New York Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

New York Project - Essay Example The 12 friends come from the city of Los Angeles and wish to go to the city of New York by flight. If they fly to New York using Delta Airlines they will have to pay a one way price of 33 US Dollars. For all of them, they will have to pay a total of 792 US Dollars for both journeys. The first show that they plan on seeing is a Broadway musical by the name, â€Å"After Midnight†. This musical celebrates the exuberance and glamour of Harlem’s Golden Age. It consists of Harlem’s most popular nightclub. The musical is performed by exceptional jazz at Lincoln Center All-Stars. This is an orchestra consisting of 17 world-class musicians carefully selected by Wynton Marsalis. Marsalis is a 9-time Grammy Award winner. The musical includes songs by Cab Calloway, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington and their contemporaries. The stage performances and dances make it even more captivating. Charles Isherwood of the New York Times calls â€Å"After Midnight†, â€Å"a depiction of time-traveling back to the heyday of the Cotton Club as it moves through more than 25 songs from the jazz era.† Marilyn Stasio of broadways also describes it as, â€Å"stylized treatment of a midnight floorshow at a 1930s jazz club is gorgeously designed to showcase roof -raising performances from top-flight talent†. Watching the musical from the mid mezzanine section they will have to part ways with 70 US Dollars each. The second show that they plan on seeing is a play by the name, â€Å"The Accidental Pervert†. This play is a one man show, which tells a story about a boy whose journey into manhood begins when he starts watching his father’s X-rated videos. The videos eventually became an ever-present part of the boy’s life. The play depicts the videos to be having dirty contents with no redeeming value. The boy eventually finds redemption from the mess he put himself in when the gets a different perspective of life. This

Marketing Strategies for Luxury Brands Essay Example for Free

Marketing Strategies for Luxury Brands Essay New products are continuously launched into the luxury perfume market each year. DKNY’s recent addition to the perfume market is DKNY Pure. As a competitor intending to introduce a similar product into the luxury fashion brand perfume market, consumer behaviour has important implications for the design of a successful marketing strategy. This paper will outline which key factors marketers should attempt to influence in the design of a marketing strategy to introduce a new luxury brand perfume to the market. Through the use of product positioning, identifying buying groups and the target market, extensive advertising and operant conditioning marketers can manipulate the consumer decision-making process together with internal and external influences leading to consumer purchase behaviour. From a marketing perspective luxury fashion brands are defined in by features such as exclusivity, premium prices, excellent quality, distinctiveness, image, status and other aspirational characteristics (Fionda Moore, 2009). For many consumers the purchase of luxury fashion brand perfume is a high-involvement and emotional decision (Sadeghi Tabrizi, 2011). These purchases involve the use of extended decision-making with an extensive search of internal and external information and a considerable evaluation of alternative products available (Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011). An extensive advertising campaign should be used the major marketing strategy for the introduction of a new product in the luxury perfume market as it can be used to manipulate and influence consumer behaviour in a number of ways. Influencing the consumer decision-making process In order to influence the consumer decision-making process advertising can be used as external stimuli in order to trigger the first stage of the consumer decision making process; problem or need recognition. Advertising can influence consumer behaviour by affecting the consumer’s desired state or their existing state (Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011), prompting the identification of perceived need or desire for a product. Strategic marketing campaigns such as preannouncements (for example through media releases or samples) can be used to influence consumer anticipation, attention and desire or perceived need prior to the launch of a new product such as a luxury perfume (Schatzel Calantone, 2006). By understanding the motives which direct consumers to purchase products and the needs they are seeking to satisfy marketers can target their advertising more effectively (Kotler et al, 2007). For luxury brand perfume advertising can be used to highlight the emotional need of the consumer focussing on their â€Å"esteem needs† as described by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Kotler et al, 2007; Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011). Emotional self-esteem needs can be effectively used in advertising luxury brand perfume to women by including messages and visuals which suggest sophistication, elegance, love and confidence. Feeling and emotion significantly shapes consumer intentions for perfume with consumers visualising, imagining, estimating and assessing the perceived feelings gained from purchasing and using the product (Sadeghi Tabrizi, 2011). Perception Marketing efforts should focus on building customers perception of both the brand and the product. Perception is a significant internal factor in a consumers’ purchase decision for luxury brand perfume. The perception process involves processing information from exposure, attention and interpretation with meanings recorded as memory (Kotler et al 2007). Consumer perceptions can be manipulated through product positioning; in this case introducing a new perfume’s under the familiar luxury brand image will position it in the high-end perfume market creating a perception that it is a similar high-end product. Identifying the desired product position allows marketers to design strategies to develop the appropriate product image for that particular target market (Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011). Perfumes are products that are comprised of both tangible and intangible characteristics designed to satisfy consumers. Perceptions of quality can be influenced by the tangible (intrinsic) characteristics of the product; for perfume this is the bottle and the package. Through the application of beautiful and clever product design and packaging marketers can manipulate consumer perception of the perfume and its image (Sadeghi Tabrizi, 2011). Intangible (extrinsic) characteristics such as price, store image or brand image also serve to influence the consumer’s perception of quality (Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011). Setting higher prices for the perfume consistent with the product position and target market (Fionda Moore, 2009) and stocking the perfume in high-end department stores are strategies that can be employed to infer quality and influence consumer perceptions of status. Brand image and brand awareness Brand leveraging strategies can be employed to capitalise on the brand equity of a familiar luxury brand by giving the brand name to a new product (Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011). By introducing a new perfume using an established luxury fashion brand (either as a product or line extension) marketers can increase consumer recognition and acceptance of new products (Wu Lo, 2009) as well as making the most of the perceived intangible benefits associated with a positive brand image. A consumer’s positive perception of brand image of familiar luxury fashion brands has a significant effect on increasing purchase intentions of the products produced by those brands. The creation and usage of a strong brand image can be used by marketers to reduce uncertainty around product evaluation (or perceived purchase risk) whilst also increasing confidence in product quality (Sadeghi Tabrizi, 2011). Consumers view brand as an important part of a product which adds perceived value to the product (Wu Lo, 2009; Sadeghi Tabrizi, 2011). Launching a perfume under an existing familiar brand with a positive brand image can generate competitive advantage by increasing consumer’s interest and attention and resulting positive evaluation of a product (Fionda Moore, 2009). Further, consumers are likely to give greater attention to a familiar brand and to engage more effort in processing information about a product with a familiar brand name (Sadeghi Tabrizi, 2011). Brand personality celebrity endorsement Brand personality is a key factor in brand identity and is highly influential in the consumer decision making process as it relates to the desire to satisfy needs of self-esteem and belonging (Rajagopal, 2006). Consumers are motivated to purchase products from brands that reflect their own personality or that portrays personalities to which they aspire (Sirgy, 1982; Guthrie Kim, 2009; Spry, Pappu Cornwell, 2011). Celebrity endorsement is considered an effective strategy by marketers as a highly visible means of brand personality creation ((Rajagopal, 2006; Spry, Pappu Cornwell, 2011). Endorsement by celebrities influences consumer behaviour through attracting increased attention, generating greater brand recall and recognition (Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011; Spry, Pappu Cornwell, 2011). Dean (1999, as cited in Spry, Pappu Cornwell, 2011) further posits that celebrity endorsement can also influence a consumer’s perceptions of product quality and distinctiveness. The effectiveness of using a celebrity to endorse a product will be enhanced if there is congruence between the celebrity’s image, the product (and brand) personality and the self-concept of the target market (Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011). Market research should be conducted to determine perceptions of chosen celebrities to ensure they are credible and have attributes that coincide with the target market’s needs and desires (Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011; Spry, Pappu Cornwell, 2011). For the luxury brand perfume market such attributes should be based on attractiveness and image. Learning operant conditioning Consumers learn about products through the knowledge and experience gained from purchase and consumption (Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011). By understanding how consumers learn about products marketers can include information to assist and influence the consumer decision-making process. Operant conditioning is highly effective marketing strategy used to influence consumer behaviour particularly in high involvement purchases such as perfume (Peter Nord, 1982; Quester, Pettigrew Hawkins, 2011). Operant conditioning can shape positive reinforcement for consumer purchase intention (Amor Guilbert, 2009). By trialling, using tester bottles and sample spray cards the product consumers are able to experience the perfume determine if they like the scent and if it smells good on their skin. Amor Guilbert (2009) suggest that consumers are more likely to respond to new perfume samples than established ones. Marketers can provide free samples during related purchases to encourage product trial (Amor Guilbert, 2009) which assists in capturing consumer attention and increasing product familiarity (Sadeghi Tabrizi, 2011). Placing samples in high-end fashion magazines will also assist with familiarity as well as perception of quality. Using free samples as promotional tools may also assist marketers in developing a positive attitude toward the sampled perfume product as well as toward to the brand (Amor Guilbert, 2009). External influences A consumer’s purchasing behaviour is also influenced by social factors. By identifying the roles in the buying process marketers can incorporate this information in the product design and advertising message decisions (Kotler et al 2007). For women’s perfume the same person might play several roles in the purchasing decision. The purchaser will often be the initiator of the purchase, the decider who ultimately makes the purchasing decision and the user or wearer of the perfume (Kotler et al). Products such as perfume that are complementary to self-image are occasionally purchased by consumers as gifts for themselves. Marketers can target the fulfilment of self-gifting motivations by interspersing perfumes with other products such as cosmetics so that sales-staff might promote combining purchases (Mick, Demoss Faber, 1992). Males may also be purchasers of women’s perfume as gifts. Identifying this group in the buying process will enable targeted marketing through the development of gift packs around peak gift periods such as Christmas, and Valentines Day. As shown in the above discussion through the use of extensive advertising campaigns marketers can influence consumer purchase intention through stimulating emotional need or desire for the new perfume product as well as creating attention and awareness. Identifying and establishing the product position and the roles in the buying process will enable marketers to design and direct advertising at the desired target segments. The use of an established luxury brand to launch the product can influence consumer’s perceptions of quality and status of the brand and by association the perfume. Whilst credible celebrities can be used in advertising campaigns to create or support brand personality influencing attention, increasing brand recognition and product recall as well as further addressing consumer’s desire for fulfilment of self-concept needs. Finally operant conditioning through the provision on free samples and testers will be used to shape consumer learning about the new product by positive reinforcement, as well as capturing consumer attention and further increasing brand awareness. By understanding the relevant influences of consumer behaviour to the new product marketers can incorporate this theory in order to manipulate the buying intentions and purchase behaviours of consumers and create a successful marketing campaign.

