Thursday, October 31, 2019

Return on Financial Assets Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Return on Financial Assets - Math Problem Example tainty (low risk). In other words, invested money can earn higher profits only if there is a possibility of it being lost. Likewise, a corporate bond has several risks attached to it such as term to maturity risk, degree of liquidity risk and its credit rating. Each bond is discussed below with regard to the risk attached to it. I. Bond X will earn the highest return because of low credit rating which means that agencies regard this firm as highly risky. Moreover, it also involves maturity risk and degree of liquidity risk which is assumed as it is not stated. II. Bond W will earn a lower return in comparison to X but higher than Y and Z, as it is rated better by the rating agency which denotes low risk in terms of business operation. However maturity and liquidity risk exists which makes investor hesitant to take it unless it offers required return for it. III. Bond Y will yield more than Z but less than W and X because of its high credit rating, low term to maturity risk which is e vident from the fact that investor will get his principal amount back before investor of bond W and X. But still it contains liquidity risk which will result in paying a higher return than bond Z. IV. Lastly, bond Z will yield the least amount of return as it does not have liquidity risk, maturity risk and neither low credit rating. Investors won’t demand high return as their investment is relatively safe. 2. Explain how an economist could use the slope of the yield curve to analyze the probability that a recession will occur and why the spread may matter.   Answer: Yield curve shows a relationship between yield and maturity of a debt instrument. Its slope has always been a good indicator of economic movements, as it can indicate where investor sentiments are heading. It indicates investors’ expectation of economy and interest rate. A sharply upward sloping, or steep yield curve, has often been an indication of an economic shift. Yield curve can indicate upcoming rec ession when it starts to invert. It occurs when long-term yields fall below short-term yields (Besley and Brigham, 2000). Under anomalies, if investors think that economy will slow down or decline in the future they will be satisfied with lower yield. Inverted yield curves also suggest that the market is expecting inflation to remain low. This is because, even if there is a recession, a low bond yield will still be offset by low inflation. 3. One year ago, you bought a bond for $10,000. You received interest of $400 at the end of the year, as well as your $10,000 principal. If the inflation rate over the last year was five percent, calculate the real return. Show your work.   Answer: Real return of a security is calculated by discounting the interest earned and principal invested to (t=0) i.e. today and then finding percentage return of the investment. For the above given question, firstly, principal amount and interest earned is added to get $10,400 and then discounted at a rate of 5%

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Self-Assessment Essay Example for Free

Self-Assessment Essay This document contains the template you will use to complete this assignment. Save the file by adding your last name to the filename (e.g. Week2_Self_Assessment_Template_Smith.docx). Be sure to proofread and spell check your work before you submit it. A grading rubric is also available at the end of this document. There are FOUR parts to the Self-Assessment. Part 1: Reflect on your results from the self-assessment exercises you’ve done from the textbook, as well as others you might have done in the past, and complete the table below. Review current or past jobs to identify your transferable skills. Develop an inventory of your most marketable career-related skills (minimum 15), instances where you have demonstrated these skills (minimum three), and the core values you want your work to reflect (minimum five). Take into consideration the traits employers are seeking, including technical and transferable skills and general abilities. (30 POINTS) SELF-ASSESSMENT EXERCISES MY RESULTS I completed the following assessments/inventories as part of my self-assessment activities: 1.Marketing Readiness Quiz 2.Self-Awareness Checklist 3.Ability Assessment 4.Personality Check 5.Transferable Skills Checklist 6.Work Environment and Preferences My most marketable career-related skills are . . . (minimum 15) (Remember to include technical and transferable skills on this list!) 1.Microsoft Word proficiency 2.Social Skills 3.Organization 4.Ability to delegate 5. Microsoft Excel proficiency 6.Ability to lead and motivate peers 7.Responsibility 8.Hard working nature and perseverance 9.Technical abilities 10.Fast ability to learn 11.Ability to handle high stress situation 12.Timeliness 13.Efficiency at completing task at hand 14.Neatness 15.Ability to interact positively with many people Examples of instances where I have demonstrated these skills include . . . (minimum 3) 1.past jobs involving computer skills 2.past jobs involving social interactions 3.past jobs in which I have had leadership responsibilities Core values I want my work to reflect are . . . (minimum 5) 1.Honesty 2.Integrity 3.Reliability 4.Dependability 5.Trustworthiness Part 2: Describe your ideal job. (20 POINTS) MY IDEAL JOB In my ideal job, I would be . . . (state what you see yourself doing as part of your ideal job) In a position in which I hold a leadership position so I could use my skills in a positive way to lead and manage other employees to motivate them to produce the best work possible. I am not particular concerned about the specific industry in which I would be working, as long as I have the ability to use all of my technical skills in a productive way. All in all, my ideal job is one in which I feel productive and making a positive difference on the organization because I want my skills and talents to be put to a productive use. Part 3: Identify your one-, two-, and five-year career goals, create a list of possible employers of choice in your career field (minimum 3), possible job titles for your one-, two-, and five-year goals (one for each goal), and current salary ranges for those job  titles. (30 POINTS) CAREER GOALS Career Goals Potential Employers (minimum 3) Possible Job Titles (minimum 3) Current Salary Ranges (for each job title) My one-year career goal is . . . (state your goal here) 1. Cameron 2. Hewlett-Packard 3. HCL Technologies 1.Network Engineer 2.Network Technician 3.Network Administrator 1.$48-70k 2.$40-55k 3.$42-66k My two-year career goal is . . . (state your goal here) 1. Exelon Corporation 2. Rockwell Automation 3. Marathon Oil 1.Network Analyst 2.Electronics Technician 3.Production Engineer 1.$40-90k 2.$31-53k 3.$48-71k My five-year career goal is . . . (state your goal here) 1.FMC Technologies 2.Emerson 3.G.E 1. Electrical Engineer 2. Senior Engineering Technician 3. Controls Engineer 1.$51-100k 2.$47-83k 3.$76-123k Part 4: Provide a summary of what you have learned about yourself and the characteristics of your dream job as a result of the reflection and research you have done as part of this assignment (minimum 100 words). (20 POINTS) MY LEARNINGS I have learned a great deal about myself and the characteristics of my dream job as a result of the reflection and research that I have done as part of this assignment. I have realized that the most important thing to me is the ability to make difference in whatever field I choose to engage. I used to think that I had an interest in a particular industry, but I have realized that my ability to adapt to new situations would make me a viable employee in numerous fields. Therefore, my dream job is not very specific but can be in a variety fields, as long as I can have a positive impact on my employees and the organization. Grading Rubric: Self-Assessment Component Points Part 1: Award full credit if all sections meet minimum requirements. Deduct up to 20 points depending on how incomplete the responses are. No points awarded if the section is not completed. Deduct up to 5 points for spelling and grammatical errors. 30 Part 2: Award full credit if the ideal job is described sufficiently. Deduct up to 10 points for incomplete responses. No points awarded if the section is not completed. Deduct up to 5 points for spelling and grammatical errors. 20 Part 3: Award full credit if all sections meet minimum requirements. Deduct up to 20 points depending on how incomplete the responses are. No points  awarded if the section is not completed. Deduct up to 5 points for spelling and grammatical errors. 30 Part 4: Award full credit if the student has provided a reflective summary of their learnings. Deduct up to 10 points if the response is incomplete. No points awarded if the section is not completed. Deduct up to 5 points for spelling and grammatical errors. 20

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Pest Analysis Macro Environment Marketing Essay

