Economic Forces And Effects Of Globalization In Tourism Industry Essay

Economic Forces And Effects Of Globalization In Tourism Industry - Essay Example The major factor in the tourism industry is the â€Å"tourist,† who by some is defined as a person, or people who travel, and stay in places outside their usual areas of residence for a period of more than twenty-four hours. The tourism industry comprises of the different types of facilities and services offered to tourists within a destination, or country for those â€Å"tourists.† For example, air transportation, hotels, and accommodation, restaurants, bars, cafes just to mention a few all of which are used in boosting the level of tourism within a country or destination. Therefore, the international tourism involves movements across borders for at least one stay in the foreign country for different purposes. These include business, leisure, visiting friends and relatives, international conferences, or seminars, and other purposes. This report deals with short-term movement of international tourists across borders for the reasons mentioned herein. The international to urism industry is worth an estimate of $856 billion in 2011, representing a growth of 1.7% per year over the past five years. However, the growth shadows a strong declined of 3.6% experienced in 2009 as the global economy succumbed to recession leading to a sharp fall in tourism in international tourism numbers.... This massive economic development resulting from tourism has both positive and negative consequences. Economic forces and effects of globalization play a significant role in shaping trends in the tourism industry. Economic forces refer to factors such as nature of the economic system in a country, demographic changes, employment, fiscal and monetary policies, rate of inflation, and interest rates which determines the state of the competitive environment in which a firm or industry operates. These factors affect the outcomes of a firm’s marketing activities, by determining the strength and volume of demand for its products and services. For example, increase in employment rates in a destination results into increased demand products and services. Globalization is the process of development toward an increasingly integrated global economy and characterized by free low of capital, free trade, and the tapping of cheap labor from foreign markets. Globalization also entails improvem ent of labor standards and practices resulting into quality services within the tourism and hospitality industry. With the ever increasing trend toward open and free economies, hospitality organizations such as Hilton Hotels has been able to gain from globalization that has created less trade regulations allowing the hotel to open and operate more chains globally. In addition, Hilton can acquire its supplies from all over the world without incurring more expenses resulting from trade barriers. Globalization has spread the materialistic culture common with the Westernized world and implementing values previously associated with the western culture. This has enabled the hotel chain to benefit economically from its chains established

The Comparison of Tyack and Dewey Essay Example for Free

The Comparison of Tyack and Dewey Essay In your own words, summarize each chapter in Tyack and Cuban’s Tinkering Toward Utopia. Write one sentence for each chapter in your own words. Do not include any quotations. Prologue: Learning from the Past Reformers today need to focus on ways to help teachers improve instruction  from the inside out. Chapter 1: Progress or Regress? Progress or regress, we are still left with the problem of those who live in poverty. Chapter 2: Policy Cycles and Institutional Trends Changes in schools do show some cycles, but most of the messages remain the same. Chapter 3: How Schools Change Reforms If teachers would be more involved while collaborating and sharing information there could be more effective school reform. Chapter 4: Why the Grammar of Schooling Persists The Grammar of schooling provided a stable structure for a vast number of people. Chapter 5: Reinventing Schooling Reinventing schooling is correcting and continuing what is best about our present system. Epilogue: Looking toward the Future Education is a process of recycling democracy to create a healthy common good in society. Tyack and Cuban’s â€Å"grand theory† or â€Å"big idea†: Education can change society. Read your summary sentences carefully. Write one succinct paragraph sharing what Tyack and Cuban’s main ideas are regarding the assumptions and purposes of public education, the politicization of public education, and the interaction of social change and school reform. You will demonstrate that you have been a critical reader as you capture the essence of Tyack and Cuban’s ideas during this period of their writing. Tyack and Cuban felt that one of the purposes of education was to change society. Their thoughts are that changes in schools show cycles based on trends, but messages remain the same. Reformers today need to focus on ways to help teachers improve instruction from the inside out. Education is a process of recycling democracy to create a healthy common good in society.

Research Methods Essay -- Research Analysis

Research Methods 3 Introduction E-business is an issue that has been extremely popular for the past couple of years; after introduction of the internet, many corporations were undecided on whether to use the opportunity. However, this concept has slowly been accepted and many companies are using the opportunity to expand the popularity of their brands. However, E-business has a couple of challenges that need to be tackled in order to make internet business safe and reliable. The following research proposal will look into the possible methods of investigating into the vulnerability of consumers of online products. Background information Many corporations have gone online to market and sell their products and consumers are increasingly engaging in E-business. Business has shifted from the traditional over-the-shelf method to the contemporary internet based businesses, with consumers and companies communicating and carrying out transactions online. This has however created an opportunity for hackers and other online criminals who create replicas of genuine websites by altering a single digit for hosting to be possible; these fraudsters have managed to rip off unsuspecting consumers of their money pretending to be the genuine companies. Hacking of credit card details online and taking massive cash from the consumers illegally using rogue technology, creates a question of how vulnerable the consumers are and the amount of personal information the consumers should provide to avoid this vice from taking place. Research Questions and Objectives The following research is meant to develop an understanding on the level of vulnerability of online consumers. In addition, the research is meant to rate the level of preparedness of onlin... ...easing or decreasing and statistical tools used to eliminate errors in the findings. Works Cited Arora, K. (2011). How to protect online content from theft. Retrieved from http://www.quickonlinetips.com/archives/2011/05/protect-online-content-theft/ BBC. (2010). E-crime police arrest 19 over UK online bank theft. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11431989 Identity Theft Technology Council. (2005). Online identity theft: Phishing technology, chokepoints and countermeasures. Las Vegas, NV: Identity Theft Technology Council. Mccurry, M. (2011). Congress must combat online theft. Retrieved from http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0611/56984.html Onguardonline. (2011). Identity theft. http://www.onguardonline.gov/topics/identity-theft.aspx Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2009). Online identity theft. Washington, DC: OECD.

Face and Social Media Essay

#1: Product – not just another knock-off Competing only on price was not what XiaoMi has chosen as their core strategy. Surely, their phones and tablets are cheaper than Apple’s and Samsung’s but, by far, not the cheapest ones in the market. There are cheaper smartphones that flood China, however all of them have a major flow – poor quality. Essentially, those devices are reverse-engineered versions of Samsung models built from cheaper materials. By coming up with a good quality phone at lower price range was the key strategic move that put XiaoMi firmly on the map. The phone has a robust case, high quality screen and a reasonable battery. It doesn’t break easily, unlike cheaper copycats that start having issues after just a few months of use. By building it’s own Android-based OS called MIUI, XiaoMi phones got new exciting features not found on standard Android devices as well as plenty of customization options. #2: Price – pay less now, pay more later XiaoMi has also realized that selling cheaper phones near their actual cost was not a sustainable long term strategy, so they decided to go with the Amazon’s model – just cover the cost of the devices and make money from selling content. Although, XiaoMi is often compared to Apple, especially considering the fact that their founder, Lei Jun, resembles Steve Jobs in his style and charisma, it is clear that XiaoMi’s true inspiration comes from Amazon. Also, XiaoMi mostly sells online which further reduces cost of sales and overheads related to brick and mortar stores or dealing with distributors and retailers. XiaoMi has also managed to harness the power of social media by not only broadcasting their messages and announcements but by actively engaging with their customers. Engineers are routinely encouraged to speak directly to consumers and use gathered feedback to refine software. #3: Place – gain strength at home first Although there are rumors of XiaoMi’s inevitable coming to North American and European markets, the company seems to stay focused on China with 97% of the shipments locally. It has been mentioned that their next target will be in South East Asia and, most likely, other BRIC countries. Recently, ex-Google executive, Hugo Barra, who himself hails from Brazil, has become new XiaoMi’s international face. It seems that the company is not in a rush to  go to more developed markets dominated by Apple and Samsung and prefers staying focused in its home base where the market is still booming. Perhaps, potential IP related troubles stemming from frequent accusations of possible infringements, also play role in choosing to stay away from US and EU for now. #4: Promotion – the power of word of mouth OK, this one got to be my favorite so I have to break it down. First of all, early on, they have pioneered flash style sales which were done with little or no advertising. Flash sales basically mean selling limited quantities during limited periods. They always create anticipation and urgency – great factors to win consumers’ minds and hearts. Needless to say, the units were sold quickly and talked over a lot all over China’s vibrant social media. Word of mouth marketing worked very well for XiaoMi and they continue to take full advantage of it. #5: Promotion – active use of social media XiaoMi has also managed to harness the power of social media by not only broadcasting their messages and announcements but by actively engaging with their customers. Engineers are routinely encouraged to speak directly to consumers and use gathered feedback to refine software. #6: Promotion – dedicated brand advocates Through its active role in social media, XiaoMi has also succeeded in building a dedicated fan base. Those Mi-fans are very active in social media and are, in some ways, similar to those hardcore Apple advocates that we are all familiar with. Mi-fans are always present at XiaoMi’s product launches where they are known for loud cheering and applauding. #7: Promotion – CEO as the face of the brand Last but not least, XiaoMi’s charismatic boss, Lei Jun, does a great job in making his brand look cool and current. He has put a face to a brand, something that traditional executives in China wouldn’t feel comfortable doing. Lei Jen’s similarity to Steve Jobs in the ways he talks about the brand is not a coincidence – the late Apple’s founder still holds an almost iconic image among Chinese.

