Professional market research plan for Bounce Fitness Essay

Research on competition †¢Comparing consumer attitudes to an organisation †¢Services and those of competitors †¢Identifying frequency of use of competitors products and services †¢Identifying key competitors and their strengths †¢Measuring awareness Research on consumers †¢Developing detailed consumer profiles †¢Identifying changes in attitudes and behaviour patterns †¢Identifying existing , potential or lapsed consumers Research on place †¢Identifying attitudes towards location †¢Identifying cooperative opportunities for distribution of information or services †¢Identifying demand for products or services at other locations Research on pricing †¢Identifying attitude towards pricing †¢Identifying cost †¢Testing alternative pricing strategies †¢Research on products and services †¢Evaluating competitors products †¢Evaluating consumer attitudes towards presentation and packaging †¢Identifying potential new products or services or ones which may be at the end of their life cycle †¢Measuring attitudes towards existing products or services Research on promotion †¢Measuring advertising and promotion effectiveness †¢Testing alternative massages †¢Testing and comparing different media options Project 2 Implement, monitor and evaluate the market research plan for Bounce Fitness. A.Develop a detailed ,realistic implementation program †¢Includes an implementation strategy for the identification , selection , contracting and monitoring of all external consultants †¢Defines and communicates clearly all priorities, responsibilities, timelines and budgets, along with all personnel involved †¢Outlines all resources required, where and how they would be obtained, along with associated costs and conditions. †¢Incorporate contingencies for at risk areas †¢Includes a monitoring process to ensure the project sticks to budget and stays on course †¢Determines how you will measure your stakeholder satisfaction at the end of the project †¢Includes an evaluation process for final review of your project. Part B Conduct an information session for contractors †¢Instruction to your researchers in regards to their role and your expectations †¢Documentation and submission procedures †¢Communication strategies Part C Evaluate the research process and findings †¢Evaluate the usefulness of the findings in terms of relevance to initial objectives †¢Evaluate the marketing research methods used †¢Suggest any adjustment required as a result of the evaluations †¢Provide a modified research and implementation plan that reflects the adjustments you would make B 1.Statement of market research needs 2.Include research objectives 3.Include project scope 4.Identify the specific data required, including how it will be gathered , quantified and processed 5.Include estimates of time lines and castings 6.Include all required forms and recording instruments for each research method chosen

Drug Abuse Essay

â€Å"Drug abuse and addiction are major burdens to society; economic costs alone are estimated to exceed a half a trillion dollars annually in the United States, including health, crime-related costs, and losses in productivity. However staggering as these numbers are, they provide a limited perspective of the devastating consequences of this disease,† (Volkow, 2007 P. 2). The cost of drug addiction and drug abuse can be staggering in today’s society. 14 percent of people brought to emergency rooms at hospitals suffer from alcohol or drug abuse/addiction disorders. About 20 percent of hospital costs through Medicaid are linked to substance abuse. $1 out of $4 is spent on Medicare inpatient care. About 70 percent of state prison and jail inmates used drugs on a regular basis. One-third of state prison growth can be accounted to drug offenses. Since 1985 there has been an 80 percent increase in prison population. Addictions cause an economic burden on the United States that is two times that of diseases affecting the brain. Untreated substance addiction and abuse can have significant disruptions and costs for families (Dewey, 2008). Substance addiction and abuse can have a grave impact on society. Substance abuse and addiction can have grave effects that contribute to costly mental, social, and physical health problems. Some examples include: STD’s, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, child abuse, fights, murder, and suicide (Dewey, 2008). While the manufacture, sale, transportation, and use of controlled substances are themselves criminal, drugs and crimes are also linked in other ways. The addict who is so habituated to the use of illegal drugs that he or she steals to support the habit, the drug importer who kills a rival dealer and the offender who commits criminal act due to the stimulation provided by drugs all provide examples of how drug abuse may be linked to other forms of criminal activity. The United States Department of Justice has stated, â€Å"There is extensive evidence of the strong relationship between drug use and crime† supported by â€Å"a review of the evidence† that can be summarized in the following three points (Schmalleger, 2012 P.351). 1. Drug users report great or involvement in crime and are more likely then nonusers to have criminal records. 2. People with criminal records are much more likely than others to report being drug users. 3. Crimes rise in number as drug use increases (Schmalleger, 2012 P.351). Offender self-reports of jail inmates collected by BJS researchers showed the following. †¢ About 44 percent used illegal drugs in the month before the offense for which they were arrested. †¢ Roughly 30 percent used illegal drugs daily in the month before the offense. †¢ Around 27 percent used illegal drugs at the time of the offense. †¢ Cocaine and crack cocaine were the drugs most commonly abused by jail inmates (Schmalleger, 2012 P.352). References Dewey, William L†¦ (2008). Friends of NIDA Healthy People.gov. (2012). Substance Abuse. Retrieved from www. Healthy people.gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview.aspxx?topicid=40. Schmalleger, Frank. (2012). Criminology Today: An Integrative Introduction, Sixth Edition.

Big Fish

The father would tell a story to his son about his life. However, his son thinks his father is full of lies. It brings the conflict between reality and fiction. In Southern Gothic, it doesn’t matter because it combined reality and fiction into one story. Although, it is hard to see the reality behind it because in the movie, the father make up a lot of stuff even though it is almost true. Imprisonment is found in The Big Fish, because the father is imprisoned in his room and in the hospital. Also, the villiage kept all of its people until Ed left the villiage. Those people could’ve been there for years because they love their home so much. The giant was in his cave because he was shunned and feared by the people until Ed befriended the giant. Imprisonment is found in Southern Gothic, and is in found in the story as well. Supernatural is everywhere in The Big Fish, because there was a woman who turned into a fish during the movie. The twins were conjurned but at the end they were serparated. Also, the giant was a huge person who was isolated for a long time. The circus was filled with strange people. Even the headmaster is a wolf at night, and The Eye shows a person’s future death. Also, the way the son was born was very There was a lot of supernatural involved with the movie. Freakiness is all around in the movie, because the villiagepeople had no shoes nor socks on. They walked around barefoot. Even the father was telling a story with his wild imaginations. He even made his death the way he saw in The Eye. He accepted his death from the beginning he saw his death. The father never once freaked out but rather looking foward to the day he dies. Everyone was there at his funeral. By everyone he knows in his life showed up for his funeral. Big Fish The father would tell a story to his son about his life. However, his son thinks his father is full of lies. It brings the conflict between reality and fiction. In Southern Gothic, it doesn’t matter because it combined reality and fiction into one story. Although, it is hard to see the reality behind it because in the movie, the father make up a lot of stuff even though it is almost true. Imprisonment is found in The Big Fish, because the father is imprisoned in his room and in the hospital. Also, the villiage kept all of its people until Ed left the villiage. Those people could’ve been there for years because they love their home so much. The giant was in his cave because he was shunned and feared by the people until Ed befriended the giant. Imprisonment is found in Southern Gothic, and is in found in the story as well. Supernatural is everywhere in The Big Fish, because there was a woman who turned into a fish during the movie. The twins were conjurned but at the end they were serparated. Also, the giant was a huge person who was isolated for a long time. The circus was filled with strange people. Even the headmaster is a wolf at night, and The Eye shows a person’s future death. Also, the way the son was born was very There was a lot of supernatural involved with the movie. Freakiness is all around in the movie, because the villiagepeople had no shoes nor socks on. They walked around barefoot. Even the father was telling a story with his wild imaginations. He even made his death the way he saw in The Eye. He accepted his death from the beginning he saw his death. The father never once freaked out but rather looking foward to the day he dies. Everyone was there at his funeral. By everyone he knows in his life showed up for his funeral.

Behavioural Finance and Real Option Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Behavioural Finance and Real Option - Assignment Example For instance, investing in a specific project, downsizing, and expansion or disposing of other projects. Others may include licensing, R&D and M&A. Real options differ from financial options in that financial options cover short maturities that usually expire in many months. On the other hand, real options contain longer maturity that expires in many years with some specific options having expiring dates that are not finite. The assets contained in financial options are the stock prices compared to business variables that are in real options. Such variables include market demand, cash flow and commodity prices. Hence, in the application of real options to analyze physical assets, there should be carefulness in choosing an underlying variable. The reason behind this is that volatility measures employed in the model relate to an underlying variable. In financial option, as a result of inside trade regulations, these holders’ option cannot influence stock price to their benefit. However, real options’ decisions increase the real options of the project value as there are strategic options that can be made by management . Real options have more value compared to financial options. Financial options for many years have been traded but real options just emerged recently more so in the market. The two options can be arrived at using same approaches inclusive of finite differences, differential equations, simulations and binomial lattices. The` reason is that binomial lattices can be easily explained and taken in by managers of a firm as the method is easily understood. Lastly, financial options base their facts on securities traded in markets and asset prices enabling them to be objective. At Real options, in contrast, are based on assets that are not traded in the market and seldom, there are proxies that are financially traded. Therefore, management assumptions are vital in  real options valuing and not important in financial option valuing. Given a specific project, the management is in a position to strategize which will help them in future.  

The Cries of a Woman Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Cries of a Woman - Research Paper Example Hemingway’s approach of writing style conceals the significance of the tale revealing the interactions involving men and women of the time, which is symptomatic of a patriarchal society. On the surface, Hemmingway's narrative gives the notion that this couple has mixed feelings over what to do regarding a pregnancy. Through Jig readers realize there is no resolution left to be achieved within the community of 1930's, as society during this time is rigid. The societal composition of this time disregards the capability of females to make such choices individually. Pro-choice was not also a concept during this era, marked by male dominance in the legal and societal scene (Rankin 234). It would be a while before females would in fact empower to decide with their bodies and future. Jig is denied freedom of choice and this has left her in her circumstances. Her absolute reliance upon the American has bestowed him the power over her to act, as he desires (Hemingway 232). Sadly, Jig w ould encompass many years before the condition would revolutionize. Hemingway creates a female character who is remarkable and who has her opinion, even though she does not have a say in her future as well as her imminent abortion. When Jig comments about the hills at the other side of the station and says they look like white elephants, the American disregards her view. This is the girl’s way of suggesting the true emotions regarding her dilemma, which she remains incapable of communicating straightforwardly to the American. The man cannot put himself in her place and thus replies to her thought about the white elephants by saying â€Å"I’ve never seen one† and her sardonic reply is â€Å"No, you wouldn’t have† (Hemmingway 229) He describes the abortion as a very easy procedure, he says â€Å"it’s not really an operation at all†¦It’s just to let the air in† (Hemingway 230). When Jig enquires about what would ensue after t he abortion, and whether they would be happy, the man retorts in an affirmative manner and says that he had known many people who had done it. Jig holds up her end of the unpleasant conversation, although she appears resigned to what the American believes to be right, the abortion. Jig observations, attitude, and sarcasm create a female character who is fearful, angry, and entrapped by the wish for â€Å"things to be like they were† (Hemingway 230). Jig is a credible woman struggling against a man whose swallow and self-centered wish is to have only her, but not their child and thus regarding abortion like the only possible answer. By agreeing to the man’s wish of an abortion, Jig represents the inferior part in the relationship. The man overly simplifies abortion as a painless operation and views the pregnancy as an obstacle to their relationship. The exchange reveal that the man wants their essentially swallow relationship to continues as it has and that Jig wants to move it to a firmer ground (Nolan 19). Throughout the story, the man presents the rigid concept of masculinity; he is portrayed as a worldly, omniscient, knowledgeable and always in control of himself as well as the situation at hand. He is also cool and feigns indifference, for instance, when he tells Jig that he does not care whether she aborts the kid or not.