Existentialism Essay -- essays research papers

Existentialism, which spread rapidly over continental Europe after the First World War, is essentially the analysis of the condition of man, of the particular state of being free, and of man's having constantly to use his freedom in order top answer the ever- changing and unexpected challenges of the day. According to the Existentialists, the starting point of every philosophical investigation is concrete human existence. That means that human personality in itself should point the way to the absolute value of reality. A single definition of existentialism is impossible. Definitions, provided by dictionaries are only part of what existentialism is about. †¦central to each definition is the assertion that existentialism is a theory or statement about the nature of man's existence. (1) The term is so difficult to define because, unlike other terms, existentialism is not universal. In other words, there are no two existentialists, which share exactly the same values or beliefs. Al though, here is one major theme: a stress on individual existence, subjectivity, individual freedom, and choice. There are two kinds of existentialist; first those who are Christian, and on the other hand the atheistic existentialists. Many unfamiliar with the subject people associate existentialism with atheism, but they are wrong. The truth is that the majority of existentialists are not atheists. Sartre, which we place among atheists, stress that central concern of philosophy is human existence. He says that human being is a special kind of consciousness (being-for- itself). Everything else is matter (being-in-itself). He believes that human being has no God-given essence and is absolutely free and absolutely responsible. According to him, anguish is the result of the absolute freedom and responsibility. He also says that human existence is absurd and unjustified. Therefore, the goal of human being is to justify his/her existence.(2) Sartre believes that there are those in our history who have established a religion to reassure nothing more than what he calls a "fundamental project ." That means that when we become anguished by the affairs of life we pursue a fundamental project in attempt to flee this anguish. He says that we try to make ourselves Gods in hopes that others would see us divine, and hold us in higher regard. To pursue a fundame... ...ice and this choice was his and his alone. This shows us again that we always have choices, no matter what we might use as an excuse. 1) Barnes, Wesley. "Is Existentialism Definable?" The Philosophy and Literature of Existentialism. Woodbury: Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 1968 2) Douglas W. Shrader, Ashok K. Malhotra. "Pathways To Philosophy". Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 1996. p. 83-86, 87-93, 97-100 3) Sartre'sThoughtsOnPersonality,http://library.thinkquest.org/18775/sartre/pers.htm 4) As above 5) Roberts, David E. "Introduction" Existentialism and Religious belief" New York: Oxford University Press, 1959. 6) Robert C. Solomon. "The Big Qestions" Harcourt Brace College Publishers, New York, 1998, p.241-273. 7) Soren Kierkergaard,ysiwyg://16/http://www.fortunecity.com/263/exist/kierk.html 8) Existentialism And Soren Kierkergaard, http:www.tameri.com/csw/exist/kierk.html.

Microeconomic Tasks Essay

A) 1. When determining how much of a profit a company will make, one has to look at a few deciding factors. Two of those are total revenue and total cost. Total revenue is the sum of a company’s sales of a particular product. Total cost is how much a company pays for production which includes fixed and variable costs. After total cost is deducted from the total revenue, the money left over is a profit. The goal of most is to maximize profits the best way possible. Total revenue and cost are very important when it comes to profit maximization because they are the guidelines of production. Total revenue is found by multiplying the price of the unit by the quantity produced and when compared to the total cost of each unit produced, a company can find out how many units to produce that would better maximize profits. Profit maximization is found by looking at the difference between the total revenue and total cost and determining which has the greatest profit. 2. Profit maximization can also be determined by looking at the marginal revenue to marginal cost approach. Marginal revenue is the change in total revenue resulting from the sale of an additional unit of product. Marginal cost is the cost of producing that one extra unit. To find if profits are maximized, marginal cost is subtracted from marginal revenue. Profit maximization occurs when marginal revenue exceeds marginal cost. This approach is only used if deemed profitable, if not, it is best to not produce extra. B) Marginal revenue (MR) is determined by the change (∆) in total revenue (TR) from selling one more unit (Q) of output. So MR=∆TR/∆Q 1. When calculating marginal revenue from the given scenario, one can see that is has decreased. As production increases, total revenue does increase but marginal revenue slowly but consistently decreases by $10 a unit each time. Since this is based off of a monopolistically competitive market, fluctuation of market revenue is expected. C) Marginal cost (MC) is determined by the change (∆) in total cost (TC) resulting from producing one more unit (Q) of output. So MC=∆TC/∆Q 1. After calculating the marginal cost, the summary is that when the quantity of production increases, total cost increases as well resulting in an increase of marginal cost. D) Profit maximization occurs for Company A at seven units of production. This was found using the total revenue to total cost method and then further evaluated using the marginal revenue to marginal cost approach. Originally, quantities seven and eight were shown to have the same outcome for TR-TC but the MR-MC approach proved that only seven units would provide a profit. The chart below explains. E) If marginal revenue is shown to be greater than marginal cost, output should continue to increase. F) If marginal cost is shown to be greater than marginal revenue, production output should be lowered until MR=MC or profit maximization is at its greatest; in this case 7 units of production.

