All About My Mother (Pedro Almodovar, 1999) and The Idiots (Lars Von Essay

All About My Mother (Pedro Almodovar, 1999) and The Idiots (Lars Von Trier, 1998). Compare and contrast how these two movies rep - Essay Example A film can depict what are the morals of the country and what is going on at the moment, and what cultural issues are being addressed by the common public of that nation. As Mohandas Gandhi has said â€Å"A nation's culture resides in the hearts and the soul of its people† (Wederspahn 32). Film is an appropriate medium to portray culture of a nation. Two movies from the European region have been chosen to be compared about how art can depict a nation’s culture, identity and past. First movie All About My Mother (1999) revolves around the norms of Spain where as the second one The Idiots (1998) revolves around the regions of Denmark and Scandinavia. As it is very important to first summarize the whole plot on which the two movies are based upon, a brief summary together with points that have been highlighted in these movies. All About My Mother (Pedro Almodovar, 1999) Summary The main actors in this film are Cecelia Roth and Penelope Cruz. The story starts with a woman n amed Manuela i.e. Cecelia Roth, who is a single parent and a â€Å"medical transplant coordinator†, taking care of his son who is 17 years old named Esteban. She takes him to attend a stage performance on "A Streetcar Named Desire." When the show ended Esbteban expressed the desire to meet his favorite actress, â€Å"Huma Rojo†`, so that he could get her autograph, but as he was going towards his favorite actress a terrible accident happens, Esteban gets hit by a car and is killed, this was the most devastating point of Manuela’s life. In bereavement, for placing her life back in order, Manuela wanted to do certain things which she should have done a long time ago, in which the first thing that she includes is a journey to Barcelona to enlighten the boy's unknowing father about the loss. Later the father, named Lola, was found to be an â€Å"HIV-positive transvestite†. As the story unfolds it is also shown that Manuela runs into an old acquaintance called Agrado, a transsexual who was unexpectedly appointed as Huma Rojo’s personal assistant; the star Esteban had always admired and helps administer her co-actor and lover Nina. Manuela also happened to meet Sister Maria, a young nun role performed by Penelope Cruz in the movie, who works in a nonprofit organization, that helps battered prostitutes, and intends to visit El Salvador, but soon discovers that she is pregnant. Sister Maria came to know that she has also been contaminated with AIDS; Cecilia makes a decision to help the nun by letting her stay in her home. Points About national identity and national past The points which have been highlighted in this movie, that depict the nature of the past and identity of Spain, are as follows (smith 28-30): anti-government strikes the celebration of democracy the spread of AIDS Manuela’s journey in search of herself identifies a great number of things which can be also identified as the national marks of Spain and at the det erritorialized frontier of national identity and sexuality. Manuela finds that a transvestite can bring a lot of things together because he is neither from here nor from anywhere else, he is somebody in between and could help things to reconnect, especially the masculine and feminine sense together. Here, the best

Tragedies of Postpartum Psychosis Essay Example for Free

Tragedies of Postpartum Psychosis Essay Tragedies of Postpartum Psychosis: Ethical Decisions and Sentencing Postpartum depression affects approximately ten to twenty-two percent of women and as many as about eighty percent of women suffer from some sort of â€Å"baby blues†. Even so, the much more serious problem of postpartum psychosis only occurs in as few as one in every five hundred births (Williams, 2002). Postpartum psychosis can have catastrophic outcomes, like in the case of Andrea Yates. What should happen to women like Andrea? Prison, the death penalty or a mental institution? Ethical issues, such as postpartum psychosis crimes, are debated using various theories of ethics. Postpartum psychosis tends to have a rapid onset within the first four weeks after giving birth, whereas postpartum depression has a slower onset occurring around weeks six through twelve after childbirth (Williams, 2002). In postpartum psychosis, the symptoms include mood changes, delusional thoughts, paranoia and hallucinations. Symptoms can intensify or lessen. Women suffering are often afraid to ask for help due to the paranoia and guilt felt surround the disorder. Left to manage symptoms themselves, tragedies often occur as affected women committing suicide or infanticide. When such crimes occur, people debate how to deal with the women accused. Being committed to a mental institution is one course of action for such women. The argument for this is that these women are in need of psychiatric treatment, that they are unable to distinguish between right or wrong at the time of act due to their altered view on reality. Andrea Yates, for example, believed that she had Satan inside her and that she was unable to raise the children properly because of it; that they couldn’t be saved and were going to burn in hell (Roche, 2002). Andrea believed that her being evil was causing her children to not be righteous and that she needed to be executed. The only way for that to happen was for Andrea to kill her children. Women accused of such crimes can get the help they need in an institution, where they are unable to harm themselves or their children. These women always carry with them the horror and guilt for what they have done, once they are no longer sick. Postpartum psychosis is a mental disability and should be treated as such. It would be a huge injustice to the affected women to be placed in prison, or worse yet sentenced to death. The crimes that they commit, infanticide and the like, are unspeakable; however it would not serve them or society well to have them locked up in prison and continue to suffer from this illness. If placed in a mental institution they may be rehabilitated into productive members of society once again. However there are opposing views on this subject. One of the opposing thoughts is that the crimes are so heinous that these women must pay retribution for what they have done (Anonymous, 2008). Many believe that convicted women should be paying their debt to society from behind prison bars, that these women are a risk to society like any other murderer and should serve time accordingly. Complicating the situation are the callous women who commit such crimes and then use postpartum psychosis as a defense when they are not suffering from this illness. One example of uch would be Susan Smith, who lied about the disappearance of her two young sons and then later claimed that she suffered from postpartum depression causing her to kill her children. Investigators on her case found that she was dating a man who â€Å"wasn’t ready for a ready-made family (Gibbs, Booth, Gregory, Monroe, Towle, 1994). † Therefore, doubt is cast in the minds of society and they see all infanticides as horrific crimes where justice must be sought for the innocent victims. Committing capital offices such as the murder of children and infants are offenses that are eligible for the death penalty. Due to the appalling nature of the crimes committed many want to see the offender to be put to death instead of wasting tax-payer dollars to keep them in prison for life. This is just another way society seeks retribution for these horrid crimes. People believing that the women accused of these crimes are not really mentally ill may have a couple of different viewpoints for deciding their fates through sentencing. Viewpoints on sentencing convicted women to prison or the death penalty may depend on Kantian and cultural relativism theories of ethics. Kantian views on ethics rely on reason to apply categorical ethical principles (Waller,2008, pg. 21). In applying reason to the murdering of innocent children, ethically the convicted women belongs either in prison or sentenced to death. Kantian views believe in the â€Å"golden rule† – do to others what you would have them do to you. Keeping that in mind then the killing of another person would bring upon punishment to the accused. Kantian also believes that we are responsible for our actions, good or bad, and is a product of free will (Caswell, 2006). In keeping with this view then, these women are morally responsible and choose, due to free will, to end their children’s life; therefore they should be held accountable. Another theory that would support imprisonment or death penalty sentence, for non-believers of the women being truly mentally ill, would be cultural relativism. Cultural relativism is defined as ethical judgments made relative to a given culture. Cultural relativism is basically the relativity of its society’s values, and murder is wrong no matter who is the victim. specially when it involves innocent victims such as infants and children. Therefore, if the murdering of children is wrong then there should be someone held accountable for the crime. It is hard for society to imagine that a child could die at the hands of their own mother. Unfortunately, with the blood on the mother’s hands she is placed in front of the firing squad, so to speak, so that justice can be served for the children. Under cultural relativism then, anyone convicted of such a crime should be punished to the fullest extent of the law. But is this the right solution to the problem? Possibly taking on a more sympathetic view, such as care ethics and intuitionists, can help us in choosing the right sentencing for these women. People who believe in care ethics are more about caring for the person than for justice for the crime (Tong and Williams, 2009). Women committing these crimes need medical help more than they need to be placed behind bars and people looking at this from the care ethics viewpoint can see it this way. They are not blinded by the need for justice and have sympathy for not only the innocent victims, but also the accused. The accused are victims in many ways also. These women have been let done by the medical community and some by their families who have seen the signs and have not gotten them help before it had escalated into tragedy. Care ethicists can see that there truly is a problem and by placing the woman behind bars or worse yet, sentencing them to death, there is a bigger tragedy occurring: the continued victimization of a mentally ill woman. Intuitionist feel they know what is the right thing to do, as in the Waller (2008) he told of Huck Finn debating over whether or not to turn in his friend Jim, a slave owned by someone who had always been kind to him. Huck decided not to turn Jim in and let him go, knowing that ultimately slavery is wrong. This won over the fact that he was â€Å"stealing† Miz Watson’s property by helping Jim escape. The same can be applied to the women that have committed crimes while suffering from postpartum psychosis. Intuitionists know that the act was wrong and should require retribution for their crimes. However, the bigger issue is identifying postpartum psychosis as a medical condition and treating the accused accordingly. In conclusion, I believe that people choosing not to recognize postpartum psychosis as a medical condition seek out more severe punishments for the crimes. In doing so, Kantian views and cultural relativism are two ways that they justify their beliefs on severe sentencing. Kantian views are very strict and absolute – breaks a rule, you need to be punished accordingly. Cultural relativism is based on the societal ethics, break a societal rule punishment ensues. I believe this side of the debate just wants to see justice done for the innocent victims. Whereas care ethicists and intuitionists want justice, but they also want what is intrinsically right done. Sending the accused to prison or to death row, does not provide justice for the innocent victims, it would only add to the family’s suffering and create more victims. Care ethicists look at taking care of the accused as opposed to being out for revenge or justice. Intuitionists look at what they feel is the right decision, and sending someone away for a crime that they committed when they were not in control of themselves does not feel morally correct to them. References http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,218445,00.html http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2009/entries/feminism-ethics/

Fake Love In The Truman Show :: essays research papers

Truman Paper The term fake love in itself does not make that much sense. How can someone express love, which is feeling that provides unconditional caring and commitment, and then call it fake. The only real way to have fake love for someone is to not love at all, but just to think you love. In the movie The Truman Show there are many individuals whom exhibit an illusion of love for the main character, Truman. At the beginning of the movie many of the characters appear to have genuine love for Truman. However, as the movie progresses almost all of the people whom are close to Truman, show in one way or another how they only think they love him. The best examples of these types of characters are his wife, his best friend, and his creator. His own wife, someone whom should be completely faithful and truthful with him lies to him on a daily basis. Her fake love is most clear when she crosses that line between actress and a real person. When she is acting she is trying her best to portray a woman who m truly loves him, but after seeing her act for so long even Truman can see her real personality underneath. He spots a person whom in real life cannot even stand him, but she puts a vale on to cover that. She probably really would like to love him but she cannot change the person she is any more than Truman can. Truman’s best friend has the same fake love traits as his wife. Even though they were friends from children they always had a secret between them. He had the illusion of loving Truman probably just because he had known him so long. Though, once you’ve lied to a person over and over the love is gone. He lied so many times that by the end of the film it could be seen that even at Truman’s worst moment he could lie to him to keep his job and the show going on. Truman’s wife and friend were not the only people in his life that had an illusion of love for him. Every one that he came in contact with in his own little city had a sort of fake love for hi m. He was the reason that they were employed and the reason that the show went on.

