Cost Management:a Strategic Emphasis

Syllabus Course number: Course(in English): Management Accounting Credit hour:3 Pre-course: Instructing language: Chinese Courseware: English Semester: Fall Course kind: Required course Objects: Master The Course Objectives After the study of this course, students should gain full knowledge of the key conceptual framework and generally used methods of management accounting as an important decision making tool for management of businesses and organizations of other types. Consequently, they would be capable of taking medium and advanced management accounting courses in the future.Course book and references Course book(CB): Ronald W. Hilton, Michael W. Maher, Frank H. Selto,Cost Management strategies for Business Decisions,Second edition, McGraw Hill Companies Inc. 2006. References: 1. Charles T. Horngren, Gary L. Sundem, William O. Stratton, Introduction to Managerial Accounting, Chaptpers1-19, 2002 edition, Prentice Hall Publishing. 2. Jerold L. Zimmerman, Accounting for Decision Mak ing and Control, 4th edition, McGraw-Hill, 2003. 3. Anthony A. Atkinson, Rajav D. Banker, Robert S. Kaplan, and S. Mark Young, Management Accounting, 3rd edition, Prentice-Hall , 2001 . 4.He yingqi Chen jiajun,Management Accounting,Shanghai Financial and Economic Press,2003. 5. Harvard Business Review on Managing the Value Chain, HBS Press 1999 The Final Result of Study At the end of the semester, students will be required to submit a semester paper as final examination. After that each student’s final result of study will be computed with 10% participation in the lesson and 20% of the average mark of his/her homework done and 20% of case studies and 50% of his/her mark of the final examination(semester paper). The satisfactory weighted average mark should be at least 60. Instructing plansTeaching plans and the content to see the table as following: DateContentReadingsAssignments 12008. 9. 19Topic 1 Cost management and value chainCB-Chapter 1 and its PPTE1. 26; P1. 33; C1. 41 ; 22008. 9. 26- 2008. 10. 10Topic 2 I. Product costing system: concept and design II. Cost accumulation for job and batch production operationCB-Chapter 2; chapter 3 and their PPTE2. 36; P2. 64; C2. 80; P3. 55; 32008. 10. 17- 2008. 10. 24Topic 3 I. Activity-based costing II. Activity-based managementCB-Chapter 4 ;Chapter5;and their PPTE4. 39; P4. 52; C4. 63; P5. 42; 4Topic 4 Managing quality and time to create valuechapter6;chapter 7 and their PPTC6. 3; C7. 76; 52008. 10. 31- 2008. 11. 7Topic 5 Process costing and cost alloationCB-Chapter 8, chapter9,chapter10 and its PPTP8. 36; P9. 46; E10. 24; 62008. 11. 14Topic 6 Cost estimationCB-Chapter 11, and their PPTP11. 53; C 11. 57; 7Topic 7 Financial and CVP modelsCB-Chapter 12 and its PPTP12. 50;C12. 63; 82008. 11. 21Topic 8 Cost management and decision makingCB-Chapter 12, chapter 13 and their PPTP13. 49;P13. 50; P13. 54; 9Topic 9 Strategic issues in long term capital investment decisionCB-Chapter 14, and its PPTC14. 52 102008. 11. 28T opic 10 Budgeting and financial planingCB-Chapter 15, and itsr PPTC 15. 55 112008. 2. 5Topic 11 Standard costing system and variance analysisCB-Chapter 16, and its PPTC16. 48 122008. 12. 12Topic 12 Flexible budget and overhead cost managementCB-Chapter 17, and its PPTC17. 68 132008. 12. 19Topic 13 Organizational design, responsibility accounting, and evaluation of division performanceCB-Chapter 18, andits PPTP18. 38;P18. 46; 142008. 12. 26Topic 14 Transfer pricingCB-Chapter 19, and its PPTP19. 36;P19. 40;C19. 42; 15Topic 15 Incentive system, performance evaluation, and balanced-scord card CB-Chapter 20, chapter 21 and their PPTC21. 57 162009. 1. 9Final examination (Semester paper)——–

The M/S Milad Nor Company Essay

1) Read chapters 1 – 5 and review the PPTs we covered in class. 2) Expect 5 or 7 short-answer questions General Questions – 1. In class we reviewed three firms in three different countries. The M/S Milad Nor Company in Afghanistan, Caritex in Bulgaria, and Obod in Montenegro. Each company was faced with different problems and issues. Please briefly summarize the similarities between the firms and their individual issues. How do the problems faced by these firms compare to problems faced by similar firms in more developed countries? 2. Your stock market simulation calls for you to invest in securities with a significant presence outside the US – debt, equity, commodities, currencies, derivatives†¦ In researching equities trading on exchanges outside of the US what similarities/differences have you found compared to firms trading on exchanges in the US? Chapter 1 1.The term globalization has become very widely used in recent years. How would you define it? 2.What does an MNE need in order for it to create value through the globalization process? 3.How does the concept of capitalism actually apply to the globalization process of a business, as it moves from elemental to multinational stages of development? 4. Define and explain the theory of comparative advantage 5. Key to understanding most theories is what they say and they don’t. Name four or five key limitations to theory of comparative advantage. 6.Why have Eurocurrencies and LIBOR remained the centerpiece of the global financial marketplace for so long? * These are domestic currencies of one country on deposit in a second country * The Eurocurrency markets serve two valuable purposes: * Eurocurrency deposits are an efficient and convenient money market device for holding excess corporate liquidity * The Eurocurrency market is a major source of short-term bank loans to finance corporate working capital needs (including export and import financing) * LIBOR is the most widely accepted rate of interest used in standardized quotations, loan agreements, and financial derivatives transactions * 7. Which assets play the most critical role in linking the major institutions that make up the global financial marketplace? * The linkages are the interbank networks using currency. Without ready exchange of currencies the market is hard-pressed to operate efficiently. Chapter 2 1. How does ownership alter the goals and governance of a business? Public ownership may be wholly state-owned or partially publicly traded. State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) are created for business purposes rather than for regulation or civil activities. Private firms may be publicly traded (stock) or privately owned by partners or family. 2.Why is this separation so critical to the understanding of how businesses are structured and led? 3.Explain the assumptions and objectives of the shareholder wealth maximization model. 4.Explain the assumptions and objectives of the stakeholder wealth maximization model. 5.Define the following terms: a.Corporate governance b.Agency theory c.Stakeholder capitalism 6.In Germany and Scandinavia, among other countries, labor unions have representation on boards of directors or supervisory boards. How might such union representation be viewed under the shareholder wealth maximization model compared to the corporate wealth maximization model? 7.In many countries it is common for a firm to have two or more classes of common stock with differential voting rights. In the United States the norm is for a firm to have one class of common stock with one-share-one-vote. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each system? 8.What are the key differences in the goals and motivations of family ownership of the business as opposed to the widely held publicly traded business? 9.It has been claimed that failures in corporate governance have hampered the growth and profitability of some prominent firms located in emerging markets. What are some of the typical causes of these failures in corporate governance?p34 10. Do markets appear to be willing to pay for good governance?p36 Chapter 3 1.Under the gold standard all national governments promised to follow the â€Å"rules of the game.† This meant defending a fixed exchange rate. What did this promise imply about a country’s money supply? 2.If a country follows a fixed exchange rate regime, what macroeconomic variables could cause the fixed exchange rate to be devalued? 3.What are the advantages and disadvantages of fixed exchange rates? 4.Explain what is meant by the term impossible trinity and why it is true. 5.Fixed exchange rate regimes are sometimes implemented through a currency board (Hong Kong) or dollarization (Ecuador). What is the difference between the two approaches? 6.High capital mobility is forcing emerging market nations to choose between free-floating regimes and currency board or dollarization regimes. What are the main outcomes of each of these regimes from the perspective of emerging market nations? 7.On January 4, 1999, eleven member states of the European Union initiated the Europe an Monetary Union (EMU) and established a single currency, the euro, which replaced the individual currencies of participating member states. Describe three of the main ways that the euro affects the members of the EMU. 8.Why did the fixed exchange rate regime of 1945–1973 eventually fail? 9.How did the Argentine currency board function from 1991 to January 2002 and why did it collapse? DEAD Chapter 4 1. Business managers and investors need BOP data to anticipate changes in host country economic policies that might be driven by BOP events. 2. From the perspective of business managers and investors list three specific signals that a country’s BOP data can provide. 3. What are the two main types of economic activity measured by a country’s BOP? 4. Why does the BOP always â€Å"balance†? 5. If the BOP were viewed as an accounting statement, would it be a balance sheet of the country’s wealth, an income statement of the country’s earnings, or a funds flow statement of money into and out of the country? 6. What are the main component accounts of the current account? Give one debit and one credit example for each component account for the United States. adjust 7. The US dollar has maintained or increased its value over the past 20 years despite running a gradually increasing current account deficit. Why has this phenomenon occurred? Chapter 5 1. What were the three major forces behind the credit crisis of 2007 and 2008? 2. Why were LIBOR rates so much higher than Treasure yields in 2007 and 2008? What is needed to return LIBOR rates to the lower, more stable rates of the past? 3. What were the three key elements of the package used by the U.S. government to resolve the 2008-9 credit crisis? 4. Why are the sovereign debtors of the Eurozone considered to have a problem that is different from any other heavily indebted country, like the United States? 5. Why has the case of Portugal been termed a â€Å"case of contagion† rather than a sovereign debt crisis? 6. What are the three primary methods which might be used individually or in combination to resolve the European debt crisis?

