Stages of Japanese Post-war Economic Growth Case Study

Stages of Japanese Post-war Economic Growth - Case Study Example Economic Recovery Phase: 1946-1950 The first phase implying the recovery of Japanese economy from the adverse effects of World War II started soon after the year 1945. Teranishi propounds that in the wake of the Second War, the Japanese economy confronted with an arrant economic disaster in the form of declining GNP, mounting inflationary pressures, and collapsing production. However, soon after the downturn in the year 1946, the economy caught the track of recovery. In 1948, the inflation was cut down significantly and production was steadily improved. This recovery and stabilisation period lasted during 1945-50 (139). This period is crucial in the study of the rapid growth of Japanese economy in the post-war era because this phase started a couple of years after the war. Also, a study of these years' economic activity suggests major changes made to the industrial structure that impacted on its growth. Japan was fortunate in the sense that although it had lost its economic and industrial vivacity as a consequence of the World War II, yet its efficient and effective human resource was still there to bring the country out of the disaster caused due to war. Seldon propounds that, "it was not that Japan was building from Scratch True, industry and the industrial cities had been devastated. But there existed large resources of well-educated manpower with a strong determination to survive" (271). The country's human resource played a great role in lifting the country from economic downturn to the recovery period. Seldon illuminates that the "'long-term achievement was to steer the pre-war economy in new directions move slowly away from cotton to heavy industry such as iron, steel, shipbuilding, and chemical production" (272). No doubt, the... This paper describes the rapid economic development in Japan after the year 1945 in the context of various phases it experienced while travelling to the unprecedented levels of growth. This paper identifies several economic phases in the development of post-war Japan, each with some specific characteristics. Japanese economic growth in the post-war period is considered to be an example for countries struggling against their economic disasters. It has also been termed as a ‘miracle’ owing to the spectacular effort demonstrated on the part of a nation that had just suffered from war, yet that leaped rapidly towards the economic boom. The first phase implying the recovery of Japanese economy from the adverse effects of World War II started soon after the year 1945. In the wake of the Second War, the Japanese economy confronted with an arrant economic disaster. Soon after the downturn in the year 1946, the economy caught the track of recovery. This recovery and stabilisation period lasted during 1945-50 This period was successful enough to curb the inflationary pressures as well as restore the production level nearly to the pre-war period. In this period, industries were strengthened by means of demilitarisation and amendments to the labour laws. The boom of Japanese economy from mid 50s to the early 70s was very well manifested in the growth of the manufacturing capabilities in the country. Not only that, the economic growth even rose above the pre-war level during the 1960s and this rapid growth lasted till the early 1970s.