Pest Analysis Macro Environment Marketing Essay The purpose of this report is to analyse the food retail industry in the United Kingdom. The reasons of the industry selection can be concentrated to the broad range of provided products and services, the financial activity of the industry, the influence in the peoples life and the various external factors that affect the sector. The analysis will begin with a presentation of the food retail industry and a highlight of its significant features. Furthermore, to assess the remote environment of the industry a PEST analysis will be conducted, analysing the political, economical, social and technological factors that affect the industry. Furthermore, a Porters 5 forces analysis will be used to evaluate the operating environment and the nature of competition. Moreover the major competitors and their competition strategies will be identified. Additionally, the effect of the remote and operating environment on the players of the industry will be highlighted. Also, a critical analysis of the industrys strength and its future will be presented. Finally, a critical evaluation on the used business analysis techniques will be illustrated. The UK food retail industry is an established sector of the UK economy. During the last thirty years the food retail corporations expanded their activities to serve various consumer needs. The products that are provided to the public include food and its sub-products, but also alcohol, tobacco, health and beauty products, clothing, electrical products, homeware, fuel and financial services. However, according to the Mintel report 2009, more than half of the total sales in 2008 were assigned to food. Furthermore, concerning the size of the industry an increasing trend of sales can be observed of about 4% per year from 2004 to 2008 and a total amount of 108.1 billion pounds in 2008 (National Statistics Mintel report 2009). The food retail industry is mainly controlled by large supermarket chains that possess the overwhelming majority of the industrys market share, as it will be analysed further in the report. Concerning the size diversification of the retail stores, the majority are large units like hypermarkets, supermarkets and discounters with a percentage of 62% of the total number of stores. Furthermore, small units as convenience stores and gas stations represent the 21.2% and food and drink specialists the 11.3%. The minority are drug stores, warehouses and cash and carry stores (Datamonitor 2009). 3. PEST analysis Macro-environment To analyse the macro-environment or otherwise known remote environment of the food retail industry, a PEST analysis will be used to specify how Political and legal, Economical, Social and Technological issues affect the industry. 3.1 Political There are many political and legal factors that affect the food retail industry. Future political decisions concerning taxation or the retail industry legislation will definitely have an impact in the industry competitors policies and strategies. The current legislation and regulation concern competition, employment, environmental, food and grocery safety, financial services and health issues. Specifically, the UK food retailers are obliged to follow food hygiene legislation set by the Food Standards Agency and the equivalent European Union regulation such as the General Food Law Regulation. In the UK the food safety act of 1990 was enacted to set the food safety requirements for food intended for human consumption. The Food Standards Agency was created in 2000 after the food standards act of 1999, which was enacted to further secure the public health related to food safety (Office of Public Sector Information, 1999). The UK food retailers are obliged to follow the above regulations in conjunction with the General Food Regulations 2004 that set the rules about the transportation, distribution, quality, hygiene, maintenance, advertising and selling of food and its substances. Especially for the food hygiene and maintenance the rules and requirements of the Food Hygiene Regulations of 2006 and the internationally recognised Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) must be followed (Food Standards Agency, 2010). Therefore, possible disobedience of the above regulations by the supermarkets will cause legal problems and the enforcement of fines, harming their budget and social image. The competition in the UK is observed and controlled by two government bodies, the Competition Commission and the Office of Fair Trading. The two government bodies ensure that the companies in the UK comply with the competition law and practices. Therefore, they observe and interface the market to avoid monopoly, oligopoly and cartel phenomena. Their role beyond the control of competition between the competitors within the industry is to ensure the fair trade between the supermarkets and their supplies. According to recent press publications the fair trade is currently the most important issue (Haurant S., 2009). In 2001 the Office of Fair Trading enacted the Supermarkets Code of Practice to regulate and assure the trade between supermarkets and suppliers, who include amongst others, farmers and breeders (Office of Fair Trading, 2001). Additionally, the major supermarket chains had been often accused for anticompetitive, unfair practices and failure to meet the necessary requirements . For example, in April 2010 the Office of Fair Trading fined nine retailers for anticompetitive practices at their tobacco pricing between 2001 and 2003 (Mintel report, 2009). For this reason the Competition Commission planned to change the existing Supermarkets Code of Practice to a new Grocery Supply Code of Practice (Haurant S., 2009). The new code of practice added intensive pressure to the Grocery retailers because they were forced to comply with stricter regulation and to cover the costs of the observation body. This new regulation led to greater competition which toughed the operations of the supermarkets but reduced slightly the prices to benefit the consumers. Another important group of regulations are those concerning the planning and environmental law. The grocery retail companies need to comply with the planning law to be able to expand their activities in new places. During the past years, the grocery retailers tended to expand their stores in places away from town centres. The reason was primary the reduced property prices and the ability to construct large supermarket units, maximising their profits. However this trend provoked a series of issues such as the increased pollution from the consumers transportation leading the government to change the legislation, demanding the presence of town centre stores at first. Therefore, the reaction of the supermarket chains was to increase the number of mid-size and small stores who complied with legislation and increased the supermarkets points of presence (Tescopoly; Butler S., 2006). Furthermore, the grocery retail corporations need to comply with environmental law and regulations concerning goods transportation pollution, aesthetics, proper disposal and recycling. For example the supermarkets were forced by new legislation to charge their customers a certain cost for each provided plastic bag (Brogan B., 2008). There is a significant percentage of the workforce that is employed in the food retail industry. Therefore, the food retail companies are obliged to comply with the UK and EU employment legislation exactly as the rest of the employers. Labour law such as the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Employment Act 2002 specify the workers rights including wages, working conditions, work hours and job security Also, during the past thirty years, a series of anti-discrimination laws were enacted to establish equality and diversity in the workforce (Businesspme.com, 2008; direct.gov.uk, 2010). Also, the food retail corporations are obliged to comply with health and safety standards in the workplace in operations like the use of machinery, electrical equipment, transportation of goods, violence etc (Shropshire, 2010). These regulations are mainly set by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and the Workplace regulations of 1992. Therefore, any political decision leading to more complex employm ent legislation can increase the labour costs in the industry and reduce the profitability. Additionally, non compliance with the labour regulations can lead to long term litigations with former or employees or the government. During the last years the large supermarket chains expanded their activities to provide financial services such as credit cards, loans and deposits. Therefore the supermarkets are obliged to comply with the legislation and regulations enacted by the Financial Services Authority (Financial Services Authority, 2010). Therefore, a possible change in financial services taxation or regulation will affect their profitability. Furthermore, the supermarkets are obliged to pay the equivalent corporate tax at the HM Revenue and Customs. 3.2 Economical The economic factors, incidents and situations that affect the food retail industry can be concentrated in the following categories: Consumer spending and disposable income, inflation, taxation, interest rates, unemployment, monetary issues, and the recent financial crisis. The recent financial crisis has definitely brought many important changes in the food retail sector as well as to the majority of the industries. However, the effect of the financial crisis did not affect negatively the consumer demand. On the contrary the consumer spending in the food retail industry increased from 2007 to 2008 especially in the food products and continues to increase at an approximately rate of 5% (National Statistics; Mintel report, 2009). The main implication for this trend was that because of the recession, the consumers cut their eating out expenses and started to consume food at home as it is much cheaper. Furthermore the sales of organic food, specialised products such as television and sound systems and expensive products declined (Mintel report, 2009).On the contrary, the sales of own brand products and hard discounters chains increased indicating the consumers turn in low cost products. The price competition and the importance of food increased the consumer demand and expenditure; however it is doubtful if it will continue to rise mainly because of the general economic uncertainty and the higher upcoming personal income taxation. In macroeconomic terms, the GDP after a massive decline in its change rate started to increase after the mid 2009 to reach a positive 0.5% in early 2010. Also, the inflation after a decline during the recession increased in late 2009 which probably led to an increasing trend at groceries prices (National Statistics, 2010). However, the Bank of England continues to maintain the interest rates at a low level (0.5%), to protect the fragile economy (BBC, 2010). This low interest rate will lead to increased consumption because consumers will favour to spend than to save their funds and the food retailers will be able to borrow funds at a low costs to cover their liabilities. This fact will act as compensation to the increased inflation and will probably maintain the prices. Concerning the monetary issues, during the last three years the sterling faced a significant decline of approximately (-26%) towards the euro and approximately (-25%) towards the dollar which increased the cost of imported goods in the UK (Yahoo Finance, 2010). Therefore, this situation might force the UK food retailers to construct food manufacturing plants in the United Kingdom and prefer UK suppliers. Thus, the grocery retailers will be able to have a stable pricing policy and larger price margins. From 2009 to 2010 the exchange rates fluctuated causing uncertainty and maintaining the food prices high One of the most important parts of the economic factors that affect the food retail industry is taxation. This is divided to personal income tax for the consumers and to corporation tax for the supermarkets. After May 2010 elections a coalition government between the Conservatives party and the Liberal Democrats party formed and changes are expected in taxation. Concerning income tax an increase in tax contributions is expected in 2010/2011 which will lead to a decline in consumption possibly affecting the more expensive goods and food retailers. On the other hand the corporate tax will be probably reduced during 2010 to boost economy and development. (Vincent, 2010) Therefore, the food retail corporations will be able to afford larger margins to price competition. The above facts will possibly lead the supermarkets to a trend of decreasing prices in basic goods and making offers to maintain consumer spending levels. For example there is a trend at supermarkets to offer products in r ounded prices ( £1,  £2) creating an offer impression (Felsted A., 2010). 3.3 Social The next sector of the PEST analysis is consisted by the social factors that affect the industry such as the demographics, lifestyle, culture and population trends. It is well known that Europes population is getting older and as years are passing this phenomenon will be more intense. In the United Kingdom (Mintel report, 2009) the average age and the percentage of retired people are rising. This trend has many implications to the food retail industry. First of all, elder people tend to consume less than younger people. This happens because their income which mainly comes from pensions is lower. Secondly, elder people tend to shop from the cheaper discounter retailers. Therefore, the market share of the discounter chains will increase against the rest of the competitors in the industry (Mintel oxygen, 2009). Also, the additional needs of this age group leads to an increasing trend of online and distance shopping which increase the home grocery deliveries. Thus, the operational costs of the supermarkets increase due to increased expenses for vehicles and personnel. Another implication coming from the ageing population will be the need for new product lines designed for people with various chronic ailments which are common amongst elder people. An important issue that concerns the society is obesity. According to the Health Survey for England, there is an increasing trend of obesity especially in children (NHS, 2009). The health problems and their consequences led the government and various organisations to promote a healthier lifestyle in Britain. Therefore, the consumers health awareness increased and they turned their interest to healthier foods and to more fruit and vegetables. Thus, it can be supposed that the food retail corporations will continue to adapt to the consumers demand enhancing their existing product lines with new healthier products such as organic foods, low fat and low sugar products and healthy food campaigns. Also, it will be possible to appear products for specific social groups such as people suffering from diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and allergies. Therefore, by targeting these consumer groups the food retail corporations will increase their income and improve their corporate social image. Furthermore, the increasing trend of more women entering the workforce, led to the need for ready meals at the supermarkets because women had less time to prepare food after work (International Labour Organisation, 2008). As this trend continues the supermarkets will expand their ready meals variety and create new categories depending into cost, calories and taste covering different needs. Also, the presence of different people from different background and culture in the UK changed the structure of the society. According to the UK National Statistics approximately the 10% of the UK population is non-British (UK National Statistics, 2001). Different cultures mean different habits and different food preferences. Therefore, the food retailers often provide goods from all over the world to serve those needs. 