Theological Reflections Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Theological Reflections - Research Paper Example Rather, they require the servants of Christ to utilize different degrees of commitment2. The forthcoming co-worker appreciation dinner will require increased levels of commitment that seek to go beyond charity. Rather, it will be important to recognize the workers for their unwavering commitment to the Sisters of Mercy’s mission, their hospitality, and their service. As Catholic employers, Mercy has the ability to show support for their poor and lowest paid co-workers through showing preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, as well as showing respect for their dignity. The Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable The theological concepts of dignity and providing preferential treatment for the poor are concepts that have always been at the forefront of our core values and mission at Mercy. Providing preferential treatment for society’s poor also applies to lowly paid co-workers at Mercy, as well. It is our belief that touching the needy is akin to touching Jesus Christ. The last judgment has an essential role to play in our traditional Catholic faith; especially because the church teaches that we stand judged by what we elect to carry out towards the prisoners, homeless, sick, thirsty, and hungry3. In modern times, the Church teaches us the same through the preferential option for the poor. ... We are asked to do this by the church and failure to do so will break the required balance that holds society as one, which will be to the detriment of the whole society4. Preferential treatment for the poor is referent to the trend of giving preference to the life and wellbeing of society’s powerless and poor, as we are taught by the commands of God, the Church, as well as righteous people and prophets. Christ himself spoke to us about judgment day, contending that God will seek to know from each one of us what we did in aid of the poor and the needy5. He told us that whatever we do for the least of his brothers, we did for him, which is also reflected in the canon laws of our Mother Church. Catholic faithful, the law tells us, are obliged to go out and promote justice for all in society and that we must remain mindful of the Lord’s precept to help those who are in need and poor. Nevertheless, how does the appreciation dinner at Mercy accomplish this? The quoted doctri ne asks us as Catholics to show compassion and solidarity with the poor through our deeds, as well as our prayers. For this reason, when instituting any measures at Mercy, it is essential that we always ensure to keep at the forefront the preferential option for the poor. The doctrine’s implications are that any society’s, including Mercy, moral test lies in how we treat our poor and vulnerable members6. We are asked to ensure that the policies and activities at Mercy must factor in the vulnerable and the poor. Pope Francis has begun his journey with teachings on why the Church must now become one with the poor. He has taught love for the needy, the sick, prisoners,

Five key things students should do to be successful Essay

Five key things students should do to be successful - Essay Example Goal setting- goals act like roadmaps to achieving any target set. They get individuals from one-point o the other. Goals and the target achievements guide them. Setting goals provide a student with a sense of direction to reaching his or her destination as well as a performance appraisal tool. The best way for a student to be successful is to plan but be cautious enough to ensure that the goals have widespread tentacles to all college activities. Attend classes- successful students do attend classes regularly. They are always on time. Students should listen and train themselves to pay attention to what is being taught by the tutor. Whenever they miss sessions, they should develop obligatory feeling to letting the instructor know the reasons why they will not be attending classes before lesson begins. The excuses given should always be legitimate and reasonable. In addition, should ensure compensation of all missed lessons by contacting fellow students or the instructor. Furthermore, students should pay great attention in such a way that they do not read, talk, or stare out of the windows when the tutor is teaching. Attention is important for students to grasp and gather ideas that would be helpful. The students should ensure participation in class even if their attempt is clumsy. It is through participation that a student can gain courage in answering as well as asking questions. Taking advantage of credit- Successful students always take advantage of extra credit whenever it is offered. They demonstrate great care of their grades and are willing to work hard to make improvements. Students should be eager to achieving greater results and not relaxing in his comfort zone. He or she should develop the willingness and urge to move extra step to do the extraordinary and gather more information. Self-motivation- a student is his or her own best motivator. The best motivation is the power that comes from within the individual. Moreover, the student can still get

What is the best free digital content we use today Essay

What is the best free digital content we use today - Essay Example Today, something magical and enchanting has overpowered the PowerPoint and is increasingly being made use of by students and mentors. It is Prezi – the free online software. Prezi is the best free digital content we use today. Prezi enables an individual to develop beautiful multimedia presentations. Instead of limiting the user to slides like the conventional PowerPoint, Prezi provides the user with a 3d canvas which the user can zoom in and zoom out as desired. As this is done, different themes, images and ideas are unveiled. For example, one may begin the discussion with the word â€Å"Apple†, and hide all information regarding it inside the alphabet â€Å"A†. Upon zooming in â€Å"A†, the hidden information can be accessed. Prezi also enables the user to store and save the presentation online. This eliminates the chances of the report getting lost when needed. Despite the multitude of options PowerPoint provides the users with, use of it today seems ou tdated. Carefully chosen color and background combinations in PowerPoint hardly interest the audience anymore. In these circumstances, Prezi comes with new features that are of huge interest not only to the audience, but also to the presenter. Their mutual interest raises attention that is the primary requisite of a good presentation and develops an atmosphere that is conducive for both teaching and learning.

Fundamentals of Business Law Assignment Case Study

Fundamentals of Business Law Assignment - Case Study Example This case cannot be heard in a higher court. It can best be referred to the District Magistrate's courts. And because it is a criminal wrong, Joe would likely either be imprisoned for a given number of years or fined. He can also be punished by way of corporal punishment. This is a civil case but which relates between employees and employers. The case will be heard in an industrial court which is an administrative tribunal i.e. a body given the power of an administrative nature. This case involves commission of the tort of negligence because the employer has not taken reasonable steps to guard the machines. And in the process, it has caused injury. The judge of the industrial court can appoint two assessors from a panel of assessors appointed by the concerned minister. One assessor represents the employer and the other represents the employees. But the assessors only give an opinion. The decision of the courts is final and the result of the judgement is called an award. This is a criminal offence. In fact Del has committed an economic crime by failing to pay large sums of value added tax. And since the amount of money involved is huge, the case will be heard by the High Court. If Del is of the opinion that he has not been given a fair trial, then he can appeal to the court of appeal. Del is likely to be fined i.e. pay the tax added plus penalty. Prima facie, this can appear to be a civil case. But whether the employer has perpetrated any civil wrong will depend on the agreement made between Millie and her employer. Be it as it may, she has a right to sue. This case would be heard by the industrial court. It is the industrial court that hears cases between employees and their employers. Based on the judge's opinion, she might be paid as her colleagues. Question Two Whether Cules can recover compensation from Humpty or Alec the rules of law that govern this case are whether the essential elements of negligence can be proofed in order for an action for negligence to be maintained. In order for Giles to successfully sue and recover compensation from Humpty or Alec he must prove the following. i. That they owed him a duty of care. ii. That Humpy and Alec breached legal duty. iii. That he Giles suffered injury as a result of the breach of duty. 2 Humpy and Alec owe no duty of care to Giles. Humpty was to provide a loan to Giles and had no duty over Gile's chicken business. On the other hand, Alec was only approached to give advice concerning the loan and not on whether it was appropriate to purchase the machine. In Burwill v. Young a house wife was alighting from a tramcar. A motor cyclist passing on the other side of the tram collided with a motor car, the noise pf the collision resulting in the plaintiff suffering nervous shock and subsequent miscarriage. She brought an action of negligence on the motor cyclist personal representative. The action failed and it was held that at the time of the collision, the plaintiff was not there therefore he did not owe

Film Triumph des Willens Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Film Triumph des Willens - Movie Review Example The film is made in the framework of an epic documentary. It employs many dramatic effects such as framing and sequencing to heighten the heroic ambition of the film. Hitler's obsession with being the savior of Germany can be seen in the opening scene. The clouds give way to the city of Nuremberg as an airplane descends from the sky. Hitler exits the plane and leaves no doubt that the film is about Hitler and not a factual representation of the Socialist Rally. Much of the film highlights Hitler as it attempts to connect the dictator with the German people. The motorcade scene is shot in wide angle from a distance to give the feeling of the gathering crowds. The shot then switches to the limousine as if the viewers were watching through Hitler's eyes. This dramatic sequencing sets up the connection between Hitler and the German people. This connection to the public is further demonstrated in the film with the use of close ups on women and children. They are smiling, healthy, and praising the dictator. Critics have contended that the film was staged and therefore is of no historical importance. However, it should be noted that this was a political rally, which are often attended only by supporters and often hold staged events. Triumph des Willens's value is the accurate portrayal of Hitler as a meglo-maniac and self obsessed dictator. This can be seen in the low angled shots that make his image loom over the surroundings. To further solidify the film's historical perspective there is the gratuitous use of fear throughout the film. The military that marches in precision is an indicator that the military was under Hitler's control. It was a polished and well-equipped organization that could instill fear in the population or be unleashed in a coming war. Hitler's march through the masses of gathered soldiers is a genuine historical record of the size and obedience of the German army at that time. Though the film is a piece of Nazi propaganda that was staged to promote the Socialist Party movement, it is also a primary source and a historical document. It illustrates the rise of a genocidal dictatorship through dramatic exaggeration and propaganda. The director originated filming techniques that have become the standard for current docu-dramas and feature films. Early study of the film could have predicted Hitler's eventual hostile tendencies and thirst for world domination. Works Cited Triumph des Willens (Triumph of the Will). Dir. Leni Riefenstahl. Perf. Adolph Hitler. 1935. DVD. Synapse,