Discourse Analysis on Winston Churchill and Tony Blair

Section 1 1. 1 In this essay, I will be conducting a discourse analysis on a speech made by Winston Churchill in the 1940s, when he informed the British public that they will be entering war. I will use sociological research which examines the discourse of politics to supply context for this speech. My research topic is to discover in this essay is how Prime Ministers use persuasive techniques to win the support of the people.To achieve this, I will be comparing Churchill’s speech to Tony Blair’s speech in 2003 when he declared war on Iraq, to see what changes and similarities of discourses there are, regarding persuading and gaining the support of the people. 1. 2 The consideration of the audience and their specific thoughts and feelings is certainly an essential theme when making a speech. Politicians use the spoken word to rule, inform, strengthen and communicate with the public in order to implement their own, or their party’s politics.As van Dijk puts it, â €Å"social power abuse, dominance, and inequality are enacted, reproduced, and resisted by text and talk in the social and political context (2001: 352). † If we are the people who vote to put these politicians in power, we ought to become more aware of the strategies and tactics behind their speeches. This will give us more opportunity of making a fair judgement of the real meaning of the message, rather than the persuasive and deceiving language that often clouds our judgement.I will be using critical discourse analysis and rhetorical political analysis as it is an approach that is suitable for written texts and helpful for discovering institutional meanings that lay hidden within rhetorical strategies. This method will facilitate me in finding the ideological dimension of discourse within the speeches I am analyzing (Cameron 2001:123). 1. 3Using critical discourse analysis I will analyse how the language used in political speeches functions as a type of social practice tha t â€Å"constructs the objects of which it purports to speak (Cameron 2001:123)†.We can apply critical discourse analysis to expose the ways discourse is interwoven with society and culture, Wodak notes â€Å"society and culture are shaped by discourse, and at the same time constitute discourse (Wodak 2000:146)†. The use of language can reproduce or transform society and culture and it can also be ideological. A way to discover its ideological qualities is by exploring their â€Å"interpretation, reception and social effects (Wodak 2000:146)†. By xamining speeches made by Winston Churchill and Tony Blair, I will seek to find the ideological messages that lie beneath their rhetoric language and uncover in what way their statements have persuaded the British public and if their discourses have gained the public’s support. 1. 4We now turn to the second indentified approach outlined in the introduction, rhetorical political analysis. It particularly focuses o n the character and nature of rhetoric and its position in political analysis. Rhetorical style is concerned with the arrangement of the narrative.Johannesson (2000:65) refers to numerous ways of forming a classical rhetoric speech; both Churchill and Blair use ‘disposito’, giving their argument structure; and ‘narratio’, giving the listener essential background information. Historically, rhetorical has been used since the ancient Greek and Roman times and the Great philosopher Aristotle wrote a rhetoric textbook where he established the goals of this discipline. The old laws of the rhetoric lived on in the modern world mostly in politics, and the battles of the Second World War were not just fought on land, but also on the air by great orators such as Hitler and Churchill.Both Churchill and Blair use many of the classic rhetorical structures when delivering their speeches which I will examine further in the next section. Section 2 2. 1 On the 13th May 1940 was Churchill’s first radio broadcast as Prime Minister with the direct audience being the British public. This was a live broadcast, with the objective to inform the nation of the upcoming attack on Britain by the Germans. It becomes apparent that Churchill’s key intention here is to persuade the nation in becoming actively involved in the war.His reasons of calling upon the nation as a whole were because all men were needed to fight, not just those who were in the army. Churchill was possibly attempting to involve every individual in the war, as his speech shows, â€Å"There will be many men and women on this island who when the ordeal comes upon them, as come it will, will feel comfort and even pride that they are sharing the perils of the lads at the front. † (13. 05. 40. ) He convinces the country to remain optimistic by saying â€Å"We may look with confidence to the stabilization of the front in France. † (13. 05. 40).On the 4th June 1940, Churchi ll spoke to the House of Commons; who were his target audience, however there was also the wider audience of the nation. Conscious that the speech would be made public, Churchill did not exclusively turn to the audience – members of the House of Commons but rather he was addressing the outside audience with a clear goal to diminish the will of resistance among the British and conveying out a message to the USA to join the war with Britain. The speech made by Tony Blair to the House of Commons on 18th March 2003, was most likely one of the most important speeches of his years as the Prime Minister.This was a speech with the sole intention to persuade his audience – Parliament – to vote for Britain to participate in the war in Iraq. Blair would not have been able to declare war without having the support of the Parliament, therefore it was crucial to gain their vote. The main audience of Blair’s speech in 2003 were the British public. During this live broad cast, Blair told the nation that military action had already begun in Iraq. He attempted to convince the British public that he had made the right decision in sending troops to fight, thus trying to justify his actions.Although the people of Britain were the direct audience, it is possible that Blair was reaching to a wider world wide audience. In his speech Blair addresses the people of Iraq directly saying â€Å"I hope the Iraqi people hear this message, our enemy is not you, but your barbarous rulers. † (20. 03. 03) Even though Churchill and Blair’s speeches are slightly different concerning their goals, both use similar methods in order to persuade the British public. In the following sections I will analyse and consider the persuasive techniques I feel are of most significance.They include the use of personal pronouns, rhetorical style, repetition and parallelism with a brief discussion of the delivery of speech. 2. 2 Personal pronouns are very much linked with po wer and solidarity, therefore the choice of pronoun that each Prime Minister uses replicates this. When talking to the nation and the House of Commons both Churchill and Blair use the first person pronoun ‘I’ on numerous times. ‘I’ tends to be used by both leaders much more often when addressing the House of Commons. The other first person pronouns which were used were ‘Me’ and ‘My. ‘My’ was used when each leader was putting across their personal beliefs and opinions, such as Blair’s hatred for Saddam, â€Å"My detestation of Saddam. † (Blair 18th March 2003) ‘Me’ has similar functions to ‘I’ as it symbolises the speaker and demonstrates that he is committing himself to his pledge. Wales (1996:66) said it is usually used to refer to the speaker and third parties who may not be present in the current situation. The use of ‘we’ can be exploited to contribute the responsibilit y. The general use of ‘we’ refers to the speaker and the listener.Through the use of inclusive ‘we’ we can see how the leader’s assume to speak on the audience’s behalf, for example â€Å"We must not allow ourselves to be intimidated by the presence of these armoured vehicles†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Churchill 13th May 1940) Churchill uses ‘we’ inclusively numerous times to refer to himself and the people of Britain as one which in turn encourage solidarity. It is used most often by both leaders with the aim to persuade the audience to work as a team, by saying collective statements, for example â€Å"we will† â€Å"we shall† and so forth.Both Churchill and Blair tend to use ‘we’ with the double implication that they are not only speaking on behalf of their party but also on behalf of their audience. 2. 3 Churchill uses methods of persuasion through reasoning; here he aims to calm the British, arguing their brief safety using rational reasoning: â€Å"We must never forget the solid assurances of sea power and those which belong to air power if it can be locally exercised. † (Churchill, paragraph 22) Its noted by Atkinson (1984:37) from his analysis of speeches that one of the most frequent means of extracting agreement is what he calls a â€Å"list of three. In political speeches lists of three are usually easy to remember â€Å"Of our country, of our Empire, of our Allies. † (Churchill’s address to the nation 13th May 1940) Throughout his speeches Churchill has a tendency to use three part lists, as it makes the speech more memorable and therefore more likely to persuade the audience. In Blair’s speech to the House of Commons, he uses a two-part list, â€Å"No to any ultimatum; no to any resolution. † (18th March 2003) In a way we can see how these lists function in the similar way to parallelism, as they serve to emphasise the point being made.Three par t lists are memorable for both the speaker and the listener as they are rooted in some cultures as encouraging a sense of solidarity and totality. The final category of persuasion is persuasion through the art of reasoning. Blair uses this method much more than Churchill. During his speech, Blair discusses a series of events to the House of Commons notifying them of Saddam Hussain’s actions. We can see how Blair felt it imperative to include factual information, as this was the only way to justify his actions for urging Britain to go to war. 2. Churchill and Blair both perform the characteristics of a strong, virtuous leader. Churchill – who led the last free European nation against Hitler, dares to confront the apparently relentless Nazi attack on Europe – in so doing so, Churchill offered hope of freedom to the British people. Churchill’s choice of words and tone were very dramatic, and he used emotionally charged words to get to the heart of the people . Churchill’s soundbite holds identical features as the Blair equivalents to his manifesto, â€Å"Tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. † (4. 07. 1993).Both leader’s use the Aristotelian three main ‘means of persuasion’ through the arousal of emotion, the persuasion through reasoning and persuasion through personality and stance. Rhythm is one of the key features when analysing at the speeches, as this is what makes them flowing and thus effective. The use of lists of three memorable words and repetition of the main issues adds to the rhythm of the speech. Churchill generally uses the list of three and repetition more than Blair, therefore his speeches are more rhythmic. A very important and smart method used by both Churchill and Blair is the use of repetition and parallelism.Both Churchill and Blair used this device in order to gain their audiences support. One of the main reasons why Churchill’s speech to the House of Commons is convincing is because of his use of structural parallelism at the end of his speech, â€Å"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, We shall fight on the seas and oceans, We shall fight with growing confidence in the air, We shall fight on the beaches, We shall fight on the landing grounds†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Churchill 4th June 1940) In contrast, Blair’s does not use the structural parallelism in his speech to the House of Commons to the extent Churchill does.However Blair does use repetition to implement his point is, for example: â€Å"It is dangerous if such regimes disbelieve us, Dangerous if they think they can use our weakness, our hesitation even the natural urges of our democracy towards peace against us, Dangerous because one day†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (18th March 2003) Blair also repeats the word ‘dangerous’ in order to reiterate his aim and convince his audience that if they do not agree to war, they will be facing a dangerous state of affairs.Section 3 3. 1 Comparing Churchill’s and Blair’s speeches I have shown that there are many resemblances in the way they deliver speeches such as, explaining in honesty, the seriousness of the threat and how they both describe the enemy as evil, but also in putting their causes in a global context and in terms of using rhetorical devices, they both use repetition, soundbites, contrastive pairs and the â€Å"list of three†. The â€Å"list of three† is a perfect device when declaring war.The inclusiveness and stress of national solidarity and unity is what a leader needs to communicate and restore faith with the people. The major difference between the two leaders is that Blair uses the inclusive approach towards the world and possible allies, whereas Churchill speaks more exclusively for Britain solely. This also shows the difference in the times the speeches were made, as when Churchill made his speech it would have only reached the British public.In comparison, Blair’s speech was televised globally, therefore he must address the audience more inclusively to make it relevant for the listeners. Although Blair’s speech could be said to build on the works of Churchill such as using the same rhetorical devices, being a well composed oratory and being expertly performed, ultimately, it is always the circumstances under which a speech is delivered that will give the speaker and the speech their rightfully earned respect. 3. To conclude, critical discourse analysis is a suitable method to analyse political speeches as it sees language as social practices, and as productive of knowledge which maintains power. It is particularly concerned with language used in political speeches and the media so it is not just context specific, but audience-specific. However, a disadvantage is although it had implications for individual language use, there are words and phrases they use which may not be applicable in 30 years time, as language is forev er evolving.The limits of discourse analysis is that it does not give us a representation of the persons proposed psychological state, it instead focuses on power in a social context and how this is made through language, how it is challenged and recycled. I believe the use of language analysis related to social concepts could be more expanded by having studies made into how social situations themselves cause the discourse we use, also investigating how new meanings are given to words and what social implications they have in society. Bibliography: Books:Atkinson, J (1985) Structures of Social Action: Cambridge University Press Cameron, Deborah Working with spoken discourse: Fairclough, N. (2003). Analysing Discourse: Textual Analysis for Social Research. London: Routledge. Gee, J. P. (2005). An Introduction to Discourse Analysis: Theory and Method. London: Routledge Seale, Clive (2004) Researching society and culture: Sage Publications Ltd; Second Edition Wodak, Ruth (2000) Methods of Text and Discourse Analysis: London, Sage Publications Wood, Linda A. (2000) Doing Discourse Analysis: Sage Publications Articles and Websites:Egbert. J Baker: ‘Grammar As Interpretation: Greek Literature in Its Linguistic Contexts’ (1997) http://books. google. co. uk/books? id=L8VmSJeZCw0C&pg=PA175&lpg=PA175&dq=we+shall+fight+on+the+beaches+discourse+analysis&source=bl&ots=Kpm7QW94Mk&sig=1i_rPybz_RMBd1l_WB0nkeXWsso&hl=en&sa=X&ei=IOzqUKKeLoqU0QXYkoGQAw&ved=0CGwQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=we%20shall%20fight%20on%20the%20beaches%20discourse%20analysis&f=false (online book) Fairclough & Wodak: Critical discourse analysis  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Linguistics and English Language (1997) www. ing. lancs. ac. uk/staff/norman/critdiscanalysis. doc (online word document) Guardian: Full text: Tony Blair's speech (2003) http://www. guardian. co. uk/politics/2003/mar/18/foreignpolicy. iraq1 (website article) Language in use: Sir Winston Churchill â€Å"We shall fight them on the beaches†

Imagery in The Fall of the House essays

Imagery in The Fall of the House essays Imagery of the Supernatural in "The Fall of the House of Usher" Edgar Allan Poe's writings are known for their macabre subject matter. In "The Fall of the House of Usher", Poe uses the life-like characteristics of an otherwise decaying house as a device for giving the house a supernatural atmosphere. Frank N. Magill explains this concept best when he writes, "Usher feels that it is the form and substance of his family mansion that affects his morale. He believes that, as a result of the arrangement of the stones, the house has taken on life" (1645). From the very beginning of the story, the reader can tell that there is something unusual and almost supernatural about the structure. As the narrator approaches the home of his long-time friend, Roderick Usher, he refers to the house as the "meloncholy House of Usher" (George one being a sixth sense of vague and indescribable realities behind the physical and apparent and another being a clever, reational interpretation of unsensible ph enomena (52). Although the narrator tries to view everything he sees in a rational manner, upon seeing the house and its surroundings, he has a heightened sense of superstition. He goes on to say that, "about the whole mansion and domain there hung an atmosphere peculiar to themselves and their immediate vicinity" (Perkins, 1513). This statement indicates that perhaps the house does indeed have supernatural characteristics and that something of an exterordinary sense is actually holding the house intact. Upon entering the house, the narrator becomes increasingly convinced that the house has some supernatural effect on those living there after observing the o ...