Intel Corporation Essay

Intel Corporation Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore Founded Intel in 1968. The two scientists had a vision for semiconductor memory products. In the year of 1971, the first microprocessor was shown to the world. Today Intel continues to grow not only in computer technology, but in the scientific areas of chemistry. Intel has reached out and opened doors to the world offering education, inspiration, communication and careers. The article I read is one that reads how Intel is making a better future and touches the lives of many; including a Colorado girl who received $100,000 Intel first prize; Sara Volz is a high school senior who has cultivated populations of algae in hopes to create a more feasible bio-fuel for the future. (Hauser, 2013) I find this article intriguing in a couple ways, first the brilliant minds at work in science and technology, and that Intel is helping and inspiring these brilliant minds to grow build their company in an un-self-serving way. Intel is a Corporation, which is defined as a legal structure that enables individuals to contribute and pool resources, capital, and labor in order to generate a profit. They are created by state law in the stated in which they are incorporated. Intel Corporation makes strenuous efforts to interact with their stakeholders, providing information profiles, biographies and documents on their website. Intel is the world’s largest semiconductor chip maker; the products they manufacture are computing and communication components like motherboards and wireless products. Intel strives to make the best product offering, service at your finger tips, extended service warranty, technical support, and Intel server parts on shop Intel. (Intel, 2013) Intel’s offers this globally to the B2B market and the consumer market. Intel Corporation holds about 80% of the market for microprocessors that go into the computers components most use today. Being number one Intel has competition in the computing and technology world, for example; International Business Machines, AKA (IBM). IBM the top providers of computer products and services the company focuses on service business and is one of the biggest providers of semiconductors. IBM also serves customers globally across most industries. (CNN money, 2012) Another competitor is  Advanced Micro Devices inc. (AMD). AMD is ranked number two in PC and server microprocessors, although Intel takes the world of processor market AMD gets most its sales internationally, china accounting for over half making it one of Intel’s biggest competitors. Intel’s motivates their employees by offering, Flexible Work Options; this gives employees flexibility in their schedules with telecommuting, part time, and job share opportunities to fit the needs in their pers onal lives. Family Focus offer childcare, and eldercare. Personal and professional development, Intel wants its employees to grow and helps with offering seminars tuition reimbursement, clubs, and career training courses. Last but not least their excellent coverage and preventive care, Health and Wellness Program to be proactive. The benefits and motivational factors may be one of the reasons Intel’s turnover rate is low. Intel saw 3% or less of their employees leave voluntarily during a 12-month period when surveyed. (CNN money, 2012) Intel corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) last price today is 23.96 on May 02, 2013. The highest was May 02, 2012 at a price of 29.18 and its lowest was November 20, 2012 at stock price of 19.36 (CNN money, 2012). Stock price has fluctuated at Intel over the past year but today is on its way back up. When buying shares of stock a decision is based on how well corporation and their profits are doing. In 2012, economic conditions were low, the increase in the job market means an increase in housing, and buying when people are buying like they are today in 2013 one is more likely to take a risk in corporate profits buying in stock (LIM, 2012) Ten years from now Intel will still be going strong. According to Gordon E Moore, Intel’s Co-founder a visionary wrote a paper in 1965 the paper notes in observation that the number of components in integrated circuits had doubled every year over and would continue. (AKA, Moore’s Law). According to the International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors the trend is expected to continue with a bit of slowing at the end of 2013. Intel is a large corporation that is growing every day, creating employee partnership, giving not only to the community, but to communities around the world, and making a huge difference. Intel Values their employees, the quality of the products they develop, and their customers. Works Cited CNN money. (2012). Retrieved may May 03 2013, 2013, from CNN money top companies: http://money.cnn.com/ Hauser, E. (2013, march 12). New York Times. Retrieved May 03, 2013, from Science, Colorado Student Receives $100,000 Intel First Prize: http://www.nytimes.com/ Intel. (2013, May 2). Intel Corporation. Retrieved 2013 LIM, P. J. (2012, 12 16). The New York Times. Retrieved May May 02, 2013, 2013, from Your money: http://www.nytimes.com/

Jordan 6 Carmine Uk Essay Example

Jordan 6 Carmine Uk Essay Example Jordan 6 Carmine Uk Essay Jordan 6 Carmine Uk Essay Jordan 6 Carmine uk is perhaps the very best sneaker customizer out at this time, and the clientele varying from celebs and sports athletes alike hungry for his signature snakeskin uppers only verifies this. With your a higher interest in his coveted customs, which often range in the $1,000 cost point, can we start to see the popularity of individuals flipping their commissioned custom kicks on eBay? Today we obtain a glance at certainly one of his best releases within this luxurious take on air Jordan 1 Royal removed lower after which put back together with python skin inside a size 10.The Jordans 6 Carmine 2014 has continued to be fairly individually distinct because we last saw the famous first championship silhouette hit this Feb in 2 Infrared payments. Even though the Carmine pair will finish things off for that month of May, particulars continue to be sparse around the red-colored leather pair referred to as History of Jordan Jordans 6. Can it be an homage to Spike Lee because the inner lining includes a Spizike like pattern? Today we obtain another see this mysterious pair having a premium upper while an icy outsole contrasts using the whitened midsole section and sparse accents of eco-friendly.Your Friday evening just would not be complete with no comprehensive rundown out of your buddies at Jordans 6 Carmine uk online regarding which athletic shoes the weekend promises. Here you decide to go all the footwear you have to be worried about for tomorrow are listed the following. The Environment Jordan 2 is returning, the Saucony footwear are particularly deep because of a double lower around the collab route, and you will find three different Kyrie Irving HyperRev pairs.

Caribbean region climate Essays

Caribbean region climate Essays Caribbean region climate Essay Caribbean region climate Essay Introduction ‘’ A tourist who moves about to see and hear and open himself to all influences of the places which condense centuries of human greatness, is only a man in search of excellence ‘’ Max lamer 1990 The study of tourism geography is essential to the tourism industry as it illustrate ways in which man impact the environment and also how the environment influence man. According to wiki pedia , tourism geography is that branch of science which deals with the study of travel and its impact on places This research seek to unfold how the knowledge of the sub sectors of tourism and geography can help the tourism and hospitality industry cater to the psychological demands and purpose of travel of potential tourist Though there are many sub sectors of tourism and geography, the sub sectors that will be my primary focus in this research are as followed: Sub sectors of geography Climatology, biogeography, political geography Sub sectors of tourism Eco tourism, sport tourism, special tourism Sub Sectors of Geography Impact on Tourism Climatology In definition, climatology is the studies of climate scientifically define as weather condition average over a period of time and is the branch of the atmosphere science. en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Climatology For many of the world, climate is the main motivation for attracting visitors; any change in climate affect the resources. In the Caribbean region, we have a tropical climate with little variation in temperature regardless of the time of the year. Jamaica enjoy sunshine all year round with sunshine divided into dry and wet season with the last six month of the year(June November) being the wettest and the first six months (Dec – May) being the driest. The Caribbean hurricane season begins June and end November. With the knowledge of climatology, the tourism and hospitality industry would be able to identify the best time of the year for tourist to visit our country and also know when is the ideal time tourist may want to escape there country just for a while to experience something difference. For example, tourist who is coming to Jamaica for the beautiful weather, relaxation, adventure and a fun-filled vacation may not want to visit Jamaica in the hurricane/wet period which is from May – Nov. Most countries have a fairly good climate at this time of the year so these tourists may have no need to come to Jamaica in that peiod. However, visitors would much prefer to come to Jamaica in the dry period which is from Dec – May, because (in some counties that our tourist come from ) there climate may change from being hot /warm to very cold/ snowy, while in Jamaica our climate remain pretty much the same ,only with less rainfall and no danger of hurricanes Biogeography According to the American heritage science dictionary, biogeography is the scientific study of the geography distribution of plant and animal. Biogeography is essential to tourism as it to seeks enlighten the public about the importance of the existence of species, animal and plants to a country/region and factors affecting the extinction / distribution of it. Today, there is a growing amount of tourist who is interesting in the world of nature. As a result, eco-destinations that informs people about the natural environment and promotes its welfare, has boomed in some countries. A knowledge of biogeography can aid the tourism industry in catering for potential tourist in that, the industry can protect and promote our natural habitant for those tourist whose main purpose of traveling to un-known land, is to enjoy an environment with little/ or no man made damage. Jamaica has many natural resources that is home to many species, plan life, and animals. Example of these are the Negril Marine Park, black river morass, royal palm reserve, dolphin head reserve, ocho rios marine park, cockpit country reserve, port Antonia marine park. One way a tourist and hospitality industry can cater to those environmental fanatic tourists is to promote the blue mountain as adventure tour. Example, an experience tour guides could facilitate a wonderful camping/hiking experience filled with information about the history of the mountain, the wild life and species that is in existence and could still be found in the mountain. Political Geography Political geography is the field of human geography that is concerned with the study of outcomes of political processes and the ways in which political processes are themselves affected by spatial structures. Knowledge of Political geography can help the tourism and hospitality industry cater to potential tourist by educating guest of political changes that is in effect and its impact on the tourist and the industry (if any). E. g. he Tivoli Raid, which causes the country to go into, a state of emergency, tax increase on airfare etc. In the case of the Tivoli operation, the tourism/hospitality industry could educate a potential guest (who may want to visit Jamaica for recreation/relaxation purposes but is however unsure of his/her safety in the country) about the geographical division of the island, and the distance between the parish being affected and the parish of interest to the tourist . Special Event Tourism Special Events Tourism? is the Creation and organization of activities that may or may not be designed for attracting tourists. These may be sporting events, conferences, music and culinary festivals. There are a growing number of special events tin Jamaica that encourage travellers to go to areas to which they may not otherwise go. Many of these events are so successful that they have become national or international attractions. For example, the jazz and blues festival, reggae sum fest and ATI / Dream Weekend were thousands of foreigners come to Jamaica yearly With the knowledge of special event tourism, the hospitality industry can cater to those tourists who want to come to Jamaica for a special even by providing excellent accommodation along with good security with the convenience of transportation to take visitors to and from the event. Promoting special events so that potential guest can be aware of the events o be taking place is another way of catering to the needs of potential visitors, it is also a way in attracting visitors to come to the country all year round. Eco Tourism The International Ecotourism Society defines Ecotourism as:Â   responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people. The tourism and hospitality industry can cater to the physiological needs of those environmental fanatic tourists, by providing guided tours of the countryâ €™s natural environment. e. g. Dolphin cove, Mystic Mountain, May field falls . Ecotourism means education, for both tourists and residents of nearby communities, therefore its essential for the tour guide to be well trained so that he can adequately impart knowledge to the tourist about the natural and cultural history, environment interpretation and ethical principles of the area being toured. Sport Tourism Sport tourism is when an individual and/or groups of people whom actively or passively participate in competitive or recreational sport, whilst travelling to and/or staying in places outside their usual environment (Gammon Robinson, 2003). A sport tourist is among the top ten spending tourists in the world, they are more adventurous, they like to travel, and they tend to take family along since sport is such big entertainment. Ways in which the tourism and hospitality industry can cater to the needs of potential tourist is to set up infrastructures to accommodate major sport activities. Jamaicans are well known in the world for having good sprinters; Jamaican can capitalize on team Jamaica by supporting track events that may attract tourist to visit the island, e. . boys and girl championship, diamond league. On a larger scale, the country could invest into putting up an international stadium that can accommodate e. g. the world Olympics; this would be a boom in sport tourism in Jamaica. References Received by: Tourism geography a new synthesi (bookgoogle. com) Received by: Impact of climate on tourism demand (Hamburg university research by wietze lisel and Richard) fnu. zmaw. e/fileadmin/fnu-files/modelsdata/htm/cctou rism. pdf Received by: Conterbury-nz. academica. edu/island-biogeographic approch Received by: Hospitality Jamaica: legacy from world camps and Olympics hospitalityjamaica. com sportl. html. Received by: sport tourism-Wikipedia free encyclopedia Ministry of tourism www. tourismjamaica. com Tourism geography Sub-sectors of tourism and Geography and how the knowledge of these sub sectors may elp tourism/ hospitality industry to cater for the psychological demands and the purpose of travel for potential tourist. By Kennola Slater ID#:10T10283 An Essay Submitted in Partial Fulfilment for Tourism Geography TOUR2301 as a Requirement in the Hospitality and Tourism Management Programme for the Associate of Science Degree Programme at Excelsior Community College, Jamaica. School of Hospitality Entertainment and Tourism Management Excelsior Community College, Jamaica Lecturer Name: Duane Daley