Race Roits Essay

In order to get beyond racism, we must first take account of there is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally we must treat them differently† – Harry A Blackman. It shows how racial tension between African Americans and whites provoked the riot because they were treated differently because of their race. The Chicago race riot occurred July 29, 1919 and it lasted for 8 days and it was a turning point in Chicago’s history. The riot occurred because of racial tension between African Americans and whites. The Chicago race riot occurred July 29, 1919 and it lasted for 8 days and it was a turning point in Chicago’s history. The riot occurred because of racial tension between African Americans and whites. The riot was provoked by inequality, racial tension, and discrimination Prejudice, wars, and inventions have been going on since the beginning of time, but in the 19th century that is when those three things are the most significant because it changed the atmosphere of the United States. First, in the 19th century segregation was going on in the U. S, but more in the south than anywhere else. During the year of 1914 many of the states in the south required separated entrances for blacks and whites. Next, in the 1910’s the U. S just finished going into war. The decade was affected harshly because of the war. The war left the United States with storage of food, money and etc. Finally, the 1900’s brought new inventions to the United States. The First flight took place by the Wright brother, and Henry ford crated his first ford car model. Those inventions changed the way people took transportation making them get to their destination quicker. (Danzer, Alva, Krieger, Wilson, Woloch) Three street riots were East St. Louis, Springfield, and Chicago. These three riots happen because of racial tension and inequality between African Americans and whites. First, in 1917 a riot broke out in East St. Louis. The riot occurred because of racial tension. There was racial tension because the whites were on strike, so the owners decided to give the jobs to the African Americans. The whites were angered by this so they decided to take control and a riot broke out. Second, in 1908a riot broke out in Springfield because of inequality. The riot broke out in Springfield because an African American man was falsely accused of rape. Lastly, in 1919 a huge riot took place in Chicago. The riot occurred because of a death of an African American child. This riot was the biggest riot in Illinois history. So in conclusion, racial tension and inequality between African Americans and whites are the two main reasons why these riots occurred. (Encyclopedia of Chicago) The Division Street riot was a turning point on history because they showed how racial the government was, how violent and dangerous riots can be and how they riot can affect the atmosphere. First, in the Chicago riot there were cases were police would only arrest African Americans for having possessions of weapons and not whites. There was also the case that sparked the Chicago riot when a police refused to arrest the gang that killed Eugene Williams. †Chicago Race Riot of 1919†Ã¢â‚¬  The Chicago Race Riot of 1919†. That shows that the government was very racial towards African Americans when it came to arresting or anything else during the riot because the police didn’t help the African American man when Eugene Williams was drowning. Second, the riots showed how dangerous and violent they can become. In the Chicago riot it was so out of hand it wasn’t until the government had to call in the State Military to calm down the riot. Also in the East St. Louis riot the National Guards had to be called in to stop the white mobs. â€Å"Race Riot† â€Å" East St. Louis Race Riot: July 2, 1917†. This shows that the race riots became so out of hand that the Government had to call in the National Guards and the State Military because the riots were getting to out of control, and out of their reach and power. Lastly, the riots changed the atmosphere of the place where the riots occurred because it made many people suggested creating zoning laws to formally segregated housing in Chicago, or other restrictions preventing blacks to work in the same workplace as whites. Some African Americans were rejected by liberal white voters. The riots made the two races not get along even more because before the riots there were already racial tension between African Americans and whites. So in conclusion, the Division Street riot was a turning point on history because they showed how racial the government was, how violent and dangerous riots can be and how they riot can affect the atmosphere. Discrimination towards African American provoked the riot. First, when Tabitha C Wong writes â€Å"angry white workers lodged a formal complaint against black migration. After the meeting ended news of an attempted robbery of a white man by an armed black man began to circulate though the city. † This explains how in the East St. Louis riot whites were angered when African Americans took their jobs. â€Å"East St. Louis Race Riot: July 2, 1917† Second in the Springfield riot the trial, the woman told the judge that she was not raped by the two men. Another place this can be seen is when Springfield, Illinois race riot writes about† Mabel Hallem later recalled her accusative against George Richardson and Joe James when it was discovered she had probably fabricated the story to cover up an affair. † Second in the Springfield riot the trial for the African Americans were racially unfair. â€Å"The Accused: George Richardson† Third, Steven Essig writes about â€Å"the determination of many whites to deny African Americans equal opportunities in employment, housing and political representation has frequently resulted in sustained violent clashes. † Some whites didn’t want African American the same opportunity so they decided to deny them certain chances that whites would be able to do. (Encyclopedia of Chicago) Finally in the Springfield, East St. Louis, and Chicago riot dealt with discrimination which provoked the riot. Inequality provoked the riot making African Americans have fewer resources than whites. First, a great example can be found in The Slum and the Ghetto: Neighborhood Deterioration and Middle Class Reform when Philpott writes about how† they had no gas baths or toilets plumbing very bad: toilet leaks; bowl broken; leak in kitchen sink; (180). This shows that inequality between whites and African Americans made the African Americans have terrible living environment. Next, a great example can be found in The Slum and the Ghetto: Neighborhood Deterioration and Middle Class Reform when Philpott talks about how â€Å"a write once summed up the Negro question by saying â€Å"the North has principles and the South has the Negroes. †(146). It shows how the North (whites) had principles, and the South has Negroes (bad living environment). So it shows how because of inequality the African Americans didn’t have a good housing opportunity. Lastly, since schools were segregated whites had a better learning opportunity than African Americans. When the schools were segregated the African Americans did not have the same learning opportunity as white. The teachers were not able to teach the African American children how to read, or write. â€Å"Imprisoned or Teaching Free Blacks† So in conclusion, inequality provoked the riot making African Americans have terrible living environments, terrible housing opportunities, and terrible education. Racial tension provoked the riot making African Americans and whites not get along. First a great example of this can be found in â€Å"Gangs that came to rule in seats of power† when Kass writes about the â€Å"Hamburgs ignited the worst and deadliest race riot in Chicago’s history in 1919†. That shows how the riot started because of the racial tension between African Americans and whites because they didn’t get along. Second police were racial to African Americans. A great example of this can be found in â€Å"Chicago and its eight reasons† when the White writes about â€Å"in one case a colored man who was trailer for weapons, and whites were not trailed, and they were all together in a bunch†. This shows how the police didn’t want to arrest whites, but they were willing to arrest African Americans. It also proves that they were racist towards African Americans. Finally African Americans and Whites were segregated. A great example of this can be found when Essig writes about â€Å"an African American teenager who had crossed an invisible line at 29th Street separating customarily segregated â€Å"white† and â€Å"black† beaches†. That proves that white and black had separate things and they didn’t get along. So in conclusion, gangs racial tension, and segregation were part of the racial tension that provoked the riot. The Division Street riots had an impact history because led to African Americans getting better treatment later on in history. First, the Springfield riot brought about the NAACP. The NAACP stands for National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The NAACP was created to ensure the political right, educational, and social economic equality of minority groups â€Å"Our Mission†. The NAACP fought for African Americans to have better treatment. The NAACP was created after the Springfield riot because they wanted to make sure that African Americans and other minority groups have the same rights as whites. Second, the NAACP had led up to greater things. The NAACP was a major part in the Civil Rights Movement with Martin Luther King as one of the leader â€Å" NAAC: 100 years of History†; leading African Americans through the Civil Rights movement taking them one step closer to integration. With Martin Luther king as one of the leaders of the NAACP and Civil Rights movement, with his dead and everything he did for the African Americans eventually led up to him being known as a great man, and making everyone in his time period including African Americans and Whites become segregated. Lastly, city officials organized the Chicago Commission on Race Relations to look into the cause of riots and find was to combat them. The Chicago Commission on Race Relations was created after the Chicago race riot. The Chicago Commission was a great source if information after the Chicago riot because they suggested several key issues including competition for jobs, thinking of ways to fix the problems. † The Chicago Race Riot of 1919† In conclusion, the Division Street Riots were turning points in history because the NAACP was formed, the NAACP led up to greater things and the Chicago Commission fixing race relations and their problems. The Chicago riot occurred July,27 1919 and it lasted for 8 days and it was a turning point in Chicago’s history. The occurred because of racial tension between African Americans and Whites. Inequality, racial tension, and discrimination provoked the riot. The Chicago Riot that lasted for 8 days and it was a turning point in History. Due to racial tension between African Americans and Whites a riot broke out . In Order to get beyond racism we ,must first take account of there is no other way. And in order to treat some persons equally we must first treat them differently- Harry A Blackman. Even though the Chicago riot left 38 people dead, it still was the most dangerous riot in Illinois History.

Study case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Study case - Essay Example This paper aims to demonstrate full knowledge of management and impact of human resource policies and it’s anent options within the context of Servo Engineering Company’s HR management. Researcher also aims to present evidences of human resource management to reach rational conclusion and recommendations. In so doing, the researcher will answer questions pertaining to theory of ‘self-managed’ or semi-autonomous teams in manufacturing applied to Servo Engineering. What changes might be made in the organisation of work that might improve labour productivity? Servo Engineering was established in 1897 and within a half century, the company became a leader in the manufacturing of vehicle components. In the late 1970s, the company was able to develop its subsidiary company dubbed as the American Ensign (Bratton & Gold, 2007, p. 487). The multinational company expanded its manufacturing plants in United Kingdom, United States of America (USA), and Germany. Attune to technological advancement, the company also commenced production machinery driven and controlled by information technology. To undertake the organization’s operations, the production department were organized into six ‘self-managed teams’ (SMT), with 12 and 50 workers that are working in three shifts and are believed to be product-centred and are respectably operating as a miniature within a larger factory (Bratton & Gold, 2007, p. 487). Each of the team is endowed with sufficient machinery to complete the stages of manufacturing products. Those that are not d elegated as tasks of SMT are subcontracted from outsourced services (Bratton & Gold, 2007, p. 487). Tasks were divided into the team with SMT supervisor doing the managerial functions. A product-coordinator is also tasked to ensure the supply of raw materials and the production of demanded number of targeted produce while the charge-hand monitors the progress of their performances (Bratton & Gold, 2007, p. 487). Other employees, which

Education - Educational Enquiry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Education - Educational Enquiry - Essay Example The data then must be subjected to statistical analysis for verification of the percentage error in it and various tests and measuring scales can also be used to check out the results reflected by the data (Peers 1996, p. 1). With the analysis of the data, the researchers then can elaborate on the details of their study and successively make a conclusion and recommendation. With the recommendation in mind, follow-up studies can be made based on the suggestions given by the past researchers shown in their reports and papers. For the paper on TMA03, the discussion will focus on the details regarding the research design and data production and on how to apply the concept upon the past articles on TMA01 and the topic on TMA02. The paper then will be divided into two tasks as the first task will cover the articles from TMA01, while the second task will focus on the topic of TMA02 and elaborate on it. On TMA01, a pair of articles was chosen and those would be subjected to some questions wh ich comprised the first task of the paper. The first task then will cover the transparency of the research conducted by the authors of the chosen articles. Next, the rationale will be checked as to whether it is connected to the methodological approach used by the authors of the articles. Then, an alternative design will be suggested that may better fit the studies conducted by the authors of the chosen articles. Lastly, the data collection practice of the authors of the chosen articles will be analyzed and some suggested alternative methods will be provided and discussed. The paper talks about research design and data production which will be applied on two articles used in TMA01. Research design is about putting a scientific question into an experiment to test its validity (Matthews and Kostelis 2011). The framework of the experiment then is dependent upon the questions that serve as guidelines. Each design then has its own strengths and weaknesses. It does matter when researchers are going to choose the right design for their particular study. Once they have chosen the framework, then they have already created the blueprint for their study to undertake (Craig 2009, p. 89). They usually have questions as guidelines like what are the questions needed for the accomplishment of the study, what information are related and needed for the research, what data must be obtained and how to process and study the collected data. It can then be divided into various types of designs from fixed to flexible frameworks. Those are known as qualitative and quantitative research designs. Fixed and flexible designs can then be both quantitative and qualitative research designs (Madeyski, 2010, p. 5). Flexible research designs provide the space for adjustments which give the researchers the chance to make some changes in the process or methodology. On the other hand, fixed designs are rigid which makes it difficult for researchers to make some on-the-spot changes. It also require s the design to be finalized before doing the data collection. Its advantage is the freedom to adjust especially for the qualitative variables. The downside of having fixed design is the opportunity to change once controlled and experimental variables are identified because fixed designs are heavily patterned after theories