History of Bolsheviks in Russia Essay Example for Free

History of Bolsheviks in Russia Essay The Bolsheviks, originally also Bolshevists were a faction of the Marxist Russian Social Democratic Labour Party (RSDLP) which split apart from the Menshevik faction at the Second Party Congress in 1903. The Bolsheviks were the majority faction in a crucial vote, hence their name. They ultimately became the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. The Bolsheviks came to power in Russia during the October Revolution phase of the Russian Revolution of 1917, and founded the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic which would later in 1922 become the chief constituent of the Soviet Union. The Bolsheviks, founded by Vladimir IllyichLenin, were by 1905 a mass organization consisting primarily of workers under a democratic internal hierarchy governed by the principle of democratic centralism, who considered themselves the leaders of the revolutionary working class of Russia. Their beliefs and practices were often referred to as Bolshevism. Bolshevik revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky commonly used the terms Bolshevism and Bolshevist after his exile from the Soviet Union to differentiate between what he saw as true Leninism and the regime within the state and the party which arose under Josef Stalin but as we will get to know there are similar traits to the Bolsheviks regime and that of Stalins. The Bolsheviks were journalists long before they were state leaders, and they never forgot the impact of a well-aimed message and the role of media. Newspapers were the life-line of the underground party. Formative ideological and political debates were conducted in them; reporters and deliverers evolved into party cadres; and readers became rank-and-file supporters. At times, newspapers smuggled from abroad kept the Party alive; and Lenins editorials often forestalled factional division. Revolutionary struggle taught Bolsheviks the value of mass media, and confirmed their belief that culture is inherently partisan. In times of political turmoil, they exploited it skillfully. Illegal front-line newspapers helped turn soldiers against the Great War; effective propaganda helped win the Civil War. Yet the revolutionaries knew that the same weapons could be used against them. When they took power, they protected themselves by denying the opposition access to public opinion; printing presses, theaters, movie houses were all eventually confiscated and placed under state monopoly. The Bolsheviks considered these measures necessary and just to maintain power and control as the ruling and dominant political party. Soviet authorities were never ashamed of their monopoly on different aspects of culture. Culture was a weapon of class struggle as identified by similar events in the Chinese Revolution as the media and its variety of channels would amplify the rate and effieciancy of propaganda. Allowing the enemy access to mass media would have seemed criminally stupid. To debate the ethics of censorship was a waste of time; the Bolsheviks concern was how to mold popular values, how to reach the masses, reflect the wishes of the state and censure alien ideals. This essay will look at the reason why the Bolsheviks were convinced that a stringent control over the media through a monopolistic system was necessary for holding unto political power but would eventually lead to press freedom for the masses due to a systematic process of internally socializing the Soviet Union with a strong appeal to the working class which would help solidify the Bolsheviks political power in the long term. With a strong thought that they overly represented the working class, the control over the media represented one of the strongest tools to control and effectively influence the social working class in the Soviet Union. 1 Bolsheviks and the Media The early twentieth-century media suited Bolshevik purposes. Under Bolshevik sponsorship, they spoke with one powerful voice, unweakened by dissent or excessive subtlety, unencumbered by complexity. Red propaganda depicted a world of stark contrasts: Bolsheviks were valorous and self-sacrificing; the Whites were cruel and debauched. It was no time for half-tones or self-conscious irony. Bolshevik propaganda might seem heavy-handed, yet judging by its success, much of the public did not resent the overbearing tone. Opponents on both the left and right were no match for the Bolshevik blitz, and some, like the Whites, were particularly ineffective in shaping public opinion. Discussions of Soviet mass culture have usually dwelt on its administration and rhetoric more than content and reception. This is unfortunate, because mass culture was a rare example of equilateral negotiation in Soviet society. The culture gap could not be forced as it stood as an obstacle to the unity of the nation behind one unilateral political party. The economy could be socialized; industry could be whipped into higher production; and citizens could be made, at tremendous cost, to behave as they should. But socialist society demanded not that people just say the necessary things, but also think them in private. Socialism had to be internalized. Many Bolsheviks saw the mass media as the path from ideology to internal thought. It converted abstract phrases into concrete images. Propaganda demanded the cooperation of three groups: the Party and state, which provided the content; the skills of writers and artists, who made ideas into image; and the audience, which received and digested the images. Leaders, artists, and citizens all acknowledged the wishes of the other. The audience craved interesting material; the state needed its values represented by symbols; artists desired an arena for their creative energies (and a respectable living). One side-the audience-stayed mute about its thoughts, yet even at the height of tyranny, no mass audience could be forced to watch a movie or read a book. After claiming to represent the working class and finally taken power in Russia, the Bolsheviks saw themselves as the rightful representation of the working class. Though the Bolsheviks felt they were right in claiming to represent working class within their many promises and strong influence, they were not justified in making this claim in the end. The party felt it had won the right to represent the proletarians by promising freedom and self-government, but after demonstrations such as the Kronstadt Rebellion and the formation of the Cheka, it became apparent that the Bolsheviks had betrayed the working class. Firstly, the Bolsheviks felt that they were a clear representation of the working class. One of the main reasons for this assumption was Lenin’s irresistible promises to the working class. In Lenin’s work â€Å"Declaration of the Rights of the Toiling and Exploited Peoples† he outlines the rights and privileges promised by the Bolshevik party if they should come into power. One of the first rights he outlines is â€Å"The sovereignty of the people; i. e. , the concentration of the supreme power of the state in a unicameral legislative assembly composed of representatives of the people. Lenin sets out to demonstrate how the Bolshevik party stands for people’s representation in government, to further show the proletarians that the Bolshevik party is a â€Å"people’s party†. Lenin then goes on to point out that workers should be given the right to â€Å"Unrestricted freedom of conscience, speech, press and assembly; the right to strike and to form trade unions. † Because these new rights and freedoms were never available to the proletarians under the Tsarist regime, the promises made by the Bolsheviks were too good to pass up. In addition, the strength of the influence of the Bolsheviks’ served to gain support of the working class to the extent that other parties could not reach. Alex Shotman demonstrates how he and many others like him were influenced more by Lenin, leader of the Bolsheviks , than any other party leader. The result of this debate and many others like it demonstrate how Bolshevik influence dominated in comparison to that of any other party. Because of the many promises and strong influence of the Bolshevik party, its members felt that they were justified in representing the working class. The validity of this idea, however, proved to be questionable after the Bolsheviks came into power. 2. Monopoly and the Media The Bolsheviks established a state monopoly of the media that absorbed literature, art, and science into a stylized and ritualistic public culturea form of political performance that became its own reality and excluded other forms of public reflection. Although Lenin had control he wasnt completely supported by the people of Russia. To gain support Lenin made a secret police force, which was in charge of erasing any opposition to the party. The Bolsheviks were also renamed the Communists. Freedom of press was cancelled, unless you supported the Communist cause. The government took control of all ways of life. Lenin also made peace with the germans as he knew if war continued, the revolution wouldnt fully work. Although some were angery with the losses Russia had in the treaty, the Bolsheviks were in control, though it was not a steady form of control. There was still widespread opposition and soon a civil war broke out. he socialist ideologyon the freedom of press viewed it from two categories. Firstly the Leninism-marxism was completely against the idea of freedom of press as either absolute or abstract. The argument embodying this was that in a capitalist society the notion of freedom of press applied only to the Bourgeoisie and therefore the right to freedom of press applied to only a small percentage of the population. The first action to implement restrictions on the freedom of speech was the introduction of the De cree of the Press authored by Lenin himself. The Decree and form of press which advocated for opposition and insubordination to the ruling communist party. An excerpt from the Decree below details the the thought of Lenin on how the monopolising the press would later benefit the masses and the working class: â€Å"For the bourgeoisie, freedom of the press meant freedom for the rich to publish and for the capitalists to control the newspapers, a practice which in all countries, including even the freest, produced a corrupt press. For the workers’ and peasants’ government, freedom of the press means liberation of the press from capitalist oppression, and public ownership of paper mills and printing presses; equal right for public groups of a certain size (say, numbering 10,000) to a fair share of newsprint stocks and a corresponding quantity of printers’ labour. † He recognised both the revolutionary potential of the workers press, see for example a number of his early articles such as Where to Begin and What is to be Done, and the reactionary role of the bosses papers (as did Marx later in his life). However, the class nature of society had actually corrupted the press, according to this resolution. Against the bosses newspapers, the revolutionary government set up a commission to examine the links between the capitalist press, shareholders and who owns, funds and organises the bosses newspapers. However, at this stage of the revolution the bosses press had not been suppressed, that came soon after with the invasion of Soviet Russia by 19 different armies and attempts to undermine the revolution. Sadly, these measures of suppression in part laid the basis for the later dictatorship of Stalin and the snuffing out of freedoms alone with wholesale state terror and murder of millions. In one way the suppression of the press proved Marxs original point about human freedom but in a far more terrible way. 3. Aftermath of Monopolising Freedom of the press in the Soviet Union The Bolshevik leadership took it for granted that the revolutionary changes that they would carry out in the area of property relations, that is economic reforms, would result in equal revolutionary changes in culture. Thus in the first decade of their rule, the Bolsheviks would allow a degree of tolerance for independent creativity as well as developing government policies to mould the thoughts and behaviour of its citizens. The Bolsheviks were prepared to use propaganda on a scale never before used by any government to create a people attuned to the ideological dictates of their rulers. To this end, Lenin created a series of institutions to manage every aspect of public activity. The Supreme Council of the National Economy was formed to direct and coordinate all aspects of the communist economy. All matters dealing with the security of the State were entrusted to the Cheka and the Revolutionary Military Council handled every aspect of the Civil War. To manage the social revolution, Lenin consolidated all cultural organisations into a single large bureaucratised institution called the Commissariat of Enlightenment (=Narkompros) under the leadership of Anatolii Lunacharskii until (1929). Lunarcharskii was the Cultural Commissar and his all â€Å"counterrevolutionary newspapers were closed. a State monopoly over newspaper advertising was created. Lenin hoped to restrict the publication of anti-government newspapers by denying them advertising revenue. However, despite this, some 3,000 anti-Bolshevik newspapers continued to be published between November 1917 and June 1918. July-September – all independent newspapers were closed down by the Bolsheviks. On 27 May 1919 a state monopoly on paper was created. The state could now control the publication of all books. 6 June 1922 saw the censorship of all publications and pictorial matter was placed under the control of Narkompros. Publications of he Communist Party and its affiliates the Communist International and the Academy of Sciences were exempt. Due to these rules of censorship any semblance of independent thought disappeared from public life in Russian. From 1918 onwards, authors and painters learned to practice the art of self-censorship because they knew that the government censor would be keeping a strict vigilance on the work. Despite this however, Stalin was to in troduce even more severe censorship laws after 1928 to further ensure that the government controlled the mind and the social development of the ‘communist citizen’.