Basal Ganglia Function and Location

Basal Ganglia Function and Location The basal ganglia are a group of neurons (also called nuclei) located deep within the cerebral hemispheres of the brain. The basal ganglia consist of the corpus striatum (a major group of basal ganglia nuclei) and related nuclei. The basal ganglia are involved primarily in processing movement-related information. They also process information related to emotions, motivations, and cognitive functions. Basal ganglia dysfunction is associated with a number of disorders that influence movement including Parkinsons disease, Huntington disease, and uncontrolled or slow movement (dystonia). Basal Nuclei Function The basal ganglia and related nuclei are characterized as one of three types of nuclei. Input nuclei receive signals from various sources in the brain. Output nuclei send signals from the basal ganglia to the thalamus. Intrinsic nuclei relay nerve signals and information between the input nuclei and output nuclei. The basal ganglia receive  information from the cerebral cortex and thalamus through input nuclei. After the information has been processed, it is passed along to intrinsic nuclei and sent to output nuclei. From the output nuclei, the information is sent to the thalamus. The thalamus passes the information on to the cerebral cortex. Basal Ganglia Function: Corpus Striatum The corpus striatum is the largest group of basal ganglia nuclei. It consists of the caudate nucleus, putamen, nucleus accumbens, and the globus pallidus. The caudate nucleus, putamen, and nucleus accumbens are input nuclei, while the globus pallidus is considered output nuclei. The corpus striatum uses and stores the neurotransmitter dopamine and is involved in the reward circuit of the brain. Caudate Nucleus: These  C-shaped paired nuclei (one in each hemisphere) are located primarily in the frontal lobe region of the brain. The caudate has a head region that curves and extends forming an elongated body that continues to  taper at its tail. The tail of the caudate ends in the temporal lobe at a limbic system structure known as the amygdala. The caudate nucleus is involved in motor processing and planning. It is also involved in memory storage (unconscious and long-term), associative and procedural learning, inhibitory control, decision making, and planning.Putamen: These  large rounded nuclei (one in each hemisphere) are located in the forebrain and along with the caudate nucleus  form the dorsal striatum. The putamen is connected to the caudate nucleus at the  head region of the caudate. The putamen is involved in voluntary and involuntary motor control.Nucleus Accumbens: These  paired nuclei (one in each hemisphere) are located between the caudate nucleus an d putamen. Along with the olfactory tubercle (sensory processing center in the olfactory cortex), the nucleus accumbens forms the ventral region of the striatum. The nucleus accumbens is involved in the brains  reward circuit and behavior mediation. Globus Pallidus: These paired nuclei (one in each hemisphere) are located near the caudate nucleus and putamen. The globus pallidus is divided into internal and external segments and acts as one of the major output nuclei of the basal ganglia. It sends information from basal ganglia nuclei to the thalamus. The internal segments of the pallidus send the majority of output to the thalamus via the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). GABA has an inhibitory effect on motor function. The external segments of the pallidus are intrinsic nuclei, relaying information between other basal ganglia nuclei and internal segments of the pallidus. The globus pallidus is involved in the regulation of voluntary movement. Basal Ganglia Function: Related Nuclei Subthalamic Nucleus: These small paired nuclei are a component of the diencephalon, located just below the thalamus. Subthalamic nuclei receive excitatory inputs from the cerebral cortex and have excitatory connections to the globus pallidus and substantia nigra. Subthalamic nuclei have both input and output connections to the caudate nucleus, putamen, and substantia nigra. The subthalamic nucleus plays a major role in voluntary and involuntary movement. It is also involved in associative learning and limbic functions. Subthalamic nuclei have connections with the limbic system through connections with the cingulate gyrus and nucleus accumbens.Substantia Nigra: This large mass of nuclei is located in the midbrain and is also a component of the brainstem. The substantia nigra is composed of the pars compacta and the pars reticulata. The pars reticulata segment forms one of the major inhibitory outputs of the basal ganglia and assists in the regulation of eye movements. The pars compact a segment is composed of intrinsic nuclei that relay information between input and output sources. It is involved mainly in motor control and coordination. Pars compacta cells contain pigmented nerve cells that produce dopamine. These neurons of the substantia nigra have connections with the dorsal striatum (caudate nucleus and putamen) supplying the striatum with dopamine. The substantia nigra serves numerous functions including controlling voluntary movement, regulating mood, learning, and activity related to the brains reward circuit. Basal Ganglia Disorders Dysfunction of basal ganglia structures results in several movement disorders. Examples of these disorders include Parkinsons disease, Huntington disease, dystonia (involuntary muscle contractions), Tourette syndrome, and multiple system atrophy (neurodegenerative disorder). Basal ganglia disorders are commonly the result of damage to the deep brain structures of the basal ganglia. This damage may be caused by factors such as head injury, drug overdose, carbon monoxide poisoning, tumors, heavy metal poisoning, stroke, or liver disease. Individuals with basal ganglia dysfunction may exhibit difficulty in walking with uncontrolled or slow movement. They may also exhibit tremors, problems controlling speech, muscle spasms, and increased muscle tone. Treatment is specific to the causation of the disorder. Deep brain stimulation, electrical stimulation of targeted brain areas, has been used in the treatment of Parkinsons disease, dystonia, and Tourette syndrome. Sources Lanciego, Josà © L., et al. â€Å"Functional Neuroanatomy of the Basal Ganglia.† Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Dec. 2012.Parr-Brownlie, Louise C., and John N.J. Reynolds. â€Å"Basal Ganglia.† Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica, Inc., 19 June 2016.Wichmann, Thomas, and Mahlon R. DeLong. â€Å"Deep-Brain Stimulation for Basal Ganglia Disorders.† Basal Ganglia, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2011.

Competition Law And Consumer Protection Case Study

Competition Law And Consumer Protection - Case Study Example Consumers are now defined as people who buy for purposes unrelated to their trade, business or profession. As per the statute, consumers have to be sold goods of satisfactory quality, after taking into account description, price and other relevant circumstances. If an item is defective at the time of sale, which is referred to as a latent or inherent fault, then the consumer lodge a complaint on the discovery of such a defect. Consumers will not be entitled to a legal remedy in respect of: The condition as set out in The Sale of Goods Act 1979, in respect of merchantable quality of the goods, specifies that the implied terms, "where the seller sells goods in the course of a business, there is an implied term that the goods supplied under the contract are of merchantable quality except that there is no such condition." In Thornett & Fehr v Beer & Son, the buyer bought some barrels of vegetable glue from the seller without properly inspecting the contents, though every opportunity for doing so was offered by the seller. The court decided that if there has been some examination then the buyer cannot complain about defects which a full examination would have revealed4. The Sale of Goods Act 1979 defines implied terms with regard to reasonable fitness of purpose as the sale of goods by a seller in the course of a business and the buyer, expressly or by implication, makes it known to the seller or where the purchase price or part of it is payable by installments and the goods were previously sold by a credit broker to the seller to that credit broker5. In Griffiths v Peter Conway ltd, it was held by the court that special purpose must be communicated expressly or by implication6. This was also reiterated in Slater v Finning7. If there is only one purpose for which something is bought then the fitness of its purpose is implied.