Quantitative Research in Clinical Practice Essay

Quantitative Research in Clinical Practice - Essay Example Quantitative utilizes statistical analysis to accurately determine the outcome of a given phenomenon. Matveev (2002) argues that quantitative research is data driven, thus can be verified via observation as well as experiments. The incorporation of quantitative research in clinical practice enables research aspects that may not be suitable for qualitative research and provide more accurate and verifiable results. Quantitative research utilizes structured questionnaire, which can be used, for example, to vigorously assess patients satisfaction with services provided.The author states that in conducting a cause-effect relationship, which is predictive in nature, quantitative research provides the best tool for accurate prediction. In clinical practice, cause-effect relationships are common, thus the incorporation of quantitative research remains a critical tool for effective decision making. Using people with spinal cord injuries, Chen, Lai & Wu (2013) seek to determine the factors tha t affect Moving-Forward behavior. This is a cause-effect relationship that requires the use of quantitative technique, which is known for reliable outcomes. Quantitative research in clinical practice would provide an evidence based research, which adds to the reliability of researcher works that are crucial for the practice. Quantitative research is usually more objective than qualitative researcher even though numerous researches utilize a combination of both research approaches to achieve the desired results.

Preparation for the exam - Strategic Management Research Paper

Preparation for the exam - Strategic Management - Research Paper Example These grants were used for computer systems development, electronic textiles, and competitive enhancement initiatives. The government somewhat supports activities that can make its sportswear industry competitive in the global arena. New Balance, furthermore, is specifically affected by tariff policies. The â€Å"yarn forward rule† ensures that imported products pay proper duties: The rule, which has been included in most U.S. free trade agreements, denies duty-free treatment for apparel unless it is almost entirely manufactured in the FTA country. In fact, if any component of the item—thread, elastic strips, or fabric—is sourced elsewhere, duties are applied on the entire garment. (Kennedy and Appell, 2012) This rule benefits New Balance that has local manufacturing plants. Looser tariffs, however, will be bad news for it. Aeppel (2013) reports: Shoe tariffs add about $3 to $5 to the cost of a pair of midprice imported running shoes. While that might not seem li ke much, New Balance says the loss of that buffer would make the economics of its American-made strategy that much harder. If the tariffs go away, â€Å"it puts our competitors in a position to realize an even greater margin than we are,† says Matthew LeBretton, a New Balance spokesman, â€Å"and they can then reinvest that in their business.† As long as New Balance has U.S. plants, it benefits from the competitive advantage of import duties. Import flooding of cheap apparel from other countries, however, affects it too. Price-sensitive consumers prefer inexpensive products, even if they have lower quality. Economic The economic situation of the U.S. is improving, although at a very slow rate. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (2013): Real gross domestic product -- the output of goods and services produced by labor and property located in the United States -- increased at an annual rate of 2.5 percent in the first quarter of 2013 (that is, from the four th quarter to the first quarter), according to the "advance" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the fourth quarter, real GDP increased 0.4 percent. Slow economic growth affects employment and income rates of consumers, which affect demand for sportswear products. The monthly data for disposable income increase is not so buoyant either: â€Å"In March 2013, real disposable personal income increased 0.3 percent† (U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, 2013). Despite the laggard economy, since sportswear products depreciate in time, people still buy them, although not in the same rates as better economic conditions. Sivy (2013) notes the depreciation of the U.S. dollar, which has not been the same value as in 2009. With low dollar value, imports become cheaper, and this can affect the sales of New Balance. Social America is becoming more diverse with low fertility rate, and so it is becoming a mature market too. El Nasser and Overberg (2011) summarise the 2010 C ensus: The USA is bigger, older, more Hispanic and Asian and less wedded to marriage and traditional families than it was in 1990. It also is less enamored of kids, more embracing of several generations living under one roof, more inclusive of same-sex couples, more cognizant of multiracial identities, more suburban, less rural and leaning more to the South and West.

A full e-marketing report (including a plan for future activities) for Essay - 3

A full e-marketing report (including a plan for future activities) for The in thing - Essay Example The business is organized as a strategic business unit, one such strategic business unit is serving the households (being a Business to Customer business), while the other strategic business unit is acting as a distributor to other retailers and specialty stores (Business to Business). Both the business units differentiate themselves from their competitors through a very efficient order delivery system. To augment this are feature of the business are services like: informing retailers about the most in demand toy brand, allowing them to make advance order with charging them, not even in the case of cancellation of booking. Both the business units are organized in a way that allows them to be nimble and flexible in this volatile and uncertain marketplace. This marketing plan is being developed to increase the company’s customer base through analyzing the current discrepancies in the e-marketing mix of the company and suggesting the tools based on the assumption that they would be apt for this form of the business. Not only are the suggestions focused on adding new marking tools in the mix but also are aimed at removing redundant and obsolete market channels for the mix. The aim is to utilize every ounce of a marketing channels potential. Utilization in this context depends upon the number of customers the website is able to attract and more importantly retain. Retention is actually the real objective as it would lead to the creation of brand equity and brand loyalty. In this plan the company has been recommended to outsource its in-house website development and maintenance function, and focus on its core competencies. The company for which this marketing plan is being made is â€Å"The in Thing†. This business was founded in the year 2007, and is a private enterprise. The company operates in Accrington, Lancashire, United Kingdom with 25 employees. It has a strategic business unit by the name of â€Å"I want I want†, this business unit

Throughout the Great Depression, the unemployed in the United States Essay

Throughout the Great Depression, the unemployed in the United States remained a dispirited and disorganised mass that made li - Essay Example The U.S is one of the nations that believe on job creation as one of the most effective way of boosting the national economy. Its politicians from several parties have included the issue of job creation in their agendas to win more votes but forget it the moment they ascend to power2. It would be unfair to place the entire blame on the politicians alone since the issue of unemployment in the country is every one’s responsibilities. For instance, it is more than evident that the U.S citizens opt for less demanding courses like social and art based courses whose fields are already crowded. They leave the foreigners to major in technological, medical and natural science courses which are still marketable in the job markets. After the graduations, the U.S would always absorb the foreigners who majored in complex courses and provide attractive salary packages while the U.S citizens who majored in less demanding courses remain jobless3. Politicians in the country do not deserve any blame in this scenario. Every student is always presented with equal opportunities to pursue any course depending on the students’ abilities. However, some blame would be directed to the politicians. For instance, the 2007 global financial crisis that saw more than 500,000 U.S citizens from both private and governmental sectors lose their jobs. The legislators ordered various financial institutions to offer some unsecured loans to the real estate department only for the loans to remain unpaid due to some sort of reasons4. The government had to withdraw some amounts from the national treasury to settle such loans. In the event, the national and global economy was compromised and this saw several people lose their jobs among other effects. The human rights activists have been advocating for the increase in employment rates. There have been several instances when the human rights mobilize the unemployed U.S citizens to demonstrate in major streets with posters portraying the nee d for rise in employment rates. Such claims have also been portrayed in different platforms like websites, internet pages, national broadcasting channels, and national newspapers and through road campaigns among others. However, the government through the national and homeland security is always keen whenever more than 10 U.S citizens gather to raise their claims with regards to increased unemployment rates5. This is because whatever starts like a simple and peaceful demonstration usually turn up to be violent and some sort of chances to loot from major stores in the country. It is believed that this is one of the government strategies to keep the nation silence despite the increased rates of unemployment. Top U.S politicians have also ordered fro the arrest or even assassination of top human rights activists advocating for increased employment rates. Political analyst lament that such claims can make the citizens lose trust in a certain government and call for revolutions, just as it happened in Egypt and Libya among other nations. Several business reports indicate that illegal U.S immigrants form the greatest percentage in the national job market. This is because they are provided with more reduced salary packages among other benefits. The illegal immigrants are always desperate for employment opportunities for sustenance. Furthermore, their employers are always relieved of some labor regulations like insurance among others. It is

The Theory of Music Universality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Theory of Music Universality - Essay Example Its ability to communicate has been as revered as it has been suspect, and its rich social and ritualistic associations have added layers of meanings that can only be expressed in musical terms, and not in terms of words or images. Aaron Copland in his "How We Listen" says that music can be listened to and enjoyed in three different planes: the sensual, the expressive and the solely musical. The listening experience for a particular piece of music is evaluated on all these planes simultaneously, but to understand the effects of music it is necessary that we at least outline these levels separately. The sensual plane is the absorption of the sheer pleasure that music affords, the elevated mood it evokes, and the escape from the mundanities of life it makes possible. The expressive plane, on the other hand, talks to the listener, but does not have a concrete message to convey, it conveys broad senses of emotion: "..... serenity or exuberance, regret or triumph, fury or delight. It expresses each of these moods, and many others, in a numberless variety of subtle shadings and differences. It may even express a state of meaning for which there exists no adequate word in any language".The third plane is where the listener is aware of the musical form, where the harmony, the melody, the rhythm, and the tonal color are consciously appreciated: the listener knows about the notes and the structure of the written music, the composer's style and thought process and can evaluate the rendition of all this by the performers. All theories of music through time have talked about the sensual, expressive or the solely musical planes in one way or the other. To understand how the perceptions on music have changed down the years, we need to examine the various thought processes of philosophers, and the conclusions they arrived at, tracing a historical outline from the Greek times, to the Baroque era and down to the present. Not much factual evidence of Greek music has survived, but an understanding of the ancient Greek philosophers like Plato and his student Aristotle, Pythagoras and Plotinus go a long way in answering a lot of queries on the views held about music in those times. Of note is the fact that music then was more of a part of people's lives than it is today, and hence the comments made by the thinkers of those times have to be understood in the appropriate context. For all our musical and philosophical sophistication, it seems that the Greeks 'lived' their music far more deeply than we do ours. Difficult though it may be for us to think of music as the kind of thing capable of revealing important fundamental truths about the world, for the ancient Greeks there seems to have been little doubt. And for good reason: their world was, after all, a fundamentally musical one. (Bowman, 1998)

International Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

International Management - Essay Example What is a trade policy? It has been described as a government tool used to encourage or restrict import and export. These tools may be in form of tariffs, quotas and voluntary export restraint. There are also domestic mandatory regulations requiring for adoption to health and safety standards. The domestic mandatory regulations are done to encourage or discourage bringing of goods and services to the domestic economy. Another trading tool to encourage export production done by the government is paying of subsidy of certain products, such as subsidy to farming production. Subsidy to sugar production is common in the United States. Trade policies should also be negotiated in bilateral agreements as this will form part of the nation’s obligations and national policies. Antigua-Barbuda is a small country comprising of 442 square kilometers (171 square miles). For a clear idea of size, it is twice and a half the size of Washington D.C. It has an English speaking population of 74,097, has a workforce of 30,000 working for commerce and service, agriculture and other industry. Unemployment rate as of 2006 is 13%. (US Dept. of State. 2009) This policy has transformed the current level of export and importations of the country. It could be seen from Chart 1 below that exports have increased from US$400m in 2000-01 to US$600m in 2005-06, while the level of imports remain the same for the specified years. Country’s exports to Italy, Germany, Poland and Singapore consist of food, manufacturing, machines and petroleum products. Imported items are food, machines, chemicals and oil coming from China, Germany, Singapore and US. (Economy Watch) 3. Antigua-Barbuda’s trade policy. This part of the study will provide information on the national trade policy, information on agreements, regulations, standards and investment climate of

Finches in the Galapagos Islands Essay Example for Free

Finches in the Galapagos Islands Essay English naturalist, Charles Darwin, believed the finches he collected and observed on the Galapagos Islands shared a common ancestor because he found they all greatly resembled a bird located on the Ecuadorian coast off South America. When Darwin initially began his journey on the Beagle, he was biased toward the widely accepted idea that every living thing on Earth was a divine creation, which remained unchanging and existing as it was originally created. However, when Darwin arrived on the Galapagos Island he began to see a flaw in this theory. Examining and collecting the islands animal population closely and carefully he began to see uncanny similarities between the animals upon the island and the animals on the South America mainland. For example, Darwin discovered that the fossils of extinct armadillos and the currently living armadillo population on the island had many of the same features, though the current population of armadillos had certain characteristic that helped it survive in the islands environment. Using this, the finches and other animal specimens, he was struck by the idea that this animals must have migrated long ago from South America to the island, giving rise to a new and thriving animal population. Darwin was also able to conclude the finches shared a common ancestor from the written works of Charles Lyell and Thomas Malthus. While sailing on the Beagle toward the island, he was able to read and analyze Charles Lyells Princeples of Geology which, discussed in great detail, the Jean Batispe Lamarck theory of evolution. He believed animal structures evolved over time due to frequent use or disuse, and was eventually passed through to their offspring. For example he proposed the lengthing of the giraffes neck was due in part to the trees it lived among. In order for it to obtain its food it had to crane its neck forward and reach up. Lamarck, believe, over time, the giraffes structure eventually began to get longer and longer as it was passed from each genernertaion of offspring.

European Studies Essays Welfare State and the European Nations

European Studies Essays Welfare State and the European Nations Welfare State and the European Nations â€Å"The phrase ‘welfare state’ was first used in the late 1930s, to distinguish between the policies of the democracies and the war state of European dictators† (Spicker, 2003). From the late nineteenth century, features of a welfare state began emerge in parts of Western Europe. The first European country to put in place a welfare state was Germany in 1883. The then Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck introduced a mandatory national accident and sickness insurance law. The insurance was financed by state subsidy (Spicker). A welfare state is â€Å"a state where more than one half of all government expenditures are devoted to social policy, as opposed to the economy, the military, law and order, infrastructure and other traditional functions of the state† ( Spicker, 2003). Judt (2006) defines a welfare state as a state which is primarily concerned with dispensing welfare to its citizens. Such states spend the bigger proportion of their public expenditures on welfare. Get help with your essay from our expert essay writers According to Gough (2006), welfare states in Europe were established during the Second World War. Their main purpose was to tackle the five evil giants that were facing most of Europe at that time. These evils included: Poverty: Because of the war, many people were sick, jobless or widowed hence were poor. Diseases: Despite many people being sick, they could not afford to seek treatment. Ignorance: At that time, school-leaving age was 11. Most children were forced to drop out of schools because they could not afford to pay fees. Squalor: Majority of the population lived in poor housing facilities (slums) because council houses were inadequate. Idleness: As a result of the war, most people lost their jobs and became unemployed. The welfare state was therefore established to ensure that children stayed in school; free medical treatment for all was introduced; new council houses were built and more towns established to provide better housing facilities to the slum dwellers and more industries were started to help reduce the unemployment rate. There are several objectives of a welfare state. Equitable distribution of wealth and resources: Welfare states used progressive method of tax collection whereby people with higher incomes paid more taxes and those with lower incomes paid less tax. This method of taxation helped in reallocation of public money and shifting of resources from the resource-rich regions to resource-poor regions. This was effective in achieving regional balance and in narrowing the gap between the rich and the poor (Spicker, 2003). Income and standard of living maintenance: People can temporarily or permanently be rendered incapable participating in the labor market. This can be due to old age, or sickness. This normally results in loss of income for themselves and their families. But in a welfare state, income maintenance was assured whether or not someone was working. This was normally â€Å"achieved through a variety of public insurance schemes,† (Judt, 2006). These included deductions from an employee’s salary, contributions made by the employers and the state. These deductions and contributions were deposited into an insurance fund from which individuals were entitled to certain benefits, depending on the level and the number of contributions made. These â€Å"insurance schemes covered unemployment, sick pay and old age pensions,† (Gough, 2006). Helping the disadvantaged groups: welfare states started programs to assist those groups that were considered worse-off than others. Gough (2006) says that: For instance, European countries have taken specific measures to combat rural poverty; support families with children; provide for re-training and early retirement in industrial problem regions; assist especially those with structural employment problem (the long-term and older unemployed; youth unemployment). Provision of a public safety net was another objective of welfare states. Welfare States ensured that each individual enjoyed â€Å"a minimal level of decent human existence if no other resources are available,† (Gough, 2006). In the pre-industrial era provision for such individuals was mainly done by â€Å"local charities, communities, nobleness oblige, and the churches †¦ on a much smaller scale† (Gough). Most Welfare States used their welfare policy as a form of economic governance. According to Gough (2006), â€Å"the economies of continental Europe, often called organized market economies, are characterized by a more pronounced role for the government in the economy †¦.† Unlike in other states, the different economic sectors were usually in harmony rather than in competition with each other. This contributed to the overall economic organization and stability, and is the reason why such economies were often labeled ‘organized market economies.’ Welfare states put up policies aimed at poverty eradication. Such programs included Medicaid and Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). However, such programs were not popular among the majority of the population because they only served the marginalized people who comprised a smaller proportion of the population. The creation and development of the welfare state followed different patterns in each of the European countries. The men behind the European welfare state shared Keynes’s view which he voiced before his death in 1946. Keynes said that â€Å"after the World War II, there would be a craving for social and personal security in Europe. And there was. The welfare state was constructed primarily as a security revolution rather than a social revolution,† (Judt, 2006) The German welfare system was based on the three main principles. The first one was â€Å"subsidiarity.† This principle holds that â€Å"services should be decentralized or independently managed† (Spicker, 2003). The role of the state was limited only to areas which could not be covered by other means like military services. In Germany, high income earners were not covered by the main social insurance system; they were left to make their own decisions. Economic development was another principle surrounding the German welfare system. Provision of social services was based on this principle. This was clearly evident in â€Å"the close relationship of services to people’s position in the labor market. Social benefits were earnings-related, and those without work records found that they were not covered for important contingencies† (Spicker, 2003). Additionally, the state’s spending on welfare had to be directly related to the principle of economic development and growth. Welfare state in Germany was originally established by Chancellor Otto Von Bismarck who introduced the principle of ‘corporatist structure’. According to Spicker, 2003: This principle was developed by Bismarck on the basis of existing mutual aid associations, and remained the basis for social protection subsequently. Social insurance, which covered the costs of health, some social care and much of the income maintenance system, was managed by a system of independent funds. The French system of welfare was regarded as the most generous welfare system. It involved provision of a wide range of social services, rendering it very complex and expensive to maintain it. In France, the welfare system was â€Å"based on the principle of solidarity,† which was declared in the first article of the French Code of Social Security (Spicker, 2003). However, the term â€Å"solidarity† was ambiguous and was used in different circumstances to mean different things. To some people, solidarity referred to cooperative mutual support whereby people who benefited from national welfare schemes were expected to contribute on an equal basis. To others, solidarity meant interdependent relationships, â€Å"common action, mutual responsibility and shared risks† (Spicker, 2003). The Swedish Welfare System was viewed as an ideal form of welfare state. The system offered institutional care in that it offered â€Å"a universal minimum† (Judt, 2006). Like all welfare states, the Swedish government offered benefits to the unemployed, the sick people, and retired citizens. However, for a long time this welfare system was not effectively practiced because as Judt (2006) says, â€Å"the Swedish population had a strong tradition of entrepreneurship and hard work and continued to work hard even though they now had the option to live off government.† However, with time, people adapted to the welfare system. The welfare state of the United Kingdom was established by William Beveridge in 1942. The aim of the state was to curb the social problems that British citizens were facing due to the effects of the Second World War. The government took the responsibility of providing for its people. This policy resulted in high government expenditure and an increase in the state’s key responsibilities. In addition to the provision of the basic services (education, health, housing and employment) the state also increased â€Å"regulation of industry food and redistributive taxation† (Gough, 2006). Most Welfare States did not last long because of various reasons. The first major reason was the nature of taxation and the salary structure. In most welfare states, the social benefits and salaries for the low-skilled workers were among the highest in the world, whereas those for the high-skilled workers were lower compare to those of other countries. Additionally, the high-skilled workers paid much higher taxes than the low–skilled workers. This attracted more low-skilled workers into these states, becoming a burden to the Welfare State. The issue of immigration also led to the collapse of the welfare state. Because of the social benefits a welfare state offered, it attracted people from the low income countries. Fjordman (2006) notes that â€Å"†¦ they experienced †¦ disintegration with the introduction of mass immigration of persons who did not have the cultural background necessary to uphold the welfare state.† Lastly, the nature of the services that a welfare state provided contributed to its collapse. Education and health services especially are â€Å"ones on which people wish to spend more money as they become richer. Old age and retirement pensions imply that the government would have to spend more as the population ages† (Fjordman, 2006). Because of this, the ratio of public spending to Gross Domestic Product was high and it became practically impossible to meet all the social demands of its citizens. REFERENCES Fjordman, C. The Welfare State: The Root of Europe’s Problems. The Brussels Journal. 2006, March 08 Gough, I. European Welfare States: Explanations and Lessons for Developing Countries. University of Bath http://64.233.169.104/search? Judt, T. The Future of Decadent Europe. The Globalist. 2006, June 02. Spicker, P. The Welfare State. Centre for Public Policy and Management: Robert Gordon University http://www2.rgu.ac.uk/publicpolicy/introduction/wstate.htm