Quarks :: essays research papers fc

Quarks   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quarks- any group of subatomic particles believed to be among the basic components if matter   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quarks are believed to be the fundamental constituents of matter, and have no apparent structure. They are the particles that make up protons and neutrons, which make up the nucleus of atoms. Also, particles that interact by means of the strong force, the force that holds parts of the nucleus together, are explained in terms of quarks. Other baryons are explained in terms of quarks(1985 Quarks).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quarks have mass and exhibit spin, the type of intrinsic angular momentum corresponding to rotation around an axis, equal to half the basic quantum mechanical unit of angular momentum, obeying Pauli's exclusion principle. This principle that no two particles having half integral spin can exist in the same quantum state(1985 Quarks).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quarks always occur in combination with other quarks, they never occur alone. Physicists have attempted to knock a single quark free from a group using a particle accelerator, but have failed. Mesons contain a quark and an antiquark, up, down, and strange, while baryons contain three quarks distinguished by flavours. Each has a charge that is a fraction of that of an electron. Up and down quarks make up protons and neutrons, and can be observed in ordinary matter. Strange quarks can be observed in omega-minus and other short lived subatomic particles which play on part in ordinary matter(1985 Quarks).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The interpretation of quarks as physical entities poses two problems. First, sometimes two or three identical quarks have to be in the same quantum state which, because they have to have half integral spin, violates Pauli's exclusion principal. Second, quarks appear to not be able to be separated from the particles they make up. Although the force holding the quarks together is strong it is improbable that it could withstand bombardment from high energy and neutrinions in a particle accelorator(1985 Quarks).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quantum chromodynamics(QCD) ascribes colours red, green, and blue to quarks and minus-red, minus-green, and minus-blue to antiquarks. Combinations of quarks must contain equal mixtures of colours so that they cancel each other out. Colour involves the exchange of massless particles, gluons. Gluons transfer the forces which bind quarks together. Quarks change colour as they emit and absorb gluons. The exchange of gluons is what maintains the right quark colour distribution. The forces carried by gluons weaken when they are close together , at a distance of about 10-13 cm, about the diameter of a proton, quarks behave as if they were free. This is called asymptomatic freedom(1985 Quarks).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When one draws the quarks apart the force gets stronger, this is in direct contrast with electromagnetic force which gets weaker with the square of