3.4 Technological The final element of the PEST analysis concerns the technological factors that are related to the food retail industry. The technological development affected and changed the industry in different categories including consumers, environment, cost, distribution, and logistics. During the last decade, the supermarkets in the United Kingdom took advantage of the internet and they are offering online shopping to the consumers. Through this innovative feature the supermarkets offer their entire catalogue of products to the consumers and the ability to compare prices, search for a product, pay and order for their groceries. Therefore, the food retailers reduce their personnel costs while they are able to advertise almost free and make consumers aware of their offers. Also it is not unusual that many products cannot be found inside the stores and are available only through e-commerce (Tesco annual report 2009). This is another example of minimising operating costs while increasing sales. Furthermore, the food retail corporations used the information technology to organise their operations and maximise the organisations efficiency and profitability. Specifically, the management of each organisations functions is assigned to specialised software and digitalisation of processes. Through the use of innovative technology the cost and the paperwork is reduced and time is saved. Also, the logistics department increases its efficiency because the supply chain is more efficient controlled and the stock management provides a real and immediate view (Sainsburys annual report 2009). The implementation of technology can be beneficial for both retailer and consumer. The self-checkout machines reduce the labour costs of the company because they usually require one person per five machines to observe. Also, in that way the consumers save time and control their groceries shopping. The introduction of point earning cards offers discounts and rewards to the consumer while it provides valuable information to the supermarket company about the preferences and habits of each individual. The analysis of this information assists to the companys advertising planning and strategy while it offers the ability of targeted marketing (Moody, 1997). The effective application of technology in the distribution and transportation process through energy efficient vehicles protects the environment as it reduces the vehicles carbon emissions. Furthermore, the food retail company improves its corporate social responsibility and reduces the goods transportation cost. Finally, the Universal Product Code or in other words bar-code was an innovation that brought a revolution in the industry. Each product could have its specific bar-code, simplifying the pricing and check-out while saving time and establishing accuracy. Also, the use of wireless technology and the attachment of electronic chips on the products can prevent theft and measure the product availability on shelves. Therefore, the inventory is the supply process becomes faster and the food retail corporations avoid unexpected losses that due to their volume can have a significant cost for the organisation (Food Marketing Institute, 2010). 4. Porters five forces analysis Operating Environment To analyse the operating environment of the food retail industry and evaluate its competitive nature, a Porters Five Forces Analysis, created by E.M Porter professor at Harvard University Business School, will be used. According to Porter the five forces are: the industry competitors rivalry, the threat of new entrants, the bargaining power of suppliers, the bargaining power of buyers and the threat of substitutes products or services (Porter, 2004). 4.1 The industry competitors rivalry. The competition in the food retail industry is intense. The named big4 supermarkets which are: Tesco, Sainsburys, Asda, Morrisons own the 73.3% market share, fact that makes the industry an oligopoly (Mintel report 2009). Below are the identified the major competitors in the industry and their competitive strategies. 4.1.1 Tesco Tesco is the market leader with a market share of 31%, and a total number of outlets 2,282, is traded in the London Stock Exchange and had  £41,520m sales and  £2,381m profit in 2009. Beyond food products it sells electrical equipment, health products, petrol, clothing, homeware, telecommunications through a joint venture with O2, and financial services through Tesco Bank (Datamonitor, 2009). Also, Tesco is expanding to land telecommunications, construction and youth clothing (Parker; Felsted; Poulter; Minton, 2010) Tescos expansion plans target to the development of the small Tesco Express who satisfy the legal size requirement of Sunday trading act to operate on Sunday (DEFRA, 2006). The objectives of Tescos strategy are concentrated in five areas: to be a successful international retailer, to grow the core UK business, to be as strong in non-food as in food, to develop retailing services such as Tesco Personal Finance, Telecoms and tesco.com and to put community at the heart of what we do (Tesco Annual report 2009). 4.1.2 Sainsburys Sainsburys is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom with a market share of 15.4%, and a total number of outlets 792, is traded in the London Stock Exchange and had sales  £18,911m and  £466m profit in 2009. Sainsburys sells food products, home and garden products, electrical appliances, clothing, health products, sports and leisure products, petrol and offers financial and insurance services. Also, Sainsburys is expanding to Electricity and Gas, broadband and digital TV. Furthermore, Sainsburys collaborates with convenience store chains Bells Stores, Jacksons Stores, and JB Beaumont Stores in a strategic alliance move to increase its market share in the convenience stores battle. Sainsburys concentrate its corporate objectives in five areas: Great food at fair prices, Expansion in non-food products and services, Reaching more consumers through alternative distribution channels (online shopping), growing supermarket space and active property management of existing stores (Datamonitor, 2009; Rigby and Killgren, 2008; Sainsburys annual report, 2009). 4.1.3. Asda Asda is a supermarket chain owned by Walmart a United States of America supermarket corporation. Asda operates in the United Kingdom with a market share of 15.1% and a total number of outlets 356 and had sales  £18,573m and  £520m profit in 2009. Asda sells food products, health and beauty products, household products and petrol. Also it offers telecommunication services through its own mobile network Asda mobile and clothing through the George stores. Asdas competitive strategy is to differentiate from the competition emphasises in the fresh food, including bakers and butchers in its stores. Also, Asda operates a discount store Asda Essentials with own brand products competing directly with the discounters Lidl and Aldi. In a generic view, Asda targets in price competition boasting better prices and offers. (Datamonitor 2009; Corporatewatch.org.uk, 2004) 4.1.4. Morrisons Wm Morrison supermarkets or otherwise Morrisons is the fourth supermarket chain in the United Kingdom. Morrisons have a market share of 11.8% and a total number of outlets 420. Morrisons sells groceries, household products, petrol and dry cleaning and photo services. Morrisons operates through its own stores and its subsidiaries with Safeway among others. Morrisons target is to become the Food Specialist for Everyone as it owns 13 manufacturing plants and a fresh food factory. Morrisons concentrates its strategy around three brand values: Fresh, Value and Service. This means that Morrisons targets to offer fresh food in competitive prices in a premium consumer service. Generally, Morrisons is an emerging power in the industry and tries to gain competitive advantage by connecting the gap between value and high quality products. (Datamonitor, 2009; Wm Morrison annual report, 2009) Examining the nature of competition and the competitive rivalry it can be observed that the market share of mid-size and local grocery retailers is too small and the increasing appearance of big4 convenience stores and the large fixed costs. This leads to the implication that the competition in the industry is mainly concentrated among the major competitors. The major competitors are operating in a mature market, which pushes them to fiercely compete for market share through price, range and service (DEFRA 2006). In a mature market with a stable population like in the UK the consumption cannot be increased significantly. Thus, the main objective is to acquire a bigger percentage of the market share pie. Therefore, this situation has driven the grocery retailers to compete in a price war to maintain their customers and if possible to attract more to increase their revenues (Felsted, 2010). For this reason the grocery retailers aim to innovate and minimise the cost to be able to allow larger price margins. Also, taking into account the recent financial crisis and the recession it can be observed that the consumers were cutting their expenses and turned to hard discounters chains such as Lidl and Aldi. (Mintel report, 2009) This situation strengthens the price competition from sophisticated to basic products such as milk, poultry and bread. Also, the major competitors adopted aggressive advertising policy comparing often their prices with competition (Leroux, 2009). Furthermore, to increase their competitiveness supermarkets expand their activities and increase their product range. For example they offer in their stores non-food products like electrical equipment, homeware, pharmacy, financial services etc. This action widened their competitive arena, as they compete with a large portion of the retail sector such as electrical equipment, clothing, DoItYourself, furniture and health and beauty stores. The existence of petrol stations at the supermarkets competes directly with the petroleum providers e.g. BP and SHELL. Also, the supermarkets expansion to financial services e.g. Tesco Bank, place supermarkets to compete with retail banks. It can be suggested that the supermarkets because of the mature food market aim to provide a total package of products and services to their customers covering all their consuming needs; thus increasing the food retail industrys sales and profits. 4.2 The threat of new entrants. The entrance of new competitors in the food retail industry faces several difficulties. The creation of a new supermarket chain requires large capital investment, funds for corporate planning, advertising and trading capital. Furthermore, the majority of the industrys market share is acquired by the established big4 chain supermarkets and the margins for expansion are very limited. Also, the acquisitions are very difficult to realise because of the high value of the existing chains. However possible mergers or strategic alliances might take place. Other barriers to entry in the industry are the large fixed costs and the developed supply chains. Also, the existing dominants of the market benefit from the economies of scale which gives them the ability to adopt an aggressive pricing strategy. Therefore, it is very hard for the smaller retailers to compete and survive in that environment. According to the Competition Commission (2008) there are three different factors that lift entry barriers to the industry: a) cost advantages that large grocery retailers have b) the planning regime for grocery retailing and c) the control of land of large grocery retailers. The Competition Commission report divides the large grocery retailers cost advantages in two categories: distribution costs and purchasing costs. The large grocery retailers gain benefits from reduced distributions costs occurring by economies of scale and economies of density. The economies of density benefit the supermarkets because they operate satellite distribution centres that serve groups of stores. This process reduces the distribution costs because the distribution centres supply only the short and medium distance branches saving time distance and transportation costs. The economy of scale impact is that the supermarket chains use technology to control the products availability, to maintain the sensitive groceries such as meat and vegetables. Also, the supermarket maximise the efficiency of the distribution from and to suppliers, supermarket stores and consumers. Therefore this acts as another barrier to entry because the large supermarket chains have established channels of distribution and a cost effective distribution network supported by their own distribution fleet which covers the majority of the British territory (Competition Commission, 2008). The purchasing costs act as a barrier to entry to the food retail industry. The large supermarket chains because of their high volume purchases are able to deal better prices with their suppliers. Therefore, they are able to offer their products at a lower price in contrast with the smaller retailers who are obliged to purchase at a higher price (Competition Commission, 2008). Also, the big4 chains have already a competitive advantage because they possess knowledge and information about the suppliers. The volume of their sales gives them the ability to make large orders of supplies in lower prices. Another barrier to entry in the industry is the current planning regime for grocery retailing. The planning regulation sets limitations to the ability of new and existing competitors to open new stores in the positions they want. The reasons for this include environmental, competition and town planning issues. Also, the continuous development of supermarket outside towns led the UK government to demand the town centre development since 1996 (Competition Commission, 2008). Additionally the large supermarket chains already control the suitable land and the best locations, which make the rest of the sites expensive and difficult to find. All the barriers to entry in the industry are beneficial to the oligopolistic big4 supermarket chains and allow them to increase their profitability through the reduced costs and by controlling the goods prices. 4.3 The bargaining power of suppliers. According to the Datamonitor report (2009) the suppliers in the grocery retail industry include: food manufacturers, food processors, farmers, and agricultural co-operatives. The most powerful suppliers are the food manufacturers and the food processors because their number is smaller and in some cases they are irreplaceable. The bargaining power of the suppliers is high when they supply the supermarkets with branded goods that are highly demanded by the consumers. The supermarkets cannot apply big pressure to secure low prices and the suppliers can negotiate better prices. Therefore the supermarket chains make long term contracts with certain suppliers while maintaining their deals with a variety of suppliers to keep the switching costs low. Furthermore, the presence of the supermarkets own brands weakens the position of the suppliers and reduces their bargaining power. For example the supermarket chain Sainsburys includes in their product line their own branded Sainsburys ham and the Danepak ham and the consumers prefer them because they are usually sold at lower prices (Ali, 2009). The implication is that the supermarkets gain bargaining power because they are able to change suppliers or to make big orders. However when the food retailers choose to cooperate with only a few suppliers they give bargaining power to suppliers. For example big food manufacturer like Nestle have loyal consumers who give high value to the brand. Therefore, the supermar