Cultural Studies Essays Culture Food and Eating

Cultural Studies Essays Culture Food and Eating Culture, Food and Eating It has been argued that changes inwhat has been cooked, when, where and by whom are a function of other featureswithin the food economy and will have considerable social, economic and healthconsequences. (LangCaraher, 20010) This essay will discuss the changein relation to culture, food and eating by firstly acknowledging that food, cookingand eating have traditionally been seen principally as the womans role insociety. As this is of high significance in examining the consequences ofchange, it will therefore be examined from the assumption that our society isbuilt upon a patriarchal system which underpins our culture to this presentday. In addition through the yearsmodernity has brought about change in production and consumption which has rapidlytransformed the way in which we approach food and eating. Technology has takena great leap forward in how we cook and eat food. Globalisation has allowed forfood to be shipped around the planet at whim and for food trends to travelacross the world. Traditions are changing as people move from country tocountry bringing food from different cultures into the home and marketplace. In all cultures food is imbued withmeaning, it is a currency in society. Food can nourish, entertain and givepleasure. It can also be a source of political conflict for example governmenthealth warnings or arguments around vegetarianism. Not enough food causesextreme problems and at the other end of the scale too much food can be fatal. Someof these issues will be considered when examining the issues around change insocietys approach to food. The Extent of Change in Relationto Cooking In the past cooking and buying offood were traditionally seen as the womans role and what was eaten wasdictated by the seasonal food available and the amount of money people had tospend on food. In assessing the extent of change it could be identified as the physicaland social aspect. Miller and McHoul (1998,p.33) proposethat the physical covers geography, seasons, and economics and that the socialcovers religion, custom, class, health education, advertising, age, gender, andrace. They also recognise the importance of the physiological, which deals withgenes, allergies, diets, needs, and biochemical reaction. In the past thiswould have been seen as the sphere of experts but in our information rich,self obsessed society this could be a significant factor in cultural changetowards food and cooking and is one that cannot be overlooked. Cooking skills were customarilypassed on through families usually from mothers to daughters. In the past themen were the breadwinners while the women stayed at home and looked after thehome, a patriarchal concept modelled on the aspiring middle classes of thetime. Although times have changed and most women now work, the notion that foodand cooking are the womans domain still prevails. This has an effect on what haschanged or is changing in food matters. Tansey and Worsley (1995, p.144) acknowledgethat most of the burden of domestic work still falls on women. The fact thatthey go to work and do the housework is having remarkable effects on the foodindustry. It has created opportunities for them to produce what Tansey andWorsley describe as labour-saving and ego-protecting products. This has ledto a change in shopping, cooking and eating that would have been unimaginable ageneration ago. Availability of food from all overthe world combined with new ways of cooking has altered the way in which weconsume our food. Refrigeration, freezing and microwaving are examples ofpractical ways in which shopping and cooking has changed. Globalisation has madea large contribution, one aspect relevant to this assessment is a post-modernphenomenon termed McDonaldization by George Ritzer in 1996 which has causedmuch debate. Concerns that mass culture is creating a homogenous world whereeverything will become levelled out is deliberated by many theorists of postmodern culture. But at what point do individualschange their behaviour and attitudes to food? Miller and McHoul (1998,p.33) gosome way towards identifying what could be central to how change takes place inwhat, why, where and by whom food is cooked. They suggest that food stands atthe gateway of nature and culture and involves choice at the point where the biologicalgiven hunger meets and becomes indistinguishable from a cultural marker appetite. There are many ways in which appetite can be influenced in todayssociety which will in turn have a bearing on the key forces driving change. Someof these will be looked at in the next section. Key forces driving change With responsibility for everydaycooking taken by women for almost eighty per cent of the time compared withtwenty-five per cent of men (LangCaraher 2001, p.9), it is no surprisethat the food industry target women. Marketing of food products can be seen asone of the key forces driving change in the way in which we cook and eat. Therange of advertisements bombarding us can feature anything from foodingredients, ready made convenience foods, to fast food outlets andrestaurants. As consumers we are offered a staggering choice to satisfy ourappetites. One of the reasons women are seenas so important to the marketers is that they are seen as both consumers andproducers. Rather than simple consumer demand, Lury (1996, p.44) suggests thatthere are a number of different cycles of production and consumption involvedbefore final enjoyment of a meal. She comments Consumer demand can thus beseen as to be mediated by the state and/or the social relations of thehousehold or domestic mode of production This highlights the fact that foodis not a simple commodity with a one way relationship between production andconsumption. It could be argued that, particularly with food, it cannot beassumed that consumers are passive and that consumption can be taken forgranted even though we clearly will always need food. Rather it emphasises thefact that consumption itself is a socially organised set of practices. Lury illustrates this with a quotefrom Appadurai: Demand emerges as a function ofa variety of social practices and classifications, rather than a mysteriousemanation of human needs, a mechanical response to social manipulation (as inone model of the effects of advertising in our own society), or the narrowingdown of a universal and voracious desire for objects to whatever happens to beavailable. Critics of the food industry mayargue that we are being socially manipulated by being force fed over-processedfoods which are bad for our health. However, it must be recognised that theindustry has grown in response to social change such as new working patterns,the rise of single households, and a highly stressed society eating on thehoof. With more single households and families not eating together the foodindustry has provided us with ready made meals to suit our lifestyles. Nevertheless there are many issuessurrounding the food industry which have given cause for concern. The way inwhich food and ingredients are manufactured has resulted in worries aboutimbalance in world economies with cheap food from around the world. Healthscares such as BSE and salmonella in the food chain, fats and additives causingobesity and diabetes are just some of the current arguments. Lang and Caraher(p.10) contend thatfrom the available evidence .. large food retailers are not just respondingto a cultural change, but are using market levers to suit their own agendaswith little thought for longer-term public health outcomes. It has nowbecome so apparent that there is a crisis regarding health, and childrenshealth in particular, that the government has launched a variety of campaignsto persuade the public to eat healthily. This also includes putting pressure onmanufacturers. It could be maintained that given the shocking statistics onhealth, the State is destined to become a key force for driving change in thefuture. The Significance of Change As already identified, concernsover the health of the nation is one of the biggest issues in society at themoment. It has been said that if this trend continues we are the firstgeneration where parents are expected to outlive their children. While cookingis purported to be on the decline for younger people, it is argued that as anation we know more about diet and nutrition than ever before. If the number oftelevision programmes and magazines on food and health can be taken as evidenceof this it would seem it is true. It is clear that our relationshipwith food has changed drastically in recent years, and can be argued that it isa post-modern problem, one of the most visible areas being the explosion of thediet industry. An article in the Observer Food Magazine (March 2005, p.17)considers the latest trend in dieting and why we feel the need to follow adiet. One theory is that it is the sheer abundance of food has changed us intoa nation of nearly 13 million diet addicts. Dr Andrew Hill, senior lecturer inbehavioural studies contends: It is only in the lastmicro-second of human evolution that we have become surrounded by a sea ofcalories. Weve become international, non-seasonal feeders and for anincreasing proportion of people, this represents a challenge. We simply donthave the psychological controls to cope. Our biological system is tilted infavour of over-consumption This and other issues around foodhave brought it into the public eye and inevitably become a matter ofgovernment policy. Tansey and Worsley (p.214) point to five areas with whichthe conventional economic approach to policy concerns itself; efficiency,growth, stability, sustainability, equity. They demonstrate how important foodpolicy is with a quote from John McInerney: Food is an exceptionallypolitical commodity the idea of there being a COLLECTIVE wellbeing inaddition to an individual one will lead to an array of policy actions designedto protect or foster the interests of the weak and vulnerable, referee theinteractions both within and between groups all along the food chain, insulateone group from the actions of others, and redistribute the benefits to achievea more equitable pattern than the market system can manage on its own. With health at the top of thepolitical agenda for any government it could be anticipated that policy willchange the way we approach food. While the government lobbies the food industryand bombards us with the latest health campaign they could expect some results.But when it comes back down to individuals who will implement this in the home?Yet again the burden will fall on the shoulders of women as Guardians of thefamilys health. Conclusion There are many factors involved inthe change in our attitude to food, cooking and eating, of which only a fewhave been discussed in this essay. One thing that remains constant is that westill view our society through the lens of patriarchy therefore, whetherconsciously or unconsciously rely on gender stereotypes of the mother as thenurturer. While this is still largely true the last twenty or thirty years haveproved that the feminist ideals of women being able to have it all has notlived up to its promise. Women have had to rely on a flourishing food industryto help them cope with the domestic load as well as going to work outside thehome. While this has been celebrated by many women as releasing them from thekitchen and allowing them to have a career of their own, it becomes clear thatsociety has not been able to offer any real alternative to womens unpaid workin the home. The concern we have at present withfood, health, and eating has evolved as a consequence of new social patterns,globalisation, marketing, industry and state policy. As a society we must askourselves whether culturally we still put the responsibility for these issuesat the feet of women on the basic level that as the nurturers they areletting down their families. If that is so it then it is not until eachindividual takes responsibility for their own approach to food that things willchange for the better. BIBLIOGRAPHY Miller, T McHoul, A 1998, PopularCulture and Everyday Life Tansey, G Worsley, T 1995, TheFood System, a Guide Lang, T Caraher M, 2001, IsThere a Culinary Skills Transition? Data and debate from the UK about changes in cooking culture, Journal of the HEIA, Vol 8, No 2, 2001 Lury, Celia 1996, ConsumerCulture Observer Food Magazine, March 2005,Do the Science, The Observer 13/3/05

Review Of a Lion In Winter :: essays research papers

Henry, the King of England, married Eleanor for her land; their first son died, after him, John was Henry's favorite, Richard was Eleanors favorite, but turned out to be homosexual, Geoffrey plotted against all of them with the King of France who was Richard's "friend;" Henry had an affair with Rosalyn, and Eleanor, with Richard lead a couple of civil wars against him, so Henry locked Eleanor in a tower; Henry's lover died, he bought a wife, Alice, for the son who was to be King, but had an affair with her . . . And so went life in the late 12th century. Involved in this complex arrangement there are many aspects of life during this period including: the status of women, power of the church and living conditions all of which were illustrated in The Lion in Winter. One of the most apparent things in The Lion in Winter was the role of women. At first impression they did not seem significant. Eleanor was cheated on, not an uncommon practice, and then locked in a tower to only be aloud out on holidays. Alice was bought and then became Henry's new lover, and beyond that no other women were mention. Despite all this, when looked at more closely women were important to the feudal society. A king could acquire land by conquering, or marrying the daughter who had that land in her dowry. Also in the movie Eleanor wielded more power than one would have thought, for one she and Richard had led civil wars against Henry before. Secondly because of her control of the Aquataine she exercised more power than other women of the times. Because of all this women were necessary to the feudal system, but were still not regarded as meaningful. The role of the church was influential in the movie, but not as prominent as expected. It was the church that gave the king his authority and could take it away. Henry threatened to annul his marriage with Eleanor to gain leverage to obtain the Aquatain. There was even joking about being excommunicated, again. Without the church to have marriages and settle things of that nature it probably been more chaotic than it already was. It was the church that kept reading and writing going through the Dark Ages, and also played and important role in the late 12th century. More interesting than other topics was the living conditions. Whenever reading a fairy tale, or watching a movie about castles they are always glorified as wonderful places, large and beautiful, with every luxury.