Corporate Social Responsability for Supermarkets

This essay will introduce analysis of the UK supermarket sector and its impacts on a wide range of stakeholders . The responsibility for buying and selling is rapidly shifting. In today’s rising global community, supermarkets have embraced corporate social responsibility as an important element of their original role in contributing to shared goals, however in addition it enhances their capacity to the base line. In addition, trade seeks to establish their own values of corporate individuality while at the same time maintain public and ecological values and increase their market growth.Corporate social responsibility of supermarkets can mean different things to different groups and sectors. However there is universal agreement that in a global market system, supermarkets must play great role by creating jobs. By acting in responsible manner corporation must facilitate sustainable growth. (Deal, 1999) As a result, corporate performance must not just guarantee returns to shareho lders, wages to employees, plus goods and services to shoppers, thus must also accommodate the ecological concerns and values of consumers.An explanation of food provenance chart as an example of the influence of CSR, is provided below showing the difference in consumer choice in different ranks in UK supermarkets. In order to demonstrate importance of the CSR: % Factors in food and drink purchases, by rank, December 2007 Food provenance-UK- March 2008- What do Shoppers Consider Most important? The findings of this line graph, shows the consumer interest in home grown British food rather than foreign origin product.The supermarket structured business procedures and the environmental campaigns, to support British produce are the key reasons for this. This report also demonstrates the market repose to a consumer demand for particular products by offering quality food and drinks. UK leading supermarkets as well as corporations require to supervise corporate social responsibility as any other part of their food sales. Supermarkets are faced by means of a triple bottom line, to advance inexpensively, as well as being environmentally plus equally accountable.The growth of sales in social and financial growth is likely to continue. (Freedman, 2000) Why must supermarket be socially responsible? The initial part of the Roundtable focused on the query of how to describe what a socially responsible corporation is, and what a supermarkets does to be measured socially responsible. Even before to answer that question, a few people may ask, why a corporation have to be considering this subject? The reply is tied to globalisation. Globalisation is not just regarding the world nations, it is the consequence on appearance of a global civil society. Giddens, 1998) The world has been transformed due to globalisation, plus by the prosperity of this the environment in supermarkets. Solutions to consumer problems were to be established inside the free market structure and trade. The shopper’s influence on UK supermarkets in food factors at the different societies measured by ranks in 2007, can be seen in the chart below: % Factors in food and drink purchases, by rank, December 2007 The UK survey in 2007 sought to address what is important to customers when they choose foods. To make very clear customer preference, all food ranks has been used for this column table.Regards consumer perceptions of food, most of shoppers are willing to pay 10% more for British origin, organic or any other quality food, compare to conventional food (Wealtherel, 2003) The food industry faces many significant risks from public criticism of corporate social responsibility issues in the supply chain. Private standards initiative abound in food chains as retailers and brands seek to minimise the risks and also respond to new demands from society. The representation of a new form of regulation, which raises questions regarding domination in the UK supermarkets.Supermarkets have a tendency to maximise profits and concentrate on all concerns of consumer benefit, the interests of all consumers required to be considered in today’s UK supermarket systems. Globalisation has changed the inner power relations border by and inside supermarkets, and in the community as a whole. At the same time, in the late 1980s, the disagreement on corporate governance assembled power in the United States and in the United Kingdom, mainly in reply to corporate crush, corporate invaders and destabilised along, with aining as well as trade deception and dishonesty. Globalisation and the souk were placed an influence in the hands of the classified sector, however public disbelieve in the consistency and honesty of corporations was well-known and widespread. Concerns of responsibility, standard setting, plus globalism were core to the debate.It became obvious that supermarkets might no longer supervise the consequences of their trade, just by paying taxes and comply with nationa l rules. They are likely to take on better responsibilities for supervising their contact on community. Joseph, 2000) Trade itself in a course of development, practices and performance to convene the original anticipations of communities and community on it. At the same time as technological forces will carry on to force supermarkets to be internationally incorporated, law-making and shopper demand requires to be much further in the consumer field, and behave as a socially responsible company, therefore is becoming ever more challenging for supermarkets. A difficulty and the challenge for remaining markets with the regulations of CSR, in UK and abroad.Augmented public interest affects the method in which companies endorse their proposals. Policies that insist on corporation positive and politically right standards, such as hiring a public minorities or buying goods as of a precise basis, at times be undermining to its productivity and advantage of products. Usually profit-seeking su permarkets through demanding presentation should in addition to confront the shoppers. Deciding on which advance to take, is exclusive to each supermarket and depends on the trade distribution in which the business is situated.Redefining administration roles in the supermarket itself is not an option, however a need. Businesses will require to adjust and create a novel organisational representation for the 21st century. They require to develop efficiency in management, and apparent domination processes all through their organisation. (OECD, 2000) Socially liable supermarkets have to employ their workers worldwide in a business dream and mission declaration that promotes sustainable and enhanced excellence of life for all countries, for all workers, despite of their location.Becoming a global consistency is publicly reasonable and not just a public relations matter. Supermarkets are taking on the challenge by engaging as much as a possible with shopper, in addition to be able to have a positive impact on public relations and support by other sectors of community. Therefore, even though corporate social responsibility adjustments made by government in both the UK and Europe, supermarket trades still have to be concerned. Governments require to produce a strategy to structure whatever the trade and labour can negotiate situations in supermarkets.This requires a variety of legislative methods to be implemented in the country. It is obvious that there cannot be a, one measurement fits all, advance and assurance in trade behaviour, however there is a universal accord that there is a requirement for clarity of strategy and principles. In addition to the codes of conduct that an approved method is definitely wishes to be recognized in this region, so that social achievement plans can be developed plus social action have to become the standard.Developing finest practices for corporate behaviour will not ensue straight away, however by sticking to essential values, as a minimum move in the similar course in the direction of becoming a liable social related. (Oecd, 2000) The food industry faces many significant risks from public criticism of corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues in the supply chain. This paper draws upon previous research and emerging industry trends to develop a comprehensive framework of supply chain CSR in the industry.The framework details unique CSR applications in the food supply chain including animal welfare, biotechnology, environment, fair trade, health and safety, and labour and human rights. General supply chain CSR issues such as community and procurement are also considered. Ultimately, the framework serves as a comprehensive tool to support food industry practitioners and researchers in the assessment of strategic and operational supply chain CSR practices.

College Pressures Essay

In the United States, college is a journey that can teach students some of the most important lessons that they will carry throughout their lives. Author William Zinsser write in his essay â€Å" College Pressures † that students can face a wide variety of pressures like parental, economical to even the most common type, self induced pressure. Although college is supposed to help students develop as individual people, they are placed into an environment that is extremely competitive when it comes to over all grades. This creates students that torture themselves over the grade places on their transcript and can increase the need for some students to look for an escape. Also, this type of self induced pressure can lead a student to make negative health choices. With these ingredients mixed together, self induced college pressures can influence students to make bad decisions. The overwhelming self induced pressure to get good grades affects students in a way that they make choices that negatively impact their health and well being. Zinsser states, â€Å"long gone are the days of a â€Å"gentleman’s C† ‘(452). Nowadays, students think that getting a â€Å"C† is equivalent to failing. Not only do they want to succeed but this pressure has cause some students to look for a way to gain an edge by using illegal prescription drugs that allow them to study for hours on end. Ritalin is one of the most common drugs used to gain this advantage. Vitamin â€Å"K† as it’s called is a drug that increases alertness and concentration in people with attention deficit disorder when it’s prescribed by a doctor. There is an alarming and increasing trend in the use of this drug across college campuses in the United States. According to professor and researcher Allan Desantis of the University of Kentucky, forty five percent of students interviewed at that campus stated that they use or have used Ritalin without a prescription to study long hours before a test. The long term affects, as stated by Allen Desantis, can lead to irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrhythmia and psychosis. This type of illegal use of Ritalin is dangerous not only due to its health affects but it gives a false edge that can lead students to be dependent on its use even when they get into the public work force. The pressure student’s face from their studies demands an escape from time to time. For most students, this escape is found in socializing. Zinsser states â€Å". . . they (students) are no introverts† (455). College life demands that students be social beings. What a better place than a university or college campus! For most students, college is the first time they are away from home or the first time they are left to make their own decision in the real world. This type of absence of authority gives students a false sense of freedom to do as they like. When the stress from their studies starts to build up, alcohol is one of the easiest drugs to use as an escape. It is very rare that you find a college party with no alcohol thus students are more likely to drink when socializing. According to the Core Institute, seventy percent of college student between the ages of eighteen and twenty four have reported to be binge drinkers. Since there is no type of authority present, the exercise of self control when it comes to drinking can be very minimal and leads to this excessive use of alcohol. Heavy drinking cause students better judgment to be impaired. In California alone, 1,825 students were injured in 2013 from traffic related accidents according to the national highway traffic safety association. Students need to be educated about the dangers of alcohol. For most students, college can be some the most memorable times in their lives. The self induced pressures that they create can ruin this by influencing them to make bad decisions. Not only do students over worry about their grade but they are forced by this worry and stress to look for an escape. Alcohol and prescription drugs are some of the dangerous remedies they turn to for relief. There need to be some type of education that teaches them about the dangers of using these drugs.