USA Today: Innovation and Evolution in a Troubled Industry

1) What Opportunities in the marketing environment did Gannett seize in launching USA Today? How did the company learn about and respond to the opportunities? Answer these same questions for USATODAY. COM On its debut in 1982, USA Today was reckoned as America’s first National general-interest daily newspaper. Being the global information juggernaut that he is, Gannett managed to identify a gap in the market that he identified as an opportunity for the leading to-be newspaper of the united States. The opportunity was the void gap in the market. Attention to the business traveler was the least attended to which gave Gannett the opportunity to target such a sector and be the leading supplier of such traveler needs in terms of information. The launch of USA Today was based on two perspectives; the increasingly short attention span as well as the continuous hunger for more information. With both perspectives in mind, the paper was positioned to be a source of information that delivered â€Å"more news in less time†. In response to their customer needs, and the opportunistic gap in the market, USA Today was designed to be a unique paper with easy access to articles and concern for their time-pressed readers through the introduction of columns and snippets that presented the most salient topics of the story. In addition to their colorful contemporary look, USA Today’s ability to be dependably consistent added great value to the paper that lead to a stuttering over-a-million circulation in just seven months. In an era when most of the major media outlets were suffering from a decline in readership, USA Today enjoyed continuous growth. To offset the rising distributional and promotional costs, USA today ventured in introducing spin offs to increase demand of the print sector. USA. com was one of Gannett’s spin-offs of responding to the information market in relativity to the greater global market. When everyone considered the Internet boom to be the start of an end to the newspaper industry, Gannett managed to transform that threat into an opportunity. Due to an increase in the newsprint cost, associated with a decrease in the readership rates, USA online was a way to increase readership by offering more ways of satisfying the reader base and ensuring that the mission of USA Today was to be maintained. It capitalized and tried to keep pace with communication and technological breakthroughs to maintain its element of dependable consistency. In response to their commitment of â€Å"getting news and information into the hands of consumers faster than ever before†, USA. om endorsed blogs and podcasts to keep customers engaged as well as introducing I-phone, Blackberry and Kindle applications to keep up with the emerging trend of portable technology. 2) How has a continuous strategy of marketing innovation proved successful for USA today and USA. COM? Do you believe that USA today is well-positioned for the future? Explain Since USA Today’s launch, it has ensured the continuous consistency and dependability of the nature o f the material, as well as a commitment to continuous innovation. Ever since its start, USA today has been engaged in continuous improvement and betterment in what they offer to their readers. One of their main focus in their cycle of innovation was keeping the customer engaged in the reading process as well as listening and hearing for their demands. Regarding product innovation, they managed to keep the paper exciting and indulging to the reader in many different ways. For starters, their major innovative design was reducing the size of the paper from 54 to 50 inches, which made the paper more satisfying in terms of size and mobility of use. There was also a shift in the quality of news from a soft-focused newspaper to a more serious hard-focused newspaper. This was a very important move to the paper as it ensured readers of the quality of news they’re reading and also responded to the critiques of reporters calling USA Today â€Å"Mc Paper† which could have negatively affected the readership rates for the way readers could have perceived themselves as targets of â€Å"junk food journalism†. Further methods of keeping readers attached to the paper included the introduction of the two hotlines that erved to the queries of readers. Regarding their promotional efforts, after ensuring the success of USA today on a State scale, they aimed at increasing the awareness scope of USA today not only on a National level, but on an international level as well. They introduced the Buscapade to increase awareness in other states, while the Jetcapade was introduced to increase awareness internationally. Both approac hes were the start of profitability for USA today, where readership rates increased as well as awareness on both a national and international level. One of their most successful promotional efforts was blue chip circulation, which not only reaped profits from hotels, airlines and restaurants, but ensured exposure to a greater part of the target market and a raise in the level of awareness. Another move was advertising at the front page. Since its start, USA Today was based on untraditional aspects. Although criticized by many, it nonetheless appealed to its target market that continued to grow. Advertising on the fist page, although sacredly non-valued, and could have imposed a threat on the paper; sabotaging its image of credibility and consistency. Yet again, it acted as a leverage that further increased the profits of the paper Distribution was also one of the factors that would make or break the paper’s mission of delivering timely news. One competitive advantage the paper had over competitors was its ability to offer more up-to-date news three to four hours before competitors. That was because they permitted later deadlines which was further implemented when production became totally digital which gave writers and publishers greater flexibility and later deadlines, and at the other hand readers enjoyed earlier delivery times. In a market with threatening competitors such as The New York Times and wall street journal, USA Today was bound to failure if it weren’t for its innovative excellence in its product and promotion along with its dedication to keep engaging the customers in the paper experience by trying to cater for as many needs as possible, and competing with an edge that sets it apart from its competitors. One of USA Today’s product innovations later on became not an just another additional co-asset, but a leading internet-based companion to the USA Today print version. A threat can only be transformed into an opportunity among a number of competitors when one takes a lead regarding how to deal with such threat. Once you get a lead start, you’re in better opportunistic shape than the competitors. As much as the internet boom imposed a threat at the paper industry, co-opting with the decline in sales and advertising revenue, USA Today used the threat and transformed it into an opportunity by introducing usatoday. com, which was an online version of the print, designed in the same colorful, appealing manner. It yet had to maintain the same mission and vision of the print version in terms of the quality of material and framework, and respond in the same dedication to customer interests and further engagement. Although different from the original print version, usatoday. com ensured its existence and profoundness in the new market through continuous updates and innovative ways to stimulate readership and cut distribution expenses. It employed blogs and podcasts to ensure the relevancy of news to readers, as well as categorizing and aggregating news on the Internet. It also allowed advertisers to expand their online space by using â€Å"PointRoll† which acted as a leverage that helped advertisers direct consumers to merchants. To further cater for the readers needs, usatoday. com capitalized on the emerging trend of portable technology by launching applications that serve I Phone, Blackberry and kindle users. They also catered for social media tools fanatics which as indicated by internal sources were drivers for page view increases such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter. To further nourish the reader’s needs, they made room from readers to search for their unique interests and further bond with similar individuals. For example, they introduced â€Å"network journalism† which was a tool that allowed readers to comment and make recommendations. The previous example shows the necessity for an entity to continuously satisfy its customers and think of more innovative ways to help users develop attachment and brand loyalty. USA Today, being the entity that it is, is apparently well positioned for the current period. Ever since its debut, it has managed to maintain a proper and sturdy positioning among its competitors, with its competitive innovation and continuous responses to the evolving market. But at such point, when Internet has taken over the greater part of our lives, one has to ponder over the validity of the current positioning of USA Today. If it maintains the way its positioned for another five to ten years, it will be bound to close down for the trend is going further towards a digitally internet based era, where there will be no room for the traditional print version to compete. Its positioning should gradually and not instantly completely shift to an internet focus. The reason it should be done gradually is due to the fact that there still is a great part of readership that prefers the print. Instantly shifting to the internet would result in losing a great part of customers which USA Today wouldn’t want. The shift should be gradual to allow customers to accept the shift and not look for another product for if customers perceive that USA Today is lacking their interest, it would be crucial for its popularity and acceptance. ) What are the SWOT implications for USA Today as it looks toward the future? What strengths and opportunities can USA Today leverage as it looks for competitive advantage in the distribution of news and information? Strenghts: * America’s first National general interest daily newspaper. This will be an important factor that USA today should leverage and take advantage of the fact of its established name in the field, giving it more perceived establishment and stability rather than its competitors. Part of the Global information Juggernaut Gannett Co, which autonomously gives it more credibility and makes more room for excellence in the future as opposed to single-unit paper with no backing up from stronger, further well established players in the media marketplace. * Buscapade/Jetscapade lead to the overseas success of the paper and lead to an increase in demand, which lead to a start of profitability. * It gives room for later deadlines, which gives it a competitive advantage over its competitors in terms of the quality of news and how fast it reaches readers. This could be leveraged in the future as a reminder of how dedicated USA Today was and has been to its readers, implying its consistency and how its different from its competitors. * USA Today has already leveraged the internet boom into its benefit by introducing one-to-many spin offs, one of which I believe will take over USA Today operations in ten years time; usatoday. com. Excellence is derived from experience, and since usatoday. com has been thriving among a list of other sites is an indicator of how efficient the site is and how with the right innovative combination could dominate the market. Being the first to realize the business traveler gap in the market, it would be very hard for new entrants to enter and try to steal a part of USA Today’s market pie. * Continuous growth is also a great indicator of the paper for ever since its start, its audience has been constantly growing to topple over WSJ and NYT. Thus when USA Today looks at the future, it will have more reason to attract customers than its competitors. Weaknesses: * It took USA Today no less than five years to start entering into the profitability stage, which further reduced its ability to generate enough cash flow for future investments. The re cession, although affected everyone, caused a slump in tourism which affected the business traveler market, causing a decrease in flights, which automatically lead to a decrease in demand by airlines, hotels and restaurants. * Its reputation as a â€Å"Mc Junk† paper during its start could have unanimously affected the papers reputation and determined not only how readers perceive the quality of articles, but who reads it as well. * At one point in the cycle, WSJ reclaimed its position as number one paper, circulation wise. Opportunities: The Internet boom is considered to be double barreled. It will either make or break usatoday. So far, USA Today managed to straddle it by introducing usatoday. com along with its multiple applications and reader-friendly engagement processes. The internet is the most vital opportunity for is USA Today doesn’t manage it properly, with the right innovation and research, competitors will gain more market share, and readers will prefer the more up to date way of getting info. * Technological advancements will make room for greater breakthroughs and eaves room for innovation and further updating products. * The technological and portable technology trend should be taken as an advantage, in integrating USA Today in the lives of readers. * Social network sites being one of the drivers for page view increases should be properly utilized to maintain page views and further increase traffic on the site. * The ability to use recycled fiber will improve the environmental background of the company as well as decrease the cost of newsprint, making production more efficient. Threats: * ) Based on USA Today’s experiences with the print and online news, evaluate the long term potential of printed news and the newspaper publishing industry. Do you believe printed newspapers will continue to survive despite digital competition? So far, USA Today has managed to maintain and keep up with the technological trends that have been leading the market place for years now. As for the industry itself, it has already been threatened excessively by the internet boom showing declines in sales, readership and advertising revenue. And that’s just for now. Who knows how technologically driven customers will be five or ten years from now? Prints might compose part of the market share which has been undoubtedly decreasing over the past couple of years, for the mere fact that elderly, more traditionally oriented readers would not make the switch. That is not to imply that elders are the only readers of prints, but the ones that are unlikely to make the switch. People in their mid thirties and forties will be able to make the change gradually, more smoother than sixty and seventy year olds. The only way to maintain its survival despite digital competition is to cater for the needs of the emerging youth. The only way to ensure existence is by guaranteeing that they can target the youth for without them, USA Today loses hope of ever having the slightest of a susceptible target market. As for the prospects of the industry, it seems as if there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. Internet has now taken over our lives in so many different ways; being a viable source that ensures acquiring information in much faster and more efficient way. The whole idea is how to craft an imposing threat into an opportunity. Usatoday. om was an example, but with the rate of change, and how the trend is diffusing more towards a digitally based environment, prospects for USA Today from the print perspective has no hope. The youth, being a massive factor in how products are produced and marketed, is a reason why prospects for the print industry seem unlikely. Being Internet focused as t hey are, they will remain to evolve and with their evolvement comes the evolvement of their wants and needs which will be technologically based. Hence, ten years from now, its seem less probable that the grown up youth will demand anything less that whats technologically available at the time.