Euripides Medea Essay -- Papers Medea Euripides Essays Papers

Euripides' Medea I see Medea as a woman who took a chance and stood up for herself. The kind of behavior that Medea displays was very rare for these times: she doesn?t accept the dramatic change in her life; she does something about it. On the other hand, Medea becomes so obsessed she loses herself to revenge. Medea is only heroic to an extent. Medea?s thirst for revenge begins when she finds out about her husbands unfaithfulness. Medea?s husband Jason decides to marry the princess Glauce to establish a position of power in Corinth. Jason claims he did it so Medea and their two sons could have better lives. Jason fails to tell Medea of his plans. Medea, who has committed her life to Jason, is enraged when she finds out. Rather than accept Jason?s betrayal and her own humiliation, she vows revenge. Here is where Medea is heroic and clever. Medea says just the right words to plead her case to Creon. Medea set her plan for revenge in motion when King Creon comes to exile her from Corinth. Medea: This one day...

Beyond Belief

In Deborah Lipstadts’ book Denying the Holocaust, author reveals the rising doubt about the different revelation during the war (specifically Second World War ). The author commences a deterring commission not just by exposing but also by introducing who and what are those that renounce such Holocaust. Admitting that even the tiniest shade of skepticism on the truth about the Holocaust are influenced by some powerful entities are indeed unacceptable. The occurrence of these Holocausts are considered and recognized by some.To some extent, the book is not seeking for an absolution as Lipstadt had said. The academe, the media and the public are gravely vulnerable to lies, and that is why the book serves as a caution to those who want to get into these entities. The book on Holocaust denial was written not just to provide a kind of authority for those who want to cover the truth behind these Holocausts but also to learn more about the skepticism which most people don’t mind asking about. Specifically, the author wrote about the growing Holocaust advocates and its corresponding effects on certain historical events.Up until now though the Second World War is over, the war on the truth behind the Holocausts is just beginnng. The author stresses more about the endeavors to refute the Nazi extermination of the Jews which is one of the crucial messages of it that is being disregarded. The authors’ purpose is to speak to the public through presentation as coherent a manner as probable the history of the beginning of the arguments of the deniers and the argument themselves. Lipstadt began this by introducing the start of the past traditions of revisionists in the 1900s.Then slowly into the current tussle, citing the varying â€Å"segments† of the rebuffed Holocausts plus the truth that the incident that has escalated in extent and strength ever since 1970s. Somehow, whenever an common folk who reads the book will be educated of the true type of these rebuffed Holocausts and be guarded for several indications of the impairing effect wherever. The crucial part of the book entirety is that it arranges a plain clear and familiar guide of how far the deniers have gone on attempting to renounce or clarify away the Nazis mayhem during Second World War.Nazis used preposterous propagandas that up until now, though the Germans had lost in the war, Nazism continues. The Jews were blamed in actual fact for all what the Nazis have done. What the Germans did, which â€Å"any country† would do for its own protection, were provoked by the Jews. Certain accusations were tossed to the Jews, like using the mass media as its main tool in exercising its authority and the media composed mostly of Jews will work together as brothers. That the Jews wanted to have the power over the world’s funds by using the Germany for Israel.Even the Germans themselves find these ideas absurd but still they used it in the war and find beneficial f or them during the war. In order to even out the Nazis violence with every different abuse done, the allied nations were directed by these propagandas. The deniers attempted to reveal that even though Nazis perpetrate crimes opposed to the Jews, they should not be singled out in perpetrating such crimes and for that reason they’re not the ones’ who must be blamed for these crimes ad they do not deserve special punishment at all.There were attempts to minimize the total of Jews killed to a much smaller than six million. Even though the facts are undeniable and the proofs are convincing of the deaths of millions of people in their account and in addition to the admission of Nazis on trial at Nuremberg, Holocaust deniers always find time rebuffing these actuality. The author herself is having hard time pointing out a lot of times all over the book the ambiguity of their assertions; it seems that the main peculiarity of these deniers constantly paying no attention to these presented facts.There are esteemed scholars that are now joining in the crew of defending those who were supposed to be interrogated. The author herself is alarmed by these scholars, because they’re not racist and not even a German in blood and may account for more advocates of Holocausts. The major composition of the book is mainly monographic which share out a great amount of information in a very simple and specific way so that even undergraduate students will easily understand the contents.Though monograph means a singe subject, the book itself does not only showcase a single subject but even broader ones. An absolute definition of the book is somewhat as well restrictive. The authors’ reliability for undertaking the issue is well-establish. Certain facts are supported with historical evidences. It gives more understanding beyond someone’s perspective of the reality of what once has affected the word we are living. . References Gingerich, Charity. 2006. Mon thly Column. Emory University. Leff, Laurel. 2005. The journal of American History. Cambridge University Pres.