Definition and Examples of Media in Communications

Definition and Examples of Media in Communications In the communication process, a medium is a channel or system of communication- the means by which  information (the message) is transmitted  between a speaker or writer (the sender) and an audience (the receiver). The plural form is  media, and its also known as a channel. The medium used to send a message may range from an individuals voice, writing, clothing, and body language to forms of mass communication such as newspapers, television, and the internet. Communication Media Changes Over Time Before the printing press, mass communication didnt exist, as books were hand-written and literacy wasnt widespread throughout all social classes. The invention of moveable type was a major communication innovation for the world. Author Paula S. Tompkins sums up the history of communication and change thusly: When a communication medium changes, our practices  and  experiences of communication also change. The technology of writing liberated human communication from the medium of face-to-face (f2f) interaction. This  change affected both the process and  experience of communication, as persons no longer needed to be physically present to communicate with one another. The technology of the printing press further promoted the medium of writing by  mechanizing the creation and distribution of the written word. This began the new communication form of mass communication in pamphlets, newspapers, and cheap books, in contrast to the medium of handwritten documents and books.  Most recently, the medium of digital technology  is again changing the process and experience of human communication.(Practicing Communication Ethics: Development, Discernment, and Decision-Making. Routledge, 2016) Television mass media used to distill the news into a nightly news hour. With the advent of 24-hour news channels on cable, people could check in hourly or at any point in the hour to find out the latest news. Now, with social media platforms and the ubiquitous smartphones in our pockets, we can check news and happenings- or be alerted of them- constantly throughout the day. This puts a lot more news up front just because its the most recent. News outlets and channels looking for peoples eyeballs on their content (and advertisers) have a lot of pressure to keep those updates coming to peoples feeds. The outrageous, shocking, and easily digestible gets shared more widely than something thats complex and nuanced. Something short gets read more widely than something long. Authors James W. Chesebro and Dale A. Bertelsen noted how modern messaging seems a lot more like marketing than discourse, and their observation has only been amplified with the advent of social media: [A] significant shift in the nature of communication has been reported for several decades. Increasingly, it has been noted that a shift from a content orientation- with its emphasis on the ideational or substantive dimension of  discourse- to a concern for form or  medium- with an emphasis on image, strategy, and patterns of discourse- has been identified as a central feature of the information age. (Analyzing Media: Communication Technologies as Symbolic and Cognitive Systems. Guilford Press, 1996) Is the Medium the Message? If the medium through which information is delivered via affects what people get out of it, that could have big implications for today. As people move away from the in-depth coverage of an issue they can receive in print media to getting more information from social media, they consume increasing amounts of their information in soundbites, shared snippets of news that may be slanted (or fake, i.e., completely invented with no basis in fact), or inaccurate. In the modern age of people will remember it if you repeat it often enough- it doesnt matter if its true, it takes deeper dives into the information by message receivers to find out the real story and any hidden motives behind the headlines. If the medium doesnt equate with the message, its still true that different formats carry different versions of the same story, such as in depth of information or in emphasis.