Friday, October 25, 2019

Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal Essay -- Mexican Culture Catholicism

Pocho by Jose Antonio Villarreal The 1959 novel, Pocho, by Josà © Antonio Villarreal is an insightful cultural exposition told primarily from the vantage point of Richard Rubio, the coming-of-age son of immigrant Mexican parents who eventually settle in Santa Clara, California, after many seasons of migrant farm work. Although fiction, the story likely mirrors some of the experiences of the author who was born to migrant laborers in Los Angeles in 1924 and was himself a "pocho" - a child of the depression era Mexican-American transition. ("I am a Pocho," he said, "and we speak like this because here in California we make Castilian words out of English words." p 165) Such a journey was a difficult one ("...for the transition from the culture of the old world to that of the new world should never have been attempted in one generation." p 135), and Villarreal nicely employs a cross cultural bildungsroman to explore a diversity of related themes. Among the most prominent are strains of racism/classism, belonging and dislocation, death and meaning and self-identity, and sexual awakening. In a slim 187 pages the author competently weaves social commentary (via the seemingly innocent adolescent perspective) into a moving narrative that only occasionally veers toward the pedantic. Richard's father, Juan Rubio, is proud to be a Mexican and resents the Spanish people, whom he identifies as oppressors (although Juan is clearly of Spanish descent since he had "fair skin" and "blue-gray eyes" - p 1). He explains to his son, who exclaims in response to his father's prejudice, "But all your friends are Spanish!" (p 99): "That is all there is here," said Juan Rubio, "but these people are different - they are also from the lower class... ...s parents. Second, one should not, on penalty of going to Hell, discuss religion with the priests. And, last, one should not ask questions on history of the teachers, or one will be kept in after school," he said. "I do not find it in me to understand why it is this way." (p 85, 86) Author Josà © Antonio Villarreal has a dry sense of humor and, as mentioned above, does a marvelous job weaving bits of wry commentary throughout the novel. Another fun quote is when Richard's sister, Luz, demonstrates her own prejudice for the newly arrived, and darker skinned, Mexicans: "Well, they ain't got nuthin' and they don't even talk good English." (p 148) Now, 50 years after the novel was first written, the story is still relevant. It's an intriguing narrative and helpful in capturing the "double consciousness" that many Mexican-American's lived with as a matter of course.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Life and History of Craig Kielburger

Craig Kielburger is best known for being a famous Canadian activist for the rights of children. Kielburger is the founder of â€Å"Free the Children† and co-founder of â€Å"Me to We†. In 1995, Kielburger was twelve years old at the time when he saw a headline in the Toronto Star that read â€Å"Battled Child Labour, Boy, 12, Murdered. † The story was about a young Pakistani boy who was forced into bonded labour in a carpet factory at the age of four, and became an international figurehead for the fight against child labour by the age of twelve, but was brutally murdered in 1995.After Craig read this article, he began to research child labour, showed this particular article to his classmates and formed a group called â€Å"Twelve-Twelve-Year-Olds† which formed to â€Å"Free the Children†. This organization become international with 45 participating countries to help the world become a better place. In today's society, Craig's point of view can be im plemented by following in his footsteps to help and try making the world a better place and continuing to support his success with the organization he created, and realizing that you can make a difference if you believe in the fight that you want to stand up for.Craig Kielburger would be considered a pro-natalist point of view because in order to make a difference in the world, you need a lot of help to make the change and it starts by going small and growing big like Kielburger did with Free the Children. The more people that are involved, the greater the chances will be to make the change in society.Personally, I think that Kielburger’s idea with free the children can help solve the problem with this issue of child labour because he is trying to send the message out that child labour is wrong and no child show be forced to work and that children should be allowed to be children by playing, learning, and having fun. By Craig Kielburger and everyone that is in the organizatio n are making a difference in society for the children and hopefully murdering of children decreases as well as decreasing child labour in the whole world overall.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Modernization Theory and Classical Dependency Theory Essay

Modernization theory is the process of transforming from a traditional or underdeveloped society to a modern Western societies way of life. Basically, Modernization theory became the foundation stone of this evolutionary prescription for development. The theory is not homogeneous—numerous proponents disagreed on several key features. But in broad outline, the theory focused on deficiencies in the poorer countries and speculated about ways to overcome these deficiencies. It viewed traditional society as a series of negatives: stagnant and unchanging, not innovative, not profit-making, not progressing, not growing. Modernization is the economic growth within societies and the third world did not undergo these economic or political transformations; it was ‘left behind’. So the task of the Third World is to transform itself from tradition to modernity. That is, to follow the footsteps of the Western world. In fact, because the path is now charted, these countries can avoid the mistakes made by the West. On the other hand, Dependency is also not a homogeneous, unified theory—serious analytical differences persist within the school. Economic growth in advanced countries created Third World poverty in its wake: not simply that the Third World is poor in comparison with the industrialised world; rather that it is poor because development of the industrial system in Western Europe and North America changed and impoverished many societies of Asia, Africa and Latin America, through colonialism, imperialism and extractive terms of trade. When capitalism began to spread, the ceaseless search for profit began: through the production of agricultural goods in colonies or other lands, and Western Europe’s ability to drive unequal bargains. This fundamentally changed the social structures of the Third World. The term dependency comes from this link: Some say the exploitation of various regions for their raw materials and labour impoverished them and made them depend on the West. Others point out that in fact it is the other way around: that the West has been dependent on the Third World though history in order to be able to grow and prosper. Modernization theory sees capitalism as a creative force, causing growth and progress. Dependency sees international capitalism as the ruin of the Third World. Modernization sees rich countries as helpers of poor countries; dependency sees them as the main obstacle to the well-being of the poorer countries. Not all of dependency theorists’ prescriptions are anti-capitalism however: some see  some good in using capitalism and protectionism to enhance national economies. Both theories have point in terms on how develop these third world countries and address poverty. According to modernization perspective the causes of poverty are due to structural restraints placed on the third world by European powers. It describes the structural restraints as unequal exchange. The declining â€Å"terms of trade† as the price of exports from the third world are decreasing, while prices from developed countries are increasing. This effect creates a circular trap as wages in third world countries are low, which declines the export prices, while wages in richer countries a re increasing, which cause increases in the price of industrial goods. This means underdeveloped countries need to constantly increase their yields and exports for their profits to stay the same. On the other hand, dependency perspective argues that the causes of poverty in third world countries are due to their traditional cultures and values. These theories believe that in order to solve this problem poor countries can succeed through following the footsteps of developed countries. These would include invading other countries to. However, this is quite unachievable because we are now in modern time. In the case of the Philippines, I believe that we can achieve and become one of the develop countries. For example, iphone has a metal cover and iron to its internal body; the metal was produced through mining and exported to some countries. When it goes back it becomes iphone and it cost more expensive. In other words, the countries that produced metal and have limited technology are making those developed countries richer. Instead of exporting those products, utilized it within the country and profit more from it. Lack of technology is not the reason to depend in the western countries, impatient and being contented for what they have. They don’t think of the better things that they can have. The real essence of democr acy was turned off and forgot that it is the rule of the mob. If these theories are really applicable how come third world countries are still crapping and suffering from poverty. But it is very applicable it’s just happen that the attitude and the thinking of the people are different. Like what I have learned from Cuban people, people must change their way of thinking.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