Information Security Policy Essay

1. Executive Summary Due in Week Nine: Write 3 to 4 paragraphs giving a bottom-line summary of the specific measureable goals and objectives of the security plan, which can be implemented to define optimal security architecture for the selected business scenario. The goal of this security policy is to lay out a basic plan for a secure information system to be used by Bloom Design Group. This policy will protect the company’s systems from threats that can come from humans and from natural disasters as well. The policy will also put into consideration the privacy, reputation, intellectual property and productivity of the Bloom Design Group. The continued operation of this company depends on being able to access and use resources within the organization and being able to remote access with security. Each persons role in the company will be considered and appropriate access will be given to ensure the efficient operation of the business, while not giving access to those who are not authorized. This policy will also help in the company’s adherence to any governmental regulations. Any disruptions of service or security related issues will be dealt with immediately by means of system software that is automated to handle certain threats . More serious issues will be dealt with by the IT staff whose responsibility it is to oversee the everyday operation of the information system. 2. Introduction Due in Week One: Give an overview of the company and the security goals to be achieved. 2.1. Company overview The Bloom Design Group is a company that offers interior design services to businesses and individuals around the world. There corporate office is located in New York with a secondary office in Los Angeles for handling operations on the West coast. They have a web site that offers their customers the ability to work up their designs online and then purchase them through a electronic order processing system. Also, the designers use secure logins and passwords to access the web site. A large number of the workforce work remotely possibly using tablets or ipads connected to secure VPNs or Virtual Private Networks. 2.2. Security policy overview Bloom Design group already provides secure logins and networks to their employees so they already have some type of system setup already. However, this does not mean it is a system that works efficiently. I think the appropriate security policy to implement for this project would be system specific. 2.3. Security policy goals As applies to your selected scenario, explain how the confidentiality, integrity, and availability principles of information security will be addressed by the information security policy. 2.3.1. Confidentiality The policy I plan to implement will help to protect information by reviewing how the company stores sensitive information such as employee and client records, trade secrets, and other sensitive data. 2.3.2. Integrity Since the company will be using passwords and secure logins the system will not be accessible to the public. So the primary focus should be on the employees. Authentication and verification can be done using a data log to keep records of employees activity while on the company’s VPN. Also, the use of a firewall will help with integrity as it will prevent employees from unknowingly accessing damaging websites. 2.3.3. Availability The policy I plan to use will help with back-up and recovery by the possible use of cloud storage or a central data storage center. Although they are already using secure logins for access control the whole system needs to be reviewed. This is to make sure only authorized personnel have access to sensitive areas. 3. Disaster Recovery Plan Due in Week Three: For your selected scenario, describe the key elements of the Disaster Recovery Plan to be used in case of a disaster and the plan for testing the DRP. 3.1. Risk Assessment 3.1.1. Critical business processes The mission-critical business systems and services that must be protected by this DRP are: Payroll, Human Resource Data, POS backup media, and Web Servers and their services. 3.1.2. Internal, external, and environmental risks Examples of internal risks that may affect business are unauthorized access  by individuals who are employed by the company, and those who aren’t employed by the company but still have access to individual store’s computer systems, applications, or areas where the servers and backup media are located. Other external and environmental risks include fire, floods, power outages, hardware failure, software glitches and failure, storms, and other acts of nature. 3.2. Disaster Recovery Strategy Most cases, having an alternative site (a hot site, or cold site depending on the disaster) would be the correct way of dealing with most disasters. With Bloom design group I think having a warm site facility would be the best option. Warm sites are cheaper than hot sites but require more effort. On the other hand, they are more expensive than cold-site facilities but less labor intensive and more likely to be effective in a disaster. Also, having a backup and retention site to work from, and recover from for the main servers and web services is a good idea. 3.3. Disaster Recovery Test Plan For each testing method listed, briefly describe each method and your rationale for why it will or will not be included in your DRP test plan. 3.3.1. Walk-throughs This test plan would be a great way for the key personnel to come together and formulate a plan of action in the event of an emergency. Due to Bloom Design group being spread across a large area it might require some video conferencing and traveling on the part of some employees. 3.3.2. Simulations I think this test plan is the most effective when compared to the others. Simulating an actual emergency is a great way for people to get used to operating in a critical time under pressure. This will show you where your people have their strengths and weaknesses when trying to recover from a disaster. 3.3.3. Checklists This passive type of testing would be a good system to implement on a weekly or monthly basis depending on the needs of the company. This will help in detecting problems before they become a major issue. 3.3.4. Parallel testing Since Bloom Design group is updating their security parameters and do not have an equal type of system already implemented parallel testing would not be appropriate for this security policy. 3.3.5. Full interruption I think this is another very effective way to test the system in the event of an emergency. However, to minimize inconveniences to the customers it would have to be done during off hours. 4. Physical Security Policy Due in Week Five: Outline the Physical Security Policy. Merkow and Breithaupt (2006) state, â€Å"an often overlooked connection between physical systems (computer hardware) and logical systems (the software that runs on it) is that, in order to protect logical systems, the hardware running them must be physically secure† (p.165). Describe the policies for securing the facilities and the policies of securing the information systems. Outline the controls needed for each category as relates to your selected scenario. These controls may include the following: Physical controls (such as perimeter security controls, badges, keys and combination locks, cameras, barricades, fencing, security dogs, lighting, and separating the workplace into functional areas) Technical controls (such as smart cards, audit trails or access logs, intrusion detection, alarm systems, and biometrics) Environmental or life-safety controls (such as power, fire detection and suppression, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) 4.1. Security of the building facilities 4.1.1. Physical entry controls At the two office locations (Los Angeles, New York) for Bloom Design Group I would use employee badges that double as an electronic key to access the building and other sensitive locations. This will work in conjunction with  an access control system that limits entrance/exit to the offices through one main entrance. There will be an employee entrance as well also to be accessed by an electronic badge. 4.1.2. Security offices, rooms and facilities For the security offices I would implement biometric scanners due to the sensitive equipment inside. Other rooms and facilities of a sensitive nature will utilize electronic badges with a photo and name of the employee. 4.1.3. Isolated delivery and loading areas For these areas I would implement electronic key card access with the use of a CCTV system recording to a DVR. With a CCTV camera located on the driver door in the loading area the person responsible for deliveries will know when a delivery is being made and can observe he outside environment before opening the door. 4.2. Security of the information systems 4.2.1. Workplace protection For this part of the security policy I would utilize pre-employment screening and mandatory vacation time. This prevents people from hiding illegal activities while performing their duties. Also, I would setup privileged entity controls so operators and system administrators have special access to computing resources. 4.2.2. Unused ports and cabling For unused ports I would use a piece of security equipment that can be plugged into the unused port and can only be removed by someone with a special key. This will help prevent unauthorized access into the network. For unused cabling I would secure it in a secure storage room which can only be accessed by authorized personnel. If the above mentioned equipment isn’t available then the port should be removed. 4.2.3. Network/server equipment Being that this is some of the most critical equipment for business operations I would use biometric locks and scanners on any room that  contains this equipment. Also these rooms will be environmentally controlled with air conditioners and dehumidifiers to allow the equipment to operate at peak efficiency. 4.2.4. Equipment maintenance Since a lot of the equipment is spread across a large region I would utilize remote communication connections to troubleshoot issues. If the maintenance need is more severe than I would have a small centrally located facility that specializes in assessing and repairing malfunctioning equipment. 4.2.5. Security of laptops/roaming equipment For laptops and roaming equipment I would install all devices with a GPS tracker and encryption software to protect against unauthorized access. The equipment itself would be stored in a secure storage room with access being tightly controlled. 5. Access Control Policy Due in Week Seven: Outline the Access Control Policy. Describe how access control methodologies work to secure information systems 5.1. Authentication Authentication credentials permit the system to verify one’s identification credential. Authenticating yourself to a system tells it the information you have established to prove that you are who you say you are. Most often, this is a simple password that you set up when you receive the privilege to access a system. You may receive an assigned password initially with the requirement that you must reset it to something more personal—something that only you can remember. However, passwords are the easiest type of authentication to beat. Free and widely available programs are available on the Internet to break the security afforded by passwords on most of the commonly used systems. With two or three factors to authenticate, an information owner can gain confidence that users who access their systems are indeed authorized to access their systems. This is accomplished by adding more controls and/or devices to the password authentication process. Biometric scanning uses unique human characteristics to identify whether the person trying to gain access is authorized to enter or not. One common  approach to managing IDs and passwords is to create a password or PIN vault. These programs use secure methods to locally store IDs and passwords that are protected by a master password that unlocks the vault when it’s needed. 5.2. Access control strategy 5.2.1. Discretionary access control The discretionary access control system will be used for Bloom Design Group because this is the favored approach in the corporate environment and due to the wide area of operations this will allow several authorized users to have access to the system at any given time. The principle of least privilege is the predominant strategy to assure confidentiality. The objective is to give people the least amount of access to a system that is needed to perform the job they’re doing. The need-to-know dictates the privilege (authority) to perform a transaction or access a resource (system, data, and so forth). An information owner is one who maintains overall responsibility for the information within an information system. For the Bloom Design Group the information owner is going to be the corporate head of IT operations. 5.2.2. Mandatory access control In a system that uses mandatory access control (MAC; also called nondiscretionary access control), the system decides who gains access to information based on the concepts of subjects, objects, and labels, as defined below. Since the Bloom Design Group is spread out over such a large area I do not think this is the best choice for this scenario. MAC is better suited for military or governmental systems. 5.2.3. Role-based access control Role-based access control (RBAC) group’s users with a common access need. You can assign a role for a group of users who perform the same job functions and require similar access to resources. This would also be appropriate for this scenario because it will allow the information owner to easily assign access to certain groups such as designers, office personnel, customer service associates and so forth. 5.3. Remote access Remote Access Dial-In User Service (RADIUS) is a client/server protocol and software that enables remote access users to communicate with a central  server to authenticate dial-in users and authorize their access to the requested system or service. RADIUS allows a company to set up a policy that can be applied at a single administered network point. Having a central service also means that it’s easier to track usage for billing and for keeping network statistics. A virtual private network (VPN) is another common means for remote users to access corporate networks. With a VPN, a user connects to the Internet via his or her ISP and initiates a connection to the protected network (often using a RADIUS server), creating a private tunnel between the end points that prevents eavesdropping or data modification. 6. Network Security Policy Due in Week Nine: Outline the Network Security Policy. As each link in the chain of network protocols can be attacked, describe the policies covering security services for network access and network security control devices. 6.1. Data network overview Due to the large geographic distances between Bloom Design Group offices a WAN is going to be utilized. WAN covers a larger geographic area than a LAN (technically, a network that covers an area larger than a single building). A WAN can span the entire nation or even the globe using satellites. 6.2. Network security services 6.2.1. Authentication Access to documents can be restricted in one of two ways: by asking for a username and password or by the hostname of the browser being used. For Bloom Design Group employees will need to enter a user ID and password to access restricted documents and sites. 6.2.2. Access control Unlike authentication, which is security-based on the user’s identity, restricting access based on something other than identity is called â€Å"access control.† For Bloom Design group access control to physical locations will be done by controlled by electronic badges. More sensitive areas such as the server rooms will utilize biometric scanners. 6.2.3. Data confidentiality This service protects data against unauthorized disclosure and has two components: content confidentiality and message flow confidentiality. For Bloom Design group all messages transmitted and received through company offices will be encrypted to prevent the unauthorized viewing of sensitive company documents. 6.2.4. Data integrity The goal is to protect data from accidental or malicious modification whether during data transfer, data storage, or from an operation performed on it, and to preserve it for its intended use. For Bloom Design Group the only people who will be authorized to make changes or modifications will be the Head of the IT department and anyone else they deem necessary. 6.2.5. Nonrepudiation A service guaranteeing that the sender of a message cannot deny having sent the message and the receiver cannot deny having received the message. I do not think this will be necessary for Bloom Design group. However, if it does then the proper modifications can always be made. 6.2.6. Logging and monitoring These services allow IS specialists to observe system activity during and after the fact by using monitoring and logging tools. These include operating system logs, server records, application log errors, warnings, and observation of network, switch and router traffic between network segments. I do not think this will be necessary for Bloom Design Group as a whole. However, it will be utilized for any programs having to do with the servers due to its sensitive business content. 6.3. Firewall system Outline the roles of the following network security control devices and how these basic security infrastructures are used to protect the company’s network against malicious activity. Provide a description of each type of firewall system and how it is used to protect the network. Include how the firewall system is or is not applicable to the company’s network configuration in your selected scenario. 6.3.1. Packet-filtering router firewall system The most common Internet firewall system consists of nothing more than a packet-filtering router deployed between the private network and the Internet. A packet-filtering router performs the typical routing functions of forwarding traffic between networks as well as using packet-filtering rules to permit or deny traffic. 6.3.2. Screened host firewall system The second firewall example employs both a packet-filtering router and a bastion host. This firewall system provides higher levels of security than the previous example because it implements both Network-Layer security (packet-filtering) and Application-Layer security (proxy services). Also, an intruder has to penetrate two separate systems before the security of the private network can be compromised. This will be the option chosen for Bloom Design Group based on needs and cost. Since Bloom Design group is not a governmental or military related company then it doesn’t require the most elaborate form of firewall protection. 6.3.3. Screened-Subnet firewall system The final firewall example employs two packet-filtering routers and a bastion host. This firewall system creates the most secure firewall system, as it supports both Network-Layer and Application-Layer security while defining a â€Å"demilitarized zone† (DMZ) network. 7. References Cite all your references by adding the pertinent information to this section by following this example. American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Information Security: Principles and Practices, by Mark S. Merkow, CISSP, CISM and Jim Breithaupt.