Marketing Draft: Les Mills Essay

Introduction: The Olympian â€Å"Les Mills† first opened the gym in 1968 and has been expanding its branches ever since including its Wellington branch in 1982, the gym I am focusing on (Les Mills, n.d). Les Mills is a one-stop comprehensive and full service gym located in Wellington. It offers facilities assisting in attaining active and healthy lifestyles through its extensive services. Mission Statement: Les Mills is a business providing a service with the goal of helping its consumers lead healthy and active lifestyles in central locations in Wellington. Market Analysis: Market Environment: The market is a considerable size in Wellington. Gyms like Jetts and City Fitness are key contributors to that size. Gyms vary in size and what they offer, they may be gender exclusive gyms, small stand alone gyms, large chain gyms, outdoor based training, and so on. Trends in the market consist of; attentive staff with relevant qualifications and a range of services within the gym (personal training, classes, good equipment). Customers within the market are in the â€Å"age of obesity† and generally concerned with â€Å"weight loss, muscle toning cardiovascular fitness, stress management and injury prevention/rehabilitation,† (The New Zealand Institute of Health and Fitness (March 2009). External Environment: Les Mills has many competitors as all gyms offer many of the same things. However all differ in internal features to set themselves apart from their competitors to target certain markets. Les Mills competitors are gyms like Jetts and City Fitness, and extend beyond gyms alone but also businesses which offer fitness, health and weight loss services, such as paddleboarding companies, Bikram Yoga and Jenny Craig. Internal Environment: Les Mills offers a strong motivational culture, this is important in gyms, to motivate their costumer in achieving their goals. Les  Mills staff are all well trained, personable people who create a motivational culture within the gym. They also offer the facility of personal training, Les Mills also offers a very wide range of equipment and workout machinery, as well as running classes. Competitive analysis: The gym market is an oligopoly-structured market. It consists of many small and large gyms. Gyms generally charge similar amounts for their services but price competition and calling can occur to gain customers over their competitors. Jetts and City Fitness charge less for memberships, however they attrac3t mostly to students or adults with lower incomes as they charge a more affordable fee. MACRO Environment analysis: Economic: Sociocultural Technological Gyms, like majority of businesses were and are affected by the post 2007 recession, which changed consumer-spending patterns. Les Mills had to factor that into its membership cost and how to market itself. Demographics impact Les Mills. Its locations need to be close to their target market. It seats customers who have disposable income to spend on membership costs. Due to the age of obesity there is increasing importance on fitness and health. This is predicted to become more trend in the future. Technological Environment: The Internet has changed the face and conduct of business. Les Mills has adapted to this by creating a website. The technological environment is not highly influential as they are a location-based service, but it is important in terms of communicating with their customers. TOWS: (Heinz Weihrich (n.d).) Threats: Opportunities: Economic struggle/recession: The 2007 economic recession lead to a decrease in its customers. Prior to the crash they had more disposable income. New Entrants: New entrants with innovative ideas extending beyond Les Mills  services is a threat to membership levels, and impact upon profit. Expanding target market: Les Mills could branch out to consumers who otherwise workout in the outdoors. Introducing Nutrition as a core aspect of the services offered. This would give it a competitive edge against competitors, as well as competing against weight loss competitors such as Jenny Craig. Strengths: Weaknesses: Good reputation: Les Mills is a well known, reputable and trusted. It has been operating since 1968. This allows for word of mouth among consumers. Innovative culture: Les Mils innovative marketing ideas such as, popular fitness classes and 24-hour services has set them apart from competitors and allowing them to charge more for memberships. Location: They are locate near customers generally working in corporate fields who can afford to pay higher subscriptions for convenience in city centers. Cost of running services: The classes Les Mills run are costly, as they need to supply the facilities, equipment, and trainers to run them. (Heinz Weihrich (n.d).) Target Market: Les Mills Target Market consists primarily of those in established jobs who have the additional disposable income to spend on a gym membership, typically priced higher than most other gyms. Recommendations: Les Mills could increase its membership levels by attracting a wider base of consumers, perhaps those whose interests lie in fitness but don’t like always being confined to a gym, who enjoy getting outdoors. A marketing idea that introduces a weekly activity such as Standup Paddle Boarding sessions where they take groups of people out on the water each week. The advantage of this is that it attracts customers interested in trying something new, as well as ones who have experience in it. It also strengthens their sense of community and culture in the gym because paddle boarding as a team is a social way to exercise, as opposed to running on a treadmill for example. Reference List: Heinz Weihrich (n.d). The TOWS Matrix— A Tool For Situational Analysis. Retrieved from http://www.usfca.edu/fac_staff/weihrichh/docs/tows.pdf MPlans (n.d) Health Fitness Marketing Plan. Retrieved from http://www.mplans.com/health_fitness_marketing_plan/situation_analysis_fc.php Andrew Weber.(n.d) Fitness Industry Analysis 2014 – Cost & Trends. Retrieved from https://www.franchisehelp.com/industry-reports/fitness-industry-report/ The New Zealand Institute of Health and Fitness. (May 2009). A profile on the New Zealand fitness industry (article). Retrieved From http://www.nzihf.co.nz/media-resources-1/articles/a-profile-of-the-new-zealand-fitness-industry Les Mills (n.d) Welcome to Les Mills. Retrieved from http://www.lesmills.co.nz/join-us/?club=1836&plan=fbabd202-741e-df11-9eaa-0050568522bb,c3280ab8-741e-df11-9eaa-0050568522bb

Volcanoes essays

Volcanoes essays Hot! Fire! Destruction! These are words that most people associate with volcanoes. But some good effects can come out of volcanoes. Volcanoes also have their own special mythology associated with them. A lot of volcanoes have some general characteristics in common. There are many volcanoes around the world and some have special characteristics. So come along and take a trip with me into the wonderful and exciting world of volcanoes. Over 550 volcanoes have erupted on the surface of the Earth since human kind has been able to record history. Their destructiveness has claimed the lives of over 200,000 people during the last 500 years with 26,000 deaths between 1980 and 1990 alone. They have also cause an innumerable The biggest eruption of the twentieth century was the eruption of Novarupta on the peninsula of Alaska. The amount of lava that erupted measured to roughly 15 cubic kilometers! All of the lava erupted equaled to the amount of 30 times the amount of lava that came from Mount Saint Helens and it is also the equivalent of 230 years of eruptions at Mount Kilauea. The eruption lasted for 60 The biggest eruption, despite its size, was not the most destructive, for the most destructive was the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in Oregon during the week of May 18th, 1980. This eruption mainly caused just loss of property, because many people didnt expect the volcano to erupt. Although some people did die, this volcano was kind of weak compared to the size of the eruption and amount of lives lost in other eruptions like Tambora, Indonesia in 1815 Despite all of these bad effects, some life still shines through these tragedies. For example the ash that a volcano spews out covers many square miles of plants and trees. This holds in water and waters plants. The ash also contains many nutrients that plants use. A little more ...

Do you think that we now have science systems that Essays

Do you think that we now have science systems that Essays Do you think that we now have science systems that are somewhat similar to large, complex technological systems? The transition to a higher reliance on technological systems represented a significant change in the development and use of technology and its relationships with society, including institutions within society. The practice of science shows at least some of the elements that characterize large-scale, interconnected (complex) systems. Given what you have learned about technological systems, explain how the practice of science might be legitimately called a system (or systems) similar to large, complex technological systems. In order to answer this question, you must identify the characteristics of these kinds of technological systems (you must refer to points covered by Hughes in Chapter 4), along with their significance. You are expected to use examples from a range of technologies/technological systems and science/science systems to illustrate your points. This paper should be about how scientists and organizationsassociated with science function. You must discuss cover social, political and organizational factors, and you also should consider a variety of sciences, including at least one natural science (physics, astronomy, biology, etc.). Medicine and computer science are not sufficient. You papershould not be about any of the following: Natural systems that scientists study and how these systems are complex or are similar to technological systems Relationships between science and technology The use of science in technology or the use of technology in science Respond to the question in a 6-8 page paper. Be sure to demonstrate a critical and detailed understanding of the course material and use additional research to support your position. Your bibliography does not have to be annotated.