English Glossary of Terms Essays

English Glossary of Terms Essays English Glossary of Terms Essay English Glossary of Terms Essay The occurrence of the same letter or sound at the beginning of adjacent or closely connected words. Example: Carries cat clawed her couch, creating chaos. Assonance: In poetry, the repetition of the sound of a vowel or diphthong in non rhyming stressed syllables. Example: I must confess that in my quest I felt depressed and restless. Anecdote: An account regarded as unreliable or hearsay. Example: High school students go around the classroom telling their favourite memories from elementary school.Simile: A figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a different kind. Example: I am as strong as a lion. Personification: The attribution of a personal nature or human characteristics to something nonhuman, or the representation of an abstract quality, Example: The wind howled its mighty objection. Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable. Example: He is the apple of my eye There is, of course, no real apple in a persons eye.The apple is someone beloved and held dear. Jargon: Special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand. Example: Gigabyte Euphemism: A mild or indirect word or expression for one too harsh or blunt when referring to something unpleasant or embarrassing. Example: Letting someone go instead of firing someone. Cliche: Platitude: a trite or obvious remark. Example: Time will tell: This means that something will be revealed or become clear over time. Hyperbole: Exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally.Example: It was so cold, I saw polar bears wearing jackets. Pun: A joke exploiting the different possible meanings of a word or the fact that there are words that sound alike but have different meanings. Example: People are choosing cremation over traditional burial. It shows that they are thinking out of the box. Idiom: A group of words established by usage as having a meaning not deducible from those of the individual words. Example: High as a kite means you are drunk or on drugs Satire: The use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.Example: A student in a performance night performs a rendition of a popular rap song that replaces the original lyrics with their own lyrics that comment satirically on the popular singers performance at the MTV Awards. Register: is a variety of a language used for a particular purpose or in a particular social setting. Example: Low register: I aint done nuttin. High register: I hope we meet again. Style: The way in which something is spoken, written, or performed. Example: wazzup instead of using what’s upAllusion: An expression designed to call something to mind without mentioning it explicitly; an indirect or passing reference. Example: I was surprised his nose was not growing like Pinocchio’s. This refers to the story of Pinocchio, where his nose grew whenever he told a lie. Analogy: A comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification. Example: There are plenty of fish in the sea. Unless you really are a fish, this encourages you to move on and find another potential mate. Tone: The overall quality of a musical or vocal soundExample: the piano tone is lacking in warmth. Emotive language: phrasing which creates a strong emotional response in the reader. Example: Player lashes out on referee (player hits referee Generalisation: an idea or conclusion having general application; Example: Cats are nicer than dogs. Irony: The expression of ones meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect. Example: A man who is a traffic cop gets his license suspended for unpaid parking tickets. Oxymoron: A figure of speech in which apparently contradictory erms appear in conjunction Example: Military intelligence Rhetorical Question: a statement that is formulated as a question but that is not supposed to be answered. Example: Eulogy: A speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly, typically someone who has just died. Example: For those of you who do not know me, my name is Marty and I am one of Kevin’s best friends. It is with great sadness that I stand in front of you today to celebrate the life of my friend. Kevin’s life was taken away from us too soon and it is hard to understand why tragic things like this happen to such good people.However, this is a question without an answer and we should not dwell on the loss of our dear friend, husband, son and brother. Today let’s celebrate his life and remember all of the remarkable things Kevin accomplished and how wonderful his life was. Paradox: seemingly absurd or self: Wise fool Symbol: A thing that represents or stands for something else, esp. a material object representing something abstract. Example: Heart symbolises loveContext: The circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and in terms of which it can be fully understood and assessed. Example: The book puts these events in their proper historical and social contexts. Purpose: In composition, a persons reason for writing, such as to inform, entertain, explain, or persuade. Example: This paper will describe four common causes of co: He is in contention for the Olympic medal.

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Julia Caesar Essay

Julia Caesar Essay Julia Caesar? Essay Timothy Lee English 2HP 1 Mrs. Taylor 1/26/2012 Julia Caesar? Throughout the entire civilized western world, we’ve come to acknowledge the right that no man or woman is greater than the next. However, this is a fairly early belief which existed even during the Elizabethan period, when Shakespeare wrote various different plays, such as Julius Caesar, where William Shakespeare places very few female characters. Contrary belief states that Julius Caesar was akin to all other Shakespearean plays in that it should be known as a play without women. However, Julius Caesar cannot be considered a play without women because the two women roles in the play, Calphurnia and Portia, provide suspense for the story, act as supporting characters, and because they often foreshadow the future. Julius Caesar cannot be viewed as a play without women due to Calphurnia and Portia’s role of providing suspense to the Audience. Calphurnia’s first role into the story is when Caesar is debating whether to go or not to the Senate house. Calphurnia tries to convince Caesar not to go to the senate house as a result of a series of supernatural occurrences which Calphurnia takes as a bad omen for Caesar to stay in the house. Calphurnia hears that there have been horrid sights on the streets of Rome and even has a dream where, according to Caesar, â€Å"she saw my statue / Which, like a fountain with a hundred spouts/ Did run pure blood. And many lusty Romans came / Smiling and did bathe their hands in it./ And these does she apply for warnings and portents/ And evils imminent†. (Act II. Ii. 77-85) Due to Calphurnia’s trials and constant tidings of omens foreshadowing Caesar’s death, the reader gains a sense of suspense by being drawn into the dispute b etween whether Caesar will save himself through Calphurnia’s warnings or whether the conspirators will kill Caesar. Portia also adds to the suspense when she realizes that something isn’t right because she knows that Brutus knows that his â€Å"petition† will not be answered. She sends her slave, who understands not what to do, and yet Portia gives off a faint signal as though as if she will be able to stop something. She understands that something is horribly wrong and realization of this situation and her confusion reflects the audience’s anxiety at what the outcome will be, and in turn intensities the audience’s suspense. The women in Julius Caesar play a huge part in the play because they act as supporting characters through their positions as bringers of Enlightenment. They support the main characters by abiding their commands, while also giving advising what to do. The women characters often provide advice that contains wisdom beyond the perspective of the main characters. For example, Portia supports Brutus because she shows how much she loves him while showing the audience that Brutus’s actions are completely turned upside-down because of the plot to murder Caesar. She notices that Brutus cannot and does not sleep, nor does he eat. Portia also cannot be categorized as an in-significant character in the play because she is the purity that Brutus looks to in the midst of his dark deeds. Calphurnia provides support for Caesar when she tries to prevent Caesar from going into the senate house. In this way, she displays her wisdom to the audience, though Caesar does not take heed of her warnings . However, because of Calphurnia’s warnings, Caesar has at least a moment of hesitation before going out to the senate house, where he is then murdered. It can also be said that for a character to be considered a â€Å"major† character in a play, one has to portray his own opinions and emotions toward the audience. In Julius Caesar, we clearly see that the women characters bring out their

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Atticus Finch Character Sketch

Atticus Finch is one of the major characters in Harper Lees To Kill a Mockingbird written in 1960. Atticus is a lawyer in Maycomb, the representative of Alabama in the State Legislator and the father of Scout and Jeremy Finch. The major themes and ideas Lee emphasizes in the novel are social inequality and intolerance, education, legal justice and bravery are represented in one way or another through this character. Atticus Finch is a man of principles who is consistent in his views and deeds throughout the novel.He has an arguable type of personality because many people back then would call him ignorant, but he still fought against his doubters. Although he is criticized and mocked by many characters in the novel for his tolerant attitude towards the â€Å"Negros†, the people of Maycomb still respect him and keep re-electing him to be their representative in the State Legislator. According to Miss Maudie Atkinson words to Scout, he is a man full of empathy, â€Å"Atticus is a man who does for other people the unpleasant things they have to do. He is a defender of justice and he fights for it even if he is sure that he will be beaten at end. † Atticus wise and understanding attitude is because he is quite aware of the fact that each human being has positive and negative sides. He always focuses on the good part of the people around him and in each situation he finds excuses for their aggressive or bad deeds. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view until you climb into his skin and walk around in it. One of the things he does that prove this is he forgives Mrs.Duboses for the bad words she said to his children about him and he almost forces Jem to read for her during her last days. After she dies, he speaks to Jem and Scout about his admiration for her courage in resisting morphine addiction. At the very end of the novel, Scout states that she is grateful to her father for letting her know that you never really know a man until you stand in his shoes and walk around in them. This attitude also makes Atticus tolerate Mr. Walter Cunningham and Bob Ewell aggressiveness towards him.Atticus is able to see beyond other peoples deeds and thoughts and thus he is highly respected for the wisdom with which he deals with difficult situations. Atticus is a courageous man. However, he believes that real courage is not manifested in a man with a gun in his hand. Although he once has been the best shooter in the town, his children have never seen him using a gun before the dog incident. Moreover, Atticus is too courageous and righteous to abide by the norms of the pride white people in his town. He defends a black man, Tom Robinson accused of raping a white young girl, against his white opponent.Atticus believes from the very beginning that he is to lose his case. However, he withstands peoples insults to himself and his children for the sake of the color-blind law he aims to achieve. Also, Atticus courage makes him ready to present his own son to be punished when he thought he killed Bob Ewelld whereas Sheriff Tate tries to defend Jem. Atticus frequent courageous defense of his principles has had an impact on his childrens conception of courage. Scout says â€Å"I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.Atticus does not abide by the norms of the white community pride. Not only does he defend Tom Robinson, but he also chooses to go himself to his wife to tell her about his death. The agony and pity of the late prisoner’s wife and not her color is what mattered to him. Atticus has chosen to defend his morals and his belief of justice regardless to the ethnic associations of Tom Robinson’s case. Unlike other characters in the novel, Atticus perceives the â€Å"Negros† as equal human beings who have the right to enjoy justice and social respect.He always defends his cook Calpurnia against his sister Alexandras reservations and he asserts to her that Calpurnia is a significant member in the Finch family. He does not mind that a black woman takes part in raising up his children. Also, he does not mind that she accompanies them to the church of the Negros even though the objections from his sister and from some members of the black community. Atticus Finch’s consistency makes him an ideal father. Unlike his brother, Atticus is an expert in dealing with little children.His wise and firm opinions and deeds have had great influence on the characters of Jem and Scout as the novel proceeds. Miss Maudie says that â€Å"Atticus Finch is the same in his house as he is on the public streets†. He deals with Scout and Jem as if they are adults. For instance, he does not hesitate to answer Scouts question about the meaning of rape, and he makes deals with his children and is committed to them. At the same time, Atticus understands that Jem and Scout are still children and they are bound to make childish mistakes.He finds excuses for their bad deeds and that makes him more patient with them than his sister Alexandra. For example, he says to her when she criticizes the language Scout uses that bad language is a stage all children go through, and it dies with time when they learn theyre not attracting attention with it. Atticus is eager to teach his children good values and practices through people’s mistakes and poor behaviour and their own mistakes in real life situations rather than by giving them instructions.He does not rebuke or punish Jem and Scout for attending the trial of Robison or for secretly following him to the jail where Robinson was kept. He is always aware of what his children secretly do. For example, he has known that it was Jem at whom Mr. Radely once shot his gun. Yet, he frequently draws their attention not to violate other peoples privacy. He also tries to make them realize facts about life and to correct their misconceptions by themselves. He often uses the question do you really think so? as an indirect hint that drives the children to revisit what they have thought or said. Also, Atticus conversations with Jem and Scout regularly included morally heavy contents such as â€Å"Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit em, but remember its a sin to kill a mockingbird. The way Atticus deals with his children has made them respect him and grow more proud of him as time passes, and they appreciate what he has done for them, although they once have felt sorry that their father is older and less energetic than other children’s fathers. The character of Atticus finch represents a good model of a professional lawyer. Atticus’ defense of the color-blind justice and his belief that law should be free from any prejudices has set him as an ideal lawyer. He is widely regarded as a moral hero for many readers and as a model of integrity for people. He also tries throughout the novel to pass these values onto his children. As a result, the character of Atticus Finch, the lawyer has appeared in many other books that targets lawyers and concern them.Mike Papantonio’s In Search for Atticus Finch: A Motivational Book for Lawyers and Pierre Schlag’s Laying Down the Law: Mysticism, Fetishism and the American Legal Mind are cases in point. Also, the character was so influential that it appeared in books concerned with law and lawyers in cinema productions such as Law and Film by Steve Greenfield, Guy Osborn, Peter Robson, In conclusion, Atticus Finch is an ideal paradigm of a good citizen, a skilful and honest lawyer and an understanding father. The character is enlightening and influential on other fictional characters in the novel and on people in the real world as well. His insightful attitudes and deeds distinguished him as a highly respectable and appreciated individual in the community he lived in. His personality urged people to choose him as their representative even though they sometimes criticize him for doing the unpleasant things that must be done.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Scholarly Journal Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Scholarly Journal Analysis - Essay Example Moreover, various primary and secondary data sources were utilized to evaluate and establish any potential link between the legalization of marijuana and the subsequent exhibited use, potential abuse and apparent dependence. The findings indicated that there is an evident relationship between higher use and tendencies for marijuana abuse and dependence on states that legalized marijuana for medicina purposes, as compared to the states that did not. An evaluation of the information, methods, analysis, and discussion of results in the article reveals that the authors used the appropriate structure, language, as well as presentation style to effectively validate their contentions. The use of major headings and sub-headings clearly delineated main topics of discussion. Moreover, the authors’ ability to select the most appropriate method perfectly match the conceptual framework which validated the results. In addition, the language used was straightforward and comprehensible which assisted readers from diverse educational backgrounds to grasp the intended messages. As noted, the sources of data were explicitly identified and effectively structured. It was commendable that the findings were presented in a clear and consistent format where the entire discussion of results were expounded according to justifications for relationships found. Four (4) mechanisms were noted to rationalize the relationships between legalization of m edical marijuana in identified states to the rate of use and potential abuse or dependency. As contended, these mechanisms could become frameworks for future research on the study. Concurrently, the authors observed the need to maintain objectivity through indicating as much as five (5) limitations of the research which were extensively explained. In addition, suggestions on areas of focus for future research were also indicated to provide interested researchers to pursue studies sharing

