and order situation) or even the United States before the September 11 attacks, will see the police play more of a peace keeping role than a reformatory and punishing one. If the country is at high risks from terrorists, policemen will be influenced such that they will be more stringent in their duty performance, will check every suspicious person or suspicious looking immigrant etc. similarly, if the country is at risk from bomb threats or hijacking threats, the policemen will be more then strict in the performance of their duties. So the circumstances of a country do affect police enforcement of the law. An apt example over here (if an example of a country other then the US can be given) can be given of Pakistan and the emergency it imposed in November 2007. The police were given sweeping powers such that they could arrest people without proper investigation all in the name of maintaining proper law and order in the country (Thomas , 2006). Does Policing in the United States presents a dilemma between the rights of the individual and the need to maintain public order? Please explain and give an example. To this question, my answer would also be yes. I would say this is mainly because of the September 11 attacks and the big affect it has had on our country’s security. On one hand, the United States condones the rights of individuals and declares human beings’ sanctity to be above that of the Higher Being. But on the other hand, its law enforcement methods, particularly in regards to immigrants, especially Muslims, leave a lot to be desired. If the Human Rights act gives everyone permission to freely practice their religions, then this country has no right to subject certain people to greater suspicion only on the basis of their religion (Anthony, 2001). Similarly, the rights of an individual grant him the freedom to live his life as he seems fit. At the same time, police often interrupt bar room brawls and arrest drunkards. So this is not following the human rights act to its letter. An example of this conflict between the rights of individuals and the need to maintain public law and order is of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp on the shore of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Rights of individuals are abused there such as keeping them in indefinite detention, torture, beatings, locking in confined cells and sleep deprivation. But the United States government under George Bush argued that such measures were necessary if the American Public was to sleep safe at night as the men were all dangerous terrorists and criminals. Now President Obama has ordered the detention camp to be closed but it is still an apt example when discussing the above statement. Q3: How does the era of Homeland security affect community policing? Please explain and give an example. Community policing involves expansion of police functions and no longer a stress on traditional police duties. It proposes big changes in the way things have always been done including organizational change, liaison with external sources to solve problems and a more proactive approach to solving problems. It deals in many different areas such as school safety where it recommends assigning police officers to schools and educating teenagers on the danger of possessing firearms to police integrity which targeted trust between the community and the police. It was a relatively adequate policy until the disastrous September 11, 2001 attacks where the police were forced to rethink their strategy. They started concentrating more on pressing security concerns and terror attacks and suddenly this Community Policing system was termed inadequate (Wesley , 2003). I disagree with this current policy because in my opinion, Community Policing was a very balanced approach, where service provision, crime control and order maintenance were given equal weight age. It is followed now to a lesser extent because policemen are now too busy addressing security concerns to concern themselves with building a healthy relationship with the community. But seeing the benefits of this method, the country has started adopting it in its spirit again such as the number of people being employed by the US Police Department is steadily increasing over the years. References Book Thomas, F. A. (2006). Police Field Operations. Prentice Hall. Anthony, M. (2001). Public Order and Law . Boydell Press. Wesley, G. S. (2003). Community Policing. Wadsworth Publishing.