Abnormality - deviating from what is normal Essay Example for Free

Abnormality deviating from what is normal Essay The meaning of abnormality is deviating from what is normal, this sounds simple enough, but what do we classify as being normal. Statistical infrequency is one approach of trying to define normal and abnormality by using statics to identify certain behaviors within a population and does this correctly, but it does not however identify which behaviors within a population need treatment (undesirable). For example trait anxiety, someone with high trait anxiety would be advise to have some sort of treatment, however someone with low trait anxiety is hardly clinical abnormality and could be desirable. So there would be seen to be a glitch in this definition of abnormality, as it does not define how behaviors maybe seen as desirable or undesirable. Furthermore against this definition of abnormality is that the statics only relate to one source of population and does not apply to any other age groups or cultures. Two more attempts of defining abnormality are the Failure to Function Adequately theory and also the Deviation From Social Norms. Failure to Function Adequately basically means unable to perform a normal state of every day living, and it is the social groups them selves that contribute to determine what is a normal state of living, and if an individual is unable to function adequately, that would suggest that they have a abnormal behavior. Rosenhan Seligman (1989) suggested seven concepts of abnormal behavior, that by then selves would not suggest someone is abnormally but if one or two of the behaviors did occur then the individual would be seen as being abnormal. The seven concepts of behavior that Rosenhan Seligman came up with was: Suffering-This is a key feature to abnormality but yet almost all normal individuals endure suffering, for example losing a loved one. Maladativeness- This behavior prevents the individual of making major life goals, for example creating a good relationship with another or unable to work efficiently. Vividness and unconventionality of behavior- This behavior is aimed at when an individual behaves differently in situations to those surrounding them. Unpredictability and loss of control- Abnormal individuals behavior is often uncontrollable. Observer discomfort-This is even the observer fells uncomfortable with another individuals behavior. This concept of behavior may differ between other cultures. Violation of moral and ideal standards-this behavior concerns the established moral standards within a population, but the majority of people may fail to maintain those standards.

A Little Cloud Essay Example for Free

A Little Cloud Essay â€Å"A Little Cloud† is one of the stories in James Joyces Dubliners. The story is about Thomas Chandler who was reunited with his friend Ignatius Gallaher. He was not able to fulfill his ambition of becoming a writer because he became a family man. With a wife and a son of his own, he envied his friend and felt inferior rather than be happy for his friends success. His career could be greater than his friend’s but he gave up his love for poetry since he got married. Feeling dismayed and envious of his friend, Chandler thought that he could have produced his own book of poems if he pursued his poetry writing. Chandler and Gallaher met up at a bar where they talked about the struggles of the latter to succeed. Chandler admired Gallaher’s gruff manners and his tales from the foreign cities. He insisted that his friend should also be married like him someday. However, Gallaher refused because as bachelor, he can go on and move freely from one place to another with mistresses around him. When Chandler got home, he began contemplating on his life while looking at his wife’s picture and holding their son. Afterward, he questioned his married life. He knew that he could go out of Dublin like his friend and be successful if only he did not marry early and settle with a family of his own. He didn’t realize that his child was already crying until her wife returned home who. When she saw that the baby was crying, she snatched the baby away from him, leaving him frustrated as he blamed his thoughts for what happened. Another story from the Dubliners is â€Å"Counterparts. † The story is about Farrington, a copy clerk in one firm where he used to copy legal documents for Mr. Alleyne. One day, he failed to do his job and missed to produce one copy of an important document. This made his boss angry and gave him a deadline to submit the document before the closing time. However, he was looking forward for a night out drinking with his friends later. This distraction caused him to daydream about the happenings later instead of working properly. As a result, he failed to complete to copy the documents his boss asked of him. Farrington thought that Mr. Alleyne will not know that the documents were incomplete, but he was wrong. When Mr. Alleyne found out about it, he went to Farrington’s desk with Miss Delacour, their client. His boss started ridiculing him but he fought back, claiming ignorance while insulting his boss with witty remarks. This amused Miss Delacour and his co-workers. Afterward, he left the office without completing his tasks. He decided to pawn his pocket watch in order to have money for drinking with his friends. He met his friends and told them how he insulted his boss. Upon leaving the pub, they decided to transfer to another place where they continued drinking. Farrington got frustrated because of the huge amount of money being spent on drinking. He wanted to impress other people and went on an arm wrestling. Much to his dismay, he lost. Feeling dejected, he went home only to find out his wife was not there and there was no food to eat. This made him very angry which caused him to beat up his son. The characters of Chandler and Farrington both experienced frustration and depression. To ease themselves of their disappointments in life, they drank with their friends. Instead of working hard to counterfeit their downfalls, they stuck to their old (or unpleasant, as in the case of Farrington) ways. Although Chandler dreamed of becoming a successful writer, he was not determined to pursue it. In the case of Farrington, the short-lived joys of life made him forget his responsibilities at work. Instead of saving himself from poverty, he pawned his watch to get money for beer. To release their frustration, they placed the blame on others. Both characters displayed negligence, particularly as a father. Chandler was too preoccupied with his thoughts that he forgot that his baby needed his attention. Farrington, on the other hand, was so upset that he ended up beating his own son. I think their behavior was really unpleasant because as a man, they should stand up for the decisions they made, instead of easing their frustrations by drinking and placing the blame on others.

Characteristics Of The Hospitality Industry

Characteristics Of The Hospitality Industry Explain the unique characteristics that separate service businesses from other business the deal with tangible product. Discuss what should a person prepares if he/she wants to become an hotelier. Question 1 The hotel industry is also known as the service sector. The reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers with liberality and good will. Hospitality industry is a board of category about the service industry also including event planning, theme park, restaurant, lodging and also tourism industry. A hospitality unit such as a restaurant, hotel, or even an amusement park consists of many groups such as facility maintenance, direct operations management, marketing, and human resources. Therefore, hospitality industry also includes accounting, tradesman ship, computer services, restaurants, and tourism.To be a successful manager in the hospitality industry, you must exhibit many skills and command much specialized knowledge all directed toward achieving the managerial objectives such as make the guest feel welcomed, make sureproductsor serviceswork for the guest and make sure the operation continues to provide service and make a profit. Besides that, the hotel industry is a multibillion-dollar industry, mainly depends on the availability of leisure time and disposal income. Therefore, that hospitality industry also include service sector. Answer Hospitality industry has many characteristics such as intangible, perishable, inseparable, simultaneous, variable, shift work, graveyard shift and guest satisfaction. Intangible servicecharacteristic in hospitality industry mean cannot see and touched but can felt. In addition, sales or service owned by the person, but it cannot be opened, from the service providers to service consumer. Example, a service only can be sold and owned by the person, but it cannot be opened, from the service providers service consumers. Sole proprietorship, provide services, can be entrusted to the service provider, you must generate and provide services in the different requirements of the authorized service consumers. Perishable service characteristic in hospitality industry mean wont last long and wont experience the same experience. When this service has been fully rendered to the requesting service consumer irreversibly disappear, because it has been consumed by service consumers. For example, service resource allocation processes and systems to provide services within a certain period. When the service has really given to users of the service request, this particular service irreversibly vanishes as it was used by the service users. Inseparable service means production, and from the customers experience. The indivisibility requirements, consumer service is to interact with its manufacturer to accept its benefits. Because someone must timely produce and the services provided by service providers is essential to provide services require service consumers. Performed automatically in many cases, but the service provider to provide the service must be prepared to allocate resources and systems, and active conditions and the ability to maintain appropriate services. Example, the service consumer must be sitting in the shops and hair stylist chair, or aircraft and seating, to the hairdresser or the pilot must in the same store or aircraft, respectively, to provide services. Simultaneous service means the service is some kind of horse, and at the same time consumption. As long as the service requirements of service consumers, especially the service must start from scratch generated without any delay and friction and services, consumers instant consumption rendered interests, for the implementation of his upcoming events or tasks.Example, waiter in the restaurant, or the cashier at the bank, is an integral part of the services provided. The client also participates in a certain degree of service, and the service may affect the results. People can be part of the service itself; this could be a service marketing advantage. Variable service is a service which means disposable generating, rendering, and consumption can never be accurately repeated time points, locations, and the case, under the conditions of the current configuration information and alocation of resources is different from the coming up delivery, even is the same kind of service to the same service consumers request. Example, Taxi service from his home to the opera, the consumers of transport services is different taxi service, transportation service consumers from opera to his home another point in time, the other direction, might be another route, may be another taxi drivers cab. Shift work in hospitality industry means an employment practice, use of, or the provision of services across, all 24 hours of the clock each day of the week. Shift work is the way hours of work are organized for an organization to operate outside regular hours. Different types of shifts includeshifts that rotate or change, shifts that are split apart by several hours, permanent shifts (day or night) and also changing shift lengths (8, 10 or 12 hours). There is few effect of shift work, for example, shift work can course such as digestive problems, including ulcers, stomach and intestinal problems reduce appetite, diabetes, epilepsy, asthma and depression. People need to sleep. Shift work can affect how much sleep and sleep, the kind you get. Sleep during the day and sleep at night is not deep or refresh. Shift workers time to sleep when the bodys natural activities gear. When you do not sleep, you might always feel tired. Especially the night shift, night shift or third shift (3 shifts) means to change their work throughout the early morning, morning, and transfer to midnight to 08:00 or 23:00 to 07:00. Example, employee will make day shift and night shift in hotel when the time is alternative. Guest satisfaction in hospitality industry means that the guest was satisfy with the service of the employee. Guest satisfaction depends on hotel service because guests have rising expectation for hotel, but their overall satisfaction with service. Guest can be satisfied hotel rates hotel service.Example, guest feel satisfy with the service and what they expect to hotel. Conclusion At the end, as an employee must have a good service to any customer. Guests satisfywith the service and will be happy with the good service.The hotel industry will contributes employment and economic growth of the country. The government is very lenient regulatory and licensing of hotel, because the increase in the average daily rate of foreign tourists. Question 2 The hoteliers mean a people who supervise or manage the hotel. He or she may be established owner, operating a hotel, the Chief Executive of the hotels location, or chain, or in the hotels general manager, the Chairman of the Board. Hoteliers responsibility will vary according to how the word is applied. Who owns a hotel will be responsible for the care of all matters of common ownership of real estate, as well as the implementation of the ultimate liability for any and all taxes and appropriate compliance-run hotel building codes and local laws. The title hotelier Chief Executive will supervise the publicity and general business operations, and facilities responsible for the profitability of the owners or owners. Hotelier who is the Chairman of the Board will provide the current status of the communication line, investors and the owners of the hotel, and the hotel manager will provide oversight of a variety of functions, affect the day-to-day operation of the hotel.As a hotelier has responsible to handle each problems such as public relations, guest service, maintenance of facilities, reservation procedures, build relationship with customer and marketing. No matter what department you work in the hotel we also call hotelier. Depending on how the term is applied, the responsibilities of a hotelier of department is difference. A success hotelier must have good relationship with guest especially regular customer. Answer To be a successful hotelier in the hospitality industry you should be discipline, manners, good services, more experience, responsible and so on. As a hotelier has responsible to handle problems such as public relations, guest service, maintenance of facilities, reservation procedures, build relationship with customer and marketing. Hotel operators managing the property and, in some cases, they can also be the owner of the hotel. Hotel managers supervise other hotel, and they work long hours during peak travel and when events are scheduled at the hotel. They are often called upon to handle emergency situations and disputes. For good performance, hoteliers should have the skills required for the position.Therefore, as a good hotelier must be very discipline during working time. Besides that, to be a good hotelier also need to be responsible. It will show that you are good employee and good staff. First of all you must make the guests feel welcome and also be friendly because it is manner. You must be discipline and good service in front of the guests. To be a good hotelier you should know what their guests want and are willing to go that extra mile to put them at ease. Secondly, to be a good hotelier you should be hard working. Willing to work hard is always a plus point for a people who want to be successful hotel management line.Therefore, it is the opportunity to build a good relationship with the guest and enhance the reputation of hotel. HOW TO BECOME A GOOD HOTELIER The hotelier is a good diplomat, patience, tolerance, generosity and good intentions. A good hotel operator must have self-discipline staff, quick workers, and quick thinkers and always to help client and manager at all times. Diplomat Diplomat mean is a person who appointed by the national diplomacy with other countries or international organizations. Representation and protection of the people are the main functions of diplomats around the state and sent, as well as the promotion of information and friendly relations.As a diplomat can easily build an own relationship with the customer and day by day they will become a general customer of hotel. Patience Patience in hospitality industry means whatever the guest scold you, you cannot scold them back.Resistance state in difficult circumstances, this may mean that persist in the face of delay or provocation, no worries, anger, a negative exhibit patience when under pressure, particularly when faced with a long-term problem. Tolerance Toleration in hospitality industry means a person who tolerates something or somebody unpleasant. Toleration is meaning the practice deliberately allowing or permitting the things one does not agree. Many people are sometimes dont know how to behave themselves and also dont know show some respect to other people; so thats why we have to be tolerate and patience. To be a hotelier everyday will face difference temper of guests, so as a hotelier should be tolerate and not to argue with them. Also, as a hotelier should give what they need to make them feel satisfy. Guests always are the right whatever happens so as a hotelier should be toleration and also patience. Liberality When employee facing any high demand guests, we should need to be liberality and keep smile to serve our customer until they satisfy with the service. Any guest that is high demand, we shouldnt complain it because it will affect the whole hotel and will give a bad image and impression to the hotel. As a good hotelier must be professional during working time. Good Will Good will means willing to help each other when facing problem. Good will is one of the important things to any hotelier because it always reminds us to be helpful to our guests and also help them to solve problem. Front office staff is the first employee to serve the customer. So that why good will is very important to any front office staff. Conclusion It is not easy to become a hotelier, but it is not so difficult. It depends on how to treat customers, if you use your heart to your guests, they will feel. Most of the students have chosen the hotel management, because working in the service sector is very interesting and funny. Enterprise management is very useful for our future operations, but it is very boring, which is why I chose the hotel management. Another reason to select the hotel management, we can see so many different customers and increase our knowledge. When you have experience in the service industry, and then set the target a certain extent, the growing knowledge does not always stay in the same place, become one industry professionals. Peter Drucker pointed out that, today, the centre of our social productive forces, knowledge workers. In other words, knowledge is the key to success, do not know is equal. Unfortunately, remain forever in the failure. Thus, learning as an important part of our comprehensive preparat ory work supervisor or manager career.