Taking a degree on Educational Technology Assignment

Taking a degree on Educational Technology - Assignment Example With a degree in the subject, I would be able to benefit from different opportunities because facilities such as universities, libraries, and schools in my country are constantly searching for members who are qualified in this particular field (Reisner & Dempsey, 2012). How will you prepare for the interview? What will you present to the interviewer in order to get this position? What is your confidence level about getting this job? How will you do to convince the interviewer that you will be able compete with those who also apply for this position? Discuss in depth. In the event that I was informed about a vacancy, I would first research into the company or firm offering the job. I would then come up with a format which would allow me to stand out among other candidates in the forthcoming interview. I would also study my body language, in order to correct any unintentional postures that do not convey confidence. During the interview, I would also ask a few questions of my own in order to signify interest in the job available while also learning more about what my responsibilities would be. To gain the attention of the interviewer, I would seek to demonstrate my understanding of the job’s requirements as well as my knowledge of the company to the interviewer. I would also provide practical examples of how I would undertake different responsibilities in order to meet the organization’s objectives. If there were any duties of the job I was applying for that I did not understand, I would seek to discuss with an interviewer a task that is similar to that I do not well understand which I had performed in the recent past, and stress on my tendency to be able to learn things quickly and on the job. I would seek to demonstrate my understanding of the tasks that the job requires instead of talking about how much I know. As I am well able to multitask, I would seek to demonstrate this to the interviewer

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Management - Essay Example As per the forms of emergencies, they require skills, interventions, and special knowledge of their management. Despite the fact that treatment settings vary in terms of their organization and resources and health professionals may be having different ways and levels of experience of working, they must deal with dangerous situations when they arise (Kleespies, 2009, p. 65). There are no rules and guidelines to be followed and applied equally in all cases. However, certain principles should be understood and well known by all those who are exposed to non medical emergencies. This paper will attempt to explain some issues, which involve the management of non medical emergencies which can occur in a treatment setting. It acknowledges the importance of clinical officers in controlling and containing the expressions in treatment settings and stressing the needs of properly trained staff in limiting and identifying some risk factors. It reinforces some needs for members of the treatment gr oup and patients to understand their roles in the treatment process. In addition, they should be aware of the impacts of undesirable code of conduct and behaviors if they occur. It is obvious that we learn from experience. When problems or difficulties are experienced in hospitals or health centers, all the staff, clinicians or the treatment team should learn from it and make some improvements. This is very important so that the same incidences cannot appear in the future. The first step is to examine the department or parts affected by the incident. Then they should identify the opportunity in which it needs an improvement. For example, the clinicians might have identified a process, which is not effective in the health Center or hospital. The clinicians or treatment team should question the production team about the process and how it was implemented. After all these stages, the team should consider if the process needs to be improved or replaced. In addition, it is very important to consider who will benefit from the improvement of the process

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Gun Control Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Gun Control Paper - Essay Example Would the "home of the brave" be a better place with a stricter gun policy Indeed, all we have to do is watch the news to know our country could use a few new gun laws. It seems that every day there are shootings all over the news in all regions in the United States. While some regions are more prone to gun violence than others, this is not acceptable for an entire nation to be victim to a weapon- especially if that weapon is legal. The United States certainly has an excess of gunfire amid its streets and alleys and compare that to England. As the administration has seen very recently, the English are much safer in their country than Americans are here. The Second Amendment has always given us the right to bear arms, and it's perhaps the most upheld Amendment. It is now that Englands's gun laws can be seen as truly beneficial. It has come time to take action; United States gun laws are antiquated. After witnessing the positive progress in England, the United States must follow suit a nd amend the Constitution and it must ban guns to reduce the level of violence England has, for the past ten years, become a much safer counter, largely because of successful gun laws. In 1996, England's gun policy grew much fiercer with the introduction of several new laws that resulted in the banning of handguns in March of 1998 (Gun Control Alliance). It simply took England to go through one school shooting before they realized the danger of handguns. Following the establishment of these laws, crime shootings have continuously dropped (Gun Control Alliance). Though England still carries a surplus of air guns, with which crime is still possible, violent shootings have drastically lowered. Though perhaps it is not possible to promote such restricting laws in the United States right away, the English example can be followed as one that, if adopted in the United States, will gradual make American society safer. Contrary to England, the United States has had a cultural obsession with guns that continues to this day. In the United States are popular not only on TV, but as collector's items, video game symbols, and on the streets as a power icon. Replica guns are just as realistic in appearance as their real counterparts (Gun Culture). In America, the gun is not simply a tool, but an item reflecting our culture. However disturbing this might seem, no policy can erase this from an entire generation's mind that have lived their entire lives with the acceptance of guns. A change in policy can, however, make the United States a safer place in the long run. The Second Amendment has always given Americans the right to bear arms: "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed" (The United States Constitution). From the English Common Law of 1689, to the early days of nationhood, to the present day the American Second Amendment has been nearly inviolable. To successfully enact a new gun policy, the Constitution has to be changed, so that there can be no Constitutional challenge to a new law. In order to have a gun policy akin to the English, drastic changes must take place. Procedure There are countless ways to introduce new laws into

English - Cognitive Linguistics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English - Cognitive Linguistics - Research Paper Example 134). This is because there has been extremely inadequate attempt to provide an exposure analysis of cognitive linguistics in the recent past. Additionally, cognitive linguistic offers a definition of conceptual account of ideational purpose of language in which individual experiences is designed by construal operations (Liddell 2008, p. 314). Cognitive linguistic entails the entire structuring of affective classification and configuration of ideational ascribed to cognitive agents such as intention, volition, perspective and attention (Charteris-Black, 2004, p. 61). In regard to this, cognitive linguistic brings about concrete conception of language that portrays basic cognitive abilities. Some of the basic abilities reflected by cognitive linguistics are ability to build structured conceptualization in various organizational levels, ability to come up with proper interaction between different aspects of a structure, ability to take a situation at different categories of abstraction s, and the ability to observe a single situation in different dimensions (Lakoff and Nunez, 2000, p. 123). According to cognitive linguistic, the study of language entails analyzing its function in transmitting information. (Fairclough, 2009, p.9). Additionally, when using language in communication, communicator employs creative elaboration, transfer, and mapping (Kemmer and Arie, 2005, p. 115). All this is done to understand the meaning of the language. On the other hand, language does not bring about meaning. It depends entirely on cognitive resources and cultural models to make meaning. Grammar guides the language users by prompting them to perform complicated cognitive operations. In reference to cognitive linguistic, the meaning of a language depends on the context where it is used. Cognitive linguistic also rehabilitate and redeem some basic aspects of language such as metonymy and metaphor. These aspects form the rhetorical language periphery (Brugman, 200, p. 89). These aspe cts are also very powerful in mapping human thought. They have a definite role in the understanding of religion, poetry, philosophy mathematics, science, and everyday thinking and speaking. As observed from previous cognitive linguistic study, language encompasses various categories and processes (Wodak and Michael 2001, p 67). On the other hand, cognitive linguistic model describes the interrelationship between events and objects. This model describes the cognitive capability of an individual in getting the meaning of a language (Herskovits 2006, p. 78). As stipulated by cognitive linguistic, language and thought are embodied. Individual impartial structures and sensorimotor is also known to play a crucial role in shaping conceptual structure. In cognitive linguistic, conceptual structure is made of prototypes. As a result of this, grammar is a mere neutral system (Taylor 2002, p.9). On the other hand, in communication, the capabilities that organize language are always specific to the language used. Some basic capabilities that organize language include conceptual integration, recursion, analogy, view point and perception. The application of cognitive linguistic in critical disclosure analysis is based on various theories. The commonly known theories are metaphor theory and mental space theory (Kress and Robert 2002, p. 40). Metaphor theory has experienced consistent development over the last few years. According to the theory, metaphor forms the basis of all human