Los Angeles Politics essays

Los Angeles Politics essays Alternatives to Belmont Sites Have Problems of their own The site for new Belmont still hasn't been found. The School district has been fumbling with two proposed alternatives by interim superintendent Ruben Cortines and CEO Howard Miller respectively suggest using high-rise office suites and open 4 new schools quickly. These alternatives have been met with mixed emotion from both sides of the battle. Those for the Belmont project to continue are in favor of using the former ambassador hotel in the mid-Wiltshire district, because 10 years ago the school board had chosen this site for the high school but was met by Donald Trump's Legal Team. Upon reclaiming the site after foreclosure the negotiations with such prominent figures such as Magic Johnson who owns many Cinemas in the area to combine his movie complex with a middle school. The conservancy group is expected to block the demolishing of the hotel claiming it is a historical site citing that it is the place of the Kennedy Assignation and many Oscar nights. School Board Member Caprice Young wants Johnson and the conversancy to look at the need of the children. I personally don't think that children no matter how appealing would in long run want the distraction of a movie theatre ruining their education. The reason many people have so many differing opinions is because if we were just another state this wouldn't be an issue but a time for action. A time to step forward and take the blame for being to focused on keeping appearances that we abused our children. "It's time they started thinking about kids", Young said. The city is the movie Mecca of the world and has a lot of land at it's disposal but because it wants to make the place a visitor attracting place doesn't want to sacrifice a hotel to fit the needs. I think this plain wrong on the part of the school board. I remember reading about how the state can take ov ...

10 Pros and Cons of Being a School Principal

10 Pros and Cons of Being a School Principal There are many pros and cons that come with being a principal. It can be a rewarding job, and it can also be an extremely stressful job. Not everyone is cut out to be a principal. There are certain defining characteristics that a good principal will possess. If you are thinking of becoming a principal, it is crucial that you weigh all the pros and cons that come with the job. Take all factors of both sides into consideration before making your final decision. If you do not feel you can handle the cons, stay away from this profession. If you believe that the cons are only roadblocks, and the pros are well worth it, then go for it. Being a principal can be a terrific career option for the right person. Pros of Being a School Principal Salary. The median expected annual salary of a principal is over $100,000, while the median expected annual salary for a teacher is under $60,000. That is a significant increase in salary and can have a substantial impact on your family’s financial status, as well as on your retirement. That increase in salary is well-earned, as you will see when we look at the cons. There is no denying that a significant increase in salary makes it appealing to a lot of people to make that jump from teacher to principal. However, it is essential that you do not make that decision based on salary alone. Variety. Redundancy is never an issue when you are a school principal. No two days are ever alike. Each day brings new challenges, new problems, and new adventures. This can be exciting and keeps things fresh. You can go into a day with a solid plan of things to do and fail to accomplish a single thing that you expected. You never know what will await you on any particular day. Being a principal is never boring. As a teacher, you establish a routine and mostly teach the same concepts each year. As a principal, there is never an established routine. Each day has its own unique routine that dictates itself as time passes. Control. As the school leader, you will have more control over virtually every aspect of your building. You will often be the lead decision-maker. You will typically have at least some control over key decisions, such as hiring a new teacher, changing curriculum and programs, and scheduling. This control allows you to put your stamp on what your building does. It provides you with the opportunity to implement the vision that you have for your school. You will also have total control over daily decisions, including student discipline, teacher evaluations, professional development, and so on. Success. As the building principal, you will also get credit when credit is due. When an individual student, teacher, coach, or team succeeds, you also succeed. You get to celebrate in those successes because a decision you made somewhere along the line likely helped lead to that success. When someone associated with the school is recognized for outstanding achievement in some area, it typically means that the right decisions have been made. This can often be traced back to a principal’s leadership. It may be as straightforward as hiring the right teacher or coach, implementing and supporting a new program, or offering a particular student the right motivation. Impact. As a teacher, you often only have an impact on the students you teach. Make no mistake that this impact is significant and direct. As a principal, you can have a larger, indirect impact on students, teachers, and support personnel. The decisions you make can affect everyone. For example, working closely with a young teacher who needs some direction and guidance has a tremendous impact on both the teacher and every student they will ever teach. As a principal, your impact is not limited to a single classroom. A single decision can be transcendent throughout the entire school. School Principal Cons Time. Effective teachers spend a lot of extra time in their classrooms and at home. However, principals spend a much greater amount of time doing their jobs. Principals are often the first one to school and the last one to leave. In general, they are on a 12-month contract, getting only two to four weeks of vacation time during the summer. They also have several conferences and professional development duties they are required to attend. Principals are usually expected to attend almost every extra-curricular event. In many cases, this can mean attending events three to four nights a week during the school year. Principals spend a lot of time away from their homes and their families throughout the school year. Responsibility. Principals have a greater workload than teachers do. They are no longer responsible for only a few subjects with a handful of students. Instead, a principal is responsible for every student, every teacher/coach, every supporting member, and every program in their building. A principal’s responsibility footprint is enormous. You have your hand in everything, and this can be overwhelming. You have to be organized, self-aware, and confident to keep up with all of those responsibilities. Student discipline issues arise every day. Teachers require assistance on a daily basis. Parents request meetings to voice concerns regularly. You are the one responsible for handling each of these, as well as a plethora of other issues that occur within your school every day. Negativity. As a principal, you deal with many more negatives than you will positives. The only time you typically deal with students face-to-face is because of a discipline issue. Each case is different, but they are all negative. You also get to handle teachers complaining about students, parents, and other teachers. When parents request a meeting, it is almost always because they want to complain about a teacher or another student. These constant dealings with all things negative can become overwhelming. There will be times you will need to shut your office door or go observe an extraordinary teacher’s classroom just to escape all the negativity for a few minutes. However, handling all of these negative complaints and issues is a substantial part of your job. You must effectively address each issue, or you will not be a principal for long. Failures. As discussed earlier, you will receive credit for successes. It is also crucial to note that you will also be responsible for failures. This is especially true if your building is a low-performing school based on standardized test performance. As the leader of the building, it is your responsibility to have programs in place to assist in maximizing student performance. When your school fails, someone has to be the scapegoat, and that could fall on your shoulders. There are many other ways to fail as a principal that could jeopardize your job. Some of those include making a series of damaging hires, failing to protect a student who has been bullied, and keeping a teacher who is known to be ineffective. Many of these failures are avoidable with hard work and dedication. However, some failures will occur no matter what you do, and you will be linked to them because of your position in the building. Politics. Unfortunately, there is a political component to being a principal. You have to be diplomatic in your approach with students, teachers, and parents. You cannot always say what you want to say. You have to remain professional at all times. There are also occasions where you may be pressured into making a decision that makes you uncomfortable. This pressure may come from a prominent community member, school board member, or your district superintendent. This political game could be as straightforward as two parents wanting their children to be in the same class. It may also become complicated in a situation where a school board member approaches you to request that a football player who is failing a class is allowed to play. There are times like this when you must make an ethical stand even if you know it may cost you. The political game can be hard to play. However, when you are in a position of leadership, you can bet that there will be some politics involved. Sources Public School Teacher  Salary in the United States. Salary.com, 2019.   School Principal  Salary in the United States. Salary.com, 2019.

International strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

International strategy - Essay Example International companies have now implemented an international strategy that can enable them to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the global competitive markets. The core competence requires companies to build portfolios of business around shared technical or operating competencies, as well as, develop effective management processes that can enable them to enhance their core competencies. The world economy is highly interconnected; thus it is vital to implement a cooperative strategy that can enable companies to compete favorably while in an attempt to achieve sustainable competitive advantage in the competitive business world. Therefore, cooperative strategy can play considerable roles in elevating the social-economic conditions for the neighboring communities and their members. For the past decades, cooperative enterprises have successfully operated in the international markets but the ever changing technology has demanded companies to employ effective cooperative strateg y, which can enable them to achieve a competitive advantage in the global competitive market. Sustainable Competitive Advantage One of the toughest and yet most challenging aspects for most multinational companies is the issues of sustainable competitive advantage. Many multinational companies have the fervor for their innovative products and even publicize that they have no market rivalry for their products. Sustainable competition means being the leader in the market for a longer term. To market products in the global market is not sustainable; thus competitive should be taken broadly to include alternative ways that can enable human resource to solve effectively the problem of rivalry. The advantage should be measured and considerable; thus many companies lead with fuzzy terms such as lower cost of products, improved usability and many others. Therefore, the indicator of sustainable competitive advantage can be viewed through focusing varied aspects such as real intellectual prop erty, dynamic product line, dramatic cost improvements, strong focus on customers and products differentiation, as well as proven organizational team with inside relationships. Ways of Achieving Sustainable Competitive Advantage Companies operating their business in the global markets need to compete with each in various ways in order to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in the ever increasing competitive markets. Technology is rapidly increasing and this has prompted many companies to utilize Internet and other electronic marketing aspects in order to reach many customers globally. Many of companies employing e-marketing have failed to achieve their demanding needs because of poor implementation of marketing strategy. Therefore, to achieve sustainable competitive advantage, companies should compete with each other and this is through employing effective global strategy that can enable them to achieve sustainable advantage. Many companies have become disheartened with sale s in the global market place; thus the new marketing strategies should be found as the old one becomes saturated. Companies should customize products for the demands of new markets and also determine the consumption behaviors or consumption trend of customers in the global market. The research study indicates that well managed companies have moved from emphasizing on product customizing to providing international standardized products, which are innovative, reliable, low priced and highly functional