The Variations in Little Red Riding Hood Essay -- Fairy Tales Literatu

The Variations in Little Red Riding Hood Fairy tales are under attack in the United States from both right- and left-oriented pressure groups. (Ravitch, 62-96) From the left, the charges include sexism, stereotyping, distortion, and anti-humanism. (Ravitch, 84) From the right, the charges include immorality and objections to the portrayal of violence, death, and the supernatural. In addition, some critics claim that the tales terrify their children. (Ravitch, 76). In The Language Police, Diane Ravitch claims that both groups understand the importance of putting pressure on state textbook adoption committees, and that, as a result of such pressure, most major publishers are simply dropping the tales from the textbooks they sell to schools. (77-78) Thus parents who assume, or would prefer that, their children are reading traditional fairy tales in school may find themselves mistaken. The seriousness of the question is itself a matter of debate, but the biggest problem with the current debate is that a fairy tale is assumed to be a fairy tale in the sense that Dickens's A Tale of Two Cities is A Tale of Two Cities. Editors do make some changes in Dickens's text, but essentially what Dickens wrote is what he wrote. This is not the case, however, with fairy tales. There are several, perhaps dozens, of different versions of most of the best-know tales. To argue that tale "A" is good or bad, moral or immoral, for children to read is thus comparable to building a house out of straw. One of the central tales in the debate is "Little Red Riding Hood," and Little Red Riding Hood" is assumed to be Little Red Riding Hood. It isn't. There are apparently dozens of versions of this tale, but the best known are those by Charles Perra... .... 28, 2002. ProQuest Direct. Penn. Coll. Lib., Williamsport. 22 August 2004. <http://www.proquest.umi.com/pdqweb>. Ravitch, Diane. The Language Police: How Pressure Groups Restrict What Students Learn. N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003. Tatar, Maria. Off with their Heads! Fairy Tales and the Culture of Childhood. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1992. Weldon-Lasiter, Cynthia. Review of Little Red Riding Hood: A Newfangled Fairy Tale. Book Links. 11:4 (Feb/Mar, 2002):11. . ProQuest Direct. Penn. Coll. Kib., Williamsport. 22 August 2004. <http://www.proquest.umi.com/pdqweb>. Ziolkowski, Jan. M. "A Fairy Tale from before Fairy Tales: Egbert of Liege's 'De puella a lupellis seruata' and the Medieval Background of 'Little Red Riding Hood'." Speculum 67:3 (July 1992): 549-575. JSTOR. Penn. Coll. Kib., Williamsport. 23 July 2004. <http://www.jstor.org>.

Shaping Identity Essay -- essays research papers

Shaping Identity Identity. What is identity? One will say that it is the distinct personality of an individual. Others will say that identity is the behavior of a person in response to their surrounding environment. At certain points of time, some people search for their identity in order to understand their existence in life. In regards, identity is shaped into an individual through the social trials of life that involve family and peers, the religious beliefs by the practice of certain faiths, and cultural awareness through family history and traditions. These are what shape the identity of an individual.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In today's world, society creates an impact on human life. More of an impact can be seen among family and peers. They can be found at home, work, and school. At home with family, identity can be created on the difference of having one parent, divorced or separated parents, no parents, abusive parents, or even negligent parents. For example, children who grow up without a father or mother figure tend to become more independent at an early stage. Another example is where certain experiences within the family such as constantly witnessing parents argue can cause one's identity to be confined and distant. But, some people shape their identity similar to their parents. Such as a son became a soldier in the army because his father was in the army. Siblings, if any, are also an influence on the social identity of a person. They either become your friend, mentor, or you...

James Joyces Araby and Eveline Essay -- Araby, Eveline Essays

James Joyce's "Araby" and "Eveline" In 'Araby' and 'Eveline' Joyce uses religious symbols to show the importance of the Catholic religion in both of the main characters' lives. Both of these stories take place in Dublin, Ireland, a place that is very strong in its belief in the Catholic religion. In 'Araby,' the imagery of the infamous 'Fall' is presented to the reader within the second paragraph to indicate its importance. The themes of religious masses can be found in 'Eveline.' The concept of the Catholic Ash Wednesday is presented throughout both 'Araby' and 'Eveline.'   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second paragraph of ?Araby? presents the idea of the Adam and Eve story known as ?The Fall.? ?The wild garden behind the house contained a central apple tree and a few straggling bushes under one of which I found the late tenant?s rusty bicycle pump.? (21/14-17). In the Catholic religion, the Adam and Eve story is thought to be the time when sin became present in the world. It is the time in Catholicism when the innocent life that Adam and Eve shared in the beautiful garden, violently changed into a life of responsibility, pain, heartbreak, suffering, and most important in the Catholic religion, separation from God. This transformation can not only be seen in the story of Adam and Eve, but in the change from the innocent life of a child to the turbulent life of an adult. The latter change is the one that the main character of ?Araby? is going through. Joyce is trying to show how important this theme was by repeating the word ?fall? throughout the entire story. Catholic religion plays an important role in the main character?s life, because the Catholic religion gives specific standards for believers to follow. This religion, along with its rules and regulations, is the one that the main character was raised by, and he feels obligated to follow them, even through the very tough time of adolescence. In the story, the boy becomes infatuated with a girl. This crush on Mangan?s sister is very tough on the main character for many reasons. The first being that she does not share the love he has for her, and secondly, his crush conflicts with his strict religion. He becomes obsessed with her, watching her every move. The girl has taken over his every thought, which is why the crush conflicts with the Catholic religion. Catholicism is the worship of a single, all-powerful God. When ... ...hooses to live the life of duty and responsibility, proving that her belief in the Catholic religion is indeed something she thinks is important; and also when she gives up her chance to escape to a carefree life, she gives up something else important to her, Frank.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The above examples come together to show that the Catholic religion plays a major role in the lives of Joyce?s main characters. He uses repeated words and religious symbols to show just how important Catholicism is to the lives of the population of Dublin, Ireland. Joyce intentionally uses religion as the main conflict in the situations in both of the stories. James Joyce believes Catholicism is important, and he uses the religion to affect the characters? lives. Without having the Catholic background both Eveline and the main character in ?Araby? have, their choices concerning their life would have been less difficult. Instead of having to decide between their religion and their desires, they would only have to consider their desires. Joyce believes that the Catholic religion affects the characters and their situations, which is the reason why he writes in religious symbols throughout ?Araby? and ?Eveline.? James Joyce's Araby and Eveline Essay -- Araby, Eveline Essays James Joyce's "Araby" and "Eveline" In 'Araby' and 'Eveline' Joyce uses religious symbols to show the importance of the Catholic religion in both of the main characters' lives. Both of these stories take place in Dublin, Ireland, a place that is very strong in its belief in the Catholic religion. In 'Araby,' the imagery of the infamous 'Fall' is presented to the reader within the second paragraph to indicate its importance. The themes of religious masses can be found in 'Eveline.' The concept of the Catholic Ash Wednesday is presented throughout both 'Araby' and 'Eveline.'   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The second paragraph of ?Araby? presents the idea of the Adam and Eve story known as ?The Fall.? ?The wild garden behind the house contained a central apple tree and a few straggling bushes under one of which I found the late tenant?s rusty bicycle pump.? (21/14-17). In the Catholic religion, the Adam and Eve story is thought to be the time when sin became present in the world. It is the time in Catholicism when the innocent life that Adam and Eve shared in the beautiful garden, violently changed into a life of responsibility, pain, heartbreak, suffering, and most important in the Catholic religion, separation from God. This transformation can not only be seen in the story of Adam and Eve, but in the change from the innocent life of a child to the turbulent life of an adult. The latter change is the one that the main character of ?Araby? is going through. Joyce is trying to show how important this theme was by repeating the word ?fall? throughout the entire story. Catholic religion plays an important role in the main character?s life, because the Catholic religion gives specific standards for believers to follow. This religion, along with its rules and regulations, is the one that the main character was raised by, and he feels obligated to follow them, even through the very tough time of adolescence. In the story, the boy becomes infatuated with a girl. This crush on Mangan?s sister is very tough on the main character for many reasons. The first being that she does not share the love he has for her, and secondly, his crush conflicts with his strict religion. He becomes obsessed with her, watching her every move. The girl has taken over his every thought, which is why the crush conflicts with the Catholic religion. Catholicism is the worship of a single, all-powerful God. When ... ...hooses to live the life of duty and responsibility, proving that her belief in the Catholic religion is indeed something she thinks is important; and also when she gives up her chance to escape to a carefree life, she gives up something else important to her, Frank.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The above examples come together to show that the Catholic religion plays a major role in the lives of Joyce?s main characters. He uses repeated words and religious symbols to show just how important Catholicism is to the lives of the population of Dublin, Ireland. Joyce intentionally uses religion as the main conflict in the situations in both of the stories. James Joyce believes Catholicism is important, and he uses the religion to affect the characters? lives. Without having the Catholic background both Eveline and the main character in ?Araby? have, their choices concerning their life would have been less difficult. Instead of having to decide between their religion and their desires, they would only have to consider their desires. Joyce believes that the Catholic religion affects the characters and their situations, which is the reason why he writes in religious symbols throughout ?Araby? and ?Eveline.?