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Management - Essay Example As per the forms of emergencies, they require skills, interventions, and special knowledge of their management. Despite the fact that treatment settings vary in terms of their organization and resources and health professionals may be having different ways and levels of experience of working, they must deal with dangerous situations when they arise (Kleespies, 2009, p. 65). There are no rules and guidelines to be followed and applied equally in all cases. However, certain principles should be understood and well known by all those who are exposed to non medical emergencies. This paper will attempt to explain some issues, which involve the management of non medical emergencies which can occur in a treatment setting. It acknowledges the importance of clinical officers in controlling and containing the expressions in treatment settings and stressing the needs of properly trained staff in limiting and identifying some risk factors. It reinforces some needs for members of the treatment gr oup and patients to understand their roles in the treatment process. In addition, they should be aware of the impacts of undesirable code of conduct and behaviors if they occur. It is obvious that we learn from experience. When problems or difficulties are experienced in hospitals or health centers, all the staff, clinicians or the treatment team should learn from it and make some improvements. This is very important so that the same incidences cannot appear in the future. The first step is to examine the department or parts affected by the incident. Then they should identify the opportunity in which it needs an improvement. For example, the clinicians might have identified a process, which is not effective in the health Center or hospital. The clinicians or treatment team should question the production team about the process and how it was implemented. After all these stages, the team should consider if the process needs to be improved or replaced. In addition, it is very important to consider who will benefit from the improvement of the process

English - Cognitive Linguistics Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

English - Cognitive Linguistics - Research Paper Example 134). This is because there has been extremely inadequate attempt to provide an exposure analysis of cognitive linguistics in the recent past. Additionally, cognitive linguistic offers a definition of conceptual account of ideational purpose of language in which individual experiences is designed by construal operations (Liddell 2008, p. 314). Cognitive linguistic entails the entire structuring of affective classification and configuration of ideational ascribed to cognitive agents such as intention, volition, perspective and attention (Charteris-Black, 2004, p. 61). In regard to this, cognitive linguistic brings about concrete conception of language that portrays basic cognitive abilities. Some of the basic abilities reflected by cognitive linguistics are ability to build structured conceptualization in various organizational levels, ability to come up with proper interaction between different aspects of a structure, ability to take a situation at different categories of abstraction s, and the ability to observe a single situation in different dimensions (Lakoff and Nunez, 2000, p. 123). According to cognitive linguistic, the study of language entails analyzing its function in transmitting information. (Fairclough, 2009, p.9). Additionally, when using language in communication, communicator employs creative elaboration, transfer, and mapping (Kemmer and Arie, 2005, p. 115). All this is done to understand the meaning of the language. On the other hand, language does not bring about meaning. It depends entirely on cognitive resources and cultural models to make meaning. Grammar guides the language users by prompting them to perform complicated cognitive operations. In reference to cognitive linguistic, the meaning of a language depends on the context where it is used. Cognitive linguistic also rehabilitate and redeem some basic aspects of language such as metonymy and metaphor. These aspects form the rhetorical language periphery (Brugman, 200, p. 89). These aspe cts are also very powerful in mapping human thought. They have a definite role in the understanding of religion, poetry, philosophy mathematics, science, and everyday thinking and speaking. As observed from previous cognitive linguistic study, language encompasses various categories and processes (Wodak and Michael 2001, p 67). On the other hand, cognitive linguistic model describes the interrelationship between events and objects. This model describes the cognitive capability of an individual in getting the meaning of a language (Herskovits 2006, p. 78). As stipulated by cognitive linguistic, language and thought are embodied. Individual impartial structures and sensorimotor is also known to play a crucial role in shaping conceptual structure. In cognitive linguistic, conceptual structure is made of prototypes. As a result of this, grammar is a mere neutral system (Taylor 2002, p.9). On the other hand, in communication, the capabilities that organize language are always specific to the language used. Some basic capabilities that organize language include conceptual integration, recursion, analogy, view point and perception. The application of cognitive linguistic in critical disclosure analysis is based on various theories. The commonly known theories are metaphor theory and mental space theory (Kress and Robert 2002, p. 40). Metaphor theory has experienced consistent development over the last few years. According to the theory, metaphor forms the basis of all human

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Charles Dickens Essay Example for Free

Charles Dickens Essay It also suggests that his previous way of conducting himself has been broken and therefore he has changed. The form of the book and the way that it has been structured has a specific effect on the reader. It breaks the book down into chunks and emphasises the point of each one. The first and last staves, act as a prologue and epilogue to show the Scrooge before and after his moral transformation. This idea is backed up by the fact that the last stave is much shorter than the other four, acting as a round off to the book leaving you to imagine the rest of Scrooges life. In the third stave; The second of the Three Spirits Scrooge meets with the Spirit of Christmas Present who proceeds to show Scrooge how people are spending their Christmases. First he takes Scrooge through the town showing him the hubbub of Christmas shoppers getting food for the forthcoming day. There were ruddy, brown-faced, broad-girthed Spanish Onions, shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish Friars; and winking from their shelves in wanton slyness at the girls as they went by, and glanced demurely at the hung-up mistletoe. There were pears and apples, clustered high in blooming pyramids; there were bunches of grapes, made, in the shopkeepers benevolence to dangle from conspicuous hooks, that peoples mouths might water gratis as they passed. Dickens uses such descriptive language here to focus on how much the food means to people who cannot afford much, and also how important the meal, and Christmas generally, is to everyone. The idea of food is again a running theme as in Dickenss time large quantities of food, as we commonly see now, were not possible during Victorian times. This was because they had no way of refrigerating food and therefore Christmas was very special in that people could feast at this one time of the year. The language he uses here is important because the way that he personifies the food shows how much attention was showed to it and we see this attention to detail at the beginning of this stave as well when the ghost is sat in a kind of throne of food. Also when the ghost is sprinkling blessings on passing peoples food the ghost tells Scrooge that the poor are more needy than the rich which Scrooge did not realise before as he was always looking out for himself only. Then they visit the Cratchits home where although they are very poor they all love each other and they have a very happy home, this contrasts with Scrooges home and work because although Scrooge is very rich, he is always unhappy. For example although they cannot afford a very big goose for Christmas lunch they are all very happy with it and none of them complain. Dickens especially conveys the feeling of a happy home with the use of a lot of dialogue between family members. Dickenss use of dialogue throughout the book is very effective and attracts the reader as it seems much more realistic. In the forth stave Scrooge meets with the Ghost of Christmas future who has come to show him what his future will be like if he does not change his ways. He is shown his colleges discussing his funeral, and is surprised to realise that none of them care for him. He is also shown a back street merchant to whom his belongings are being sold as no one looked after his house when he died. Finally he is shown that Tiny Tim has died because his family did not have enough money to support him. This stave is very important as it shows Scrooge the short-term consequences of his actions in life if he continues to live the way he is doing so now. And we see that he has fully changed by the end of the stave I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, Present and Future. The Spirits of all three shall strive within me. This clearly shows that he now cares fully and realises the error of his ways. This is an important part of the novel as it shows that he has changed fully, and the desperation he has at the end of stave four, makes the reader feel sorry for him. This has deliberately been done by Dickens as it shows that a character whom at the start of the story you despised, by the end of this stave you feel sorry for and hope that he does have a chance to show that he is a changed man. Finally in the fifth stave Scrooge gets a chance to show how changed he is as he has been with the spirits only the length of one night. He gets to go and visit his nephew and he raises the salary of his clerk. This particular part, when he raises the pay of his clerk, uses humour again as it shows just how surprised Bob Cratchit is that he is receiving a pay rise, as he cowers and holds up a poker. This use of humour raises the mood of the last stave. Also we see Scrooges mannerisms become much different and he laughs and becomes a different person. During the last stave the most important running theme is emphasised, that anyone can change for the better. This point is shown very clearly because Dickens creates the most horrible character he can and by the end of the book, as a reader you are inclined to like him. The book is appealing to readers because the moral points are important and it is a very heart-warming book that makes people feel better about themselves and want to embrace the spirit of Christmas, which is what Dickens intended.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Human Development Theory And Social Work Issues Social Work Essay