Book report on hiroshima by john hersey. the full edition Essay

Book report on hiroshima by john hersey. the full edition - Essay Example Miss Toshiko Sasaki, a youthful clerk, fractured her legs in the explosion. Her wound deteriorated due to the infection, and she got no medical assistance for weeks following the explosion. The blast kills over half the physicians in Hiroshima and hurt a large number of the remaining doctors. For instance, Dr. Masakazu Fujii becomes incapable of helping others. Therefore, he only manages to maintain himself. On the contrary, Dr. Terufumi Sasaki remained the only uninjured medical practitioner amongst Red Cross Hospital. Weeks after the bombing, Mrs. Hatsuyo is a widow bringing up her young children. She is caring and dependable, and a committed statesperson. As side from that, Nakamura is an obedient person. Luckily, she and her offspring survived the explosion with no bodily harm. However, Nakamura and her daughter fall victims of a radiation sickness and struggle with the problem for years. Consequently, Nakamura succumb to poverty since the war causes a destruction of her properties. In the narrative, Nakamura is an ordinary casualty of an extraordinary occurrence. Surprisingly, she holds no vengeance for the Americans in spite of the agony they caused to him. Interestingly, she secures a job that leads to her financial liberation. Dr. Sasaki is a twenty-three years old surgeon working at Red Cross Hospital in Japan. Additionally, he is hardworking, ingenious, ambitious and selfless. His kindness comes into play after he risks penalties for attending to ill patients in the villages before getting permission. Sasaki ends up treating thousand if victims since he is the only available doctor in the hospital. Consequently, after the bombing Sasaki makes an advancement in the treatment and studies of radiation illness. Therefore, Dr. Terufumi spent his post-bombing years in attempting to remove Keloid. Later, he leaves the city for a far area in order to stay away from the gruesome

ECO202 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

ECO202 SLP - Essay Example Your answer to this question can give an interesting perspective as to how lobbying can distort economic policy and decisions. CAUTION: I am not looking for general comments that could apply to the country as a whole or any given organization, what I want is comments that are relevant specifically to your organization) Your Full Name Your Prof Name Course Name Date of Submission Lobbying for Novartis Monetary and fiscal policies can have significant impact on business operations of any firm. These policies can not only affect the top line (revenue) of the firm but also several costs and most definitely the bottom line (net profit after tax). With the goals of firms being to maximize profits, government economic policies can have a major role to play in firms booming or going out of business. The role of the lobbyist of a company is then to try to get the government to adopt economic policies that would benefit the firm while at the same time not be detrimental to the economic growth of the country. In order to identify the specific lobbying areas for Novartis, it is first important to understand some key elements about Novartis and how its business is structured. Novartis is a pharmaceutical company (operating in 140 countries) headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and does most of its research and development (R&D) activity in the US.

Virtual groups and how they effect group communication Research Paper

Virtual groups and how they effect group communication - Research Paper Example Instead they connect through communication technologies and computers, provide an unparalleled amount of flexibility (Powell, Piccoli & Ives, 2004) and are unified only by a shared function or rationale (Lurey & Raisinghani, 2000). This paper aims to review the literature and research that focuses on the characteristics of small virtual groups in an effort to determine how virtual group interaction affects performance and to make comparisons between performance of small virtual teams and more traditional co-located small teams. Small groups usually consist of three to fifteen members (Socha, 1997) with the ideal size being five to seven (Cragan & Wright, 1999) with every member having an influence on each other and are interdependent. In other words if something occurs to or influences one member it impacts on other group members; the behavior of one group member effects both the way other group members relate to each other (relational behavior) and how they finish the task or attain their goal (task behavior) (Bertcher, 1994). According to Myers & Anderson (2008) interdependence is a fundamental characteristic of a small group and at the end of the day will influence how the group achieves its goal or task which is the initial and most important reason the group is formed. Tasks can be additive, wherein the small group members work separately on one component of a task and when all components are completed they amalgamate their endeavors to produce one ultimate outcome, or they can be conjunctive, wherein the group works together to produce the final outcome (Steiner, 1972). In the case of additive tasks the small group is not interdependent until the end when they unite their work but with conjunctive tasks they are interdependent from start to finish. Apart from the task, interdependence and size, Myers & Anderson (2008) claimed that small groups contain three further features of communication which are ‘norms, identity and talk’ (p.9). He furth er claimed that the norms of small group behavior are the rules or regulations pertaining to members of the group, and can be social, procedural or task based, and if not upheld by a group member sanctions may be imposed on that member. Norms therefore shape small group behavior and govern the way in which group members undertake their task, interact and create their identity - the physical and psychological limits that differentiate small groups and group members. Communication is the most important feature of small groups in terms of defining their identity and consists of four different types of talk as posited by Cragan & Wright (1999) that include role talk, problem-solving talk, encounter talk and consciousness-raising talk. Myers & Anderson (2008) claimed that a small group that is able to balance all four talk types will be more effective and succeed in its task, whereas a small group that places too much emphasis on one type over another or does not employ any one type may alienate some members and not accomplish their task. To summarize the characteristics of small group communication there are three major qualities – size, interdependence and task, and three minor qualities – norms, talk and identity, that influence the way in which group members interact and communicate. Research shows that much has been suggested and purported in terms of virtual communication

Director of digital strategy for a leading UK estate agency chain Essay

Director of digital strategy for a leading UK estate agency chain - Essay Example This report highlights the tangible characteristics of viral, affiliate and search engine marketing strategies, ultimately selecting one viable marketing strategy to enhance sales volumes and brand visibility of the estate agency chain. In 2007, web-based advertising of properties increased 70 percent from 2004 (Key Note Media 2010). This means that it is becoming common practice for estate agents to utilise the Internet as a means of expanding their brand presence and effectively promoting a variety of properties in this industry. Coupled with this dramatic increase, a recent survey indicated that 57.7 percent of consumers would actively search the Internet as an option when desiring to move into a new home (Key Note Media 2010). Furthermore, in 2010, the volume of consumers sustaining Internet access in the United Kingdom was listed at over 44 million (Digital Age 2012). This represents approximately 70 percent of the entire United Kingdom population (ONS 2012). Because of this dynamic and high volume usage of Internet technologies by many demographics, viral marketing represents a significant opportunity for improving the market position of this leading estate agency. Viral marketing is defined as an amalgamation of marketing tactics that utilise existing social networks and related Internet technologies to achieve specific marketing objectives or increase brand awareness (Boone and Kurtz 2007). It is a strategy that attempts to promote growth in word-of-mouth by passing on a well-developed marketing message that proliferates itself much like a virus to encourage social circulation of a marketing message or organization (NCTU 2011). Viral marketing provides opportunities to create thrill in consumer markets, or buzz, that facilitates positive gossip in desired market groups about the viral content observed or otherwise engaged with on the Internet. Viral marketing efforts generally utilise video clips, images, integrated marketing

Tom DeLay indictment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Tom DeLay indictment - Essay Example While it is not a criminal offence to receive additional funding, becoming charged of conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme has serious implications. Unlawful transfer of company's assets or property to finance election campaigns is strongly prohibited in Texas State. Nevertheless, it was found that the sum $190,000 was transferred from associates of DeLay and companies to the accounts of seven candidates. John Colyandro and Jim Ellis were also accused in violation Texas election law. In spite this fact, "no evidence to support the conspiracy charge was cited in the indictment, which says only that DeLay and two named associates entered "into an agreement with one or more of each other" or with the committee to conduct the funds transfer" (Smith, 2005). The only evidence presented to the a Texas grand jury was the check in corporate money, but Tom Delay denies the fact that he used corporate funds illegally and conspiringly. DeLay told "I have done nothing wrong. ... I am innocent" He added that "the charges amounted to "one of the weakest and most baseless indictments in American history." (DeLay indicted, steps down as majority leader, 2005). Tom DeLay's attorney, Dick DeGuerin, stated that the money transferred were "lawfully collected from individuals who knew what they were contributing to".

Director of digital strategy for a leading UK estate agency chain Essay

Director of digital strategy for a leading UK estate agency chain - Essay Example This report highlights the tangible characteristics of viral, affiliate and search engine marketing strategies, ultimately selecting one viable marketing strategy to enhance sales volumes and brand visibility of the estate agency chain. In 2007, web-based advertising of properties increased 70 percent from 2004 (Key Note Media 2010). This means that it is becoming common practice for estate agents to utilise the Internet as a means of expanding their brand presence and effectively promoting a variety of properties in this industry. Coupled with this dramatic increase, a recent survey indicated that 57.7 percent of consumers would actively search the Internet as an option when desiring to move into a new home (Key Note Media 2010). Furthermore, in 2010, the volume of consumers sustaining Internet access in the United Kingdom was listed at over 44 million (Digital Age 2012). This represents approximately 70 percent of the entire United Kingdom population (ONS 2012). Because of this dynamic and high volume usage of Internet technologies by many demographics, viral marketing represents a significant opportunity for improving the market position of this leading estate agency. Viral marketing is defined as an amalgamation of marketing tactics that utilise existing social networks and related Internet technologies to achieve specific marketing objectives or increase brand awareness (Boone and Kurtz 2007). It is a strategy that attempts to promote growth in word-of-mouth by passing on a well-developed marketing message that proliferates itself much like a virus to encourage social circulation of a marketing message or organization (NCTU 2011). Viral marketing provides opportunities to create thrill in consumer markets, or buzz, that facilitates positive gossip in desired market groups about the viral content observed or otherwise engaged with on the Internet. Viral marketing efforts generally utilise video clips, images, integrated marketing