The cytokine storm Essay Example

The cytokine storm Essay Example The cytokine storm Essay The cytokine storm Essay Glossary TNF-Alpha = Tumour Necrosis Factor-Alpha IL-6 = Interleukin-6 IL-8 = Interleukin 8 ARDS = Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome SAP = Severe Acute Pancreatitis MOF = Multiple Organ Failure IG = Immunoglobulin FDA = Food and Drug Administration TLR = Toll-Like Receptors Deoxyribonucleic acid = Deoxyribonucleic Acid ACTH = Adrenocorticotrophic Hormone Describe the molecular footing of the status hypercytokinaemia ( A ; lsquo ; cytokine storm ) and describe in item, the pharmacological medicine of drug intercessions that may be used to handle the status Cytokine storm is straight caused by a flustered ratio of proinflammatory to anti-inflammatory cytokines which interact and can be fatal to the patient. ( 1 ) Proinflammatory cytokines can move locally by increasing the vascular permeableness of the tissue or in concurrence with chemokines advancing the physiological responses when tissue harm or a viral infection is encountered. ( 2 ) An addition in the grade of organ disfunction has been found to correlate with high degrees of the cytokines TNF-a, Il-6 and Il-8. These are proinflammatory cytokines which play an of import function in the cytokine storm. Cytokine storm must be treated instantly as it can turn out fatal through several conditions such as ARDS, sepsis, SAP, ARDS and MOF. ( 3 ) High degrees of cytokines have been observed in patients who have contracted the H5N1 virus bespeaking that this deregulating of the cytokine tract is what causes the ARDS associated with H5N1. ( 4 ) Cytokine storms can besides be triggered throu gh pharmacological intercessions ; TGN1412 was given to six voluntaries in a drug test plan in 2006 with dramatic consequences. Within an hr and a half there was a immense addition in the figure of proinflammatory cytokines in the trial subjects taking to a cytokine storm. Several pharmacological intercessions are available to battle the spread of the cytokine storm. Interfering with one cytokine s tract has proven to be uneffective and merely when a big proportion of cytokines are inhibited is the status improved. ( 5 ) However the immune system is huge in its complexness and hence In order to utilize a pharmacological intercession to cut down the cytokine storm a specific country of the cytokine cascade must be targeted. Inflammatory cytokines are released by T-cells and hence a pharmacological intercession to cut down the figure of T-cells in patients enduring from cytokine storms is a logical measure. CD4+ T cells produce cytokines that promote inflammatory effects within a assortment of cells, CD8+ cells destroy the host being cells that have become infected. ( 2 ) When antigen molecules binds to the t-cells this causes OX40 production to be increased. OX40 is a receptor protein for TNF-a cytokines. The addition in production of OX40 besides upregulates the production of OX40L. OX40 creates a survival signal which prevents the t-cells from programmed cell decease. ( 6 ) A interruption in this survival signal can be achieved by utilizing a human created soluble merger protein known as OX40-IG, this prevents the suppression of the programmed cell death of t-cells therefore diminishing the figure of t-cells nowadays. ( 7 ) One of the concluding inflammatory go-betweens in the inflammatory cytokine cascade is TNF-a, it promotes cutaneal redness, regulates the programmed cell death of active cells in the immune system and besides provides a positive feedback cringle whereby it stimulates the production of more cytokines. Macrophages besides provide a big beginning of TNF-a along with the kidneys which have shown to increase degrees of TNF-a when redness is present. The angiotonin II system may move as a cytokine in its ain right modulating the production of TNF-a. A test on rats has shown that when angiotonin II was administered the rats showed an over look of TNF-a and other inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6. Following this find a test on rats with elevated TNF-a degrees due to nephritis was carried out. An ACE inhibitor called quinapril was administered to the rats, the increased TNF-a look by the kidneys was reduced demoing that the Angiotensin II system does play a portion in modulating TNF-a degre es. ( 8 ) Recently the H5N1 avian strain and the H1N1 strain of the grippe virus have been at the head of media attending as they trigger cytokine storms and can be fatal to the patient. The mechanism of action by which grippe viruses trigger hypercytokinaemia is non to the full understood nevertheless it has been hypothesised that TLR receptors detect the presence of a foreign virus and upregulate the production of TNF-a and IFN-b/c and many other proinflammatory cytokines. ( 1, 10 ) Corticosteroids are produced in the cerebral mantle of the adrenal secretory organs above the kidneys and are released in response to increased concentration of proinflammatory cytokines. They help to command the positive feedback cringle that fuels the cytokine storm and hence cut down the proliferation of farther cytokines. ( 11 ) One theory besides suggests that some sections of the viral DNA are similar to that of ACTH taking to a decrease in the release of hydrocortisone from the adrenal secretory organs and hence doing adrenal insuffiency in patients. However steroids must be administered early in the status to be effectual and must be administered in concurrence with an antiviral such as osteltamivir. Methylprednisolone has been administered in some instances of avian grippe nevertheless there are few human tests that have been conducted. There will therefore demand to be more conclusive grounds for steroids as a believable intervention for cytokine storms before any decisions can be drawn. ( 1 ) An suppression of TNF-a could hence be effectual in cut downing the spread and inflammatory effects of the cytokine storm. Three different tnf-a alpha inhibitors are presently available and are approved by the FDA. Etanercept is the first of the three as it provides it s curative action by adhering to TNF-a molecules at one adhering site, this inhibits the TNF-a molecules from adhering to their specific receptors and leaving a biological signal. The 2nd and 3rd drugs are monoclonal antibodies and have two adhering sites on TNF-a. These two drugs may do a cascade which destroys immune cells by cell mediated lysis. Infliximab contains a little sum of mouse protein which may do the hosts immune system to let go of antibodies in response potentially take downing it s efficaciousness. Adalimumab maps in the same manner as Remicade nevertheless merely human protein is present therefore it may be a more feasible attack. ( 9 ) OX40 has already been established as a major subscriber to the proliferation of TNF-a and hence different attacks to cut down its efficaciousness are in advancement. A lipid-lowering medicine named Zocor has been shown to diminish OX40 and OX40L degrees and hence increase the programmed cell death of T-cells in cytokine storm patients. This lessening in OX40 degrees has been attributed to a alteration in written text of messenger RNA and interlingual rendition of proteins. Simvastatin is a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor which inhibits the formation of mevalonate ( an interferon ) . Simvastatin has been shown to trip PPAR receptors, this tract was investigated to make up ones mind whether this agonist mechanism was take downing OX40 degrees or whether mevalonate was doing the decrease in OX40 degrees. Mevalonate and a PPAR adversary GW9662 where used in the probe. When mevalonate was used the degrees of OX40 became elevated nevertheless with GW9662 the degrees were non altered. This show ed that the mevaolonate tract is likely what causes this lessening instead than PPAR receptor activation. Further research into HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors such as Zocor will hold to be carried out before the mechanism of action becomes clear nevertheless simvastatin appears to be a promising new attack for covering with cytokine storms. ( 12-13 ) Bibliography Carter MJ. A principle for utilizing steroids in the intervention of terrible instances of H5N1 avian grippe. J Med Microbiol. 2007 July 1, 2007 ; 56 ( 7 ) :875-83. Richard Coico GS. Immunology: A short course2009. Hirasawa H, Oda S, Matsuda K, Watanabe E. Clinical facet of hypercytokinemia-induced pathophysiology in critical attention. International Congress Series. [ Department of the Interior: Department of the interior: 10.1016/S0531-5131 ( 03 ) 00883-5 ] . 2003 ; 1255:39-40. de Jong MD, Simmons CP, Thanh TT, Hien VM, Smith GJD, Chau TNB, et Al. Fatal result of human grippe A ( H5N1 ) is associated with high viral burden and hypercytokinemia. Nat Med. [ 10.1038/nm1477 ] . 2006 ; 12 ( 10 ) :1203-7. Droebner K, Reiling SJ, Planz O. Role of Hypercytokinemia in NF- { kappa } B p50-Deficient Mice after H5N1 Influenza A Virus Infection. J Virol. 2008 November 15, 2008 ; 82 ( 22 ) :11461-6. Maxwell JR, Weinberg A, Prell RA, Vella AT. Danger and OX40 Receptor Signing Synergize to Enhance Memory T Cell Survival by Suppressing Peripheral Deletion. J Immunol. 2000 January 1, 2000 ; 164 ( 1 ) :107-12. Humphreys IR, Walzl G, Edwards L, Rae A, Hill S, Hussell T. A Critical Role for OX40 in T Cell-mediated Immunopathology during Lung Viral Infection. J Exp Med. 2003 October 20, 2003 ; 198 ( 8 ) :1237-42. Ruiz-Ortega M, Ruperez M, Lorenzo O, Esteban V, Blanco J, Mezzano S, et Al. Angiotensin II regulates the synthesis of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines in the kidney. Kidney Int. 2002 ; 62 ( S82 ) : S12-S22. Jackson JM. TNF-alpha ; inhibitors. Dermatologic Therapy. 2007 ; 20 ( 4 ) :251-64. Garc A ; iacute ; a-Sastre A. Antiviral response in pandemic grippe viruses. Emerg Infect Dis. 2006 ; 12 ( 1 ) :44-7. PADGETT DA, LORIA RM, SHERIDAN JF. Steroid Hormone Regulation of Antiviral Immunity. Annalss of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2000 ; 917 ( NEUROIMMUNOMODULATION: Position AT THE NEW MILLENNIUM ) :935-43. Liu B, Yu G, Yang Z, Sun L, Song R, Liu F, et Al. Simvastatin Reduces OX40 and OX40 Ligand Expression in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells and in Patients with Atherosclerotic Cerebral Infarction. The Journal of International Medical Research. 2009 ; 37:601-10. Zhang X, Jin J, Peng X, Ramgolam VS, Markovic-Plese S. Simvastatin Inhibits IL-17 Secretion by Targeting Multiple IL-17-Regulatory Cytokines and by Suppressing the Expression of IL-17 Transcription Factor RORC in CD4+ Lymphocytes. J Immunol. 2008 May 15, 2008 ; 180 ( 10 ) :6988-96.