Health facility maintenance Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Health facility maintenance - Coursework Example Wear and tear additionally reduces the usable life of machines and other medical equipment. Regular maintenance of medical equipment ensures that energy is conserved and that the equipment usable life is extended leading to optimal efficiency. Maintenance also allows defects to be detected early, thereby preventing emergency repairs that affect the smooth running of activities. Most Medical equipment is used to attend to people. Lack of maintenance can cause serious injuries to both the operators and the patients being attended to. Inadequacy in the hospital or medical equipment can cause more problems if not maintained regularly. For any avoidance of injury, it is of paramount importance that medical administration individuals ensure that equipment are maintained at the top most standards. In this regard, the hospital management can schedule regular maintenance checks for those machines that are seldom used, therefore keeping the machinery as good as new. Machinery maintenance is only one part of ensuring that accidents do not happen. On the other hand, staff members need to be trained on equipment safe work practices to avoid catastrophes. Having a machine working in the best condition is not enough. Individuals working on them need to know the best way of working with them to avoid wrongful

The Situation at the Credit Analysis Department of the Bank Case Study - 15

The Situation at the Credit Analysis Department of the Bank - Case Study Example While pursuing her post-graduate studies, Emily worked as a manager in a branch of a convenience store near her school. It is the only work experience she has but the Bank believed that she is very qualified to be the head of their Credit Analysis Department because of her educational background. Emily shared the same sentiment with the bank manager. Her subordinates, however, think otherwise. Arthur Craig, the supervisor of the department who worked with the same unit for two years now was disappointed about the bank’s decision to hire someone from outside instead of promoting someone from within the department. Arthur thought all the while that he will be the one appointed. All the other employees in the department were sympathetic to Arthur and believed that he was more qualified than Emily. This is the situation that Emily has to deal with starting from her first day of office. As days went by, Arthur and the other department employees refused to cooperate with Emily. They did not welcome the changes that Emily introduced in the department. Her subordinates feel that she does not have the necessary experience to lead them. Arthur and the other employees vowed to make life difficult for her. Questions for Discussion: 1. Do you think that the Bank was justified in hiring Emily as the Manager of the Credit Analysis Department? Why? 2.What steps should Emily take to gain the trust of her subordinates and prove to them that she is worthy of the position? 3.How should the Bank handle the situation at the Credit Analysis Department? 4. Are Arthur and the other employees of the Credit Analysis Department being reasonable in dealing with Emily? Why?

Underachievement in gifted and talented children Essay - 1

Underachievement in gifted and talented children - Essay Example s that relate to academic motivation and the special needs that may correlate to students’ challenges that may be inconspicuous to many classroom educators. In this regard, this paper aims at forming a critical analysis of the factors that underlie underachievement in talented students with a view of presenting some precise interventions to address the issue. Underachievement can be defined as the demonstration of a severe discrepancy between the anticipated achievements or results and the actual achievements in talented or gifted children or students. In this regard, the expected results are measured by intellectual or cognitive ability evaluations or some standardized achievement test scores. On the other hand, the actual results are measured by teacher evaluations or class scores in the classroom set-up. In order for a child to be regarded as an underachiever, the difference between the projected and the observed accomplishment need not be the unswerving outcome of an identified learning infirmity. Therefore, talented underachievers often exhibit superior scores on assessments of expected achievement (Mc Coach, 2000: p. 157). Majority of the recent research studies that have investigated the characteristics of underachieving children have placed much focus on the clinical, qualitative, and single-subject research methodology. The studies, such as Sousa (2009), Cassady (2010), and Callahan and Davis (2012), have documented several causes of underachievement in gifted children. According to these studies, the most common factors associated with underachievement in talented children include the following; The determination on why some high potential students exhibit low levels of achievement is often challenging since underachievement is precipitated by varying reasons (Callahan, & Davis, 2012). Nevertheless, practitioners and scholars have to explore the causes of underachievement in order o come with succinct solutions. Firstly, it is important to understand

Implementation of Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Implementation of Project Management - Essay Example Founded essentially as an automotive component manufacturer, the company started manufacturing electronic components for the military during the Gulf war. Soon after the Gulf war the company emerged a major component supplier for the space programme and when that business segment did not grow well, the company embarked upon the production of various other items relating to energy management, building products and machine tools in addition to automotive components. With a turnover of $ 600 million, the automotive components manufacture remained the major business activity of Hyten Corporation. The coordination of any new project or a new product from concept to market is the responsibility the ‘Business Development Department’ started to substitute the non-existent project management department. The business development department was taking decisions on the undertaking of any new products or services in a crude way based on macro factors like economic and industry indica tors without really going into the other details of the product or service. The activities of the department were conducted through informal meetings of the functional directors and the manpower for the department was met with people both from within and outside the organisation. With a view to redefine the functions of the business development department as a full fledged project management department Wilbur Donley, with five years experience as a project manager was hired by Hyten Corporation. When the process of establishing the formal project department in Hyten Corporation, there were different ideas and views expressed by the various departments of the company about the implementation of the project management which are summarized below: 3.0 General Observations on the Introduction of Project Management in Hyten Corporation: As a result of the discussion between Wilbur Donley, the project manager, Frank Harrel, the Manger for quality and reliability and George Hub, the Manager of manufacturing engineering the following points about the integration of formal project management in Hytel Corporation emerged: Presently due to lack of coordination among different departments, the marketing and manufacturing departments do not understand and appreciate the functions of the quality department

Industries and technology both have hurt and helped our enviornment Essay

Industries and technology both have hurt and helped our enviornment - Essay Example The first wave took place in the late 1700’s, bringing industrial improvements to textiles, iron, water and power systems and mechanization. The second wave brought about steam power, trains and steel production. Next, in the 1900’s, came electricity, chemicals and cars. By the middle of the 20th century, the emerging innovations were petroleum, the space race and electronics. In the most recent years, known as the digital age, society has witnessed the development of computers and other electronic devices. All these innovations have contributed to the development of society. However, the creators of these products did not initially think about the amount of waste that would be generated through the manufacturing of these products and what would happen to these products once they became obsolete. Increasing awareness of the effects of manufacturing on the environment has lead to the development of waste management processes and green engineering. It is not only the issue of emissions, but also the disposal of obsolete vehicles that we have to worry about. These emission and hazard waste disposal issues are common concerns for all manufacturing facilities. An example of this is the plants in the state of New Jersey that refine oil. They produce products that are very much needed in modern society. However, they also produce waste that is difficult to dispose of and can be damaging to our environment. To preserve our environment requires our manufacturers take steps to implement green engineering principles into their processes and abide by the rules and regulations put forth by the EPA and other agencies. On the other hand, consumers must also learn to conserve and use products less wastefully. New technologies and industries are created to meet the demands of people and to continuously try to lower the cost of products. Such innovations sometimes have undesirable effects on our global environment. For example, chlorinated fluorocarbons (CFCs) were

Implementation of Project Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Implementation of Project Management - Essay Example Founded essentially as an automotive component manufacturer, the company started manufacturing electronic components for the military during the Gulf war. Soon after the Gulf war the company emerged a major component supplier for the space programme and when that business segment did not grow well, the company embarked upon the production of various other items relating to energy management, building products and machine tools in addition to automotive components. With a turnover of $ 600 million, the automotive components manufacture remained the major business activity of Hyten Corporation. The coordination of any new project or a new product from concept to market is the responsibility the ‘Business Development Department’ started to substitute the non-existent project management department. The business development department was taking decisions on the undertaking of any new products or services in a crude way based on macro factors like economic and industry indica tors without really going into the other details of the product or service. The activities of the department were conducted through informal meetings of the functional directors and the manpower for the department was met with people both from within and outside the organisation. With a view to redefine the functions of the business development department as a full fledged project management department Wilbur Donley, with five years experience as a project manager was hired by Hyten Corporation. When the process of establishing the formal project department in Hyten Corporation, there were different ideas and views expressed by the various departments of the company about the implementation of the project management which are summarized below: 3.0 General Observations on the Introduction of Project Management in Hyten Corporation: As a result of the discussion between Wilbur Donley, the project manager, Frank Harrel, the Manger for quality and reliability and George Hub, the Manager of manufacturing engineering the following points about the integration of formal project management in Hytel Corporation emerged: Presently due to lack of coordination among different departments, the marketing and manufacturing departments do not understand and appreciate the functions of the quality department

Case stduy of Campus response to a student gunman. by Kelly J Essay

Case stduy of Campus response to a student gunman. by Kelly J. Asmussen , John W. Creswell - Essay Example The credibility of the study is highly supported by its research method: the qualitative case analysis; a relevant incident ‘in the campus of a public university, cited in a Midwestern City’ (case study, 338) is analytically presented and explained aiming to highlight the various aspects of student gun violence but also to provide information regarding the measures that are most appropriate for the limitation of the phenomenon – as these measures have been applied on the University involved in the specific case study. The examination of the article’s sections – in terms of structure, content and language used – has led to the assumption that the particular study can be quite valuable for legislators, educators and community leaders – helping them to understand the emergent character of the problem and propose appropriate plans of action. However, the conclusion section of the paper has been rather discouraging regarding the above perspe ctive – emphasizing on the lack of interest by the educational and local authorities in regard to the prevention of such incidents. However, even under these terms, the existence of studies like the one under evaluation proves that the expansion of violence in educational units across USA has attracted the attention of the academia. As for the level at which the authors of this study have contributed to the achievement of the above target, this can be identified by referring to the characteristics and the content of their study and by evaluating its credibility – taking into consideration the relevant rules of academic research. Evaluation of the article The study of Asmussen and Creswell highlights a quite important problem: the increase of violence in university campuses across USA; reference is made specifically to the student gun violence. The particular study can be characterized as quite valuable, mostly because it deals with a problem, which is avoided by most a cademic researchers – an issue also notified in the study under examination. The importance of the study – meaning especially its contribution in the particular field – can be identified and understood by referring to its content but also to its structure; the theme chosen should be also evaluated – compared to other, most common, themes of academic research. On the other hand, the research methodology employed should be evaluated, as of its appropriateness taking into consideration the fact that the literature in regard to the issue under discussion – and the research methods which are most appropriate for such studies – is quite limited, a problem also highlighted by the authors. The development of the above tasks would allow the evaluation of the following facts: a) whether the study has been appropriately structured, b) whether the research methods chosen were the most appropriate, c) which were the most critical challenges that the auth ors had to face and d) whether the authors managed or not to achieve their aims – as these aims are included in the research questions on which the study under