My dream computer Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

My dream computer - Research Paper Example Thinking of a dream computer is a delightful experience. I have been at computers since long and have worked on several types of computers ranging from old Pentium-III computers to present day state of the art computers. One thing common to all these experiences is the wish for an even faster computer. But now it is not only a wish and dream it is a genuine requirement to do several different tasks that cannot be accomplished without this machine or at least may have consumed time that cannot be afford. Therefore, now it is extremely important to work out the details of a computer that can meet day to day requirement of various task discussed ahead. Being a student I have to complete college assignments that may require word processing, presentation, picture editing, drawing, worksheet and equations writing facilities along with simple website development software. Beside this for writing technical reports I use some CASE tools. Math assignments are required to be written in some spe cialized software. Entertainment support is inevitable and special sound and graphic equipment are needed to fulfill the requirements of latest games and videos. Internet support software and hardware also form part of the requirements for a dream computer. Software Requirement Beside Microsoft Office 2007 I prefer to use MathType software which a very convenient way to prepare math assignments. MathType can insert complex equations and provide a wide range of mathematical symbols. It is easy to use and provide excellent edit environment. These math equations cannot be written in Microsoft Office because they are not specialized software for math equations. Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium is an excellent student adobe suite which available from adobe at special 80% discount. This is an ultimate solution for all web site and photo editing requirements. The software is a bit complex and requires special training and tutorials to be followed for extend uses and some meaningful con tribution. This software require extra bit of processing power and system resources but it pays off and provide a good value for the money. CloneDVD is my favorite DVD player. It is excellent software which can play nearly all types of media files. It also provides the recording facilities and can run in the background. The software is not resource hungry and can be used while other heavy applications are still running at the computer. The online help and support can help in understanding the software, while routine updates can also be downloaded when available. Software Operating System System Requirements Price Math Type Microsoft Windows 7, Windows Vista, or Windows XP 12 MB free hard disk space. MathType is not RAM-intensive so listing its requirements is not necessary $78.02 Adobe Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium Microsoft ® Windows ® XP with Service Pack 3; Windows Vista ® Home Premium, Business, Ultimate, or Enterprise with Service Pack 1 (Service Pack 2 recommended); or Windows 7 Intel ® Pentium ® 4 or AMD Athlon ® 64 processor 1GB of RAM or more. Recommended 1280x800 display with qualified hardware-accelerated OpenGL graphics card, 16-bit color, and 256MB of VRAM $449 CloneDVD Microsoft Windows 98/98SE/ME, Windows NT/2000/2003, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 Intel CPU with 350 MHz and MMX, or AMD CPU with 450 MHz or higher 64MB RAM or more $69 Computers Researched I have researched three major brands in the market. All of these laptops can fulfill the hardware requirements and support the software discussed in Part-II of this report. The price difference is based on the features and may also be change slightly if some extra features or capabilities are appended to the hardware details provided in the excel sheet. I have finalized the emachine laptop which can fulfills all requirements and will meet the advance requirements for one year. The machine offers some good upgrade options and can be considered for an upgrade later on. The pric e of the computer is neither too high nor too low and falls under

Legal framework for social work in United Kingdom Essay Example for Free

Legal framework for social work in United Kingdom Essay Social work is defined as a professional and academic discipline that will seek to have improvement on the individuals, groups’ and communities’ quality of life and their well-being through having policies, conducting researches, organizing communities and teaching for the good of the people affected by social limitations that may include poverty, mental and physical sickness, social injustice including violation of human rights. International (Federation of Social Workers 2000). These groups may include school dropouts, the elderly in the society, juvenile offenders, drug and alcohol abusers and the homeless Social workers will work in different settings within a set of framework of legislation and practices. The setting may include a school situation, the service users’ home, a hospital or a public sector premise Social work values Social work is argued to be value based. Since it is a profession on, social work ethics (values) thus refer to a set of guidelines that have to govern the way professionals treat the people they interact with and the sort of actions that are regarded as right or wrong. They offer a vision and discernment (Bernstein 1970) Social work in the United Kingdom occurs in four spheres. The first sphere is majorly a concept relates to the moral philosophy that creates the ethical arguments on social work. The second sphere is based on the legislation that has created an environment for practice of social work with reference to the social work cases. The third sphere is the political ideas and concepts and their influence in shaping and sculpturing the social work models, social work methods and practices. The last sphere presents the historical part of the beginning of social work as a profession and its struggle for professional identity. These spheres are extended, mid range and restricted definitions of social work ethics and values (Bernard et al 2008, p. 6) This paper will focus on the second sphere in reference to the United Kingdom. Social work and law Social work as a profession has to follow certain laws and regulations which govern the profession. The legal framework involves the statute laws and case laws and tries to explain the relationship that links them. Moreover, it details legislation of the government under acts of parliament, the international laws, policy guidance, and the local government circulars that articulate the purpose and guidance principles of legislation. The Health and Care professional Council code of practice As a social worker, it is paramount to be aware of the legal obligations required of them to cretae a healthy and safe working conditions. The General Social Care Council code of practice imposes more duties for employers of social workers. The code states that (Brayne Carr 2002, P. 49) The social worker shall protect and promote interests of the service users The social worker will strive to establish, maintain trust and confidence of the service users The social worker will promote independence of the service users while giving them protection from possible harm The social worker shall respect the rights of the service users while ensuring that their behavior will not harm other people and themselves The social worker shall uphold the public trust and confidence in the social care services The social worker shall be accountable for quality in their work and taking responsibility for maintenance and improvement of their knowledge ACTS OF PARLIAMENT The Carew standard Act 2000 This Act has a significant role in the social care work as it did extend the registration regime for the social care in England and that of Wales for provision of the children’s services, the Act requires the following: Registration of children homes Registration of family centre’sRegistration of the independent fostering agencies Registration of voluntary adoption agencies Registration of support agencies To be a permanent registered member one has to meet a set of regulations tailored to each individual service. In coming up to a decision whether the regulatory requirement shave been fulfilled, the registering authority must have a regard to minimum National standards. England’s registration authority is Office for Standards in Education, Childrens Services and Skills (OFSTED). The Social workers and the social care services cannot function without having satisfied the above requirements. As a social worker or a social care service provider, there is a need to have knowledge to avoid prosecution by Law The health and social care Act 2012 This bill was agreed upon by both houses and obtained the Royal Assent on the 27th of March to become an act of parliament. The bill created an independent National Health Service Board to promote choices made by the patients in regard to their health issues and reduced the administration tool of the National Health Service. A National Health Service Board was also created to allocate resources and provide guidance on commissioning of social care services. Powers of the government’s ability to commission services on behalf of patients were increased. The function of the Care Quality Commission was strengthened and Section 209 of this Act amended. The powers of the new law under Section 60 of the 199 Act gave her majesty the power by order in the council to regulate social workers and social care practitioners of England. This placed the role of social workers and the role of social health care providers directly under her majesty (Britain 2012, p. 9). This Act placed a lot of Significance on Social Care services being provided in the United Kingdom. A consideration on the adult social care was emphasized. For example, allowing the transfer of public health to the local authorities through local health and the well being boards. Various new bodies have emerged such as the Local health watches which have a function of checking on health and the social care standards. Children’s Act 2004. In England, the law protects the right of children. Section 11 and 12 of this Act places a statutory duty on all agencies to co-operate and promote the welfare of the children. The government guidance for social workers and other professionals that interact with children is that: the social worker has a duty of keeping the children safe. There should be constant feedback to the children social care local authority on suggestions and assessment and lastly every person who has a role should not think that he/she has the absolute right to the child’s needs. Professionals sometimes fail to report the abuse and neglect cases do not face penalties for crime however; they might be subjected to professional discipline Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 The bill got a Royal Assent on 8th of March. The bill aimed to give strength to the social enterprise businesses sectors and make relevant the concept of social value and its importance in the placing and providing of public services. With this bill a National Social enterprise strategy was created to encourage the engagement in social enterprises. The local government act 2000 section 4 was then required to have a sustainable community strategy proposal that promote the engagement of social enterprise in their areas. The Local Authority Social Services Act 1970 This Act brought together the different fields of social work into a single Social service department in every local authority. With this establishment, an emphasis was laid on a co-ordinated and comprehensive system of approach to the social care, the support of families and identifying the need for people to seek aid. The formulated departments then became responsible for domestic aid, residential accommodation and recreational services. Care council of Wales All social workers should be registered. It is one of the bodies mandated to register and regulates the activities of the social workers and all other social care in Wales. The care council is set up under the Care Standards Act 2000. It includes the codes of professional practice, conduct rules, and a well established guideline on the complainant’s procedure. Some other features accessed include consultation services, annual reports, the newsletters and the e-bulletins. Registration of workers ensures that there is as constant data of available social workers and social health care workers in a given state or region. It is easy to verify a genuine worker and avoids imposters who might be out on criminal activities Care and Social services inspectorate Wales This is a body mandated to regulating and inspecting the establishment of agencies that offer social care services in Wales region. It carries out duties on behalf of the ministers of Wales. It has been given power under Act 2003 of the Social and Health care to look into the handling of social services by the local authorities. On their website, one is able to raise a query on social workers conduct for necessary action. Rights and freedoms of Social workers and limitations Guide to information sharing Social work is a professional duty. When dealing with children, England places emphasis on effective information sharing between the local agencies and the social workers on identification and assessment of service provisions. These are defined in â€Å"Working together to safeguard children (PDF). Under this guidance, paragraph 1.24 states clearly that fears that arise on sharing personal information should not hinder promotion of a child’s welfare and safety. All social workers and social care provider thus are required to have an efficient information discernment process to avoid a scenario of neglect in believe that another individual will do the task. Limitations to this guide These provisions however do have limitations. In Wales’s guidance on information sharing is found in chapter 14 of Safeguarding children working together under the Children Act 2004 (PDF). In these guidance paragraph 14.5 overlaps the guidance for professionals in England. It states that â€Å"The safety and welfare of a child or young person must be put into consideration first when making decisions about sharing information about them† and that must be, â€Å"an overriding public interest in disclosing information.† The guidance then further goes on to give the way forward in sharing on information. Paragraph 14.6 states that â€Å"the best way of ensuring that information sharing is properly handled is to work within carefully worked out information-sharing protocols between agencies and professionals involved, and taking legal advice in each case where necessary. Guide to Loss and damage Social workers have been mandated with a legal duty of caring and service providers. In essence these role places the employers with responsibility of paying up damages their employees suffer while in line of duty. In the event those being taken care of suffer adverse damage as a result of social work interference, then they are entitled to sue the social work company for negligence. These may be as a result of physical damage, emotional or psychological damage. While this is the case, the law prohibits the suing of social workers when performing certain statutory functions like safeguarding children. Employers need to understand the times which their employees may be liable to protection under the law and when not. Legislation on discrimination on Personal privacy In line of duty, social workers provide aid services. In order for them to carry out these functions effectively, it is paramount for them to have knowledge of the raft of legislation that protects individuals for discrimination basing on their gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability or ethnicity. These are domestic laws of the United Kingdom and are complemented by European Convention on human right which protects the citizens of the United Kingdom against unjustified state interference with their life. It is always possible for government and social work agencies getting into people’s life when they are not willing. In this event then the public can resort to the human rights protection of privacy and autonomy. Social workers and social work agencies need to have knowledge of the rights and privileges granted to the masses under the European convention for both parties to avoid violating them while at the same time helping individuals who have had their rights contravened The Human rights Human rights are legal obligations that are to be adhered to universally. Human rights are defined as â€Å"the universal right to standard living that is adequate for healthy and well being of individuals and their families.†(Roosevelt 2000, p.5). The global social work perspective embodies this by stating that â€Å"The struggle for dignity and fundamental freedoms, which allows for the full development of human potentials, boils down to two words: human rights.†(IFSW 1996). With this law, special work in the United Kingdom is bound to human rights which are considered sensitive to human race and collective citizenship. The social work must then be conceptualized and sensitized to the culture in which the services are offered. Thus a social worker in England should be able to accept the culture and laws of a state or region in which he/she is working in. Conclusion Social work and social care has a pivotal role in service delivery to the society. This view cannot go unnoticed. The values, ethics of social work such as respect for humanity, equality and service to all have played a major role in helping the less privileged in the United Kingdom. The beneficiaries have included the mentally ill, the old, women and children. The United Kingdom having realized the vital role of social care came up with various laws not only to check but to guide the professionals in their field of work. These laws have been defined in various Acts of parliament, Scholarly publications and various codes of ethics and conduct of the Social work profession. Social workers and social care workers interact with different people on daily basis. In order for a harmonious and efficient system of operation to uphold, these laws and various publications have played a major role. However the legal stipulations have also had a negative side of the story being felt where they h ave had to hamper the operations of social workers and social care practitioners. Technological advancements and constant reviews of challenges that have risen in the working environment of this profession I believe can act as a catalyst to new ideas to command this noble profession to greater heights in the United Kingdom References BRITAIN, G. (2012). Health and social care act 2012: chapter 7. [S.l.], Tso. BRAYNE, H., CARR, H. (2012). Law for social workers. Oxford, Oxford University Press. BRITAIN, G. (2012). Health and social care act 2012: chapter 7. [S.l.], Tso. BARNARD, A., HORNER, N., WILD, J. (2008). The value base of social work and social care. Maidenhead, England, Open University Press. ROOSEVELT, E. (2000). Universal declaration of human rights in English, Spanish, French, Chinese, Russian, Arabic. Bedford, Mass, Applewood Books. HEALY, L. M. (2008). International social work: professional action in an interdependent world. Oxford, Oxford University Press. REAMER, F. G. (2006). Social work values and ethics. New York, Columbia University Press. BERNSTEIN, P. (1997). American work values: their origin and development. New York, State Univ. of New York Press.BANKS, S. (2012). Ethics and values in social work. Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan. (2004). Children Act 2004: Explanatory notes. [S.l.], Stationery Office. Source document