Reducing Death Penalty Costs Essay

Abstract In this paper, I will be evaluating the death penalty in the United States and ways that costs can be cut to make it much more of a viable option. â€Å"Using conservative rough projections, the Commission estimates the annual costs of the present system $137 million per year (California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, 2008). What does an individual death row inmate get for millions of tax payers’ dollars you ask? This includes; housing, garments, meals, health care, mental care, pre-trial and trial, unlimited appeals and petitions. I think that the limit for appeals at the state level should be only 3 appeals and 2 at the federal level. If an inmate knew how many state and federal appeals they had before they were done, we wouldn’t see a waste of appeals on frivolous things. This would cut legal costs and free up the courts dockets a little more by not allowing death row inmates to appeal over every little thing. Reducing Death Penalty Costs Although the total accumulated cost of the death penalty sentence does vary from state to state one thing can be said; it is extremely exorbitant. â€Å"Using conservative rough projections, the Commission estimates the annual costs of the present system $137 million per year (California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice, 2008). What does an individual death row inmate get for millions of tax payers’ dollars you ask? This includes; housing, garments, meals, health care, mental care, pre-trial and trial, unlimited appeals and petitions. Why would a public defender object or his boss for this matter object to getting their bills paid by the tax payers’? There needs to be stricter legal and privilege guidelines for death row inmates and attorneys that defend them. If prison systems would make stricter guidelines and regulations for death row inmates then costs would go down exponentially. There needs to be limitations on how many times a death row inmate can appeal and petition their case. I think that the limit for appeals at the state level should be only 3 appeals and 2 at the federal level. If an inmate knew how many state and federal appeals they had before they were done, we wouldn’t see a waste of appeals on frivolous things. This would cut legal costs and free up the courts dockets a little more by not allowing death row inmates to appeal over every little thing. These continuing moves that are plaguing our legal system which has increased the average duration of their stay on death row. If the number of appeals is not a good solution then only allow appeals that are relative to their case in proving their innocence. Check out the chart and look at the increase in length of death row durations we have seen over the last three decades. [pic](Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). Another way to cut costs for death row inmates is to shorten the time in between sentencing and execution. By limiting the number of appeals a death row inmate is allowed will significantly shorten their wait to be executed. As the graph above shows, in 1984 there were only 74 months wait between sentencing and execution. In the years to follow, the length of time between sentencing and execution grew exponentially to 178 months in 2010. That is almost 15 years for an inmate to accrue legal fees through unlimited appeals that they do not have to pay for. The length of time that U.S. inmates spend on death row has gotten increasingly longer in recent years, and raises questions about the constitutionality of this added punishment (Death Penalty Information Center, 2012). When an individual is sentenced to a death penalty sentence, they are automatically entitled to unlimited appeals and the tax payers are going to pay for this through taxes. The inmates have at their disposal almost u nlimited resources on the tax payer’s dime. In my opinion, if a death row inmate cannot prove their innocence after the allotted 3 state appeals and 2 federal appeals with the financial allotment of $250,000, then the financial responsibility should fall to the inmate and/or their families. We, as citizens, should not be forced to have to pay for these murders to continue to take up the courts time with frivolous appeals. Food expenses also need to be seriously cut down. Death row inmates are eating much better than many of America’s low income families who make minimum wage and are unable to buy food. The average household income in The United States is $51,914 per year (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2012). These people are in prison, not a day spa. In Connecticut, the Department of Correction serves up three meals a day for the bargain-basement price of $2.42 per inmate – roughly what a bag of fries and a Coke will cost you at McDonald’s (Kauffman, 2012). I believe this is still more than these criminals deserve. Below is the link to see a sample menu of what the inmates are being fed at Connecticut Department of Corrections: http://courantblogs.com/investigative-reporting/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Prison-Menu.pdf. Our children do not even get this good of quality of food in schools, why should the inmates. Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who is reputed to have cut food costs down to 40 cents a day with a strategy that, included serving green surplus bologna to inmates (Kauffman, 2012). Many people share Sheriff Arpaio’s ideology or he wouldn’t keep getting re-elected. The inmates should only get bologna sandwiches and water. They should make their own bread from scratch also to cut down the costs of buying sliced bread. If the inmates want any kind of fresh fruits and vegetables then they must work to earn the right to a garden. The inmates’ families should be responsible for the costs of the seeds and paying for th e water to use on the gardens. Death row inmates should also not be allowed to live in air conditioned facilities. Death row prisoners are served breakfast and dinner in their cells, can usually mingle with others in the outdoor exercise yards while eating their sack lunches, and have exclusive control over the television, CD player or other diversions in their cells (Williams, 2009). â€Å"Death row inmates probably have the most liberal telephone privileges of anyone in state custody,† said Terry Thornton, spokeswoman for the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, explaining that they need ready access to their attorneys and can often make calls from their cells over a phone that can be rolled along the cell-block (Williams, 2009). Those on death row are also allowed more personal property inside their cells, to accommodate their voluminous legal documents without infringing on the 6 cubic feet of snacks and entertainment devices allowed each prisoner, said Lt. Sam Robinson, spokesman for San Quentin (Williams, 2009). They lost that ability when they committed those crime in which caused them to be sentenced to death. They should not be allowed to play games, watch television, have personal radios/CD players, unlimited access to the telephone and the inmates and all calls should be recorded, and they should not be allowed contact visits in private, unlike inmates in other parts of the prison. American prisons should also stop providing free 24 hour health care to their inmates. Make the families of the inmate pay for any services rendered, whether inmates see an on call doctor or go to the emergency room. There is no reason that working taxpayers’ should have to foot yet another outrageous bill for inmates. The average cost of healthcare for a typical American family of four in an employer- sponsored health plan in 2012 is $20,728 (Wells Media Group, Inc., 2012). Death row inmates should not be allowed to receive free health care while hard working Americans are struggling to make ends meet with minimum wages and still trying to be able to afford healthcare for their families. How does this seem fair, you may wonder? Well, it is not where near the category of fair. â€Å"Anti-Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996. The Act, which affects both state and federal prisoners, restricts review in federal courts by establishing tighter filing deadlines, limiting the opportunity for evidentiary hearings, and ordinarily allowing only a single habeas corpus filing in federal court. Proponents of the death penalty argue that this streamlining will speed up the death penalty process and significantly reduce its cost, although others fear that quicker, more limited federal review may increase the risk of executing innocent defendants† [(Bohm, 1999 and Schabas, 1997)]. In conclusion, if our prison systems would make stricter guidelines and regulations for death row inmates then costs would go down exponentially. There needs to be stricter legal and privilege guidelines for death row inmates and attorneys that defend them. If prison systems would make stricter guidelines and regulations for death row inmates then costs would go down exponentially. Another way to cut costs for death row inmates is to shorten the time in between sentencing and execution. By limiting the number of appeals a death row inmate is allowed will significantly shorten their wait to be executed. And finally, death row inmates should have all of their luxuries that are not necessities to live. Death row inmates would pray for death to come quicker because there are the bare minimum. References U.S. Department of Commerce. (2012, July 07). State & county quickfacts-usa. Retrieved from http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html Williams, C. (2009, November 11). Death penalty is considered a boon by some california inmates. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2009/nov/11/local/me-deathrow11 Death Penalty Information Center. (2012). Time on death row. Retrieved from http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/time-death-row Kauffman, M. (2012, March 1). Stat of the week: What’s it cost to feed an inmate for a day?. Retrieved from http://courantblogs.com/investigative-reporting/stat-of-the-week-whats-it-cost-to-feed-an-inmate-for-a-day/ California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice. (2008, July 01). Death penalty cost. Retrieved from http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/death-penalty/us-death-penalty-facts/death-penalty-cost Wells Media Group, Inc. (2012, May 15).Healthcare costs for insured american family top $20k in 2012: Milliman. Retrieved from http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/05/15/247598.htm