Microeconomics - Help and Resources for Students

Microeconomics - Help and Resources for Students This page contains links to economics articles on this site. Most of the major topics in microeconomics have at least one article associated with them, but this is a work in progress and more will be added every month.   Collective Action - Microeconomics The Logic of Collective Action Costs - Microeconomics How to Understand and Calculate Cost Measures (Note: Includes Marginal Cost, Total Cost, Fixed Cost, Total Variable Cost, Average Total Cost, Average Fixed Cost, and Average Variable Cost.) Demand - Microeconomics What Is The Demand For Money?Price Elasticity of DemandIncome Elasticity of DemandCross-Price Elasticity of DemandCost-Push Inflation vs. Demand-Pull Inflation Economic Scale - Microeconomics Increasing, Decreasing, and Constant Returns to Scale Elasticity - Microeconomics Beginners Guide to ElasticityPrice Elasticity of DemandIncome Elasticity of DemandCross-Price Elasticity of DemandPrice Elasticity of SupplyArc Elasticity Income - Microeconomics The Effect of Income Taxes on Economic GrowthIncome Elasticity of DemandFairTax - Income Taxes vs. Sales Taxes Inflation and Deflation - Microeconomics Cost-Push Inflation vs. Demand-Pull InflationWhy Dont Prices Decline During A Recession?What is Deflation and How Can It Be Prevented? Markets - Microeconomics How Markets Use Information To Set Prices Money - Microeconomics What Was The Gold Standard?What Is The Demand For Money?How Much Is The Per-Capita Money Supply?Why Does Money Have Value?Are Credit Cards a Form of Money?When Stock Prices Go Down, Where Does the Money Go?Expansionary Monetary Policy vs. Contractionary Monetary PolicyWhy Not Just Print More Money? Prices - Microeconomics Price Elasticity of DemandCross-Price Elasticity of DemandPrice Elasticity of SupplyWhy Dont Prices Decline During A Recession?What is Arbitrage?When Stock Prices Go Down, Where Does the Money Go?How Markets Use Information To Set Prices Quotas and Tariffs - Microeconomics Why Are Tariffs Preferable to Quotas?The Economic Effect of Tariffs Short Run vs. Long Run - Microeconomics The Difference Between Short and Long Run Supply - Microeconomics How Much is the Per Capita Money Supply in the U.S.?The Oil SupplyPrice Elasticity of Supply Taxes and Subsidies - Microeconomics The Effect of Income Taxes on Economic GrowthWhy Are Tariffs Preferable to Quotas? Voting Systems - Microeconomics Proportional Representation vs. First-Past-The-Post

Career Development Course Project- Resume Essay

Career Development Course Project- Resume - Essay Example I have participated in management duties including human resource activities. With my experience in service and management duties, as well as my education, I have prepared myself to be a valuable leader at a corporate structured restaurant. OBJECTIVE: I intend to continue my career in the restaurant business, my education contributing to my work experience in such a way as to provide my employer with the best possible background to have a high achievement. Through a position in management, it is my intention to continue to offer the highest quality customer service to the patrons of the restaurant or bar that I manage. QUALIFICATIONS: I have experienced most entry level positions in the food and beverage industry. I have also had experience in aspects of management, taking on the responsibility of management duties which have included human resource management. I have managed a bar which has included the experience of managing a staff, inventory, and customer relations. As well, I have experienced the planning and execution of catering both on and off site. SKILLS: Able to do scheduling; training bartenders and servers; able to make 10 drinks in a minute; able to do inventory for bars and restaurants; able to use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Project, Outlook and Access. The ultimate goal of my career will be to enter into the business world as the owner of a bar. To get to this place in my life, so that I have prepared myself for the experience and have the best possible chance at success, I have worked in the restaurant business, primarily behind the bar, and have pursued an education towards this goal. My primary joy in being in the food and beverage industry is in the interactions that I have with my customers. I believe that owning my own bar will give me the opportunity to give my patrons the kind of experience that I think they will most enjoy. Through creating a business venture that is designed to the way that I think customers

Assignment4 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment4 - Assignment Example It is simple for learners to get disappointed in a class of blended capability. Stronger students may feel kept down weaker people may feel compelled. The instructor may feel focused. The best answer for this is to have an open-class talk about the classroom circumstance - to guarantee the best for everybody it is better to recognize the circumstances and for everybody to concur how to manage it. It is most likely best to stage and structure the talk (Reyes, 2014). All classes are blended capacity to one degree or an alternate. Great cases, when you have close local level speakers with novices, could be extremely trying for the instructor. In these cases, it is vital to recall that all learners will get something out of the class, however not so much the same things, and not so much, what you expect to show them! For instance, the tenderfoots may start to get a grip of your classroom dialect whilst the stronger understudies may start to have the capacity to put another strained into utilization. A class of thirty students learning English in a mixed ability class can be very tedious and challenging for any teacher. In this class, there will be a percentage of students that will not be at the same pase as other students. Grade four English is one of the fundamental bases of English. One needs to pass this stage of English so that they can be conversant and fluent with English. A grade four English teaches the students how to read and write new vocabularies, presenting and language structure. These are very vital in learning how to speak and writing the English language. The formative differences that exists in any optional and/or upper auxiliary school requests that instructors can consider the circumstances and make a move, they should proficient to utilize techniques that make it feasible for all scholars to encounter accomplishment by means applying the perfect specified in the educational program under the heading (Solatorio, 2014). Multi-level

Is the Federal Reserve Necessary Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Is the Federal Reserve Necessary - Research Paper Example One such mistake, in United States history, that seems to be repeating its self, is the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a twelve year span, lasting from 1929 to 1941, in which the U.S. market was down and unemployment was at an all time high. It is, by far, considered one of the lowest points in U.S. history, but what is really intriguing is it was preceded by the â€Å"roaring twenties† a time of great economic growth and wealth. Many are comparing this with the recent economic boom of the late nineties, early two thousands; followed by the â€Å"recession† the U.S. is currently in. So the question arises, what led to these two periods of growth, followed by a severe recession? By taking a look at what, the value of a dollar is, what fractional reserve banking versus free banking are, and what caused the increase in moral hazard; and by looking at the arguments for and against each of these, we can identify the factors that led to this tragic example of hist ory repeating itself. This first factor we are going to uncover is what determines the value of the U.S. dollar, how it has changed over the years, and we as a nation are now suffering from those changes. The majority of governments use to base their circulation of paper money, or notes, on the amount of gold that backs up the notes; this is known as the gold standard. Toward the end of the great depression many individual still did not trust banks and so they were holding on to a large portion of gold. This led to a deficit of gold to support the dollar, so President Roosevelt ordered the gold confiscation of 1933 in which all individuals were required, with some exceptions, by law, to bring their gold to the U.S. treasury in exchange for a dollar equivalent. Another by product of the great depression was the Bretton Woods System; this is a system that was agreed upon by most of the world’s powers in 1944 which hoped to govern the monetary regulations of the nations. As a re sult they established the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), which today is part of the World Bank Group. One of the major implications to the U.S., however, was the fact that they agreed maintain exchange rates by tying its currency to the U.S. dollar. Then in 1981, under the presidency of Nixon, the U.S. terminated the convertibility of the dollar to gold. This meant that the dollar is now a fiat currency backed by nothing but the promise of the federal government; this, in essence, did away with the gold standard. Proponents of doing away with the gold standard based their logic on the fact that they assumed the U.S would remain the number one world power. Though this held true for the first fifteen plus years after the gold standard was removed, that reign soon ended. Now with the U.S. owing over fourteen trillion dollars, and rising, to other nations, and our economy in a deep recession, many are left to wonde r if allowing our currency to be backed by only our government’s worth was such a good idea. Other groups against this move away from the gold standard, also argue that these nations which the U.S. government now owes are growing weary of whether or not the will be repaid. This is leading them to do more trading and lending with the still gold based European market, pushing our country deeper into the recession. This leads to where the dollar is distributed and stored by individual Americans and corporations, which is the U.S. banking system. There are two types of

Personal reflexion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal reflexion - Essay Example He told me that laboratory findings should not be mentioned in the history which should rather focus on what the patient tells us. He guided me that dehydration in children was checked on the abdomen rather than forehead. The teacher was very helpful and encouraged me along with telling me never to hesitate. He motivated me to work on patients alone and not to hesitate. I would definitely teach as a doctor if I come across a group of students who are new and find it difficult to work alone on patients. I learned from my experience that new students should never be criticized especially in front of the patients because it makes them loose confidence and they then find it difficult to go up to patients alone and learn. Q.2.Describe one example from your medical training when you received feedback on an aspect of your performance. Explain how that feedback altered your subsequent practice. How will you use this experience to develop a specific aspect of your foundation training? Answer: When our clinical training in the surgery ward started we were taught how to perform examination on patients suffering from hernia and in the next training session I was called forward to conduct the examination on the other patient. I performed all the steps required and checked the hernia and I presented the diagnosis that it was a case of direct inguinal hernia. The teacher approved of my confidence but he told me that I had missed on a few examination points including the ring occlusion test and I had actually confused an indirect inguinal hernia with a direct one. From this experience I learned that being doctors we should be very careful while presenting our diagnosis. All tests and examinations should always be performed before reaching to a conclusion. I will always be very careful during my foundation training not to repeat any such mistake and be careful enough to perform

Political profile of your local congressional district Essay

Political profile of your local congressional district - Essay Example She is a lesbian and one of the four publicly-proclaimed gay public figures in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district is a Democratic Party stronghold. For instance, the 2004 presidential aspirant in the Democrat party ticket, John Kerry, scooped 62% of the total votes while Barrack Obama clinched 69% of the vote compared to John McCain’s 30% in 2008. The table below outlines the list of representatives since the district inception to date. Representative Party Date Note District created June 9, 1848 Mason C. Darling Democratic June 9, 1848 – March 3, 1849 Orsamus Cole Whig March 4, 1849 - March 3, 1851 Ben C. Eastman Democratic March 4, 1851 - March 3, 1855 Cadwallader C. Washburn Republican March 4, 1855 - March 3, 1861 Luther Hanchett Republican March 4, 1861 - November 24, 1862 Died Vacant November 24, 1862 - January 26, 1863 Walter D. McIndoe Republican January 26, 1863 - March 3, 1863 Redistricted to the 6th district Ithamar Sloan Republican March 4, 1863 - March 3, 1867 Benjamin F. Hopkins Republican March 4, 1867 - January 1, 1870 Died Vacant January 1, 1870 - February 23, 1870 David Atwood Republican February 23, 1870 - March 3, 1871 Gerry Whiting Hazelton Republican March 4, 1871 - March 3, 1875 Lucien B. Caswell Republican March 4, 1875 - March 3, 1883 Daniel H. Sumner Democratic March 4, 1883 - March 3, 1885 Edward S. ... Nelson Republican September 4, 1906 - March 3, 1913 Redistricted to the 3rd district Michael E. Burke Democratic March 4, 1913 - March 3, 1917 Redistricted from the 6th district Edward Voigt Republican March 4, 1917 - March 3, 1927 Charles A. Kading Republican March 4, 1927 - March 3, 1933 Charles W. Henney Democratic March 4, 1933 - January 3, 1935 Harry Sauthoff Progressive January 3, 1935 - January 3, 1939 Charles Hawks, Jr. Republican January 3, 1939 - January 3, 1941 Harry Sauthoff Progressive January 3, 1941 - January 3, 1945 Robert Kirkland Henry Republican January 3, 1945 - November 20, 1946 Died Vacant November 20, 1946 - April 22, 1947 Glenn Robert Davis Republican April 22, 1947 - January 3, 1957 Donald Edgar Tewes Republican January 3, 1957 - January 3, 1959 Robert Kastenmeier Democratic January 3, 1959 - January 3, 1991 Scott L. Klug Republican January 3, 1991 - January 3, 1999 Tammy Baldwin Democratic January 3, 1999 - Present Incumbent Retrieved from http://en.wikipedi a.org/wiki/Wisconsin%27s_2nd_congressional_district The incumbent is heading to the senate, paving the way for a new Democrat contestant to battle it out with the Republican opponent. These will be the first elections that the voters will be using new district boundaries based on the 2010 census. The Democrat candidate for the state representative 2012 is Mark Pocan while that of the conservative is Chad Lee. The third party candidate could have been Joe Kopsick although he did not collect enough signatures to appear in the ballot. According to Spicuzza and Barbour, Democrat nominations were highly contested between Roys and Pocan owing to the current ratings that place