The Dragon Enters the War :: essays research papers

The Dragon Enters the War In June 1950, a few months after the announcement of the Beijing-Moscow alliance, the Korean crisis erupted. Early in October, shortly after the South Korean troops crossed the 38th parallel, the CCP made a final decision to enter the Korean War to fight the American-led international forces. What precipitated Beijing's decision to invade Korea? What were the CCP's motives and objectives in taking part in the Korean conflict ? What kind of role did the newly established Sino-Soviet alliance play in Beijing's decision to cross the Yalu River? This paper tries to answer those questions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Chinese ideogram for crisis is a combination of the ideograms for danger and opportunity. To the leaders of the People’s Republic of China, the Korean War was both. As the UN forces advanced north toward the Yalu, Beijing prepared for war. Mao still found the decision to go to war a difficult one, however, despite the pressure to intervene. Following the Inchon landings, Kim Il Sung had dispatched two of his top aides to Beijing and asked Mao for emergency help, but the Chinese were not ready to make any firm commitment. Stalin, following the landings, also pleaded with the Chinese to go to the aid of the North Koreans. According to Chinese sources, the Soviet leader promised to provide air cover for the Chinese troops and to send Russian troops in the event the Chinese army faltered. Still, Mao hesitated. Most disturbing to Mao, if the Chinese armies intervened and were pushed back would Stalin really send troops as promised in order to save China? Als o of concern, if China became involved in a war with the United States, China’s dependence on Stalin would inevitably grow, an unsavory thought to Mao. Finally, all hope of conquering Taiwan would vanish indefinitely.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Despite his hesitance, step-by-step Mao moved closer to intervention. On October 1, Sdtalin telegraphed Mao and encouraged him to send â€Å"volunteer† Chinese soldiers into North Korea for the purpose of defending the area north of the 38th Parallel. On October 2, Mao directed the Chinese Politburo to pass a resolution to send these Chinese troops into North Korea, beginning on October 15. The same day, Mao cabled Stalin of China’s decision to send volunteers into Korea to â€Å"fight the United States and its lackey Syngman Rhee.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although Chinese preparations for war accelerated, Mao refused to give the green light, perhaps held back by the reservations expressed by some of the other members of the Politburo.

Things They Carried Essay: The Man I Killed -- Things They Carried Ess

The Man I Killed in The Things They Carried  Ã‚   Much can be interpreted by what people write.   The great thing about interpretations is that different writings can be interpreted differently.   Just like in the writings by Tim O'Brien.   His book titled "The Things They Carried," is a very deep and touching collection of stories about the Vietnam War.   The book is written, as a whole under the title "The Things They Carried," but is a collection of many people’s experiences in this destructive war.   One story that is a touching and very intriguing is titled, "The Man I Killed."   If anyone knows anything about Vietnam it is that many lives where lost in this disastrous war.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All through school students are taught the very top layer of the telling of this war.   Such as dates, places that the war took place, and straight statistics of the war.   The parts that are left out are the tragedies, and the permanent scars the war left.   Students are told about the number of deaths that occurred, but they are not told about the lives that were affected, or how disturbing the war r...