Methods of intervention Essay Example for Free

Methods of intervention Essay Any form of restraint, for example leg or wrist restraints, should only be introduced after a multidisciplinary assessment, which includes consultation with service users their families and advocates. If used, they should be selected carefully to impose the least restriction of movement required to prevent harm while attempts should continue to be made to achieve the desired outcomes with less restrictive interventions. Carers who have received specific training in their usage should only use such devices. The rational for using any devices and the circumstances in which they may be used must be clearly recorded within an individuals care plan/ Positive Handling Plan. The Scottish Social Services Council have their own codes of practice for social service workers and employees. A quote from their handbook states; Social Service workers must: Respect the rights of service users, whilst seeking to ensure that their behaviour does not harm themselves or others This is following a pattern from the previous values and standards mentioned, which stated clients can only really go so far, before a method of intervention has to be used. In the mid nineties, a form of intervention was introduced in Scotland, which is now widely practiced in the care industry. C.A.L.M (Crisis and Aggression Limitation Management) Various systems use a prone position in which to restrain. This can be face up, or face down. In this country, the face down position is usually used. In the case of CALM the prone restraint is only one of a hierarchy of responses. There has been growing anxiety about the use of prone restraint. It has been associated with deaths due to positional asphyxia, although other positions also have this risk associated with them. In the US, some states have banned face down prone restraint; others have banned face up prone restraint. It is a method, which can compromise the dignity of both young person and staff. However, there is anxiety in some quarters that the removal of prone restraint may make methods  less effective. CALM Training Services are considering removing the prone restraint from their system. Certain methods of physical restraint include techniques, which include the deliberate use of pain to ensure compliance CALM does not. CALM is a training package which covers the management of difficult behaviour, and which contains, as one of its components, strategies for physical intervention, including physical restraint. In addition, when staff have been trained by CALM Training Services, they are then assessed as to how competently they can carry out the physical elements, and thereafter, if they reach an acceptable standard, they receive accreditation, which has to be updated annually. CALM is now the method of choice of a significant number of employers in Scotland and beyond, and is used in child care services, learning disability services, and mental health services.  ·Physical restraint devicessuch as safety vests and jackets, lap and wheelchair belts, and fabric body holdersmay be beneficial to patients and their caregivers when used properly in settings ranging from nursing homes and hospitals to private homes.  ·Used properly, restraints have many benefits for patients and caregivers in both institutions and homes. Restraints may help protect the elderly from falls, which could result in injury or even death. If absolutely necessary, restraints also can help make medical treatment easier if a patient is temporarily uncooperative or highly agitated. If a patient is dangerous, restraints can protect other patients and staff from possible harm. Some patients feel safer and more secure, and need not worry about falling, if they use physical restraints. The method of restraining can be beneficial for many clients, depending on state of mind/health and situation at present time. A warning though; putting a restraint on certain patients may actually worsen their condition. For example, a chronically agitated patient may become more agitated with a restraint.