Talent Is Overrated

Charles Bobb ALS 101 Professor Jeffrey Levine December 2, 2009 Talent Is Overrated What Really Separates World- Class Performers from Everyone Else By. Geoff Colvin Senior Editor at Large, FORTUNE Talent Is Overrated† by Geoff Colvin is a motivating book that puts outstanding performance into view. It presents a solid case that great performance does not come primarily from innate talent, or even hard work, as is supposed by most people. The realistic value of the book comes from the practical function of the thesis. In talking about world class figure skaters, he said that top skaters work on the jumps they are worst at, whereas average skaters work on those they are already good at. In his words, â€Å"Landing on your butt twenty thousand times is where great performance comes from. † Each of those hard landings is able to teach a lesson. Those who learn the lesson can move on to the next hard lesson. Those who don’t pay the price and learn the lesson never progress beyond it. In other words, hard work and dedication is necessary but not sufficient in itself for developing higher level performance at any endeavor. All great performers get that way by working long and hard, but hard work and long hours obviously don’t make people great. Many people work long and hard and stay mediocre. The meat of the book describes what the author calls deliberate practice, and presents supporting evidence in a convincing manner. It matters what kind of practice, not just how long and how much sweat is spilled. Supportive on definition of innate talent Before considering evidence for and against the talent account, we should be as clear as possible about what is meant by â€Å"talent†. In everyday life people are rarely precise about what they mean by this term: users do not specify what form an innate talent takes or how it might exert its influence. Certain pitfalls have to be avoided in settling on a definition of talent. A very restrictive definition could make it impossible for any conceivable evidence to demonstrate talent. For example, some people believe that talent is based on an inborn ability that makes it certain that its possessor will excel. This criterion is too strong. At the other extreme, it would be possible to make the definition of talent so vague that its existence is trivially ensured; talent might imply no more than that those who reach high levels of achievement differ biologically from others in some undefined way. Yet those who believe that innate talent exists also assume that early signs of it can be used to predict future success. 1) There are many reports of children acquiring impressive skills very early in life, in the apparent absence of opportunities for the kinds of learning experiences that would normally be considered necessary. (2) Certain relatively rare capacities which could have an innate basis (e. g. , â€Å"perfect† pitch perception) appear to emerge spontaneously in a few children and may increase the likelihood of their excelling in music. (3) Biological c orrelates of certain skills and abilities have been reported. 4) Some especially compelling data comes from the case histories of autistic, mentally handicapped people classified as â€Å"idiot’s savants. † Practice makes perfect The best people in any field are those who devote the most hours to what the researchers call â€Å"deliberate practice. † Its activity that's explicitly intended to improve performance that reaches for objectives just beyond one’s level of competence provides feedback on results and involves high levels of repetition. For example: Simply hitting a bucket of balls is not deliberate practice, which is why most golfers don't get better. Hitting an eight-iron 300 times with a goal of leaving the ball within 20 feet of the pin 80 percent of the time, continually observing results and making appropriate adjustments, and doing that for hours every day – that's deliberate practice. Consistency is crucial. As Ericsson notes, â€Å"Elite performers in many diverse domains have been found to practice, on the average, roughly the same amount every day, including weekends. Evidence crosses a remarkable range of fields. In a study of 20-year-old violinists by Ericsson and colleagues, the best group (judged by conservatory teachers) averaged10, 000 hours of deliberate practice over their lives; the next-best averaged 7,500 hours; and the next, 5,000. It's the same story in surgery, insurance sales, and virtually every sport. More deliberate practice equals better performance. Tons of it equals great perf ormance. Tiger Woods is a textbook example of what the research shows. Because his father introduced him to golf at an extremely early age – 18 months – and encouraged him to practice intensively, Woods had racked up at least 15 years of practice by the time he became the youngest-ever winner of the U. S. Amateur Championship, at age 18. Also in line with the findings, he has never stopped trying to improve, devoting many hours a day to conditioning and practice, even remaking his swing twice because that's what it took to get even better. The business side The evidence, scientific as well as anecdotal, seems overwhelmingly in favor of deliberate practice as the source of great performance. Just one problem: How do you practice business? Many elements of business, in fact, are directly practicable. Presenting, negotiating, delivering evaluations, and deciphering financial statements – you can practice them all. , they aren't the essence of great managerial performance. That requires making judgments and decisions with imperfect information in an uncertain environment, interacting with people, seeking information – can you practice those things too? The first is going at any task with a new goal: Instead of merely trying to get it done, you aim to get better at it. Report writing involves finding information, analyzing it and presenting it – each an improbable skill. Chairing a board meeting requires understanding the company's strategy in the deepest way, forming a coherent view of coming market changes and setting a tone for the discussion. Anything that anyone does at work, from the most basic task to the most exalted, is an improbable skill. Why? For most people, work is hard enough without pushing even harder. Those extra steps are so difficult and painful they almost never get done. That's the way it must be. If great performance were easy, it wouldn't be rare. Which leads to possibly the deepest question about greatness? While experts understand an enormous amount about the behavior that produces great performance, they understand very little about where that behavior comes from. The authors of one study conclude, â€Å"We still do not know which factors encourage individuals to engage in deliberate practice. † Or as University of Michigan business school professor Noel Tichy puts it after 30 years of working with managers, â€Å"Some people are much more motivated than others, and that's the existential question I cannot answer – why. The critical reality is that we are not hostage to some naturally granted level of talent. We can make ourselves what we will. Strangely, that idea is not popular. People hate abandoning the notion that they would coast to fame and riches if they found their talent. But that view is tragically constraining, because when they hit life's inevitable bumps in the road, they conclude that they just aren't gifted and give up. Maybe we can't expect most people to achieve greatness. It's just too demanding. But the striking, liberating news is that greatness isn't reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone. A Mnemonic System for Digit Span: One Year Later. (2002) | * Chase, William G. , * Ericsson, K. Anders| Abstract| With 18 months of practice on the digit-span task, a single subject has shown a steady improvement from 7 digits to 70 digits, and there is no evidence that performance will approach an asymptote. Continuous improvement in performance is accompanied by refinements in the subject's mnemonic system and hierarchical organization of his retrieval system. (Author). Presented at the Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, (20th), Phoenix, AZ, 8-10 Nov 79. | Talent without deliberate practice is latent† and agrees with Darrell Royal that â€Å"potential† means â€Å"you ain't done it yet. † In other words, there would be no great performances in any field (e. g. business, theatre, dance, symphonic music, athletics, science, mathematics, entertainment, exploration) without those who have, through deliberate practice developed the requisite abilities Colvin duly acknowledges that deliberate practice â€Å"is a large concept, nd to say that it explains everything would be simplistic and reductive. † Colvin goes on to say, â€Å"Critical questions immediately present themselves: What exactly needs to be practiced? Precisely how? Which specific skills or other assets must be acquired? The research has revealed answers that generalize quite well across a wide range of fields. Talent is overrated if it is perceived to be t he most important factor. It isn't. In fact, talent does not exist unless and until it is developed†¦ nd the only way to develop it is (you guessed it) with deliberate practice. Colvin commits sufficient attention to identifying the core components of great performance but focuses most of his narrative to explaining how almost anyone can improve her or his own performance. He reveals himself to be both an empiricist as he shares what he has observed and experienced and a pragmatist who is curious to know what works, what doesn't, and why. I also appreciate Colvin's repudiation of the most common misconceptions about the various dimensions of talent. For example, that â€Å"is innate; you're born with it, and if you're not born with it, you can't acquire it. † Many people still believe that Mozart was born with so much talent that he required very little (if any) development. In fact, according to Alex Ross, â€Å"Mozart became Mozart by working furiously hard† as did all others discussed, including Jack Welch, David Ogilvy, Warren Buffett, Robert Rubin, Jerry Rice, Chris Rock, and Benjamin Franklin. Some were prodigies but most were late-bloomers and each followed a significantly different process of development. About all they shared in common is their commitment to continuous self-improvement through deliberate practice. Colvin provides a wealth of research-driven information that he has rigorously examined and he also draws upon his own extensive and direct experience with all manner of organizations and their C-level executives. Throughout his narrative, with great skill, he sustains a personal rapport with his reader. It is therefore appropriate that, in the final chapter, he invokes direct address and poses a series of questions. What would cause you to do the enormous work necessary to be a top-performing CEO, Wall Street trader, jazz, pianist, courtroom lawyer, or anything else? Would anything? The answer depends on your answers to two basic questions: What do you really want? And what do you really believe? What you want – really want – is fundamental because deliberate practice is a heavy investment. † Corbin has provided all the evidence anyone needs to answer t hose two questions that, in fact, serve as a challenge. It occurs to me that, however different they may be in almost all other respects, athletes such as Cynthia Cooper, Roger Federer, Michael Jordan, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Lorena Ochoa, Candace Parker, Michael Phelps, Vijay Singh, and Tiger Woods â€Å"make it look so easy† in competition because their preparation is so focused, rigorous, and thorough. Obviously, they do not win every game, match, tournament, etc. Colvin's point (and I agree) is that all great performers â€Å"make it look so easy† because of their commitment to deliberate practice, often for several years before their first victory. In fact, Colvin cites a â€Å"ten-year rule† widely endorsed in chess circles (attributed to Herbert Simon and William Chase) that â€Å"no one seemed to reach the top ranks of chess players without a decade or so of intensive study, and some required much more time. † The same could also be said of â€Å"overnight sensations† who struggled for years to prepare for their â€Å"big break† on Broadway or in Hollywood. | The book adds a few paragraphs or two to the Jack Welch entry in the annals of business history. Neutron Jack† kept people from getting too comfortable, once explaining that it wasn't 100,000 General Electric (GE) employees he eliminated, it was 100,000 GE positions. His radioactive personality aside, Welch had remarkable success grooming top corporate leaders. The equity value of companies run by Welch's proteges – including GE, 3M, Home Depot and Honeywell – may well exceed some national budgets, so it is interesting to learn what qualities Welch encouraged as a mentor. Welch's â€Å"4E's† of leadership help explain how he generated so much value over the years for his grateful shareholders. Krames extracts leadership ideas from Welch's track record and makes them quick and handy. Although the book is more useful than original, we find that the articulation of the 4E's, and the profiles of Welch's proteges make it a solid addition to any business library. Colvin leaves no doubt that by understanding how a few become great, anyone can become better†¦ and that includes his reader. This reader is now convinced that talent is a process that â€Å"grows,† not a pre-determined set of skills. Also, that deliberates practice â€Å"hurts but it works. † Long ago, Henry Ford said, â€Å"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right. † It would be â€Å"tragically constraining,† Colvin asserts, for anyone to lack sufficient self-confidence because â€Å"what the evidence shouts most loudly is striking, liberating news: That great performance is not reserved for a preordained few. It is available to you and to everyone. â€Å"