Personal reflexion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal reflexion - Essay Example He told me that laboratory findings should not be mentioned in the history which should rather focus on what the patient tells us. He guided me that dehydration in children was checked on the abdomen rather than forehead. The teacher was very helpful and encouraged me along with telling me never to hesitate. He motivated me to work on patients alone and not to hesitate. I would definitely teach as a doctor if I come across a group of students who are new and find it difficult to work alone on patients. I learned from my experience that new students should never be criticized especially in front of the patients because it makes them loose confidence and they then find it difficult to go up to patients alone and learn. Q.2.Describe one example from your medical training when you received feedback on an aspect of your performance. Explain how that feedback altered your subsequent practice. How will you use this experience to develop a specific aspect of your foundation training? Answer: When our clinical training in the surgery ward started we were taught how to perform examination on patients suffering from hernia and in the next training session I was called forward to conduct the examination on the other patient. I performed all the steps required and checked the hernia and I presented the diagnosis that it was a case of direct inguinal hernia. The teacher approved of my confidence but he told me that I had missed on a few examination points including the ring occlusion test and I had actually confused an indirect inguinal hernia with a direct one. From this experience I learned that being doctors we should be very careful while presenting our diagnosis. All tests and examinations should always be performed before reaching to a conclusion. I will always be very careful during my foundation training not to repeat any such mistake and be careful enough to perform

Why Do Cultural Differences Within Urban Chicago High Schools Results Essay

Why Do Cultural Differences Within Urban Chicago High Schools Results In So Many Discipline Problems - Essay Example The study intends to use questionnaires, interview schedules, observation as well as focus- group discussion in gathering relevant data for the study. Culture is people’s way of life. It denotes what a people value and abides to as normal. It is that complex whole of a people’s collective experience in life. It includes religion, political, economical, ethics, social and aesthetic. As the report declares ethnicity is an inheritance where members of a particular group perceive each other as emotionally bounded by a common set of traditional, worldviews, history, and heritage. The issue of ethnic and cultural identity has been a dominant and salient issue of many minority ethnic groups for along time. America institutions of learning have been the battlefield of this identity struggle. The high schools in urban Chicago have experiencing high incidences of racial and ethnicity related indiscipline where the students fail to uphold cultural tolerance towards teachers and other students from different cultural background. This has led to physical attacks, lack of respect and general deterioration of discipline in schools. There is increase in cultural related crimes and misbehaviour among students in urban Chicago. Chicago times reported that a group of white students attacked and racially abused a senior honour student. There have been incidences of violence every day and each time is a student from one race attacking another from a different race. Normally, they hail racial sentiments at each other. This has made many students to fear attending schools since a day cannot pass without a violence incidence in school. This has made school administration to hire security guards and seek police help in keeping law and order in schools in Chicago (Chicago Sun Times, November 8th, 2006). Bona in his article mentions riots, mass protests and violence as some of the poignant index of student indiscipline among college and university students in India. He also identifies incidences where students disrupt examinations, physical attacks on respected professors and administrators as pointers of indiscipline among students. He attempts to explain the causes of students' indiscipline as falling into three major categories namely; psycho-social, economic and political. For him, students in developing nations are most likely to misbehave due to political reasons when institutions raise student expectations too high and fail to deliver. However, for minority groups in a dominant culture, students' misbehaviour may be as a result of economic suppression and psycho-social reasons. A look at the highly respected cultural values of Indian community no one would ever associate students unrest with their cultural

Eukaryotic Transcriptional Activator Essay Example for Free

Eukaryotic Transcriptional Activator Essay Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Much of what was initially known about transcription came from pioneering prokaryotic transcription studies that followed the1959 discovery of RNA polymerase. During those earlier times, it was presumed that gene structure and transcription in bacteria were practically the same for eukaryotes. This later turned out to be incorrect since eukaryotic DNA assumes higher-order structural forms and transcriptional and regulatory processes in eukaryotes are much more complex. Thus, studies on eukaryotic transcription have become invaluable in further understanding this vital process that regulates gene expression in higher organisms (The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences 2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One such study was done by Brent and Ptashne, wherein they investigated which of two proposed mechanisms does GAL4 activate transcription (729). GAL4 is a protein that initiates the transcription of the GAL1 gene in S. cerevisiae, given that a region called UASG or a certain 17-bp sequence (termed â€Å"17-mer†) is present anywhere from 40 to 600 nucleotides upstream of the gene’s transcription start site. The two regions bind GAL4 to activate transcription similarly when inserted upstream in another gene, CYC1 – normally regulated by the two UASs (upstream activation sites) UASC1 and UASC2, which bind certain cellular proteins (in Brent and Ptashne 729).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   GAL4 is thought to activate transcription either by a) binding to DNA and stabilizing unusual DNA structure so that protein binding near the transcription site is promoted; or b) binding to DNA without disturbing its structure and activating transcription by getting in contact with other proteins. Based on earlier lambda experiments that involved mutant repressors which, operating via mechanism b above, can bind DNA but are unable to activate transcription because the amino acids in the region thought to contract RNA polymerase were altered, Brent and Ptashne tried to determine the domains responsible for GAL4’s DNA-binding and activator functions. For this purpose they used LexA-GAL4, a new protein construct having the DNA-binding specificity of LexA, an E. coli repressor protein whose amino-terminal domain binds to operator regions to repress gene expression (729). It was found that LexA-GAL4 functions in the same manner in E. coli, but activates transcription in yeast if and only if, a lexA operator is likewise present near the transcription start site (730). Data Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The synthesis of LexA-GAL4 in bacteria and yeast was facilitated through the use of plasmids. The gene for LexA-GAL4 is the combination of the E. coli DNA fragment that codes for the 87-residue amino-terminal of LexA, and the S. cerevisiae fragment coding for the 807-residue carboxy-terminal of GAL4. Figure 1a (see Tables and Figures) shows the DNA sequence and corresponding amino acids coded in the LexA-GAL4 fusion junction while b and c respectively show plasmid 1109, whose LexA-GAL4 synthesis is regulated by the tac promoter, and 1027, regulated by the ADH1 promoter (Brent and Ptashne 730).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     LexA-GAL4’s repressor activity in E. coli was demonstrated by two experiments. Table 1 summarizes the results of the first experiment on a bacterial strain wherein a lacZ gene was adjoined to the lexA promoter. LexA autorepresses its own transcription so the strain used carried a mutant, nonfunctional lexA gene. Plasmids were then used to synthesize different regulatory proteins after which repressor activity was measured by the amount of b-galactosidase produced by lacZ. The results show that LexA-GAL4 transcription repression from the lexA promoter was comparable to that of LexA. Meanwhile, Figure 2 shows the results of the second experiment which made use of the fact that certain LexA-repressed genes need to be expressed for cells to recover from DNA damage. That is why, cells with a mutant LexA that is able to bind to the operator but can’t be deactivated through proteolysis exhibit UV sensitivity. Figure 2 shows the survival rate of E. coli cells depending on the regulatory proteins synthesized by corresponding plasmids. As with the first experiment, LexA-GAL4 showed a similar repressor action as with LexA so that E. coli cells that had them were markedly UV-sensitive compared to cells that had no regulatory protein or had the l repressor which does not recognize the lexA operator and hence has no regulatory effect on transcription (730-731).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast to its action in E. coli, LexA-GAL4 acts as a transcriptional activator in yeast when a lexA operator is present. Plasmids were used to transform one group of GAL4+ cells into producing LexA-GAL4 and another to produce native LexA. Both groups were then further modified to carry a gene made from the fusion of either GAL1 or CYC1 and lacZ, and either UASG, the 17-mer, UASC1 and UASC2, a lexA operator, or none of these upstream of the gene (see Figure 3). From the CYC1-lacZ gene results in Table 2, it can be seen that whereas LexA repressed b-galactosidase production, LexA-GAL4 activated transcription but only when there is a lexA operator upstream. Transcription appeared to be stimulated more when the operator is nearer the transcription start site. Conversely, transcription was markedly hindered in the glucose medium (731-732) which is consistent with previous observations that GAL4 is only active when cells are grown on a galactose medium but is inhibited in the presence of glucose (729). Table 3 shows the same trend in LexA-GAL4 activity with the GAL1-lacZ gene. In fact, LexA-GAL4’s dependency on the presence of a lexA operator to activate transcription was also emphasized in similar experiments using strains having either a gal4 gene point mutation or a gal4 deletion, wherein LexA-GAL4 activated CYC1-lacZ and GAL1-lacZ transcription only when an operator was present and likewise, was dependent on operator proximity to the transcription start site. In these experiments, LexA-GAL4 failed to stimulate b-galactosidase production even in plasmids bearing UASG or the GAL1-lacZ gene, nor was it able to compensate for the absence of wild-type GAL4 when no operator was present (731-732). Comparison of LexA-GAL4-stimulated GAL1-lacZ transcription with that in a plasmid bearing wild-type UASG showed that the 5’ ends of the RNAs made were the same (Figure 4). However, it is not yet clear why the amount of transcripts produced was only 5% of that which was expected based on b-galactosidase measurements (731). The reduced activity of GAL4 on glucose media is attributed to the association of the GAL4 C-terminus with the inhibitory protein GAL80, thus hindering efficient binding with UASG (729). The results in Table 4 indicate that the LexA-GAL4 C-terminus likewise associates with GAL80. A glucose medium was used to grow GAL4-producing cells that had UASG but no lexA operator upstream of a GAL1-lacZ gene. Results suggest that LexA-GAL4 proteins, in the absence of an operator to bind to, are free to interact with GAL80 and consequently facilitate transcription by leaving wild-type GAL4 to bind to UASG (732-733).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Figure 5 shows a spliced yeast gene and a derivative wherein a lexA operator was inserted into the gene’s intron. This was done to test whether LexA-GAL4 can also activate transcription if the operator is downstream of the normal transcription start site. UASG was present upstream but a gal4 strain was used so no GAL4-stimulated transcription would occur and b-galactosidase production would be purely dependent on LexA-GAL4. From the results in Table 5, it may be seen that LexA-GAL4 was able to stimulate transcription only when there’s an operator in the intron, though b-galactosidase production was only 4% as much of that resulting from transcription from UASG in a GAL4+ strain (733).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The essence of this study’s findings is depicted in Figure 6, which shows that the hybrid protein LexA-GAL4 can successfully stimulate transcription in yeast but only in the presence of a lexA promoter upstream (733). Tables 2 3 and more importantly, the parallel experiments with the GAL4-expression impaired strains (731-732), best illustrate LexA-GAL4’s strict requirement for the presence of an operator in order to activate transcription. Conclusions   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Through the series of experiments done, Brent and Ptashne were able to gather data attributing activator function to GAL4’s C-terminus, consequently suggesting that activation by GAL4 is more probably achieved by its interaction with other proteins rather than by binding to UASG and then perturbing DNA structure. Since LexA-GAL4 successfully activated transcription without binding to UASG, a change in structure doesn’t appear to be crucial for transcription to occur (733). Though the results of the experiments were per se quite conclusive, they are rather indirect evidence for the GAL4 mechanism being put forward. A probably more direct proof is offered by the Keegan, Gill and Ptashne study mentioned which claims that another hybrid protein having the amino terminal of GAL4 binds UASG but fails to activate transcription, likely because the C-terminus is that of b-galactosidase which functions differently (733). This study has successfully illustrated the synthesis of hybrid proteins that can be used for exploring further not just the activator function of other eukaryotic regulatory proteins (734), but on the whole, transcriptional and regulatory processes in various other eukaryotic organisms. Good follow-up studies would therefore be a structural study to determine whether no change in DNA structure is indeed involved in GAL4 activity and more generally, the application of the methods and concepts learned here to other eukaryotic genes and their known regulators so as to perhaps be able to establish whether a mechanism similar to that proposed for GAL4 is also in play. Both ultimately can help to build a general but detailed picture that will allow for a deeper understanding of eukaryotic transcription and regulation of gene expression.