Russias Relationship with the Rest of the World

Russias Relationship with the Rest of the World Will Russia be able to live without European Union? Even before the invasion of Crimea started, Russia and European Union did not have a good relationship which had resulted in many heated disputes. However, after Russia annexed Crimea, conflicts have become more complex and serious. Many Russian citizens who are pro-kremlin, after the annexing of Crimea became even more euro-skeptical and demanded Russia to Cut the ties with Europe and start cooperating with Asia, so they could utilize all of the benefits that such great economy could offer. Russia would benefit politically too, because countries in Asia do not particularly focus on the human right issues. The Europe or Asia topic has been discussed in Russia for centuries and this, for Russia, seems like a suitable moment to re-orientate towards Asia. But even if Russia would want to re-orientate to Asia market, would it be possible for Russia to isolate themselves from the European Union. There are a lot of arguments that oppose this Asia plan. First of all, it is demography. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, when Russian citizens got the taste of the western culture, the Russian society started to become more pro-European. The population in the closest regions to Asia has decreased[1], [2] and that is poor because those are the regions that should play a key role in the cooperation with Asia. There are many reasons for people to leave Eastern Russia. The subsidies for working there are not as big anymore, the climate is bad and the salaries are just bigger in the western region of Russia. A significant part of Russia’s population has been born in the European side of the Russia, i.e. Moscow, Saint-Petersburg, and because basically it is Europe, one could say that those Russians have been born and raised in Europe. Secondly, the current Russia’s economic structure makes the efforts to isolate themselves from European Union practically impossible. Since 1998 Russia has always had a positive trade balance.[3] They have been importing a lot of stuff from Western-Europe.[4] Data from Trading Economics about year 2012 tells us that Russia’s imports reached 245 billion dollars of which 65% were various tools and transport mechanisms.[5] While Asia’s role in Russian imports has increased from 23 per-cent in 2009 to 27 per-cent in 2013[6] and Europe’s part has decreased by 5 per-cent in the same time span[7], and it is probable that Asia’s role in Russian imports will increase, still it would take decades until Russia transfers all its imports to Asia. But unfortunately for Russia, significant part of Russia’s import from Asia is made by Japan, South Korea and Taiwan and these countries have close military ties with the United States of America.[8] So these three countries would probably follow the United States, if they tried to isolate Russia. Even if Russia’s government accepts the re-orientation from West to East, it would not be a solution to Russia’s short-term problems with the European Union. At this time Russia and Europe are dependent on each other and cutting the trading ties would be disastrous for both sides. Europe needs Russia’s natural gas and oil as much as Russia needs Europe’s industrial tools. Of course, Russia can choose Asia to be its future partner, but right now it is Europe and Europe only. Sanctions on Russia It may seem that European Union and its allies are collectively agreeing on what and how harsh sanctions should be directed to Russia. But that is not the case. Harsh reality is that European Union cannot decide on sanctions against Russia because there are many Member States which oppose these harsh sanctions on Russia.[9] And those Member States who are not willing to introduce bitter sanctions include such influential countries as Germany and Austria. Europe’s response to insurgency in Ukraine has been discreet and such cautious reaction has one reason – money. The trading volume between European Union and Russia has been humongous. With 9.5 per-cents from total trading volume it is the third biggest European Union’s partner.[10] According to data provided by European Commission, trade between European Union and Russia flourished in 2012. Such growth was mainly caused by a bigger import of energy resources. One of the energy resources that Europe is really dep endent on is oil because the number of Europe’s oilfields is reducing fast so Europe has to buy more from Russia.[11] As Russia is so dependent to the income from the gas exports[12], a complete cut-off is not in the conversation. Hence the pipes that provide their gas go through Ukraine, there are seven European Union member states which may be concerned about the natural gas cut-off, they are the three Baltic States, Finland, Hungary and Bulgaria.[13] Fortunately, even in the case of a natural gas cut-off, as the last winter was not as harsh, these member states will probably manage to deal with it because the storages for gas in these countries are almost full.[14] Europe’s trade is very unequal. There are few countries that make up the bigger part of exports and imports. For example, Germany exports to Russia are valued in 39 billion euros[15] which is more than a third of European Union’s exports. By exporting industrial tools and machines to Russia, Italy has earned 11.5 billion Euros.[16] Netherlands exports to Russia make up 8 billion euros.[17] These three countries are responsible for roughly 60 per-cents of European Union’s exports. Crisis influence on external politics is best seen in Italy. Italy is one of the countries in active opposition against harsh sanctions on Russia. This matter is as supported by society as it is by Italy’s government. Instead of pushing sanctions against Russia, Italy is concentrating on beneficial-to-both-sides cooperation. Looking back at the history between both of these countries, they have never had any serious disagreements, so their neutral stance on Russia is understandable. And of the three most influential sanction opposing countries Italy has the most fragile economic situation, of course, Germany’s and Austria’s economic situations are not entirely stable, but they are not as fragile as Italy’s is. There will always be disagreements and different views at problems in the European Union since some countries are better off than others. For example, Scandinavian countries in comparison with southern Europe countries. Each country has its own problems which are in most cases primary to European Union headaches. It is possible that after some decades European Union will be a full union and the current disputes between European Union member states will be no more than a distant memory. Russian sanctions on Latvia/Europe After three waves of sanctions that Europe, United States of America and other countries placed on Russia, on 7th of August Russia published their economic sanctions. Prior to that Russia had only sanctioned certain American and Canadian officials. When describing Russia’s embargo influence on country’s economy, Latvian Ministry of Finance said â€Å"The influence of Russia’s sanctions will be moderate†, they continued â€Å"Today’s published sanctions concerns only 4.6 per-cents of the year 2013 exports to Russia or 0.2 per-cents of the GDP †¦Ã¢â‚¬  and they added that the loses would be roughly 50 million euros.[18] Intellectual society says that Ministry of Finance is downplaying it and that the embargo by Russia will be much tougher to bear with. In fact Latvia is one of the top four countries which will be hit the hardest by these sanctions. All of the four, Finland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia are Russia’s border countries. In these countries twenty-six per-cents of all the food exports go to Russia. To make the numbers little more understandable, in the United States of America it is 0.9 per-cents, in France it is 1.25 per-cents and in the United Kingdom it is 0.7 per-cents. As NATO and its allied countries raised these sanctions against Russia, they should be the ones that take care of these four countries which got hit the hardest by the counter-sanctions from Russia. NATO should make its member states open their markets to Finland’s and the Baltic States goods. And for Latvia it is not only those 26 per-cents of food export to Russia mentioned previously. A significant part of exports to Lithuania should be counted in as loses caused by the Russian sanctions, as Lithuania is only a transshipment place for goods that need to be taken to Russia. If the exports to Lithuania which is really addressed to Russia gets added, the hit gets even harder, not only for the food industry but for the transpor tation industry too, because all the shipments to Russia got cancelled for the embargo. The estimated loss for the transport industry is 70 million euros. And the packaging company’s shouldn’t be forgotten too, because someone needs to pack all the food that gets exported to Russia and now, because of the embargo, packaging companies will suffer too. And hence the workload in these companies gets smaller, they do not need as many workers, so Latvia has to prepare itself for a sudden rise of the unemployment rate in the country. It has already happened in one of the four countries – Finland. Finland’s biggest dairy product’s producer Valio laid-off eight-hundred workers that worked in factories which produced products for export to Russia.[19] It is only a matter of time for Latvia’s biggest dairy product company Food Union until it starts letting people go. Since a half of the production is normally exported to Russia, such actions are inevi table.[20] In its embargo Russia has yet not included preserved fishes. However the fish processing companies are already worried, because two thirds of all the fish products made in Latvia are preserved fishes and almost all of the fish processing companies in Latvia are one hundred per-cent exporting.[21] In mid-August Russia’s Federal Fishing Agency already proposed its Ministry of Agriculture to include in the embargo preserved fishes.[22] If such proposal gets accept and preserved fishes really do get included in the Russian embargo Latvia can count another fifty million euros in loses. Fish processing industry provides more than five-thousand families in Latvia, and in some places is even the biggest job provider in the city, for example, Salacgriva.[23] If preserved fishes get included in the embargo it can lead to another emigration wave by all of the laid-off workers. In the worst case scenario cities that rely solely on fish processing industry could just get abandoned and slow ly die out. In these circumstances European Union should get involved and allow protectionism in countries that get hit by the embargo the most. Then countries could announce that fifty per-cent of all the dairy, meat and fish products in the stores must be made in the local market. Therefore, the companies will no more have to sell their products barely for the cost or just throw them out. Of course, such action is outlawed by Article 34 TFEU for discriminating imports,[24] but in these times when companies are struggling because of the Russian embargo and European Union sanctions, and families are left without their main money provider, European Union should deal with the consequences of their actions and allow protectionism of the local goods. But these under-risk companies are not just simply waiting for something to happen. They are taking the matters into their own hands by unionizing. For example, in Latvia milk processing, meat and fish products producers unions have merged into a single one and it is called the Food Exporters Union. It is led by Didzis Smits (Schmits). He is responsible for lobbying Latvia’s sprats producing technology which is a great achievement. Food Exporters Union’s goal is to protect food producers interests and to make the dialogue with the government much easier. It will definitely help with obtaining new markets. The big target must be Asia. Establishing contacts with Asia is difficult for a single company, it would be expensive and time consuming. But that is a different case for a union. Currently Latvian food exports to China, added together with Estonian, that are our partners in business with China, only makes nineteen million euros.[25], [26] To accelerate the growth of t his number Latvian Minister of Agriculture Duklavs and Estonian Minister of Agriculture Padars are working together and are actively involved in talks with China. In such crisis situation Latvia should learn from Finland. Finland has been very efficient in reorienting their local companies, which export to Russia, to new markets. And that is because Finland has its own Minister of Export Development. Finland’s southern neighbors Estonia has already taken a lesson from Finland and in this spring appointed Minister of Export Development. Latvia should learn from their northern neighbors and after the next election which is this fall should appoint their own Minister of Exports. The winter of 2014/2015 will be one of the economically hardest winters in recent time. As it is clear that sanctions will continue, Latvia has to have a plan for companies to get through the winter. Latvia has to make strategic moves to let State capital flow into private companies, so at least some don’t go bankrupt. â€Å"Latvian Plywood† is a good example. â€Å"Latvian Plywood†, a private company, got saved by a States joint-stock company â€Å"Latvian State Forests†. By buying stocks in â€Å"Latvian Plywood† State saved one of the biggest companies in Latvia.[27] â€Å"Latvian Plywood† is now working with profit of eleven million euros and it’s 2013 turnover was 187 million euros.[28] Of course, a State should not be going around and saving companies everywhere. But in these circumstances such interference by a State is necessary. A State has to encourage producers to survive through these tough times and keep its workforce. For example, the money made in the sale of a Latvian bank â€Å"Citadele† could be invested into Latvian food producers companies, which would at least guarantee safety for food industry. Entering a new market Since Latvia has already started talks with China, they should concentrate specifically on Asia’s market. Latvia is such a small market so there should not be a problem with finding a place in Asia’s market for the Latvian struggling companies. China’s market China plays an important role in international trading system. And that should not be a surprise because Five years ago China was still the world’s third largest economy behind the United States and Japan[29], but now as it has consistently been in the top countries when it comes to economic growth[30] it has passed Japan and now is the world’s second largest economy with their GDP standing at about seven hundred and fifty billion euros, which is two times larger than Japan’s GDP.[31] Since the foreign exchange reform in 1994[32], China is continuously expanding its foreign exchange market. As they opened-up to the rest of the world after having reforms[33], China has witnessed a massive development of their economy.[34] In 2001 China joined the World Trade Organization. Such action made the Chinese market more opened up. As this membership did not give much advantage in their already conquered markets, it did open up a lot of new markets to China. After joining the World Trade Organization China removed restrictions on textiles and garments â€Å"†¦ which allowed China to become the largest exporter of clothing and textiles in the world as the labor-intensive sector capitalized on its comparative advantages of abundant labor.†[35] Right now China is developing their border policy, they are working on a quota and license free trade. After China joined the World Trade Organization, it has drawn the attention of more and more foreign investors. In December of 2013 Foreign Direct Investment reached more than nine hundred billion euros. For comparison, at the time they joined the World Trade Organization it was less than forty billion euros.[36] Another great thing about Chinese market is that 1.35 billion people live there, that is one fifth of the planet’s population. From the exporters hit by sanctions view China’s population is almost ten times larger than Russia’s. Asia’s largest country is very open to international trade. â€Å"Total Chinese trade (exports plus imports) amounts to 70 per-cents of its GDP, which compares to 37 per-cents in the United Kingdom and just 20 per-cents in the United States. China’s trade-to-GDP ratio is all the more remarkable given that one of the main determinants of this number is country size – large countries typically have low shares of trade in GDP (for example, the united States compared with the united kingdom)†.[37] Of course, it not all perfect, and there are things that scare people away from China’s market. Firstly, it is the often disputed matter at summits – China’s market access. Already there are firms that decrease the amount of their investments in China, and the main purpose of that is the limited market access. As the American Chamber of CommerceChairman Greg Gilligan put it We refer to market access barriers as one of the primary reasons for lowered investment,[38] he also added that Wi th slower growth, our member companies do not reflect less need for investment, but perhaps less need for investment based on the old economic model that was more reliant on exports and infrastructure spending.[39] Secondly, it is the imperfect legal system in China. They are in need of developments on laws that administer markets. China has been working on it since joining the World Trade organization. They already are trying to eliminate protectionism, which is common in China. One of the projects Asia’s largest country is working on is to give more freedom to foreign banks, because â€Å"Although foreign banks have operated in China for two decades, their role remains extremely limited. In 2005 they accounted for only two per-cents of Chinas total banking assets,†[40] and to add to that they have a one new branch per year restriction for banks. As a distant country with a neutral stance on Europe’s and Russia’s conflict they are taking advantage of such circumstances. After all of these waves of sanctions, there are a significant amount of large and not so large economies that are in trouble and in need of a new trading partner. Not finding one would mean a bankruptcy for large companies and people losing jobs. China is more than happy to welcome so many new trading partners. One might say that this is an ideal situation for China, because a significant amount of money that was previously flowing between Russia and Europe will now circulate in their market. One of the most talked about deals as a consequence of Russia- Europe conflict is a three hundred and fifteen billion euros natural gas contract between Russia and China.[41] For Russia the deal strengthened the relationship with China and in this situation when Russia’s relationship with the United States and Europe is worsening, Putin really needed this. By maintaining neutral position China can gain a lot more than it already has. Another beneficial thing for China from Ukraine’s invasion by Russia is the now much more tense relationship between Russia and the United States. [1] Anderson, Barbara A., and Brian D. Silver. Permanent and present populations in Soviet statistics. Volume 37, Issue 3 ed. Oxford: Routledge, 1985. [2] Russian Census 2010 final results. RIA Novosti. http://en.ria.ru/infographics/20111222/170405728.html (accessed September 14, 2014). [3] Russian Federation. Data. http://data.worldbank.org/country/russian-federation (accessed September 14, 2014). [4] The Observatory of Economic Complexity. OEC: Russia (RUS) Profile of Exports, Imports and Trade Partners. http://atlas.media.mit.edu/profile/country/rus/ (accessed September 14, 2014). [5] Russia Imports 1994-2014 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News. Russia Imports. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/russia/imports (accessed September 14, 2014). [6] Russia Imports 1994-2014 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News. Russia Imports. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/russia/imports (accessed September 14, 2014). [7] European Comission. European Union, Trade in goods with Russia. Trade. http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_113440.pdf (accessed September 15, 2014). [8] Pressman, Jeremy. Warring friends alliance restraint in international politics. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2008. [9] Euranet Plus News Agency English. EU on hold for new Russia sanctions. Euranet Plus inside. http://euranetplus-inside.eu/eu-on-hold-for-new-sanctions-on-russia/ (accessed September 19, 2014). [10] European Comission. European Union, Trade in goods with Russia. Trade. http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2006/september/tradoc_113440.pdf (accessed September 19, 2014). [11] European Comission. Energy production and imports. Eurostat. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/statistics_explained/index.php/Energy_production_and_imports.. (accessed September 19, 2014). [12] Russia Exports 1994-2014 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News. Russia Exports. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/russia/exports (accessed September 20, 2014). [13] Comission of the European Communities. ASSESSMENT REPORT OF DIRECTIVE 2004/67/EC ON SECURITY OF GAS SUPPLY. eur-lex. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=SEC:2009:0978:FIN:EN:PDF (accessed September 20, 2014). [14] Bawden, Tom. Fear over Russian gas switch-off sees EU states stockpile supplies. The Independent. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/fear-over-russian-gas-switchoff-sees-eu-states-stockpile-supplies-9727466.html (accessed September 20, 2014). [15] Germany Exports 1950-2014 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News. Germany Exports. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/germany/exports (accessed September 22, 2014). [16] Italy Exports 1991-2014 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News. Italy Exports. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/italy/exports (accessed September 22, 2014). [17] Netherlands Exports 1960-2014 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast | News. Netherlands Exports. http://www.tradingeconomics.com/netherlands/exports (accessed September 22, 2014). [18] LETA. Finansu ministrija: Krievijas sankciju ietekme uz Latviju bus meÂâ€Å"rena. Jaunaka s zin† as, komenta ri, petijumi, foto, video tiesraides, izklaide. http://nra.lv/pasaule/122808-finansu-ministrija-krievijas-sankciju-ietekme-uz-latviju-bus-merena.htm (accessed September 25, 2014). [19] Dairy producer Valio begins layoff talks over Russian food embargo. Yle Uutiset. http://yle.fi/uutiset/dairy_producer_valio_begins_layoff_talks_over_russian_food_embargo/7401435 (accessed September 25, 2014). [20] â€Å"Food Union† plÄ no eksporta pieaugumu lÄ «dz 80%. PrioritÄ te – Krievija. Nepadodies krÄ «zei!. http://nekrize.lv/food-union-plano-eksporta-pieaugumu-lidz-80-prioritate-krievija/ (accessed September 25, 2014). [21] SIA Baltijas KonsultÄ cijas . ZivrÃ…Â «pniecÄ «bas nozares attÄ «stÄ «bas stratÄâ€Å"Ä £ija 2009.-2013.gadam . Canned Fish. http://www.cannedfish.lv/lat/par_mums/list/zivrupniecibas_nozares_atti.pdf (accessed September 25, 2014). [22] Russian agency wants to ban EU canned fish imports. ITAR-TASS. http://en.itar-tass.com/world/745141 (accessed September 25, 2014). [23] Salacgriva. Nodarbinatibas Valsts Agentura. http://www.nva.gov.lv/limbazi/LV/darba_un_sadzives_apstakli/salacgrivas_novads (accessed September 25, 2014). [24] Craig, P. P., and G. BuÃÅ' rca. EU law: text, cases, and materials. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998. [25]About us Latvia China Business Council. About us Latvia China Business Council. http://www.latviachina.eu/en/par-padomi/sadarbiba/ (accessed September 25, 2014). [26] Estonian official lauds potential for business with China. Chinadaily.com.cn. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/cn_eu/2014-06/10/con