Autobiography Example

You have just completed your 300-page autobiography. Please submit page 217. To be honest, I am a really a busy person. I usually stay late at work, and sometimes lose my time with my family because of work. However, there is one event that I always do two or three times in a year. I go to music concerts. Since I was young I always listened to music. I listened while studying, driving, getting ready to sleep. Music, especially the drums, has been my strength and friend all the time. The drumsticks, which have been my hands’ friends since I was in seventh grade, are still the friends of my 47 year old hands.Of course my old sticks from my young age have been broken and changed many times over, but I still consider my new sticks as the same sticks I used to have when I was young. It is rather unusual for people to think that I love playing drums because my job is not a part time job or a freelance, and that they think of me as a reticent, a perceptive, and a sensitive person who only cares about his work. Nine years ago, I organized a band, and since then our band have concerts annually. Of course the proceeds of our concert are not for our own profit making.We have our concerts to help other people through the sales of tickets and donations. I know that I can donate money personally, but I wanted to help others by doing things I enjoy and entertain other people. The audiences know that they not only enjoyed the concert, but also have contributed in aiding the needy. Our band consists of seven people each with diverse jobs; CEO, doctor, engineer, composer. Each member has successful work and is recognized in society, and even has busier lives than mine.We gather together, brought about by sympathy for the underprivileged, and the love for music, reason and freedom, even though we work in different areas. Music does not restrict and discriminate age, position, or appearance. We just enjoy the music with our hearts to forget any problems on our shoulders. We first started the band just to dissolve our stress from work and life, and as time went by, it has expanded. We are now having concerts every year. Even though we are not professional musicians, many people, friends, family, have enjoyed our music for years and come and enjoy the concert.It seems that the audiences share our goals. They also get out the burdens of life and work, to just enjoy. The applause I hear from the stage while I shout, jump, and swing the sticks feels different from the greetings I receive at the hallway at work. I sometimes get very excited as if I was an idol star. Even though I think of myself as a professional drummer once in a while, I am really a businessman deep down. I love my job that and have never regretted my decision for it. I hear about people who chose their careers on the basis of success are the ones that regret their lives.It is different for me. Even though I chose my job to be successful; wealthy and reputable, I truly love my job and do my best. However, I have stacks of documents to go through, phone calls ringing every ten minutes, reprimands from the boss, and the room without windows can sometimes make me stressful and not efficient in work. During those times I grab my drum sticks bag from the third drawer of my desk, and walk out of my office, to head for the studio to swing my stresses away on the drum.