Evaluating The Role And Importance Of Entrepreneurship Commerce Essay

Evaluating The Role And Importance Of Entrepreneurship Commerce Essay Historically, entrepreneurship has been defined as different ways of resource allocation and optimization of organizational processes, always in a creative way in order to lower costs and improve results. Biased, is associated with the term of entrepreneurship to create new businesses, generally small and micro enterprises. Besides that entrepreneurship is linked to risk taking. In Druckers (1986), the entrepreneurial profile involves characteristics as: the search for change, the vision of opportunity, creativity, innovation and acceptance of risks and uncertainties related to business. The association between entrepreneurship and risk tolerance is usually routine. Generally, it is customary to assume that entrepreneurs are more risk tolerant. This was the purpose of analysis in this study, which study the association between level of entrepreneurship of an individual and their level of risk tolerance. This article explores the association between two variables, presented as the level of entrepreneurship of an individual, their level of risk tolerance and risk taking. Defining Entrepreneurship Characteristics or traits According to Drucker, P. (1986 pp. 131) argue that the definition of entrepreneurship in recent years see changes suffered by influences from areas as anthropology, sociology and business strategies to present their theories and assist the creation of new entrepreneurs. The idea and principle that the entrepreneurship process begins in institutions with social and cultural implications. The big question about entrepreneurship is linked in the risk that the entrepreneur runs to develop and implement a new business. There is a correlation in entrepreneurship and the theory of prospect, which deals with behaviour and relation to risk, it is the entrepreneur willing to take financial risk, strategic and operational levels to develop a new business. The issue of entrepreneurship in making decisions in relation to risk was the subject of research by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, whose results were known by researchers as Prospect Theory. The early study was due to the fact that entrepreneurs behave or have an average performance in accordance with the standard of the average return. The experiments have revealed patterns of behaviour determined by two major human shortcomings: the emotion that inhibits or restricts the self-control essential to the process of decision making, and cognitive difficulties that hinder the full understanding of the problem faced, particularly given the difficult to draw valid generalizations of samples available, which leads to the adoption of more subjective methods, known as degrees of belief. According to Schumpeter, J. (1987) agrees that every entrepreneur has a profile of innovative capacity and acceptance of risk, and also that not all outcomes are successful, and the entrepreneurial function has the responsibility of the relationships between the business and cultural factors that are present in organization. Entrepreneurial culture Burns, P. (2007) reports that since the beginning of the era of entrepreneurship was hoped that the cultural context had a substantial impact on the development of entrepreneurship. The tendency for entrepreneurship differs among societies, because that culture moderates the characteristics of entrepreneurs differ from place to place. As the understanding Burns, P (2007), human beings are not born an entrepreneur, he develops this trait in the environment they live and the environment, both the time and the place is a positive or negative influence of this trend. The entrepreneurial culture is based on the concentration of various forms of entrepreneurship, necessary for the determination of this culture. In the view of Kent, C. (1990), there are several initiatives and forms of entrepreneurship as the entrepreneurial profile, the entrepreneurial management, intrapreneurship, entrepreneurship collective, according to this author, there are entrepreneurial culture requires at least two of these forms. he entrepreneurial culture emphasizes the emergence of new opportunities, the means to capitalize on them and the creation of adequate infrastructure to take advantage of them. The strategy and planning are the foundations of entrepreneurial culture, to reduce uncertainties in the business opportunities, which is consistent with the attitude of the entrepreneur always calculate the risk of premeditated manner. In this sense, one can establish that Entrepreneurship Education is the process that aims at human development in the context of identifying and exploiting opportunities and their subsequent transformation into reality, thus contributing to the generation of financial values, social and cultural society in which the human being is. Through planning and developing strategies and risk measurement and goals. process of entrepreneurship Each entrepreneurial mission is different, some endeavour had success history and other did not. The entrepreneurship venture are the consequence that victory history in entrepreneur way. Nevertheless, the entrepreneurship process should be analyse an global way, since the provides a contents for analyse how entrepreneurship invents new ideas and new ways to provide opportunities and ventures. Furthermore, the procedure of entrepreneurship gives knowledge to mapping and to analyse the innovative actions. According to Wickham, P. ( 2006, pp. 223) affirms that the approach to the entrepreneurial procedure that will be described here is based on four interacting contingencies. The business person is responsible to bring these factors together to create innovation value. The four contingencies factors in the entrepreneurship process are, entrepreneur, opportunity, organisation and resources. Source: Wickham, P. (2006, pp.224): The entrepreneurial process: opportunity, resources and organisation. entrepreneur According to Wickham, P. ( 2006, pp. 209) success is based on the ventures ability to satisfy economic, social and developmental needs. In other words, the entrepreneurial success is consequence of set characteristics of personal skills, knowledge, perception and personality traits that lead to analyse and evaluate the entrepreneurial success. The entrepreneur is a business man who is responsible of entrepreneurial process, in other words, he is charge to manage and lead the organisation objectives. Entrepreneurs are not only those who have ideas, create new products or processes. They are also those who implement, lead teams and sell their ideas. It is difficult to find all these characteristics in one person. Therefore, the identification of each profile is the key, and teamwork can be critical to the success of entrepreneurs within an organization. For example, Steve Jobs is the co-founder of Apple, Pixars former owner and creator of the hottest gadgets of the last 10 years is not only a businessman, but it is undoubtedly one of the most visionary and courageous entrepreneurs who appeared in the business world in recent decades. Opportunity The opportunity is the gap in the market that should be occupied by competitors or suppliers. The opportunity aims the space on the sector or environment market that should be met by entrepreneurs. The main objective of entrepreneur is to scan and observe the available or potential opportunity in the market. The best scenario of achieve the opportunity is the innovation approach that the business man shows to the market. Organisation Searching to serve the innovation to the environment competitive the functions and activities of the employees should be coordinated, this is the propose of the company should deliver. The companies can be changed according the actions and strategies, like, their size, their structure, their research and development area, the core business and culture aspects. According to Wickham, P. (2006, pp 224) agrees that entrepreneurial companies are characterised by leadership, style, behaviour and spirit from their founder. This organisations may have unstructured hierarchy, rules or process, on the other hand this factor can be a strength in the learning process, innovation and development by being active to bring new ideas and approaches to organisation change. In addition, entrepreneurial companies are been set as a network of relationships between employees, suppliers and others stakeholders which are led by the entrepreneur. These relationship connections build a formal and mixed organisation. Some relations are classified by contracts, open markets, formal, informal and long term. In the network study, the company is defined by a nexus of relationships and the level can be complex. This relation provides to the organisations a good opportunity to analyse how they are positioned in the market. Resources The last term in the entrepreneurial process is the resources. This contingency aims to raise capital and resource that is capitalised in the company, such as investors who sponsor their capital, information, skills, know-how, experience and knowledge. This elements that lead to growth can be intangible property, like, consulting, brand, loyalty and customer goodwill can be lead to investment. The main objective of the entrepreneur is to raise capital and investment to the company and focus the investment to increase, build and develop the value proposition deliver to the customer. According to Burns, P. (2007, pp.117) commented that entrepreneurs typically identify opportunity, building and leading the company. Furthermore, entrepreneur attract and mange resources. The entrepreneurs must deliver responsibilities to the employees and the managers may take over the function to manage and bring resources. For example, the production department may take over the functions to attract resources and innovation to develop new products; the sales department may take over the responsibility to bring opportunities on the market. In the way, the entrepreneur becomes business facilitator, advisor and leader of the business. According to Wickham, P. (2006) agrees that there are three main resources avalible to the entrepreneur, such as financial resources, human resources and operating resources. FINANCIAL RESOURCES The financial resource is the source that the entrepreneur raises capital to invest the company. Money is the most common form of the financial resource and can be used to buy other resources. Financial resources are the source for the entrepreneur to invest more money in the organization. The entrepreneur must find a balance between financial gain and also the companys performance and flexibility of resource use. The financial resources that the entrepreneur has access varies according to sector, scenario and strategy also adopted by the organization. HUMAN RESOURCES Human resources are critical success factors in a entrepreneurship venture. They can bring innovation, experience and make up the company. Furthermore, the human resources can provide advantage competitive to the organisation. The employees who make up in the venture offer their labour towards the entrepreneur. OPERATING RESOURCES Operating resources are the materials which contribute and are used by the organisation to deliver and offer outputs to the business environment. The main function of operational resources aims the capacity of the organisation deliver its innovation to the market. Risk and taking decisions According to Knight F. (2002), affirms that uncertainty occurs when the investors are not able to analyse and measure the possibilities and probabilities of different results. The same author agrees that risk is a consequence of the free and conscious decision to expose himself to a situation in which the struggle for the realization of the good with the possibility of injury or loss. According to Knight, F. (2002) states that the prospect of failure and taken as the meaning of risk. And that risk is present in any entrepreneurial process, besides being an inherent situation of decision-making. Furthermore, the risk can be controlled and measured, unlike other elements, such as external factors, environmental and political. The same author defines distinction between risk (when the probability of a result can be given calculated [or is known]) and uncertainty (when the probability Ccan not be determined [or unknown]). This thesis made the insurance industry attractive, and entrepreneurship, in Knights words, tragic. According to Knight, F. (2002) says that every organization faces risk, regardless of size, industry, parents and strategy. And that is not calculated risks may cause loss of investment opportunity, loss of brand image, prejudice and even financial risk of its existence. Analyse and understand the risks that the company may face and essential for growth and development objectives and strategy, moreover, the risk monitoring helps protect your investment. There are four types of business risk, are strategic risk, operational, financial and transfer. Strategic Risk Strategic risk and the most complex type of risk that an organization can face. Strategic risks can be controlled and directed according to the market, competitors, external changes and launch new innovative products that can change the configuration of market competition. Organizations also face strategic risks when considering performance challenges that are outside its control, such as climatic variables, the other environmental factors that provide benefit to the competition. Companies that succeed in having the best ratings and control of strategic risks can identify the greatest threats to their business and financial objectives and therefore assess and identify possible solutions. Operational Risk Operational risks are also important for the performance of the company as it affects the performance and operation of the company. Operational risk can be considered as the risk of loss of processes, people, systems or errors that hurt the performance of the organization. Operational risks as is the case of failures in IT systems, equipment, supply outages and fraudulent behaviour, may have a strong impact on business continuity. The evaluation of operational risk assessment beyond the operational errors, fraud and probability not meet any companys contract. An example of risk-taking operating a new business, customers are increasingly sensitive to quality service delivery. Thus, the entrepreneurship should consider operational risk to maintain service delivery. Financial Risk The financial risk and the risk that consumers do not understand liquidity necessary to meet the expenses and liabilities of the company. Financial risk means the risk of a possible future change in one or more interest rates, prices of financial instruments, commodity prices, exchange rates, indices of prices or rates, credit rating or credit index or other variable, provided that in the case of a non-financial variable, the variable is not specific to one part of the contract. Transfer Risk Risk transfer involves the use of an entity that accepts bear the risks. Risk transfer involves the use of an entity that accepts responsibility for supporting economic damage from a hazard. in exchange for a premium. The insurance came from the need of economic security through a transfer position for someone else, the risks that could affect the assets of individuals, families or a particular community. In a new enterprise making process of risk can lead to transfer of risk by the entrepreneur if the entrepreneur seeks to dilute the risks of the investment, but the transfer of risk generates an additional cost in developing the business. Such as the entrepreneur uses a purchasing insurance coverage or issuing debt. Decisions under certainly The decisions under certainty, occurs when the actual result is always the expected result, for example an entrepreneur seeking an investment that has high chances of success. In this scenario the developer simply chooses the action that will give higher returns and profitability, and the return will be definitely achieved. Within the business world, the decisions under certainty are rare, because currently no investor takes a decision with certainty that it will be successful, there will always be some uncertainty and risk. Decisions under uncertanily Knight F. (2002) argues that uncertainty should be taken as radically distinct from the familiar notion of risk, which have never been properly separated. The term risk is related to a quantity susceptible of measurement, the risk appears as measurable uncertainty, which is different from something not measurable, a fact of uncertainty. The definition of uncertainty used here is not derived from ergot perspective of the world presented by Knight and Keynes at the beginning of last century and is understood as a perceptual phenomenon described as the individual and the perceived ability to predict the occurrence of future events from the study of past events. Decisions under uncertainty, in fact despite the use of the word risk in risk decisions are rare in organizational settings. Why, for instance an entrepreneur can know what may happen, but it can hardly know what may happen in a competitive environment such as the launch of a product or a competitors new strategy. The decisions under uncertainty should seek to maximize returns and reduce risks and losses. Decisions under risk According to Knight, F. (2002) states that every action may involve a series of possible outcomes, each of which may occur as a known probability. In other words, the decision under risk occur on facts that are known but not known whether that will happen. The only thing you can know about the decision under risk and probability of occurrence of the event, and the risk is present only if this probability and known. As an example, the launch of a product can have according to the probability 50% market share in a year. The decision for the entrepreneur will be in or not to launch the product in accordance with the probability study. decisions under ambiguity Decisions on an ambiguous action can be assessed by the manager of consequences that will have if a product is launched. That his trial by the entrepreneur will be made à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹according to the knowledge market and how the competitors and the market were in the past. The decision on this ambiguity between decisions of uncertainty and risk, because there is no chance to learn the result set. decisions under ignorance The decisions under ignorance represent the opposite of decisions under certainty because there is no information about the consequences of the decision, there are odds and also know what can happen. Are decision situations where we can not calculate the probability for different reasons, or where it makes sense to use probabilities. Conclusion During the process of entrepreneurship, the entrepreneur must deal with the business opportunity, with financial sources, operational and human, in addition to the organization seeking a leadership influence. Besides promoting a culture and an innovative and entrepreneurial goals according tracings. The entrepreneurial culture influences and provides a very distinguished contribution in enterprises, companies and groups that cultivate it, since it is a promoter of innovation, making their players better able to compete in a fast-changing and continuous. In addition, the risk-taking is therefore present in the process of entrepreneurship, because every decision to invest and seek new things requires risk taking. For the entrepreneur there are financial risks, transfer of operational and strategic, and the entrepreneur must be aware of and awareness about the consequences and risks of each goals. Decisions are based on previous knowledge of market and competitors, such decisions aimed at seeking further results and development issues for the company. The entrepreneur can make decision about risk, certainty, uncertainty and ambiguity and ignorance. Besides the main factor in the process of entrepreneurship and risk-taking and decisions within the process of developing the business.