Human Development Theory And Social Work Issues Social Work Essay This study deals with the utility of human development theory in understanding practical social work issues. It takes up the case of the Murray family (provided in the appendix to this essay) and using the family as a base, attempts to apply different aspects of human development theory in a practical real life scenario. The study is divided into five specific sections. The first section briefly describes the circumstances of the Murray family. This is followed by the application of two theories of human development, (a) Erik Eriksons psychosocial development theory and Bronfenbrenners Ecological Model of Human Development, to understand child and adult development, (b) the ways in which political and social processes influence human development, (c) the role of inequalities in human development, and (d) the ways in which theories of human development underpin social work knowledge and values. The Murray family scenario is elaborated in detail in the appendix to this study and is thus being taken up briefly here. Jack (43) and Evelyn (36) Murray stay with their daughter Lora (6) and Evelyns mother Doris (71). Jack has two other sons, Seb (17) and David (15), who live separately. Jack Murray was an adopted child. He was brought up by parents who were open about his adopted status and has never shown any inclination to trace his biological parents. Jack has alcohol related problems and is prone towards domestic violence. Evelyn has been hurt and that too badly, in the recent past. Lora is doing well in school and is cared for by Doris, who is however becoming frail. She had to be placed in an emergency foster care environment during her summer holidays, even as her mother made use of a womens shelter to escape the difficulties of her home. Doris worries about being separated from her granddaughter and family if she were to go to a care home. All family members have expressed their willingness to work with a social worker. Application of Theories of Human Development Erik Eriksons theory of human development was first advanced in 1950 and has been significantly augmented in later years (Brenman-Gibson, 1997, p 329). Eriksons psychosocial theory states that life can be segregated into 8 stages from birth to death, which comprise of (a) infancy (birth to 18 months), (b) early childhood (18 months to 3 years), (c) play age (3 to 5 years), (d) school age (5 to 12 years), (e) adolescence (12 to 18 years), (f) young adulthood (18 to 35 years), (g) middle adulthood (35 to 55 or 65 years) and (h) late adulthood (55 or 65 to death) (Brenman-Gibson, 1997, p 329). Each of Eriksons 8 stages involves a crisis that is characterised by two opposing emotional forces. Infancy, for instance, involves trust v mistrust and is characterised by the care of the mother for a child with an emphasis on touch and visual contact (Christiansen Palkovitz, 1998, p 133). Successful transition through this period results in individuals learning to trust in life and to have confidence in the future, even as problems during this period can lead to feelings of worthlessness and mistrust (Christiansen Palkovitz, 1998, p 133). The school age of 6 to 12 years is similarly characterised by the opposing forces of industry and inferiority (Brenman-Gibson, 1997, p 331). Individuals are capable of learning, building and achieving numerous skills and knowledge during this period, thereby developing feelings of industry. This stage of development can also lead to the experiencing of feelings of inferiority and inadequacy with peers and result in problems of self esteem and competence (Brenman-Gibson, 1997, p 331). Eriksons philosophy rests on two important themes, namely (a) that the world enlarges as people go along, and (b) that failure is cumulative (Douvan, 1997, p 16). The first theme is indisputable. Whilst the second is debatable, it is true that children who have to perforce deal with difficult circumstances find it challenging to negotiate later stages in their lives in comparison with others (Douvan, 1997, p 16). Various studies have revealed that children who were not stroked as infants find it difficult to connect with others in their adulthood. Eriksons theory of human development has gained wide acceptance and is often used as a framework for understanding the nature of issues that lead to current behaviour and to prepare for the coming stages (Douvan, 1997, p 16). The analysis of the Murray family members reveal that Jack Murray could have suffered from lack of stroking in his infancy, especially up to his adoption at the age of 6 months. This could have resulted in entrenched feelings of worthlessness and tendencies to mistrust the world. Such feelings, along with his experience of growing up as an adopted child, may have inculcated feelings of low self esteem and be causal in his current drinking problems. Whilst Lora has grown up in the presence of affectionate parents and a loving grandmother, she is now entering the school age and the coming 6 years will enlarge her contact with the world, where parents whilst still important will not be the complete authorities they have been until death. The application of Eriksons theory of human development helps social workers in understanding the various influences that individuals experience in the course of their lives and the roles of such influences in guiding their current behaviour and their emotional and social attitudes (Raeff Benson, 2003, p 61). Bronfenbrenners ecological model was first introduced in the early 1970s. His general ecological model is defined by 2 propositions (Brendtro, 2006, p 162). The first proposition states that human development, specifically in the early phases but also throughout life, occurs through processes that progressively become more complex and involve reciprocal interaction between active and evolving humans, who are bio-psychological in their approach, and the people, objects, and symbols in their immediate environment (Brendtro, 2006, p 162). Such interaction, when it occurs over extended time periods, on a regular basis are termed as proximal processes and can be found in activities between parent and children, children and children, and solitary or group play, as well as in reading, getting to know new skills and performing complex and difficult tasks (Brendtro, 2006, p 162). The second proposition states that the power, content, form and direction of these proximal processes influence development in a varying manner on account of the characteristics of developing individuals (Brendtro, 2006, p 162). Such development is also influenced by the environment in which such processes take place and the nature of development outcomes that are under study. The mother infant interaction, (an important proximal process) emerges as an important predictor of developmental outcomes (Brendtro, 2006, p 162). Bronfenbrenners theory defines 4 different types of systems, namely the Micro system, the Meso system, the Exo system and the Macro system, which shape human development (Austrian, 2002, p 43). The Micro system comprises of the family, classrooms and schools, and other systems in the proximal environment in which people operate. The Meso system represents the interaction of two micro systems, like the connection between the home and the school of a child (Austrian, 2002, p 43). The Exo system represents the environment that is external to the experience of an individual and in which his or her involvement is indirect, but which effects development, all the same. The workplace of the parents of a child is a relevant example of an Exo system. The Macro system represents the larger cultural context (Austrian, 2002, p 43). Bronfenbrenners theory perceives the environment of a child in terms of quality and context and attempts to explain differences between the knowledge, development and skills of individuals through the structure, support and guidance of the societies in which they exist (Ahuja, 2006, p 3). He states that interaction between over lapping eco systems affect people significantly. Applying Bronfenbrenners theory to the Murray family, it can be seen that Loras family and classrooms can be called the micro systems, which directly influence her working and development (Ahuja, 2006, p 3). When these two micro systems start working together to educate Lora, such education occurs through the Meso system. The society and culture in which Lora is being raised provides the underlying influence to these systems and is termed the Macro system. The comprehension of interaction of these systems helps in understanding the way in which children develop and the factors that influence failure and success (Ahuja, 2006, p 3). Analysis of various micro and macro systems can help social workers significantly in understanding the various influences that shape the development of children. Researchers have in fact specifically found the significance of macro systems to be causal to general depression and feelings of low self esteem in individuals (Ahuja, 2006, p 3). The application of Bronfenbrenners theory in the Murray family scenario enables the development of greater understanding on the influences of different micro and Macro systems on the development of Lora in her school age and can help social workers to adopt appropriate intervention methods. Role of Political and Social Processes on Human Development Whilst there is little doubt that the development of individuals is largely shaped by their home and school environments, sociological theory also places significant stress on the influence of larger society on such development (Grusec Hastings, 2008, p 42). All individuals grow up in specific political, cultural and social environments that shape their attitudes and behaviours and influence their development in specific ways. The particular societies in which people live are home to different types of religious, cultural and social attitudes, biases and beliefs (Grusec Hastings, 2008, p 42). Such political and social processes provide individuals with the means to participate within their own society, which itself contains shared customs, norms, traditions, values and social roles (Grusec Hastings, 2008, p 42). These processes are essentially life long, starting in childhood and continuing till death. Both Erikson and Bronfenbrenners theories deal with the process of socialisatio n but through different perspectives Such socialisation occurs through the influence of the family, religion, schools and peer groups, workplaces and the larger community (Berns, 2009, p 131). These processes are also influenced by local media and political thought. Children and young adults are significantly influenced by their peers. Such influences can often be negative and result in substance abuse, premature sexual activity and the need to live up to wrong expectations (Berns, 2009, p 131). Mass media plays an immense role in influencing human development. The constant exposure of children to glamour, sexual satisfaction and violence can influence the development of children and young adults in various ways (Berns, 2009, p 131). With regard to the Murray family, it can well be understood that the personal development of all concerned individuals is likely to be influenced by different political and social processes. The continuance of domestic violence at home can lead to feelings of distress in Lora, especially when she compares her domestic environment to that of her friends, and cause her to wish to shift to a more peaceful environment. Such socialisation processes can furthermore leads to feelings of shame about her background and low self esteem, lead her to shun her family and take solace in her peers and spark of truant and delinquent behaviour. Impact of Inequalities on Human Development Social work theory and knowledge primarily aims to diminish and eliminate the impact of inequalities on the lives of individuals (Neckerman, 2004, p 189). Inequalities can arise on account of various factors like income, education, gender and ethnic status. Such inequalities essentially serve to reduce excess of affected people to various facilities and reduce the prospects of their life outcomes and their chances to lead normal and enriching lives, inequalities in income can for example deprive the children of such families from various educational and other facilities and severely diminish their life outcomes (Neckerman, 2004, p 189). Such inequalities can also generate feelings of low esteem and result in suboptimal performance in and out of school during childhood and in the workplace in adult life. Numerous studies have revealed that children with poorly educated parents receive significantly lesser educational sustenance and support at home, which in turn affects their cognitiv e development and adversely influences their performance at school (Marger, 2004, p 86). Lora the 6 year old Murray child has until now done very well in school. The disturbed domestic situation in her house, especially the gender inequality between her parents and the domestic violence faced by her mother can well result in poorer educational support at home, especially when she is moving into the learning stage and needs it the most. Gender inequality has been widely accepted to be an important factor in the unequal life chances offered to men and women of societies across the world and has resulted in unequal development and life chances of the two sexes (Marger, 2004, p 86). Influence of Human Development Theories on Social Work Knowledge and Values Theories of human development help in shaping the ideas of readers on the essence of human behaviour (Austrian, 2002, p 56). It expands the understanding of individuals of the scope, the potential and complexity of human function. Whilst scholars of human development do not agree on or endorse a single theory, many of these theories provide new perspectives for the observation and interpretation of human behaviour (Austrian, 2002, p 56). Piagets theory of cognitive development has resulted in a new appreciation for the ways in which children construct sense and meaning out of their experiences (Raeff Benson, 2003, p 81). Eriksons psychosocial theory highlights the concept of identity, even as the social learning theory of Bandura has resulted in the widespread use of modelling to simulate conditions under which children increase their learning by observing and imitating the behaviour of others (Raeff Benson, 2003, p 81). The social work profession draws extensively on theories of h uman development for understanding the behaviour of individuals, with specific regard to the causal influences of such behaviour. An understanding of such theories not only enables social workers to understand the causes for human behaviour but also helps them to plan appropriate interventions to improve the social, emotional and economic conditions of people (Raeff Benson, 2003, p 81). It helps social workers to understand the dynamic interaction that takes place among human beings and the impact of social systems upon the lives of people. A greater understanding of such theories also helps social workers in appreciating human diversity, as well as the impact of different actions in helping human beings to access opportunities and services that foster realisation of social and economic justice (Austrian, 2002, p 56). Conclusions