Acculturation, Biculturism and Marginalization Essay

Ross-Sheriff (2011) commented that international migration patterns have * changed as a consequence of broad social, political, economic, and environmental * trends and explained the causes of the driving forces were including war, * globalization, urbanization, and changing cultural norms regarding social roles and * responsibilities (Ross-Sheriff, 2011). With these complex trends of migration * patterns, Van Hear (2010) viewed migration as a process which was an integral part * of broader social transformations, but which also had its own internal dynamics with * other factors related to the migrating process, shaping social transformation in their * own way. Migration was also linked in complex ways to class, gender, generation, * ethnicity and other social factors, which were embodied in positions in home and host * communities, and in work and domestic relationships, all of which might be * transformed in the course of the migratory process (Van Hear, 2010). To understand this complex process of migration, especially under changing circumstances of one culture to another, it might be useful to build conceptual tools for understanding these transitory processes in migration studies and in social science more widely (Van hear, 2010). They also include mediating agents and transitions that need also to be accounted for, as well as intersections among class, gender, generation, ethnicity and other social ruptures as well as the main driving forces of migration (Van Hear, 2010). Of course there were other important concepts such as relations between time and space, between dynamics or processes and outcomes, and between structure and agency that needed to get attention (Van Hear, 2010). However, it is impossible to discuss all different theoretical concepts involved in different types of migration process in the current limited study. Rather, this study tried to focus on psychological impacts such as ethnic identity and self-esteem on migration through acculturation processes particularly on family- related migration because different patterns of migration produced different communities and resulted in producing different migrant identities including varying levels of psychological distress (Jones, 2008). Further, few empirical studies have focused on migrant adults populations. Most migrants identification related literatures tended to relate more for adolescents or young children because identity formation might be particularly challenging in this cohort, especially when the values and beliefs of their natal culture differed significantly from those of the host society (Sodowsky, Kwan, & Pannu, 1995; as cited in Farver, Narang, & Bhadha, 2002). Therefore, this study focused on ethnic identity and self-identification issues of adult migrants’ themselves within a family structure according to different theoretical models relevant to adaptation of new cultures, because family was the basic instrument in the society (Nesdale, Rooney, & Smith, 1997). In fact, most cultural acquisition theories developed and evolved in 1990s when international migration became a key issue in international politics at the beginning of 1990s. As Castle (2002) argued that migration, development and international relations were closely connected as migration was a major factor of transformation for both sending and receiving countries for different types of migrants (Castle, 2002). With this perspective, this study generally focused on those migration culture acquisition theories developed in 1990 rather then looking at current perspectives in the most recent literatures, which actually have evolved from these original theories in 1990s (Castle, 2002). As the findings from these research studies has had been mixed or sometimes contradictory, it was important to understand the exact nature of the relationship between migrant ethnic identification and the acculturation process both need to be specified and assessed properly with coherent measurements and theoretical assumptions (Nesdale et al. , 1997). Important theoretical concepts: ethnic identity, acculturation, biculturism, and marginalisation. According to Phinney (1990; as cited in Farver, Narang & Bhadha., 2002), ethnic identity and acculturation were related but separate constructs. Ethnic identity involves an individual’s self-identification as a group member, a sense of belonging to an ethnic group, attitudes toward ethnic group of membership, and degree of ethnic group involvement (Farver et al. , 2002). The term acculturation was defined in anthropology as those phenomena, which resulted when groups of individuals having different cultures came into continuous first-hand contact with subsequent changes in the original pattern of either or both groups (Redfield, Linton, & Herskovits, 1936; as cited in Birman, 1994). Although acculturation was a neutral term in this context (that is, change might take place in either or both groups), in practice, acculturation tended to induce more changes in one of the groups than in the other (Berry, 1990a; as cited in Berry, 1997) Berry (1997) argued that in all plural societies, cultural groups and their individual members, in both dominant and non-dominant situations, must deal with the issue of how to acculturate. According to Berry (1997), four acculturation strategies were introduced: assimilation, separation, marginalization, and integration. When individuals do not wish to maintain their cultural identity and seek daily interaction with other new cultures, the assimilation strategy is defined. In contrast, when individuals place a value on holding on to their original culture, and at the same time wish to avoid interaction with others, then the separation is defined (Berry, 1997). When there is an interest in both maintaining one’s original culture, while in daily interactions with other groups, integration is the option; here, there is some degree of cultural integrity maintained, while at the same time seeking to participate as an integral part of the larger social network (Berry, 1997). Last, when there is little possibility or interest in cultural maintenance (often for reasons of enforced cultural loss), and little interest in having relations with others (often for reasons of exclusion or discrimination) then marginalization is defined (Berry, 1997). However, this acculturation categories model has been criticized methodologically (Rudmin, 2003, 2009; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010) because all four of Berry’s categories were represented in the same way by creating the two by two matrix of acculturation categories between high and low. However, the cut off point between high and low was arbitrary and would differ across samples, making comparisons across studies difficult, resulting in the fact that all four categories existed and were equally valid (Rudmin, 2003; as cited in Schwartz et al., 2010) and suggesting that not all of Berry’s categories might exist in a given sample or population, and that some categories might have multiple subtypes (Schwartz et al. , 2010). In particular, Berry (1997) viewed the term â€Å"biculturism† as referring to acculturation that involved the individual simultaneously in the two cultures that were in contact in integrative ways, which appeared to be a consistent predictor of more positive outcomes than the three alternatives of assimilation, separation, or marginalization. Berry and his colleagues (Sam & Berry, 1995) assessed the acculturation strategies of various immigrant groups in North America and the results showed that bicultural individuals experienced less acculturative stress, anxiety and fewer psychological problems significantly, while marginalized individuals suffered the most psychological distress, including problems with self-identification and cultural alienation, which adversely affected their self-esteem (Farver et al. , 2002). However, Shiraev and Levy (2007) explained acculturative stress as a negative feeling that a marginalized person might experience as a distressing psychological reaction to any unfamiliar cultural environment based on the assumption that person and groups undergoing any social and cultural change should experience a certain amount of psychological distress. Generally, many early definitions of acculturation focused on exposure to two cultures simultaneously as a culture shock, which was a reactive state of specific pathology or deficit, rather than taking advantage of being bicultural (Berry & Annis, 1974; Shiraev et al., 2007). The validity of marginalization as an approach to acculturation by Berry (1997) was also questioned (Del Pilar & Udasco, 2004; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010). Schawartz et al. argued that the likelihood that a person would develop a cultural sense of self without drawing on either the heritage or receiving cultural contexts would be less likely to. The marginalization approach might be true only for the small segment of migrants who rejected both their heritage and receiving cultures (Berry, 2006b). Indeed, studies using empirically based clustering methods have found small or nonexistent marginalization groups and scales that attempted to measure marginalization typically had poor reliability and validity compared with scales for the other categories (Cuellar, Arnold, & Maldonado, 1995; Unger et al. , 2002; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010). As described earlier, the impact of migrant ethnic identity on psychological distress had comparatively diverse points of views if they were either negative or positive reactions, depending on different theoretical frames. For example, Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 2001) and Self-Categorization Theory (Turner, 1987) emphasized more on the importance to individuals of their identification with particular social groups. Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 2001; as cited in Yip, Gee, & Takeuchi, 2008) viewed a possible explanation for why ethnic identity might buffer the effects of discrimination. According to this theory,individuals chose from an array of possible social identity groups and, once those groups were chosen, individuals focused on the positive aspects of their in-group, which helped to boost their own esteem, suggesting that ethnic identity was more important to their overall identity (Yip et al. , 2009). In contrast, if ethnicity was a central component of one’s identity, it might actually exacerbate the effects of discrimination, resulting in a greater negative impact on mental health, according to self-categorization theory (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, & Wetherell, 1987; as cited in Yip et al., 2008), suggesting that people should be more in tune with environmental cues that were relevant to an important aspect of their identity. That is, experiences of racial discrimination might be such a cue relevant to their ethnic identity. Indeed, research suggested that African American adults and adolescents who reported strong racial centrality were also more likely to report experiences of racial discrimination (Neblett, Shelton, & Sellers, 2004; Sellers, Caldwell, Schmeelk-Cone, & Zimmerman, 2003; Sellers & Shelton, 2003; as cited in Yip et al., 2008). However, despite this emphasis by social theorists, they tended to forget the larger literature that involved with both ethnicity and the acculturation process (Liebkind, 1993; 1996; as cited in Nesdale, Rooney & Smith, 1997). First of all, these different findings resulted from lack of inclusion of acculturation itself as a variable methodologically when acculturation was considered as a phenomenon in research designs (Sam and Berry, 2006). Without including acculturation as a variable, the explanations for human behavior similarities and differences across populations would remain incomplete (Sam et al. , 2006). Second, a further criticism of the acculturation literatures was that the same two acculturation processes, and the same four-acculturation categories, characterized all migrants equally—regardless of the type of migrant, the countries of origin and settlement, and the ethnic group in question, according to Berry’s (1980) model and other similar approaches (Sam et al., 2006). Finally, the vast majority of studies in the acculturation literature have focused on behavioral acculturation (Schwartz et al. , 2010). That is, most widely used acculturation measures included primarily (or only) items assessing language use and other cultural practices (e. g. , Cuellar, Arnold, & Maldonado, 1995; Stephenson, 2000; Szapocznik, Kurtines, & Fernandez, 1980; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010) due to accepting the fact that cultural practices might provide only a fair proxy for cultural adaptation (Schwartz et al., 2010). Theoretical frameworks for acculturation research Shiraev & Levy (2007) claimed that cross-cultural psychologists usually used three approaches to examine human activities in various cultural settings. They were the sociobiological approach, the sociological approach and eco-cultural approach (Shiraev et al. , 2007). In particular, the eco-cultural approach emphasized both the environment and the individual were seen as open and interchanging systems (Shiraev et al., 2007), introducing John Berry whom originally developed this theory further in contemporary cross-cultural psychology. Shiraev et al. (2007) also pointed out that specialists should to be able to explain how, why, and to what extent people differed from one another, when ecological, biological, cultural, and acculturation factors were identified and taken into consideration (Berry, J. W. , Poortinga, Y. H. , Segall, M. H. , & Dasen. P. R. ,1992; as cited in Shiraev et al. , 2007). In related to the concerns pointed by Shiraev et al. (2007), Berry (1997) argued earlier there were important links between cultural context and individual behavioural development, demonstrating what happened to individuals who developed in one cultural context when attempting to re-establish their lives in another one through his acculturation research framework, by confirming the fact that acculturation was one of the most complex areas of research in cross-cultural psychology because the process involved more than one culture and in two distinct senses (Berry, 1997). According to Berry (1997), the concept of acculturation was employed to refer to the cultural changes resulting from different ethnic groups encountered, while the concepts of psychological acculturation and adaptation were employed to refer to the psychological changes and eventual outcomes that occur as a result of individuals experiencing acculturation. In another words, acculturation phenomena resulted from contact between two or more cultures and research on acculturation had to be comparative in order to understand variations in psychological outcomes that were the result of cultural variations in the two groups in contact (Berry, 1997). In particular, this framework viewed the integration model of acculturation strategies the most desirable among other strategies, considering it the same as the biculturalism model (Berry, 1997). For example, Berry and his colleagues (Berry, 1980; Berry, J. W. , Kim, U. , Power, S. , Young, M, & Bujaki, M. , 1989; Berry, Kim, Minde, & Mok, 1987; Sam & Berry, 1995 as cited in Farver et al., 2002) assessed the acculturation strategies of various immigrant groups in North America and the result showed that integration was the most psychologically adaptive attitude, arguing that integrated or bicultural individuals experienced less acculturative stress and anxiety and manifested fewer psychological problems than those who were marginalized, separated, or assimilated, whereas marginalized individuals suffered the most psychological distress, including problems with self-identification and cultural alienation, which also affected their self-esteem (Farver et al. , 2002). However, Phinney, Cantu, and Kurtz (1997) found that American identity was associated with self-esteem only for non-Hispanic Whites, but not for other ethnic groups. These mixed results as explained above raised two issues in the acculturation literatures. First of all, cultural practices might offer only a substitute for cultural adpatations, as Portes and Rumbaut (2001 as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010) mentioned that many Asian American young adults in their sample were not proficient in their native languages, even though they still perceived their identification with their parents’ countries of origin and maintained many of their values (Schwarz et al. , 2010). Secondly, most researchers on biculturism did not sufficiently define an accurate operational definition of biculturism so that interpretation of those research results were problematic (Birman, 1994). Indeed, one finding in the United States, was that self-identification as American was markedly higher in non-Hispanic Whites than in ethnic minority groups (e. g. , Devos & Banaji, 2005; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010) and many White Americans did not perceived themselves as members of an ethnic group (Schildkraut, 2007; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010). In brief, different operational definition problems of acculturation arose from different theoretical models of acculturation regarding to their assumptions (LaFromboise, Coleman, & Gerton, 1993). LaFromboise et al. (1993) assumed acculturation as one of substitutes among the biculturism models. Biculturism as defined in this theory was viewed as the alternation model, which implied an individual in two culture contacts could be competent in both cultures without losing one of the cultures’ competencies in distinct cultural contexts as alternation model, whereas, fusion model meant a blended cultural identity, consisting of a synthesis of aspects of both cultures (LaFromboise et al., 1993). However, Berry’s (1997) integrating approach of biculturism differed from the bicultural model (LaFromboise et al. , 1993; as cited in Birman, 1994) and it emphasized more on the relationship between the two cultural groups based on its implicit assumption that one of two cultures were higher than the other within a single social structure (LaFromboise et al. , 1993). Benet-Martinez and colleagues found that â€Å"blended† bicultural individuals tended to report higher self-esteem and lower psychological distress than a marginal population (Chen et al. , 2008 as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010) because the consistent availability of both cultural flows within the person’s everyday life increased the ease of activating the correct cultural schema in accordance with their environmental situations (Schwartz et al. , 2010). In contrast, Tadmor, Tetlock, and Peng (2009) argued that the bicultural model considered those marginal individuals in positive ways, when there was little interest in cultural maintenance and little interest in having relations with others, suggesting positive aspects of being a marginal person might be (1) sharing his or her condition with others of the same original culture; (2) engaging in institutional practices that were shared by other marginal people; (3) experiencing no major frustration from social expectations; and (4) still perceiving himself or herself to be a member of a group (LaFromboise et al., 1993). According to Sam and Berry (2006), many studies of how migrants coped with intercultural contacts had discrepancies in the ways in which they were operationalized and measured. As no standardized or widely accepted acculturation measures existed, it was necessary to design a clear and explicit formulation of acculturation instrument in order to assess acculturation adequately (Sam et al. , 2006). Further Sam and Berry (2006) pointed out that most empirical studies widely used a self-report type of questionnaires that had been recognized limitations such as social desirability, emphasizing obtaining divergent validation by source of information other than the respondents’ reports. Therefore, it is vital to understand each theory within its specific assumptions and not to generalize across all situations regardless of their similar findings (LaFromboise et al. , 1993). As this study discovered migrants’ acculturation processes so far within specific theoretical frameworks, literature findings in different research were mixed as to whether individuals could be highly acculturated and at the same time be strongly identified with their ethnic group (Farver, Narang, & Bhadha. , 2002). These confusing problems initially evolved because of the context in which migration arrangements and their acculturation processes were fundamentally transformed and increasingly uncertain due to globalization (Landolt & Da, 2005). Shiraev & Levy (2007) suggested a new approach to cross-cultural psychology in the twenty-first century, which was linked to the concept of globalization. Globalization was defined as a proliferation of cross-border flow and transnational networks due to new technologies of communication and transport that allowed frequent and multi-directional streams of people, ideas and cultural symbols (Castle, 2010). Castle also argued that globalization leads to major changes in the character of international migration. In other words, the context for migrant incorporation has already changed radically and will continue to do so. The rise of multiculturalism itself rather than assimilation or biculturism is one sign of this, but is not the end of the story: new forms of identity and belonging go beyond multiculturalism (Castle, 2010). Even though there is limited empirical evidence for clear statements for globalization, there probably are highly cosmopolitan groups who feel at home everywhere such as global business and professional elites might correspond with this image. But most members of transnational communities fall between these extremes, and probably have contradictory and fluctuating identities (Castle, 2002). Conclusions This study explored that a special case of cultural psychology was the study of how individuals respond to situations where they were in transition between their original culture and another that differed from it in some respects in terms of acculturation, especially within a specific theoretical frame that could apply to the specific situation (Adler & Gielen, 1994). There was no single theory widely accepted by all social scientists to agree with the emergence and perpetuation of international migration patterns in the world under globalization (Van Hear, 2010),suggesting that the contemporary migrating context in which such migrating arrangements were realized fundamentally kept transforming so that it became increasingly uncertain (Landolt and Da, 2005) Although the topic of cultural contact and individual’ change has attracted considerable attention in contemporary cross-cultural psychology, the field has been characterized by a lack of theoretical coherence, definitional problems with key constructs, and single sample studies that limit the external validity of empirical cross-cultural research (Ward and Kenney, 1994). As acculturation is a process which takes place over time, and which results in changes both in the culture and in the individual culture changes, it would be ideal o compare two sets of data are compared over time using the same people. However, in practice, it is impossible in most acculturation research settings (Sam et al. , 2006). Instead, a common alternative to longitudinal research is cross-sectional research in which a time-related variable, such as length of residence or generational status can be used for the generalizability of acculturation theories (Sam et al., 2006). In general, researchers of migrating studies need to be aware that it is the selective nature of the sample that happens across all migrating research. That is, individuals who chose to migrate would be different from those who do not (Sodowsky, G. , Kwan, K. , & Pannu, R. , 1995; as cited in Farver et al. , 1997). Finally, acculturation research generally focused on immigrants assumed to be permanently settled in their new host countries. As a result, the terms â€Å"migrants† or â€Å"international migrants† referred to the same type of migrants collectively. Moreover, many countries were both sending and receiving countries for different types of migrants, or in the process of transition from one type to the other (Castel, 2002). Therefore, where applicable, it is viable to design acculturation research studies classifying different types of migrants. References Adler, L. L. , & Gielen, U. P. (Eds. ). (1994). Cross-cultural topics in psychology. Westport: Praeger Publishers. Berry, J. W. (1980). Social and cultural change. In Triandis, H. C. , & Brislin, R. (Eds. ). Handbook of cross-cultural psychology (pp. 211-279). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Berry, J. W. , Kim, U. , Power, S. , Young, M, & Bujaki, M. (1989). Acculturation attitudes in plural societies. 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