Overview of the Republic of Malta

Overview of the Republic of Malta Malta, officially called the Republic of Malta, is an island nation located in southern Europe. The Malta archipelago is located in the Mediterranean Sea, about 93 km south of the island of Sicily and 288 km east of Tunisia. Malta is known as one of the worlds smallest and most densely populated countries, with an area of just 122 square miles (316 sq km) and a population of over 400,000- giving it a population density of about 3,347 persons per square mile or 1,292 people per square kilometer. Population: 408,333 (July 2011 estimate)Capital: VallettaLand Area: 122 square miles (316 sq km)Coastline: 122.3 miles (196.8 km)Highest Point: TaDmerjrek at 830 feet (253 m) History Archaeological records show that Maltas history dates back to ancient times and was one of the worlds oldest civilizations. Early in its history, Malta became an important trading settlement because of its central location in the Mediterranean, and the Phoenicians and later the Carthaginians built forts on the island. In 218 B.C.E., Malta became a part of the Roman Empire during the second Punic War. The island remained a part of the Roman Empire until 533 C.E. when it became a part of the Byzantine Empire. In 870, control of Malta passed to the Arabs, who remained on the island until 1090 when they were driven out by a band of Norman adventurers. This led to it becoming a part of Sicily for over 400 years, during which time it was sold to several feudal lords from lands that would eventually come to belong to Germany, France, and Spain. According to the U.S. Department of State, in 1522, Suleiman II forced the Knights of St. John from Rhodes and they spread out in various locations throughout Europe. In 1530, they were granted rule over the Maltese islands by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and for over 250 years the Knights of Malta controlled the islands. During their time on the islands, the Knights of Malta built several towns, palaces, and churches. In 1565, the Ottomans attempted to siege Malta- known as the Great Siege- but the Knights were able to defeat them. By the late 1700s, however, the power of the Knights began to decline and in 1798 they surrendered to Napoleon. For two years after Napoleon took over Malta, the population attempted to resist French rule and in 1800, with the support of the British, the French were forced out of the islands. In 1814, Malta became a part of the British Empire. During the British occupation of Malta, several military fortresses were built and the islands became the headquarters of the British Mediterranean Fleet. During World War II, Malta was invaded several times by Germany and Italy but it was able to survive and on August 15, 1942, five ships broke through a Nazi blockade to deliver food and supplies to Malta. This fleet of ships became known as the Santa Marija Convoy. In 1942, Malta was awarded the George Cross by King George VI. In September 1943 Malta was home to the surrender of the Italian fleet and as a result, September 8 is recognized as Victory Day in Malta to mark the end of WWII in Malta and commemorate the victory in the 1565 Great Siege. On September 21, 1964, Malta gained its independence and it officially became the Republic of Malta on December 13, 1974. Government Today Malta is still governed as a republic with an executive branch made up of a chief of state (the president) and a head of government (the prime minister). Maltas legislative branch is comprised of a unicameral House of Representatives, while its judicial branch is made up of the Constitutional Court, Court of First Instance and the Court of Appeal. Malta has no administrative subdivisions and the entire country is administered directly from its capital, Valletta. There are however several local councils that administer orders from Valletta. Economics and Land Use Malta has a relatively small economy and it is reliant on international trade because, according to the CIA World Factbook, it produces only about 20% of its food needs, has little fresh water and has few energy sources. Its main agricultural products are potatoes, cauliflower, grapes, wheat, barley, tomatoes, citrus, flowers, green peppers, pork, milk, poultry, and eggs. Tourism is also a major part of Maltas economy and other industries in the country include electronics, shipbuilding and repair, construction, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, footwear, clothing, tobacco, as well as aviation, financial and information technology services. Geography and Climate Malta is an archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean with two main islands - Gozo and Malta. Its total area is very small at only 122 square miles (316 sq km), but the overall topography of the islands varies. There are for example many rocky coastal cliffs, but the center of the islands is dominated by low, flat plains. The highest point on Malta is TaDmerjrek at 830 feet (253 m). The largest city in Malta is Birkirkara. The climate of Malta is Mediterranean and as such it has mild, rainy winters and warm to hot, dry summers. Valletta has an average January low temperature of 48ËšF (9ËšC) and an average July high temperature of 86ËšF (30ËšC). References Central Intelligence Agency. (26 April 2011). CIA - The World Factbook - Malta.Infoplease.com. (n.d.). Malta: History, Geography, Government, and Culture.United States Department of State. (23 November 2010). Malta.ï » ¿Wikipedia.com. (30 April 2011). Malta.