Supremacist Ideologies in Joseph Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay

Supremacist Ideologies in Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness colludes with the ethnocentric attitude of Europeans towards the native people of Africa. At the turn of the century, European imperialism was viewed as "a crusade worthy of this century of progress" by King Leopold of Belgium. Although Conrad was critical of imperialism, his novella reveals to the reader an undeniable Victorian provenance. It endorses cultural myths of the period and reinforces the dominant ideology of the British gentleman. Its Victorian provenance is revealed in the representation of race, which is constructed through the character Marlow. His powerful narrative viewpoint reinforces what Chinua Achebe called Europe's "comforting myths" about Africa and Africans. The text consistently constructs black people as 'other'. This is achieved primarily by Marlow, who acts to construct the natives from the vantage point of the British gentleman. When he "looked at them", he searched not only for their "impulses, motives, capacities" but also for restraint, a value that he champions throughout the retelling of his story. When he can't find it, he remarks "Restraint? What possible restraint?" Marlow's first encounter with the natives is at the Outer Station, where his ambivalence towards them is foregrounded by his obsession with the miraculously efficient first-class agent. The natives are effectively dehumanised because they are presented as nothing more than "black shadows" and "acute angles"; and Marlow is far more interested in the fact that the accountant kept his books in "apple-pie order" than with the dying black men outside. Similarly, when Marlow stumbles across "a middle-aged negro, with a bullet-hole in the... ...t inexorably associates the continent and its people with darkness. We have the natives described as "black shapes", "strings of dusty niggers" and "a whirl of black limbs". This imagery also often associates Africans with supernatural evil. Near the Inner Station: "A black figure stood up, strode on long black legs, waving long black arms, across the glow. It had horns... some sorcerer, some witch-man, no doubt; it looked fiend-like enough" The African landscape is not only culpable for Kurtz's wrongs, but it is also a place of darkness and of evil, a place of paganism, with "the throb of drums, the drone of weird incantations"; a place of "lurking death", cannibalism, disease and insanity - all of Marlow's reality is filtered through the European consciousness, and all of his narrative serves to endorse European supremacist ideologies.