The Theme of Time in Slaughterhouse-Five Essay -- Slaughterhouse-Five

The Theme of Time in Slaughterhouse-Five Many writers in history have written science fiction novels and had great success with them, but only a few have been as enduring over time as Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. Slaughterhouse-Five is a personal novel which draws upon Vonnegut's experience's as a scout in World War Two, his capture and becoming a prisoner of war, and his witnessing of the fire bombing of Dresden in February of 1945 (the greatest man-caused massacre in history). The novel is about the life and times of a World War Two veteran named Billy Pilgrim. In Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut uses structure and point of view to portray the theme that time is relative. The way Kurt Vonnegut structures Slaughterhouse-Five aids in the portrayal of the theme that time is relative. The novel is broke down into two parts: Vonnegut's story about the novel and the life story of Billy Pilgrim. The life story of Billy Pilgrim which is "presented as a series of episodes with no chronological order" . This mirrors the structure of the novel which has a beginning, middle, and end but not in there respective places. (Dawley 1) Billy states numerous times in the novel that he has become "unstuck in time" and that the time travel periods "aren't necessarily fun". (Vonnegut 23) While the reader never leaves the main plot line of the fire-bombing of Dresden for very long, Billy still travels alot. Billy "has seen his birth and death many times" and "all the events in between". (Vonnegut 23) The reader learns that "the things Billy Pilgrim" cannot change are "the past, the present, and the future". (Vonnegut 60) Many of the time warps are to his later-life as an opt ometrist. During his life as an optometrist he marries one o... ...y the good moments and bad as well that life brings to us. (Dunstan 1) Slaughterhouse-Five gives the reader insight on the meaning of life, time, and war. The thought of humans being able to view their lives moments concurrently and not linearly is erroneous to the reader, yet Kurt Vonnegut brings into the reader's head the idea of time being relative and only existing in human's imaginations. Works Cited ClassicNote. Insanity of war in Slaughterhouse-Five. 29 Jan 2001. http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/slaughterhousefive/essays/insanitywar.html Dawley, Jason. The use of Fragmentation in Slaughterhouse-Five. 29 Jan 2001. http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/4953/kv_fragmentation.html>. Dunston, Brittany. Destruction of Dresden, destruction of Vonnegut's dream. 29 Jan 2001. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York:Dell, 1991. The Theme of Time in Slaughterhouse-Five Essay -- Slaughterhouse-Five The Theme of Time in Slaughterhouse-Five Many writers in history have written science fiction novels and had great success with them, but only a few have been as enduring over time as Kurt Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five. Slaughterhouse-Five is a personal novel which draws upon Vonnegut's experience's as a scout in World War Two, his capture and becoming a prisoner of war, and his witnessing of the fire bombing of Dresden in February of 1945 (the greatest man-caused massacre in history). The novel is about the life and times of a World War Two veteran named Billy Pilgrim. In Slaughterhouse-Five, Kurt Vonnegut uses structure and point of view to portray the theme that time is relative. The way Kurt Vonnegut structures Slaughterhouse-Five aids in the portrayal of the theme that time is relative. The novel is broke down into two parts: Vonnegut's story about the novel and the life story of Billy Pilgrim. The life story of Billy Pilgrim which is "presented as a series of episodes with no chronological order" . This mirrors the structure of the novel which has a beginning, middle, and end but not in there respective places. (Dawley 1) Billy states numerous times in the novel that he has become "unstuck in time" and that the time travel periods "aren't necessarily fun". (Vonnegut 23) While the reader never leaves the main plot line of the fire-bombing of Dresden for very long, Billy still travels alot. Billy "has seen his birth and death many times" and "all the events in between". (Vonnegut 23) The reader learns that "the things Billy Pilgrim" cannot change are "the past, the present, and the future". (Vonnegut 60) Many of the time warps are to his later-life as an opt ometrist. During his life as an optometrist he marries one o... ...y the good moments and bad as well that life brings to us. (Dunstan 1) Slaughterhouse-Five gives the reader insight on the meaning of life, time, and war. The thought of humans being able to view their lives moments concurrently and not linearly is erroneous to the reader, yet Kurt Vonnegut brings into the reader's head the idea of time being relative and only existing in human's imaginations. Works Cited ClassicNote. Insanity of war in Slaughterhouse-Five. 29 Jan 2001. http://www.gradesaver.com/ClassicNotes/Titles/slaughterhousefive/essays/insanitywar.html Dawley, Jason. The use of Fragmentation in Slaughterhouse-Five. 29 Jan 2001. http://www.geocities.com/hollywood/4953/kv_fragmentation.html>. Dunston, Brittany. Destruction of Dresden, destruction of Vonnegut's dream. 29 Jan 2001. Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse-Five. New York:Dell, 1991.