19th Century Philippines Essay

The Philippines was governed by Spain through a viceroy from Mexico. The highest office was that of the Governor-General, the chief executive of the Spanish colonial government, appointed by the Spanish king. The town is managed by a gobernadorcillo. The barangay is the smallest political unit under a cabeza de barangay. The social hierarchy was in this order: at the top were the peninsulares or the Spaniards from Spain, next were the insulares, Spaniards born in the Philippines and also called Filipinos, the mestizos, born of Spanish and Chinese descent, at the bottom were the indios, the local inhabitants. A total of 300 insurections and rebellions by the Filipinos all over the achipelago were recorded in the more than 3000 years of Spanish colonialization. 19th century was defined by liberal thinking for the following reasons: 1)Mexico rebelled against Spain and this brought revolutionary thinking to Manila; 2) the opening of the Suez Canal made the trip to Manila from Europe faster thereby bringing liberal ideas to the Philippines; and 3) rise of the middle class ? Liberalism is a set of political beliefs which puts primary consideration on the freedom and rights of the individual which includes the freedom of speck, of expression and of the press. In 1869, Carlos Maria de la Torre became the first liberal governor-general of the Philippines. For two year, until 1871, he instituted liberal reforms that benefited the Filipino middle class. ?Padre Jose Burgos campaigned for the Filipinization of the parochial churches in the Philippines and asked for the expulsion of friars back to Spain. ?The Cavite Mutiny of 1872 was used to condemn Frs. Burgos, Zamora, and Gomez to death by garrote or musketry. ?The martyrdom of Gomburza was winessed by Paciano Rizal, Jose’s brother. Rizal’s first novel Noli Me Tangere was dedicated to the martyred priests. Economic Conditions ?The economic policies of Gov. Gen. Jose Basco y Vargas opened the Philippines to the world market. ?These economic policies were the galleon trade and the monopolies of tobacco, wine and gambling. ?The galleon trade made Mexico Philippines’ trade partner. The route of the trade was from manila to Acapulco and back. ?From Acapulco, Mexico the Philippines got its silver and gold coins while the Philippines exported tobacco, wine, sugar and goods from China. The Philippines was the bridge of Asia to Europe and this trade allowed the emergence of the Filipino middle class composed mainly by insulares and mestizos. The encomienda system was transformed into Hacienda system wherein the vast tracks of land were devoted for the planting of single crops for export. (e. g. Ilocos for tobacco, Negros for sugar cane, etc. The first banks in the Philippines were managed by Spanish friars knows as Obras Pias. This banks lent money to the members of middle class which were used by them as capital for their export business. The first rural bank established was the Rodriguez Bank. The Mercado family was a typical middle class family of the 19th century who rented land from the Dominican friars. Social Conditions ?Schools and universities were opened and managed by Spanish friars. The most popular among them were the Ateneo de Municipal under the Jesuit fathers and Universidad de Santo Tomas under the Dominican friars. ?There were schools for boys and girls. For boys, schools teach history, languages, humanities, medicine, theology and law. While for girls, shools offer courses for dress making, home making, cooking and gardening.

A Case Study of Woolworths Samples for Students â€Myassignmenthelp

Woolworths is the biggest retail supermarket in Australia. It operates efficiently in the retail industry to achieve its principal goal of providing customers with high-quality goods at affordable prices, (Pod.com, 2008). Its effective strategies have seen it compete favorably with other companies in the Australian retail industry such as Coles. However, it is apparent that this company does not operate in isolation. It interacts with both internal and external environmental variables. It is, therefore, prudent to analyze its inner and external environment so as to identify its key stakeholders and their influence on the success of the company. In 1878, Frank W. Woolworth established the first Woolworths store in New York. This store later failed and forced him to change location and establish another store in Lancaster, (Woolworths Holdings, 2016). In 1879. This is how Woolworths emerged. It later expanded its stores throughout the United States, Australia Mexico, and Germany, among other countries, (Pod.com, 2008). This supermarket mainly deals in retail products. It conducts proper strategic planning that has ensured its remainder in the retail industry. These are units within an organization that perform independently to contribute to the profitability of the whole entity. Some strategic units in Woolworths include Woolworth’s general merchandise and clothing unit, financial services unit and Woolworth’s foods, division. These units can be evaluated regarding profitability, (Woolworths Holdings, 2016). The BCG model can be used to analyze these units, whereby, the underperforming units can be retrenched, and profitable units advanced further Woolworths mainly deals in general merchandise, clothes food and financial services. Its primary objective is to enhance customer satisfaction, by making its clients to derive a value of their purchases, (Woolworths Holdings, 2016). Its main market is derived from clothes market, consumables and general merchandise. It has stores in several countries including Australia, US, UK, Germany, and Mexico among other states. The analysis of the external environment of this supermarket can better be done using strategic tools of analysis like PESTEL analysis and Porter’s five forces. This analytical tool assesses the present position of the entire industry where the firm operates. This tool can, therefore, be used to analyze the Australian Industry as follows: Bargaining power of buyers: The negotiation capability of consumers in the retail industry in Australia is relatively higher. This is because several supermarkets are dealing in similar items, making the consumers have a large variety of goods to choose from, (Arli, Dylke, Burgess, Campus & Soldo, 2013). Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The Australian retail market consists of many players such as Tesco, Coles, and Aldi. It is therefore highly concentrated, and some particular big players have dominated the market share, (Humerston, 2013). This increases the level of bargaining power of suppliers to a certain threshold, and as such, it may be concluded that the bargaining power of suppliers is moderate. Threats of new entry: when the market is not very concentrated, there is always a threat to new players entering the market. They then create a stiff competition with already established firms, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014) In Australia, larger companies have made it difficult for the new players to quickly enter into the industry, (Hummerston, 2013). This reduces the overall threat of new entry into the retail industry.   Rivalry among existing firms: The current companies always tend to pose threats to each other by devising better ways of approaching competition. These may include innovation, creativity and utilizing unique technology, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014). In the Australian retail industry, there are few existing competitors like Coles, Wesfarmers, Asda and Woolworths among others. These supermarkets are competing against each other to achieve larger market shares, (Moscardo, Lamberton, Wells, Fallon, Lawn, Rowe & Renouf, 2013). Therefore, the threat of rivalry among the existing firms is relatively higher. The threat of substitutes: Substitutes refer to products that can be used alternatively, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014). The supermarkets in the Australian industry deal in similar retail products, (Hummerston, 2013). Therefore, the consumers have no substitutes rather than consuming the retail products. The threats of substitutes in the industry are therefore relatively small. This is another essential analytical tool that can be used to evaluate Woolworths’ external environment. The application of this tool in assessing the external environment can be made as follows: Political: Political factors refer to government policies and regulations which affect proper operations of an enterprise, (Dockalikova & Klozikova, 2014). The political conditions affect the operations of retail stores in Australia including Woolworths. For instance, the Australian federal government launched a competition policy which bars established free players like Woolworths and Asda in eliminating competition, (Keith. 2012). The increasing dominance of these traditional supermarkets has resulted in developing retailers struggling to succeed in the industry. Economic: Economic factors refers to the market variables that affect the performance of a firm, (Mialon, Swinburn, Allender & Sacks, 2016). The decline in the economic conditions in Australia has hit the performance of Woolworths. Apart from the decline, some economic indicators- fluctuations in the value of currency, and the decline in value of the Australian dollar have negatively influenced Woolworth’s’ international operations, (Ulle, 2014) Social: For a company to operate efficiently, it must be compliant with the social expectations of the community on which it operates, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014). The present trend in the Australian market indicates that there are high expectations of the community on social responsibility, (Hummerston, 2013). The companies operating in this country must, therefore, ensure they are socially sensitive. Woolworths must, therefore, take social initiatives that would ensure it is viewed as socially responsible. Technological: With the growth of technology and internet marketing, companies must ensure that they devise technologically updated ways of marketing and distributing their products, (Docklikova & Klozikova, 2014). Woolworths, in particular, has considered the utilization of green refrigeration technology so that it can store the perishable products for longer time durations. Environmental: Firms must always examine the impacts of their operations to the environment. This enables them to avoid environmental pollution, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014). Woolworths is particularly affected by environmental factors in that its petrol and wine making businesses are executing adverse effects to the environment, (Keith, 2012). This has adversely impacted on the profitability of this company. Legal: Legal factors include rules and regulations imposed by the government that businesses have to comply with, (Mcguire, 2014). In Australia, the imposition of the carbon tax has affected Woolworths and the retail industry in general, (Hummerston, 2013). Taxes reduce the profitability