Interpersonal Communication Essay

My name is Tralisa King and I am writing to inform you that I have received your letter and would first, like to congratulate and wish you, both well in your new ventures as a family in Holy matrimony. I understand that you would like my advice on producing a long – lasting and happy relationship. I do feel the need to advise you, that I am not a relationship therapist by any means. However, as you both are aware, I have taken a course in interpersonal communication and would be more than happy to provide you with as much knowledge as possible that I have obtained from this course. I hope that based on what I have learned in class, the articles I have read, and my personal experiences you will find some of my advice to be informative or at least gain enough interpersonal communication skills needed to resolve any issues that may arise in your relationships in the future. â€Å"Communication is not simply the exchange of words and information; it is the means through which we share knowledge, thoughts, ideas, and feelings with other people. Interpersonal communication is the way people connect with other people.† (Sole, 2011) Learning to communicate effectively can and most likely will be the foundation, you both will need in order to develop, maintain and/or keep a productive, calm, and strong relationship and/or marriage. Communication is a skill that is never perfected, I have been married for over twenty years and if it had not been for the grace of God and learning to build our marriage on the foundation of communication, I do not think our marriage would have lasted. Although we have found a way to communicate, communication remains a work in progress and there are times when our communication is not up to par. Recognizing how words have the power to create and affect attitudes, behavior, and perception: Words are very powerful and if not used correctly can cause a physical as well as a mental drain upon one’s marriage. Words have a way of bringing out the best and/or the worst in a person. Even the Bible speaks of the power of words in several passages throughout the scriptures. . Sometimes it is not the word alone, it can be the way in which the word is represented that can bring out the best and/or worst in people. The word Ni—r for example, although I am a black female, I do not use this word nor do I allow it to be used in my presence without addressing my disapproval of the word. I have never based my life on what others say, think or feel about me. However, I would be lying to myself if I did not admit that there are still things including certain words that create an immediate emotional and/ or physical reaction if approached to me incorrectly. My children on the other hand, use this word relentlessly while speaking with their friends but are ready to fight at the drop of a dime if called that of a Caucasian person. There are females that get offended by the word B—ch, however this is a word that does not offended me regardless of the presentation, not saying that it shouldn’t offend me; I’m just saying it don’t.. I remember as a child, when being teased by someone, my parents would say, â€Å"words never hurt anyone.† However, todays’ bullying is proving that words can kill. Words and the way in which we use them can have an effect on others behavior, attitude, and perception of not only you but also themselves. â€Å"Negative connotations often act as triggers to derail your interpersonal communication. We all have trigger word’s that create an immediate emotional reaction when we hear them† (Sole 2011) By understanding the power of one’s words and learning away to use, those without offending the other can help to defuse any argument, misunderstanding or anything else that would eventually lead to hatred or possibility of divorce. Remember, one can apologize for the words they say but they cannot take it back; and being forgiven by your partner does not mean that your partner will forget. Listening -develop strategies for active, critical, and empathic listening-Perceptions, Emotions, and Nonverbal Communication One is generally born with some sort of interpersonal communication, such as a baby crying. Generally, a baby crying is their way of letting one know that they are displaying some type of discomfort. After a while, one’s way of listening allows them to decipher that baby’s cry, understand their need and/or discomfort and act accordingly. A baby also uses non-communication, such as responding to a familiar voice or sound, which they often associate with care such as food, warmth, or a touch perhaps. This is also true in a marriage, the longer you are married the more nonverbal communication, and you are likely to develop. â€Å"Nonverbal communication is defined as the communication of a message without words; which means that it encompasses a wide range of vocal and visual signs and behaviors† (Sole, 2011) I am famous for rolling my eyes, walking off, or simply giving a person a blank stare when I don’t agree with them or simply just not wanting to be bothered. Misunderstanding is often due to one’s body language; although my body language often is a response to the situation at hand, this is not necessarily true for my husband. My husband has an annoying habit of sucking his teeth sarcastically when he does not agree, he does this so much, that at times I am not sure he notice he is doing it. Tammy it is important to decipher your husband’s intent of his body movement; because we as women have, the tendency of jumping into conclusion and like my husband it could be a simple habit, vice versa for you Bill. It is also important that the two of you develop an effective strategy for active, critical, and empathic listening. â€Å"Researchers report that most of us spend more time listening than we do talking; however, most people have had little education on how to be an effective listener, which requires focus and attention.† (Sole, 2011) While most people think they are fairly good listeners, studies show that the majority of people listen poorly and inefficiently (Lee & Hatesohl, 1993) (Sole, 2011) Mr. and Mrs. Jones I have learned that, how one listens can and most likely will have an impact upon the way in which one communicates. At the same time, how well one listens’ can have an impact on the sincere qualities they develop in their marriage and/or relationship with others. It is the failure to listen that causes a lot of mis-communication and is one of the main factors of many divorces. I also have learned in my studies how to distinguish four types in the way in which one listens. The first is comprehension listening, which is listening to obtain some type of knowledge, more likely to be done in a meeting, seminar, or group of discussion (classroom environment of some sort). The second type is evaluative listening; this is listening to someone who is trying to pre-sway another in complying with his or her thoughts, ideas and/or opinions. â€Å"In these conversations, it is important that you listen for the speaker’s main points and determine their strengths and weaknesses so that you can formulate an effective response such as countering the arguments or presenting important points that the speaker may not have included.† (Sole, 2011). Although this is good in some cases, I do not suggest you use this type of listening when it comes to communicating with each other because it may make the other feel attacked, which they will feel the need to defend th emselves or cause them to become withdrawn when communicating. The third type of listening is empathic listening, which I highly recommend for the two of you. This is something my husband and I practice a lot it allows us to connect and gives us a better understanding of each other’s thoughts without judgment for the most part†¦ Last but not least , appreciative listening, I recommend this also because is show that you are interested in each other and interested in what each other have to say. Not only did I learn four types of listening, I also learned that there is a process that â€Å"requires six distinct components† (Sole, 2011) when it comes to listening, which are: ïÆ'˜â€Å"Motivating oneself to listen† (Sole, 2011) – This entails keeping an open mind, being attentive at all times, being aware of the nonverbal communication such as movements, eye contact, facial expression or anything else that is accompanied with the discussion at hand. â€Å"Clearly Hearing the Message† (Sole, 2011) – Ma ke sure you can clearly hear what the person is saying and try to eliminate any noise that may be a distraction to you at that time. â€Å"Paying Attention† (Sole, 2011) – try not to speak while the other is talking and focus on what the person is saying rather than focusing on your response. ïÆ'˜â€Å"Interpreting the Message† – â€Å"To correctly interpret a message, you must know what the symbols mean to the person who is using them, and we all interpret symbols differently.† (Sole, 2011) I believe this is more of a written message than it is for a fact to face conversation†¦ ïÆ'˜â€Å"Evaluating the Message† – â€Å"When you have heard and attended to a message and then interpreted it, you must then decide what you think or feel about that information. The results of this evaluation usually determine how you will respond.† (Sole, 2011) On a personal note, I am not sure how one can do this and remain attentive to the discussion because it would seem that one would be more focus on the response than they would the conversation. ïÆ'˜â€Å"Remembering and responding Appropriate† – This should happen at the end of the discussion once the speaker has finished expressing himself or herself. At this time the other should ask any question necessary to get a complete understanding, it is important to never assume anything because the inaccurate assumption is a sure way to bring confusion into your relationship. Once you have established the skill of effective listening, it becomes a little easier to solve and/or avoid communication problems. Trust and self-disclosure Trust is another key element in one’s marriage. In order to build trust one must be willing to expose oneself to self- disclosure. I recently did a report in my class on an article â€Å"Can We Talk?† by Nara Schoenberg, which spoke about the importance of communication. In my report, I spoke of trust and self – disclosure. I stated, â€Å"I do believe that finding new ways to communicate can help to develop a stronger relationship. I also believe that the quality, as well as the quantity of communication is the foundation in which a relationship is built on. One also needs truth and understanding. Knowing that the discussion one is having is based on pure truth is of great importance; being dishonest to spare another’s feelings or to cover up something is just as bad as not speaking at all. One must also have an open mind when conversing, being able to understand the difference of opinion and not focusing on who is wrong or right helps to establish a common ground and growth. With all this being said, I do agree that sharing one’s feelings, fears, doubts and perceptions can help to build a healthy and happy relationship of any kind. At the same time, it can also be dangerous placing this much information or trust in someone that may because you harm†¦ Self- disclosure increases trust within the relationship because it provides â€Å"understanding of your inner thoughts and feelings will significantly impact how you see others, especially with your spouse, who will increase your ability to share your innermost feelings. (Sole, 2011). However, I feel the need to advise you that I feel one must have complete trust with the other before taking this step. My marriage did not have this in the beginning, it took a little time for us to build this type of trust in each other because this consist of sharing one’s private feelings and sometimes secretes that only you know about yourself. Once these feelings and secrets are exposed to the other, it leaves you vulnerable which depending on your partners’ intent could either bring you people closer or tear you apart. Do not get me wrong it was not that I did not trust my husband in the begging, I honestly felt uncomfortable with being vulnerable to anyone including him. Having said this, if you genuinely love each other, there is a strong possibility that you will begin sharing things you would never have shared before without giving it a second thought. The discrepancy I had with the article was Orbuch’s advice was to â€Å"consider setting aside 10 minutes a day for quality conversations.† (Schoenberg, N. 2011, January 17). This suggestion may be good for couples that have been away from each other or if someone in the relationship had an event that has happened to them that, they would like to share with their spouse. However, I work at home and my husband does as well because of this, we are together for the majority of the day and although we love each other’s company, there are times we just like to share our time together in complete silence or talking about things that has no value, like a TV show or trashing talking while playing pool. Most importantly there are times we just want to be left alone. Whatever the case may be, I feel that this approach varies depending upon the couple, the environment and/or the situation. I stated in that report, â€Å"In order to have the type of communication that the article speaks of, one must first have a full understanding of consistent quality communication because there are many ways one can define quality communication; there will never be a sure conclusion or a quick fix when it comes to communicating within a relationship.† (King 2012) Had I been talking to my sister or husband they would have understood this concept in depth. Due to the fact I was speaking in general my teacher advised me â€Å"I failed to include supporting details or examples to bring validity to my claim.† (Miller, 2012) In which I feel she was 100% right. However, this proves that one’s approach varies depending upon the environment and/or the situation. Regardless of the impact or lack of this article had on me, I do recommend that the both of you read this article and share your thoughts it may have a different outcome, and give you a better insight on the importance of self-disclosure. Other articles I think can be beneficial in your marriage are; â€Å"Shared Talking Styles Herald New and Lasting Romance† (Bower, 2010) â€Å"speaks about conversation and the impact it has or can have in one’s relationship and/ or friendship. The article talks about a variety of studies done such as speed dating†¦. Within that experiment, they found that† (King 2012) â€Å"opposite – sex are more likely to express mutual interest when using similar speaking styles than those who differ.† (Bower, 2010)â€Å" Another study showed that young couples in a committed relationship, whom used similar writing styles during 10 days of instant – messaging chats, we’re likely to stay together.† (Bower, 2010) and the article, â€Å"Close Relationships Sometimes Mask Poor Communication† (Health Day News 2011) show how one’s communication with others, lack of communicational skills. This article speaks of a study done on married couples that explored the amount of mis-communication or lack of communication one may have in their relationship. Although the researchers pointed out some valuable information they gained from their studies, they left much to be questioned when it comes to communication in one’s marriage. Identify the barriers to effective interpersonal interactions†¦ Interpersonal communication barriers compose a negative impact in our everyday life on the way we interact with others; rather it is in our jobs, with our friends or our family life. Reason being, we are all different therefore we all have different personalities, emotions, our priorities differ as well as our emotions. It is difficult to identify all the things that create Interpersonal communication barriers, however, I believe that the root of the problem when entering or within a marriage consist of personal emotions, lack of desire to participate and/or explore in conversation. Emotional barriers in a marriage are the hardest thing to conquer. This is because one’s feeling and/or emotions are more likely the ultimate way in which one bases their decision. The problem with this is one’s feeling and/or emotions are comprised of the things that surround us, such as little sleep, anxiety, problems at work, or just generally having a bad day. That one bad day can lead to a bad decision or unintentionally building barriers to protect our feelings and /or emotions. Working on improving your interpersonal skills will allow you to identify each other’s barrier. Once you are able to identify the barrier of your significant other, approach them with it by asking questions to find the cause of the barrier. In a relationship, it is important to break the barriers as soon as possible. The two other barriers you will want to avoid in your relationship lack of desire to participate and/or explore in conversation. The fastest way to ignite an argument and possible build permanent barriers between one another is when one is trying to communicate with the other and your partner is clearly not interested in what you have to say; one not being willing to explore is the other. The unwillingness to acknowledge the possibility of your spouse ideas, opinions, and priorities can cause them to feel belittled and guarded. Keep in mind this is what you are trying to avoid†¦ Remember, there is no permanent solution in obtaining a perfect marriage but as all things in life, a successful marriage requires patients, self-control, and determination and the more you practice the easier it becomes.