Lacan, Foucault, Sedgwick, Binary Essay

The world consists of a collection of dual concepts. Things either are or they are not, especially at the level of conception. One is either alive or dead; there are no in-betweens with this notion. In the essay, â€Å"The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of the I as revealed in Psychoanalytical Experience,† Jacques Lacan describes a certain binary that takes place, and interacts, within a child as soon as they learn to recognize their own image. Lacan’s recognition of this initial dualism that takes place in an infant, leads to the recognition of several other dualisms. Michel Foucault speaks of a binary when speaking of sex and sexuality in chapter one of â€Å"The History of Sexuality, Volume 1, an Introduction. † In the second Axiom from â€Å"Epistemology of the Closet,† Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick discusses the heterosexual and homosexual dichotomy. Lacan believes that after eighteen months, a child discovers its libidinal dynamism (1286). Libidinal means psychic and emotional energy associated with instinctual biological drives. Dynamism means active and interactive movement. Through action and interaction with its psychic and emotional energy, instinctual biological drives in a child’s mind. It is through this dual and cooperative interaction between the physical and metaphysical, in the mirror, that a child begins to form identification with itself and its reflection. Via this reflection, the child will see its body as â€Å"Gesalt,† a collection of parts of the whole (Lacan 1286). The child views the sum of its biological, physical, and psychological bodies as an entire unit; being made up of several different parts, and at the same time just a singular object. The child recognizes and views its reflection in relation to its surroundings, i. e. urniture, itself, its mother, yet this realization that unites the child’s parts to form a singular I. This mental permanence, meaning the child will permanently see itself as I, is what will alienate others due its large singular view of itself, and not a view as part of a whole. With the child’s actualization of its image and that it can be seen and interpreted, it shall then recognize a binary of physical reality and dream reality. The dream realm is a reality of sorts, in the sense that it is real because it is experienced. That dream realm is then filled with not nly the child’s own image, but the image of the physical world it inhabits while awake. This I image is thus residing in the spectrums of this binary where its realities exist both in the physical world and in the mental world. The mirror stage itself is an entire dualistic concept. On one hand, it marks the initial conception of self-actualization, while on the other, maps the libidinal normalization process. Foucault outlines the history of sex in terms of children, how they communicate it, who discusses it, and where it resides in the binary. Children have for many years had a â€Å"freedom of language† with their mentors in relation to sex (Foucault 1654). This is to say that there was less shame in the attitude towards sex. It was a very openly discussed topic outside the realm of perversion and deviance. It was not until the seventeenth century that the French bourgeoisie placed a censorship on all speech that was of sexual manner. Children, across all social classes, gradually became more silent in regards to their sexuality (Foucault 1654). This notion of silence is where duality comes into to play, or lack thereof. Foucault defines silence as â€Å"the things one declines to say, or is forbidden to name, the discretion that is required between different speakers,† (1654). Foucault views silence as a non-passive action, even if it may appear to be doing nothing. One can convey a message just as effectively, and arguably more, by remaining silent than actually speaking. Silence is something that functions alongside speech in such a way that it becomes difficult to differentiate the two in terms of the outcomes they produce. Foucault acknowledges this lack of binary by stating that there is â€Å"no division to be made between what one says and what one does not say† (1654). In terms of the government enforced censorship on sexuality and speech during the 1600’s, this silence surrounding sexuality spoke volumes more than explicit dialogue about it. During this time another binary became prevalent, the public and the private. While the people remained relatively silent in public, they were conversing greatly privately. In the 1700’s this silence â€Å"multiplied the forms of discourse† on the subject of sex (Foucault 1655). The topic of children sex exploded with many participants partaking in the discussion. There was a great market for this discourse on sex that included the realms of medicine and politics, often interweaving the two. The topic of sex was forced out of the private realm into the public. Foucault says that sex has become something society cannot speak enough about, that â€Å"[society] convinced [itself] that [they] have never said enough on the subject,† throwing society onto a perpetual search for answers (1657). The sexual realm does not reside in the binary of public and private, of being secret or outspoken, yet resides in both. It is because of this need for secrecy that sex has taken such a firm place outside of being a secret. Foucault says society teeters on the middle of the binary system of public and private, that society has â€Å"consigned sex to a shadow existence, but that they dedicated themselves to speaking of it ad infinitum, while exploiting it as the secret† (1658). The history of sex is a prime example of a concept being able to reside in the realms of the public and private binaries, and at the same time residing in neither. Sedgwick claims that sexuality lies in a realm separate than that of gender. She defines chromosomal sex as that of biology that follows the strict XX and XY chromosome pattern of distinction among Homo Sapiens (Sedgwick 2439). She defines gender as an elaborate and rigid social production that strictly serves the binary of only male and female (Sedgwick 2439). She then defines sexuality as an array of acts, expectations, narratives, pleasures, identity-formations, and knowledge, in both women and men that focus on genital sensations, but not adequately defined by them (Sedgwick 2440). She states that gender is only one dimension of sexual choice and that sexuality strictly deals with how the individual feels and has no relation to, or effect on, procreation. Whereas chromosomal sex is strictly based on procreative purposes since it lies in the realm of biology, where a sexed male and a sexed female are the only sexes that can reproduce with each other. This notion thus makes sexuality the polar opposite of chromosomal sex, rather than gender being its opposite, in the binaries. She states that both gender and sexuality are concepts to be chosen. The differences between them are that gender serves the binary of male and female, while sexuality, contingent on the individual, are not limited by such a simple binary. This binaries construction was only to serve the male identity. Sedgwick says that any system with gender at its focus will have an inherent heterosexist bias, meaning that the female gender is constructed as a supplement to the male identity (2442). That the binary by which gender is trapped only exists because it required being a binary, the female gender only exists because the male gender required a counterpart. The binary of heterosexual and homosexual fits a deconstructive template more so than the binary of male and female, thus rendering sexual orientation and gender different. All people at birth are publicly assigned to one of two genders and because of this are forever unalterable. Sexual orientation, on the other hand, is often times rearrangeable, ambiguous, and has a doubleness quality to it that allows for easy alterations (Sedgwick 2444). Sedgwick does not find the gender binary to be one of complexity, but of a rather simple and unchallengeable one. She states the essentialism of sexual orientation is less easy to maintain, incoherent, stressed and challenged (Sedgwick 2444). There is a contradictoriness to Sedgwick’s claim that sexual orientation is easy to alter and rearrangeable, yet at the same time less easy to maintain. It is, however, this seemingly contradictoriness that makes sexual orientation different from the gender binary. It is this complexity and fluidity that gives sexual orientation its ability to make leaps and bounds across its multinary systems. The most important aspect of the difference between gender and sexual orientation is the fact that one can choose their sexuality, but not their gender. Lacan, Foucault, and Sedgwick all deal with historical values. That is to say, they deal with issues and topics that occur at the early stages of young life, thus making these dealings at the conception level of thought. Lacan’s mirror stage describes a child’s actualization of self. Foucault deals with the history of sex and the history of children’s conception of sex. Sedgwick discusses the differences of sex, sexuality, and gender. The uniqueness of Sedgwick’s notion is that gender is assigned at birth and can never be altered. This ties into Lacan’s mirror stage where once a child realizes its image, and the placement of that image in the world it lives in, it can never un-see that image, and moreover, can never remove that image from its surroundings. Foucault greatly discusses children in his chapter, however he does not delve deeper as to what about children relate to their sex. Sedgwick supplies contextual substance to Foucault’s article that deals mainly with the history of sex and not the sex itself. Lacan’s concept of self-actualization of the I, can be coupled with Sedgwick’s gender assignment at birth, that the I is gendered, and will effect, and often dictate, the child’s asymptomatic journey to reach it. Lacan’s concept of the binary of physical and metaphysical realization of self-image, is the basis for a binary discussion, something either is or is not physically here. Foucault discusses the history of sex and how a binary of speaking about sex or remaining silent does not exist. Sedgwick deals with the gender binary. This theory of dualism, binaries, dichotomy, lays foundation for these authors, and philosophers, and their works.

Banyan Tree Case Study Essay

Banyan Tree offers a unique experience with its hotel and spa experiences in the South East Asian region. Labeling itself as an aspirational brand, the company was established by the Ho family in 1992 and has boasted a gross profit of $52. 1 million in 2006. Its superior branding, excellent corporate social responsibility practices and its careful investment and expansion strategies attribute to its success. As the company goes public it faces the new possibilities, offered through increased capital, and new challenges such as demands imposed by shareholders. How will the company continue to expand its profitability while preventing brand dilution through overexpansion? Key issues Branding Banyan Tree is an exclusive brand, catering to affluent travellers. In order to expand its customer base, Banyan Tree launched a brand, Angsana, which meets the needs of a broader customer base. Angsana does not currently operate in the same regions as Banyan Tree hotels, this separation has occurred to prevent cannibalization and dilution of the brand. While being effective, this reduces the number of locations in a given area. Spreading the company’s resources and knowledge over many regions may not be cost effective. Banyan Tree should continue to be cautious in expansion but not over cautious as to limit the brands` profitability. The brand has also been extended to offer spa services, retail outlets and other shops. The company continues to manage its brand portfolio while preserving its distinctive identity and strong brand image. The strong brand image has allowed Banyan Tree to open 3 brands of spas throughout the world. Opening spas is one way Banyan tree can build an image, gain regional knowledge and assess profitability prior to opening a resort in that area or location. Banyan Tree relies on customer experience as its strongest promotional tool. Delivering a consistent product may be challenging in the service industry because of the products’ intangible product nature, employees must be properly trained in order to continue to deliver superior service. As Banyan Tree continues to grow it must ensure through recruitment and training that the services delivered continue to be consistent, a challenging and important issue in any service offering. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Banyan Tree operates under strong CSR principles including building and operating resorts with minimal environmental damage and involvement in community development and environmental projects. Banyan Tree is an international company, it is important that it continues to gain the support of local governments, who will assist and support Banyan Tree, should any conflicts arise. The CSR principles also affect the brands image, and the company should continue to operate under these principles to deliver a consistent, positive brand image. These CSR efforts are noticeable in developing countries and the media coverage has helped build the brand’s image and credibility. These guiding principles should continue to be implemented as the entire brand communications strategy has been based on third party endorsements and word-of-mouth and public relations. Business operations Banyan Tree operates a variety of profitable business segments, including hotel investment and management, spa operations, gallery operations, property sales and design and other services. The largest percentage of profits comes from hotel investment and the second largest percentage is derived from property sales. Banyan Tree conducts property sales primarily in Thailand, where laws prevent foreigners from owning land, Banyan Tree sells resort residences on the land, and leases the land to the buyers allowing foreigner investors to â€Å"own† property in Thailand under local law. Property sales can be volatile and risky, it is an important factor in the profitability of Banyan for any given year, but the company should continue to realize that hotel investment and other business segments are the core of the company’s operations. Currently Banyan Tree resorts are almost exclusively in the South East Asian region. The concentration of business in this region exposes the company to risk should natural disasters or other crises occur in the area. Banyan Tree has a successful business model which could be replicated in other emerging tourist destinations globally. Banyan Tree should expand its operations outside of the area in order to diversify its operating risk. As Banyan expands its locations it must continue to ensure that hotels and spas are built surrounded by natural beauty, as this continues to be a key part of brand distinction. Initial Public Offering (IPO) Banyan Tree was recently offered as a publically traded company. This will allow an expansion of the company’s capital in order for it to continue expansion. It also changes the operating atmosphere the company faces. The shift from private investment to public investment requires some change in operating procedures as well as new demands from shareholders. Banyan needs to manage and meet these new demands while maintaining its core values and company image. Competition As South East Asia gains popularity as a tourist destination, both Banyan Tree and Angsana are facing increased competition. The Banyan Tree resorts face competition from other niche hotels, customer preference in this product category include quality, brand recognition, location and the scope of the amenities. As competition increases, customers tend to become more price sensitive as the number of options increases. One way to ensure that Banyan Tree highlights its exclusivity is to draw the attention of critics in order to increase the rating of their resort locations. The Angsana resorts are facing competition from mainstream luxury hotel chains, such as four seasons and Shangri-La Hotels and resorts. These competitors are huge, boasting over 50 hotel locations, their size allows them to maintain a stronger brand image. Strategy and Conclusion Banyan Tree has consistently offered customers a unique experience at both its resorts and spas. The unique design highlights the characteristics of the natural beauty surrounding its select locations. It continues to meet the needs of this high end, niche market with its superior service. Previously run exclusively by the Ho family, after the initial public offering, must ensure that its brand image and exceptional service delivery are not diluted by shareholder demands for higher profit margins. Branding and corporate responsibility will continue to be an important factor in the company’s operations and marketing strategy. Banyan Tree should continue to use the Angsana brand to broaden its customer base but focus on retaining Banyan Tree as its core brand because of its limited competition and premium profit margins. This successful brand continues to expand its operations, currently the company operates heavily in the South East Asian region, Growth strategy 1. Resource allocation tradeoff. The challenge is to balance two distinct brands Banyan Tree and Anagsana. And differentiate them without diluting either, the leading brand Banyan Tree in particular. 2. Banyan Tree needs to keep innovating and exceeding customer expectations which require substantial resources, management focus, and control of the brand portfolio to stay relevant and competitive. 3. Although the entire brand is based on the unique Asian touch and cultural heritage, Banyan Tree has to evaluate its relevance and sustainability carefully as it enters new territories. It can localize its offerings to better suit the local tastes and environments, but Banyan Tree should be sensible about the extent of localization.