of businesses as they have to pay a certain percentage of their income to the government. Woolworths interacts with both external and internal stakeholders. The evaluation of the impacts of internal stakeholders on the success of Woolworths can be conducted through internal analysis. This can be done by utilizing SWOT analysis model. This is a tool that can be used to examine the threats, opportunities, strengths, threats and weaknesses a firm may be exposed. The analysis of Woolworths using this tool can be conducted as follows: Strengths: Strengths refers to the unique capabilities of a company. The power of Woolworths lies on the fact that it is a market leader in the retail industry in Australia, (Mcguire, 2014). It also has reliable sources of capital and secure resources. The utilization of technology such as green refrigeration also acts as a strength of this enterprise, (Ulle, 2014). The company has also developed an excellent market position, making the customers acutely aware of its presence. Weaknesses: Weaknesses are the aspects of the business that are not entirely established. Competitors may usually take advantage of these shortcomings so as to gain a competitive advantage, (Helms & Nixon, 2010). In the case of Woolworths, some of its weaknesses may include failure of its brand to attain competitive advantage and negligible presence in the global market, when compared with other enterprises like Tesco. It also entered the online market at a later time as compared to other companies, (Keith, 2012). These weaknesses have led to the development of a stiff competition between Woolworths and other companies. Opportunities: Opportunities are gaps in the market that accompany can fill so as to gain a competitive advantage against its rivals, (Helms & Nixon, 2010). The Australian retail industry shows an excellent growth capability. Factors such as advancement in the supply chain, computerization, and consumer lifestyle changes have influenced the ability of retailers and provided a chance for growth, (Ulle, 2014). Woolworths have also tried to adopt multi-option marketing approach so as to keep up with the diverse customer needs. Technology is a major determinant of competition. Although this company has tried to embrace technology through such aspects as virtual marketing and Woolworths’ app, the Woolworths app has not been customized to address all the customers’ requirements. One of the growth opportunities available for this company is that it should customize the Woolworths app so that the clients can be able to locate the exact shelf in the store where a product is located. The company has enough resources and qualified technical staff. It should, therefore, grow in this line so as to gain a competitive advantage against its rivals such as Coles. Threats: Threats refer to the factors that may necessitate a company to be quickly thrown out of the market. Threats mainly sprout from competition, (Mcguire, 2014). In the Australian retail market, there exists a high level of competition posed by other companies such as Coles and ASDA. These companies represent a lot of threat to the development of Woolworths, as Woolworths has to administer strategies that would ensure it remains competitive. Apart from this, government intervention in the market significantly affects the growth of Woolworths within the Australian retail market, (Hummerston, 2013) The success of Woolworths in Australia critically depends on three factors; the emergence of real online businesses such as Amazon, the rise of companies that conduct marketing traditionally and online, and growth of real traditional firms. The key success factors of this entity are based on its strengths. These may include: Strong brand: Woolworths has established a strong brand name in Australia. It, therefore, has a pool of loyal customers who purchase its products, (Powell, 2016). Customer loyalty is the primary determinant of the success of any business as it ensures that the clients develop a preference to the products of a particular company. It’s a well-established company: Woolworths is well-established and known in Australia as a big retailer, (Feigin, 2016). This makes its products known to the customers. Many customers have therefore developed trust to its products making it able to sell its goods quickly in the market. It has also produced a steady customer based and a significant market share, which enhances its profitability through the sale of a large volume of retail products, (Keith, 2012). Excellent Reputation: Reputation refers to the respect a company develops among its clients. This can be accomplished by providing high-quality products that are accepted by the customers, (Hubbard, Rice & Galvin, 2014). Woolworths has developed a strong reputation among its clients in the retail market, (Ulle, 2014). This has made it more successful as compared to its competitors as customers develop trust and preference to its products. In conclusion, it is apparent that Woolworths is an open organization that interacts with both internal and external environmental factors. Its internal environment can be analyzed using SWOT model, while its external environment can be evaluated using Porter’s five forces and PESTEL analysis. The company has critical success factors such as brand reputation and market reputation. It is also old-established in the market making it have a strong customer base in the market Arli, V., Dylke, S., Burgess, R., Campus, R., & Soldo, E. (2013). 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