Principles of communication in adult and social care settings Essay

Ai Identify four different reasons why people communicate Making and developing relationships People communicate to make new relationships. The way I first speak and listen to a newcomer can make them feel welcome or overlooked. As I speak or comment, listen and watch, take an interest, smile and nod, whether to a service user, a member of their family, a colleague or a visiting practitioner I am building and developing my relationship with them. Communication will continue to be the main way I nurture and develop my relationships at work. Read more: Identify different reasons why we communicate  essay Giving and receiving information At work I will be expected to give and receive different types of information. Perhaps a service user confides in me, or a member of their family asks me a question. A colleague could give me instructions a visiting practitioner might make an observation. The information I give, receive and pass on will help me to carry out my work effectively. Expressing needs and feelings Expressing needs and feelings is part of being human and these are communicated through behaviour as well as speech. Most people need to share needs and feelings with each other and in this way build up a sense of trust with the person they confide in. Sharing thoughts and ideas Human process many of their thoughts by discussing them. If I have ideas, questions and opinions about my work, sharing them with colleagues helps to clarify, develop and even change the way I think and act. The way in which I respond to the thought processes of service users could encourage or discourage their sharing with me. Affirming one another Affirmation is about acknowledging and encouraging each other and reassuring individuals of their worth and value. Affirmation is communicated through positive words, praise and gestures. Some care settings use support groups, staff meetings and appraisals as ways of affirming practitioners about their work performance. Aii Describe two ways how communication can affect relationships in an adult social care setting between individuals using the service, their carers, colleagues and other practitioners. The ability to communicate well is a key skill that enables me to work effectively with others. Communication process is much about listening and receiving messages as it is about talking and giving messages. As a care worker I need to be skilled in both aspects. My communication skills will develop and become more effective as I gain experience in my work role, learning from observing more experienced colleagues. Learning from others, seeking for advice and using support are all part of this process. During my work with service users there will be specific situations where good communication skills are particularly necessary. Sharing information In a care setting it is vital that information is shared appropriately between workers to enable each member of team to carry out his or her role effectively. I will also need to share information with service users and their relatives. Sometimes the information might be of a sensitive nature, such as when breaking bad news or dealing with private information, and I will need to be especially sensitive. In the course of my work I will need to find out information, pass on information and listen information. Providing support Communication is the main way in which I continue to sustain relationships and build this up. As a health and social care worker I will need to offer support to service users and their families and this is enabled through both verbal and nonverbal communication. I will need to listen, as much as I  speak and the use of appropriate and non intrusive touch can add to sense of being supportive. Aiii Using the table below, identify three ways of finding out the communication and language needs of an individual. For each method, describe how effective it is at establishing the needs of the individual. Asking/Observing the Individual. Asking/Observing is probably the best way of establishing the individual’s communication and language needs as this would immediately allow me to establish their usual language, if they are visually or hearing impaired etc. Check the Care plan for the individuals communication needs. The Care plan can be a good source of information on the needs of the resident, but if documented incorrectly due to human error this method becomes ineffective. If the first two don’t provide me with the needed information I could ask resident’s family, friends, doctor or other professionals who have worked with the individual. This is another effective method, only to be used if the first two fail. Aiv Describe three factors to consider when promoting effective communication Proximity. Physical distance: the better you know a person the closer I am likely to be physically. Closeness can encourage sharing. Positioning chairs at an angle rather than side by side makes it physically easier to talk to another person. Sitting directly opposite is more formal and can feel confrontational. Sometimes a table between me helps a person feel protected. Yelling from one room to another doesn’t aid communication. Orientation. Body position: leaning forward can communicate that you are interested, but too close might invade â€Å"body space†. Turning away can show lack of interest , but standing directly opposite a person can be too direct, where being at  an angle can provide a helpful space. Posture. Behaviour: folded arms can look defensive and discourage communication. Friends and family without realising, often mirror the other person’s posture during conversation, which is thought to increase a sense of familiarity. Standing over a person who is seated might feel patronising or threatening. Av Describe three verbal and three non verbal communication methods and styles that a social care worker may use in an adult care setting. Communication is a complex process made up of many different elements to do with verbal and non verbal language. These are reflected in a range of communication styles and methods. Communication is also a two-way process that must take into consideration the reactions of others and respond appropriately. To be a skilled communicator and interpreter of communication I must pay close attention to my words and actions, as well as the words and actions of others. Verbal communication. It’s about the choice of words being spoken, but also the way the words are said. Vocabulary. Choosing words that are appropriate to the service user’s level of understanding is important. Perhaps English is not their first language, or they have communication difficulties associated with a physical condition. At the same time, I need to be aware of not being too simplistic and coming across as patronising. Tone of voice. Tone of voice concerns the emotional message being conveyed alongside the spoken words. When these don’t match, people can become aware of my emotions and will pick up whether I am irritated or anxious, for example. Pitch of voice. Pitch of voice concerns how low or high my voice sounds. Speaking in a low voice can be calming and soothing, but too low and I can sound boring. In contrast, a high pitch can sound shrill and be unpleasant to listen to. Non verbal communication Non-verbal communication is a form of communication that take place almost subconsciously, that is, without being aware of thinking. It provides clues about the meaning of spoken language. Body language. Body language relates to the way my body reflects my thoughts and feelings. This can add emphasis to my words, but if I don’t really mean what I am saying it can also reveal a truer and contradictory message beneath my words. For example, exclaiming, â€Å"how fascinating† might sound as though I am interested, but body language of tapping fingers, poor eye contact and stifled yawns betrays I am actually bored. Gestures. Gestures are signs made with the hands and arms to illustrate or emphasise my words or to stand in place of words. People often gesticulate during conversations without really thinking about it. I might see someone gesticulating while talking on the phone, even though the person receiving the call cannot see their gestures. Some gestures are understood across many different countries of the world, such as thumbs up, meaning â€Å"good news†, but not all the gesture are universal and instead of clarifying a message, could create a confusion. Eye contact. Eye contact is very important and sometimes it is difficult to know if a person is telling the truth unless I can look into their eyes. Holding someone gaze is a sign of intimacy, but to do so with a person I don’t know well can feel uncomfortable, even threatening. During most conversations it is normal for my gaze to flit to and from another’s face. When working with service users who have communication difficulties it can help to exaggerate elements of non-verbal communication to provide more clues about my spoken message. Avi Explain why it is important to respond to an individual’s reactions  during communication. The following qualities will help to respond appropriately to the communication of others. Awareness of how my communication is being received. Look for nonverbal cues that indicates the recipient’s interest and understanding and equally those that indicate misunderstanding or boredom. Sensitivity to tune into my recipient’s emotional responses to my words. Flexibility to change the way I am saying something in order to clarify my meaning and increase understanding. Communication techniques. Some communication techniques assist with the process of responding to the reactions of others. Echoing. Echoing is a technique where I repeat back what a person has said in a way that both checks my understanding of their words and also affirms the underlying feeling being expressed. For example, if a distressed resident of a care home tells me she thinks someone has stolen items from her room, I might say, â€Å"It must be upsetting for you to think someone has been interfering with your personal belongings.† Mirroring. Mirroring is a communication technique used to improve rapport with another person. In many cases it happens naturally, where one person reflects the other person’s physical positions and mannerisms, their tone of voice, word use and communication style. Asking questions. If I want a person to express their ideas and feelings I am best to ask open questions which invite broader responses. ‘How are you feeling today’ Is and example, where a service user is free to respond in a way they choose. If I ask a closed question the answer is usually reduced to one word, for example ‘Are you feeling better today?’ Invites a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ Avii Explain how an individual’s background can influence the way they  communicate. Communication is all about sharing with one another and yet each person communicates slightly differently according to their different background and experience. The impact of differences. Diversity is something to be celebrated and enjoyed, but our differences can also lead to misunderstanding and different interpretations of the same communication Cultural background. Cultural differences refer to a variety of different influences, such as family background, peer group, religion, and ethnicity. These all play a part in shaping the way a person views the world and spin dot it. Cultural differences are revealed by particulars attitudes, values and practices, all of which have bearing on how a person communicates and understands the communication of others. For example, if an individual comes from a family where it is usual to make decisions through noisy and heated discussions, this person might find it difficult to accept an order without question. Individual personality. Although individuals share personality traits in common with others, the unique make-up of these and the way they operate together is individual to that person. One individual might be quiet and reserved, another enthusiastic and bubbly and this will affect the way each communicates and responds to communication. Levels of confidence. All communication requires a certain amount of confidence to speak up, make a statement, or share with others through spoken or written words. Sometimes a person has had their confidence undermined by a previous experience of communication, such as being misunderstood, or laughed at for mispronouncing a word, or perhaps an experience from childhood, such as failing their English exams. Confidence builds up over time but can be knocked down in seconds by a thoughtless or unkind response. Competence in communication skills Literacy skills refer to a person’s competence in reading, writing and speaking in a particular language. The service users I work with may be a different levels of competence in literacy and need to be communicated with a level they can cope with. Some adults struggle with literacy and may feel embarrassed by their difficulties. As well as literacy skills, some individuals will have better access to and be more competent using information and computer technology (ICT) than others. I should not assume that everyone I have dealings with at work has access to the internet and email, or mobile phones, or that they are competent in using such technology. Aviii Identify three examples of barriers to communication and explain how you could overcome each barrier. Barrier: sender speaks different language. Overcome: to have a translator or a dictionary Barrier: poor or incomplete information selection. Overcome: to give as many details possible Barrier: hearing difficulties, visual difficulties. Overcome: to seek for medical advice and find a way of communication Barrier: sender cannot express message clearly, I speech or writing. Overcome: to use body language and sign language Barrier: distraction. Overcome: to change the environment, to focus Aix Describe two strategies that you could use to clarify misunderstanding Communication is a complex process and Health and social care is a complex area, so it is inevitable that misunderstandings will arise from time to time. When a. Is understanding happens it is important to have a range if methods to clarify the situation and improve communication. Adapt my message: Sometimes the message needs to be said or written in a different way. Perhaps the tone need to change, or the message style. The language I have used might need to be simplified. Maybe a phone conversation has been unsatisfactory in some way, but a face to face meeting would help establish better communication. Change the environment: It might be necessary to make changes to the environment to enable better communication. For example, if I am conducting a meeting in an office where people are constantly coming in and out, or the phone keeps ringing, I will need to find a quieter place to speak. Ask for feedback: In most situations it is acceptable to stop the flow of conversation with the person I am speaking with to check that I have understood correctly what is being spoken about. Equally, I can check that the person I am communicating with can hear me or understand me. Ax A social care worker wants to enable more effective communication with individuals using the service. Explain how they could access extra support or service that they may be helpful. There is a range of support available to enable effective communication with the service users I work with and members of their family. Importantly, individuals need to be informed about these services and be able to access them. For example: – support available via local authorities and services, such as NHS and adult social services departments. Help is also available from national charities, such as ICAN, for speech and language needs and the national Autistic society for those with autism. – The Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) is another source for advice and assistance on advocacy, translation and interpretation. – in addition there may be projects operating in local areas and these are likely to be advertised at a local library or community centre, or in a health centre. Communication support tends to include these categories: – speech and language services – translation and interpreting services – language service professionals (LSP) – advocacy services. Task B case study You are a social worker and a service user, Hannah, tells you she is unhappy  taking her medication. She thinks she does not need it and so she is throwing it away. You know from her care plan that Hannah does not need to take the medication regularly and gets confused. Hannah begs you to keep this confidential and not to tell anyone especially her daughter, who she sees regularly, as her daughter will be very angry. Bi How would you explain the term ‘confidentiality to Hannah’ I would say to Hannah that confidentiality refers to the need to handle personal information in ways that are appropriate, safe and professional and meet legal requirements. And it is my duty of care to look after her and to inform the appropriate people about possible situations when she might be at risk. In this case, not taking medication could be a risk for her mental health and I need to report to my managers in first instance and to seek for medical advice or other professional advice if need it and to explain all this to Hannah. And also that might need to involve family if necessary or if it specified in Care plan. Bii Describe the possible tensions that may arise between telling others or Hannah’s decisions and keeping this information totally confidential. The relationship I built with service users and their families are central to my care role. If I share their personal information with others who have no need or right to know I risk breaking their trust in me. Hannah also needs to know thee are secure systems and procedures operating in the care stating to protect confidential information. Some information must be kept confidential for safety reasons. For example, some service users as categorised as vulnerable adults, such as a person with special needs whose wearer outs might need to be protected from a relative who abused them in some way in the past. Biii Describe ways to maintain confidentiality in day to day communication A great deal of information will pass around at my work placement through conversations, hand-over reports, letters, written reports and emails. Some  of it will be confidential and I need to know how to manage this appropriately in a care setting. If I am unsure whether information is confidential, ask a senior member of staff. Spoken information: Oral information can be transferred via face to face conversations, or over the phone. These might take place during meetings, or in less formal settings. If I need to discuss a confidential matter with a service user, family member, or with a colleague or visiting practitioner, I have to make sure I find somewhere private where I will not be interrupted or overheard. In care settings it is not generally the policy to discuss confidential matters over the telephone, unless I can verify the person is who they claim to be. Never leave confidential messages on an answering machine. Do not at any time be tempted to gossip about confidential work matters. Paper information: Personal records including notes, reports and letters concerning individual service and their families should be kept together in a file which is locked in a safe place. A lockable filing cabinet is inky safe if keys are not left lying around. Equally, rooms with keypads are not secure if the door has been propped open. To be aware of leaving documents around such as diaries, telephone messages and faxes if these contains confidential information. Many organisations have a policy that personal records must not be removed from their workplace, because could be lost, seen by others, damaged, or the information could be taken and used wrongly. Electronic information: These days great deal of information is stored and transferred electronically, via computer. Computer files should be protected using passwords which are only shared with authorised individuals. Care must be taken to close private documents after use, to prevent individuals who are passing from catching sight of the screen. To be vigilant when transporting information between computers via memory pens or discs. To make sure the memory pen doesn’t get lost and that the information doesn’t remain on the hard drive of the computer it was played on. Biv Explain when and how a social care worker should get advice about  confidentiality Anytime need it. We can always ask our superiors for advice, read policies and procedures and talk with appropriate bodies. When we are not sure about a situation or a person we should always double check first with our manager and to go to their files or documents and find out more information. We can always ask HR department as well.