How Can Internet Impact Their Life? Essay

Growing numbers of Americans have access to the Internet at work and at home. That is especially true for Internet veterans: 56% of the long wired1’ say they have access in both places, compared to only 32% of Internet novices who report access at work and at home. The Internet’s growing role in the workplace has translated to changes in the amount of time people spend doing work – whether it is at the office or at home. One in seven Internet users say their use of the Internet has resulted in an increase in the amount of time they spend working at home and one in ten say the Internet increases the time they spend working at the office (kutais 2002 138). Although the magnitudes here are not great, the Internet veterans report greater impacts. As the current time progress, the contributions of internet from the lives of a single individual to the entire community engage in complex approach (Anandarajan 2004 57; Bonilla 2004 88). The evolution of cyberspace provides interconnections to different cultures and traditions that somehow create a notion of monogamy in the ideations and concepts of every human civilization. Information and various socializations are easily facilitated through the use of web connections (Vogel 2007 247). The research involves the utilization of interview procedures in order to obtain probable effects and contribution of internet in the lives of American people. Literature Review The increasingly important role of the internet in users’ lives is also evident when it comes to money matters. These changes in some users’ perspectives are understandable. The initial excitement and fun of emailing a distant friend or family member is bound to make people at first herald the way the Internet enhances the feeling of closeness (Pogue 2006 121). Although the magnitudes here are not great, the Internet veterans report greater impacts (Robert 1994 13). Of those who have been online for more than three years, 21% report that the Internet has increased the amount of time they spend working at home, while 4% report it decreases the amount of time they spend working at home (Huber 2002 186). These veterans also report large impacts when it comes to spending time at the office, but the effects cut both ways. Eleven percent of veterans say the Internet has increased the time they spend at the office; 11% say it decreases time at the office. This compares with 10% of Internet users who report an increase in time spent at the office and 6% who report a decrease. The use of the Internet to find important information or carry out tasks also grew among their respondents. An average user in March 2000 had tried about 11 activities online, compared to an average user a year later who had performed about 14 activities online. They found that a year’s experience online results in a modest decline in the amount of time an average Internet user is online during a typical session. In March 2001, such a session lasted about 83 minutes, compared to 90 minutes for an average session the year before (Vogel 2007 248). There is great flux in people’s time spent online. Some Internet users are spending more time online, especially those who use the Internet at work and those who find new things to do online. Conversely, some are spending less time online and they tend to report that they don’t have as much time as before to be online. Some say they don’t find using the Internet as appealing as they did before. Internet users—veteran users especially—report that their use of email and the Web has changed the amount of time they spend watching TV, shopping in stores, and reading newspapers (Huber 2002 187). One-quarter of all Internet users say that the Internet has decreased the time they spend watching television, with fully one-third (31%) of veterans saying this (kutais 2002 138). The Internet has also prompted some users to spend less time reading newspapers; 14% say this, with 21% of Internet veterans reporting a decline in newspaper reading (Karin and Keller 1997 138). However, Internet users, and veterans in particular, are active online surfers for news, so they might be simply switching time with the paper to tame with the online version. As for elements of the Internet that bother people, spam emails lead the way (especially from marketers), and a substantial number of Internet users complain that they have received unwanted emails with sexual content (Vogel 2007 248). More than ten Internet users (44%) in March 2001 said that unwanted â€Å"spam’ emails were a problem for than, a large increase from 33% who said this in March 2000 (Winston 1998 64). Moreover, many reports getting so much spam that it is hard for them to get to the emails that matter to them . Most Internet users (56%) have received an email with adult content or advertising adult Web sites; 20% say this happens often (Bonilla 2004 88). In this report, the Pew Internet & American Life Project traces the same Internet users from one year to the next. In March 2000, they interviewed 3,533 Americans, inquiring if they used the Internet and if so, what they do when they surf the Web and use email to stay in touch with family and friends. In March 2001, they re-interviewed 1,501 of the people they talked with in their March 2000 sample. Throughout this report, they compare the answers they got in 2001 to the answers we got from the same people in 2000. This provides a rich picture of how people’s internet use changed over the course of a year. Matching the 1,501 people from their March 2001 survey to the previous year, 57% said they were internet users as of March 2001 – compared to the 46% of them who were internet users in March 2000. As we did in March 2000, they asked people how the Internet has affected the way they keep up with family and friends (Pittinsky 2003 99). The study probed whether and how often people go online for work-related tasks and they inquired into the kinds of activities people do online. Further, they pursued some new themes in March 2001, examining the impact of the internet on people’s time-use and looking into people’s feelings about some of the Internet’s possible â€Å"hassle factors† such as unwanted are emails (Huber 2002 188). Not only do we explore how peoples Internet use has changed in the aggregate between 2000 and 2001, they also examine how different kinds of users have changed their surfing patterns. A consistent finding throughout their reports is that the length of time a person has been using the Internet is a strong predictor of how often, person goes online and how much a user does on the Internet (Bonilla 2004 88). The longer a person has been online, the more likely he or she is to have surfed for health care information, sent an instant message, or purchased a product over the Internet (Huber 2002 187). To explore the impact of users’ experience levels more carefully, they compare the Internet’s veterans or the â€Å"long wired,† who have been online for more than three years as of March 2000, to â€Å"mid-range† users who were online for two to three years in March 2000, and â€Å"newcomers† who were online for a year or less in March 2000 . In analysis of these three categories below, when they refer to, say, newcomers in 2000 and newcomers in 2001, they refer to the same respondents and how their responses compared to what they told us in March 2000 (kutais 2002 140). For Internet users with access at work, four in nine (44%) say that the Internet improves their ability to do their job a lot The Internet’s long wired† users—those online for more than three years—report the greatest impact, with 55% saying the Internet has helped them at work a lot By a large margin, those veterans who say the Internet has improved how they do their job are men—fully 60%. The effect is less pronounced for those new to the Internet, with 36% of newcomers saying the Internet has helped them a lot on the job. Americans’ engagement with the Internet as a way to stay in touch with friends and family remains strong. In March 2000, 79% of Internet users said that they email members of their immediate and extended family, a number that grew to 84% a year later (Karin and Keller 1997 138) Seventy-nine percent of all Internet users said they email friends in March 2000, essentially the same as the 80% who said they email friends in March 2001. However, as some people gain experience online their perceptions of the Internet’s role in personal communication change (Vogel 2007 248). Fewer report that emailing is very useful for being in contact with family and friends and a notable number of email users cut back the frequency with which they email family and friends (Huber 2002 186). At the same time, they a bow a substantial increase in the use of email for serious communication, such as sharing worries and seeking advice. All this is in the context of people continuing to value the internet highly, 82% of veterans said that in 2001 compared with 68% who said it in 2000 (kutais 2002 140). Methodology Research Design The study is cross-sectional descriptive design since it studies variables of interest in a sample of subjects are assayed once and the relationships between them are determined. This is also used to examine and identify the cause and effect relationship of the dependent and independent variables. The main purpose of descriptive study is to observe, describe, and document aspects of situations. Furthermore, the design’s objective is to portray accurately the characteristics of persons, situations, or groups and/or the frequency with which certain phenomena occur in the overall course of study. Sampling Criteria The sampling criteria of the respondents to be involved shall cover age, specifically 18 and above; with no racial and/ or gender categorization; and locale, specifically the Cambridge University College of Information Technology. Sampling Technique Random Sampling will be used in this study. The researchers will use simple random sampling since it is more appropriate and practical to use. This is a technique where we select a group of subjects (a sample) for study from a larger group (a population). Each individual is chosen entirely by chance and each member of the population has a known, but possibly non-equal, chance of being included in the sample. Random Sampling is used to prevent the possibility of a biased or erroneous inference. The researchers will use this sampling method to reach a sample frame of at least 2,300 respondents with time frame of September to October 2005. Data Gathering Procedures Upon conducting the study, the initial step is to formulate the tool for evaluation, which includes an open-ended questionnaire: The researchers of this study must accomplish a written consent signed by the concerned locale administrations, significant officials, and the respondents themselves granted that the knowledge and coverage of the research are explained in full detail. The researchers will obtain the sample population guided by the criteria imposed for sample gathering. After which, the respondents shall be given a complete information guided by the standards proceedings of ethical matters. The researchers shall utilize the evaluation tool in order to obtain the set of answers facilitating homogenous perspective. The researchers will provide the interpretation and analysis on the quantitative data in hand. After which, the numerical data obtained shall be categorized into three criterion, namely satisfactory, average and unsatisfactory, in order to facilitate the comparison against the factors influencing the outcome. After which, the proceedings shall involve the tabulation and collation of the data gathered, determine factors and differences on the learning outcomes, and identify the point of views of the respondents. The tabulated data shall then be interpreted and analyzed in order to serve basis for the end conclusion of the study. Considering the previous studies and established norms, the study shall then provide implications associated to the previous research and study. Moreover, the study shall analyze the correlations of the data obtained in order to draw the leading factors that answers the problem statement on how internet affects the lives of the users. Discussion The impact of internet in the lives o human civilization can vary according to the culture and racial orientation as well as the modernization phase employed by the country; however, the settings are proven to be disregarded most especially the impact of internet engages the homogenous aspect of facilitating efficient and fastest means of communication. Hence, one of the impacts obtained from the methodological study is the use of email against the acquisition of knowledge through web-surfing utilizing search engines (kutais 2002 140). Apparently, the use of email has been one of the most prominent purposes of internet. In order to reach an individual from any other part of the world, communication usually takes day, but with internet, it only takes clicks for the message to be delivered. Such outcomes obtained from September 2005 implicate a significant increase from mid-2004 (Pogue 2006 121). The study shows that the use of search engines in June 2004 on a usual day has increase significantly from 30% to 41% of the population that utilizes internet, which evidently expanded from the data compared last year. Such outcomes implicate that the population utilizing search engines on a typical day increased from crudely 38 million in June 2004 to approximately 59 million in September 2005 – a shoot-up of approximately 55%. Such interpretation concludes that the utilization of search engines is clearly making its way to popularity than email, which affects greatly the usual pattern of day-by-day activities on any given day (Vogel 2007 249). On the other hand, the Pew Internet Project data implicates that on a usual day, the utilization of email is still the top internet activity (kutais 2002 140). Considering no specification of day schedule, approximately 52% of American internet users are sending and receiving email, up from 45% in June of 2004. Consistent with the finding that Internet users are less likely to email family members, the study found that a year’s time means that people are less likely to say that they communicate more with family members now that they use email. In March 2001, 56% of those who email family members said that they communicate more with others in the family now that they have email. This number fell to 46% in 2001. At the same time, people are somewhat more likely in 2001 to say that email has improved family relationship. In March 2000, 35% of Internet users said the Internet has improved family relationship. ; this number increased to 39% in March 2001. Again, this suggests that though frequency of contact may decline, the Internet positive impact on family relationships does not decline (Winston 1998 64). The story is similar, although the less pronounced, when people are asked about using email to communicate with friends. In March 2000, 92% of those who email friends said email was useful to stay in touch with friends, with 55% saying it was â€Å"very useful† In March 2001, 90% of people who email friends said email was a useful way to connect with friends; 52% said it was â€Å"very useful. † Long-wired Internet users are largely responsible for this decrease, with this class of Internet user being the only one in which a year’s time led to a decline in support for the idea that the Internet is a â€Å"very useful† way to communicate with friends. For connections to friends, 69% of March 2000’s Internet users said the Internet improved connections to friends â€Å"a lot† or â€Å"somewhat† and 65% said this in March 2001. The share of people saying the Internet improved connections to friends changed very little, going from 37% in 2000 to 35% in 2001 (kutais 2002 140). Within categories of users, again it was the veterans who recorded a notable decline in enthusiasm for this proposition. Similarly, people were somewhat less likely to say email has increased the amount of communication with friends, with 61% of them who email friends saying in March 2000 that email means they communicate with friends more often, compared to 54% saying that a year later. People’s emailing habits have changed in a year’s time, with the daily email to family and friends becoming less frequent. Accompanying this decline, however, has been a sharp increase in the use of email for important communications (Robert 1994 13). Many more people in 2001 report that they use email to get advice or share worries with those close to them. Some 12% of people who have ever emailed family members sent email to a key family member every day in 2001, down from 21% in 2000. Newcomers to the internet in 2000 had the starkest declines, suggesting a novelty effect wearing off. Similarly, about 13% of Internet users emailed a key friend on a daily basis in 2001, down from 17% in 2000. The weekly email is the staple for most Internet users, as about 50% of email users said they send electronic messages to family and friends once a week.