Question 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Question 3 - Essay Example Alice has valid and stable grounds to support a legal action for defamation which, as defined in Black’s Law Dictionary, is â€Å"an intentional false communication, either published or publicly spoken, that injures another's reputation or good name. Holding up of a person to ridicule, scorn or contempt in a respectable and considerable part of the community; may be criminal as well as civil. Includes both libel and slander. Defamation is that which tends to injure reputation; to diminish the esteem, respect, goodwill or confidence in which the plaintiff is held, or to excite adverse, derogatory or unpleasant feelings or opinions against him. Statement which exposes person to contempt, hatred, ridicule or obloquy.  McGowen v. Prentice, La.App., 341 So.2d 55, 57 (La. 3d Cir. Ct. App. 1976) rehearing denied Jan. 26, 1977. The unprivileged publication of false statements which naturally and proximately result in injury to another.  Wolfson v. Kirk, Fla.App., 273 So.2d 774, 7 76 (Fla. 4th DCA 1973) [Inman and Inman 1996]. The first party-defendant would be the disillusioned scholar Usma who communicated her false and fabricated story to Bob. She maliciously painted a vicious and spiteful character of Alice without any offer of proof to her accusations. Such imputation of vice and defect against the founder of the school which provided her with free education and accommodation has caused great injury to the reputation of Alice. Aptly, Bob is also liable because as a journalist, he has the professional and moral obligation to publish only the verified facts and a fair comment thereon. He relied solely on the allegations of his source and intentionally failed to substantiate the same with evidence. It has been settled that, â€Å"To say that a man's conduct was dishonourable is not a simple statement of fact. It is a comment coupled with an allegation of unspecified conduct upon which the comment is based. A defamatory comment about a person will almost al ways be based, either expressly or inferentially, on conduct on the part of that person† [Spiller & Anor v Joseph & Ors [2010] UKSC 53 (01 December 2010)]. The third party from whom Alice can validly claim for damages is the London Reporter newspaper and all those who have active charge of Bob’s story including news editors, the editor-in-chief and the publisher. Bob’s editors have been negligent in their duties when they allowed the defamatory story to be published and circulated to the reading public. They published a story without first verifying the facts or at least requiring Bob to check the veracity his sources. As a matter of fact, publishers are even â€Å"liable for statements which they believed to be true and which they published without negligence. A plaintiff merely has to show that the statement was directed at her, has a defamatory meaning, and was published by the defendant. British law presumes the falsity of the disputed statement and places t he burden of proving truth on the defendant†¦Ã¢â‚¬  [O’Carroll 2009]. Alice can rightly demand for damages without reservations on the fact that she is already very wealthy and some of the defendants are charity cases. She may demand the exact amount that is due to her in consideration of her reputation because â€Å"†¦a man defamed does not get compensation for his damaged reputation. He gets damages because he was injured in his reputation, that is simply because he was publicly defamed. For this reason, compensation by damages

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Martin Luther King and Malcolm X - Essay Example Political philosophy: The deep differences in their political philosophy are an example of the extent to which their formative years impacted their adult life: King drew inspiration from the champion nonpareil of nonviolence, Mahatma Gandhi, who, without so much as lifting his little finger, had brought the behemoth of British imperialism crumbling down. Apart from an unswerving commitment in theory and practice to nonviolence, both Gandhi and King drew from the core ideals of their respective religions. If the Mahatma embodied the tolerance and spiritual expansiveness of Hinduism in all its depth, King was the practitioner of the quintessential Christian virtues of inclusiveness, compassion, and forgiveness. (Lischer 53) On the other hand, Malcolm despised the religion he was born into, frequently abused and cursed the Book of God, deserted Christianity, (Malcolm X) and was vehemently committed to the policy of racial exclusiveness and separatism. His beliefs were based on the †˜eye for an eye’ doctrine. (Adams) Legacy: Another area that characterized the sharp difference between the two related to their legacies. If King was to leave behind a legacy as a champion of nonviolence, a principle to which he swore till the end, the finest culmination of which was the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964, a year after winning the Time’s ‘Man of the Year’ award, (Cone 86) Malcolm left behind a legacy that was totally dissimilar to King’s, and was as tormented as his life and principles.

M7 Deforestation and Kaibab Deer Discussion Assignment

M7 Deforestation and Kaibab Deer Discussion - Assignment Example ifferent ways including destruction of recreation area in the national and tropic forests which provide the locals more returns compared to logging, drying up rivers as alternative sources of income and increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide (Merrill, 2008). Deforestation generally interferes with other important or beneficial economic activities such as hunting, recreation and fishing in both the tropic and the national forests. Deforestation of tropic forests lead to increased emission of greenhouse gases as well as enhance susceptibility of surrounding areas to tropic storms and floods. Floods are associated with increase in certain diseases such as cholera and malaria through breeding mosquitoes on stagnated waters (Merrill, 2008). Cholera resulting from floods can be addressed the public health sector through controlling of the floods through encouraging mitigation measures such as tree planting or re-afforestation. The disease can also be controlled through distribution of clean drinking water during such floods. A significant decrease in the number of wild animals especially the potential extinction the mule deer the Kaibab due to increased hunting activities led to the decision to make Kaibab a Forest Reserve. This decision was made to facilitate restriction of hunting activities through prohibition hunting within the forest reserve and the Grand Canyon National Park (Kay, 2010). Nevertheless, the move resulted into increased number of wild animals which posed another threat other forms of wildlife with such areas. As a result, this incident has been quoted in many wildlife decisions especially in justifying the need to authorize hunting to achieve significant ecological balance (Kay, 2010). Hunting has been supported on economic basis in which the activity is believed to contribute significantly to the national economy. Charitable organizations benefit from donations made from hunting activities both in monitory and food forms (North Carolina Wildlife

Dubai Police Website (Fines Section) and Privacy Concern Statistics Project

Dubai Police Website (Fines Section) and Privacy Concern - Statistics Project Example Incidentally, such monitoring is not exclusive to Dubai. Traffic monitoring in England and the USA is done through the use of cameras. Furthermore automated toll collection methods and traffic law enforcements have been carried out through an online system (Blumberg, Keeler, & Shelat, 2005). In effect, massive public surveillance is regularly and extensively being done on the road. However, while intentions for publicly exposing details of traffic violations and fine impositions are not malicious, certain individuals find that such an exposure is an invasion to their privacy. The negative reactions are common in many aspects of the motorist hierarchy, and complaints that such a system invades people’s privacy are abundant. Some people are wary that strangers or ill-thinking people will track them down with the use of the online system of the Dubai Police. However, there are also those who approve of the system because it allows for an easier and more effective form of tracking down one’s violations and paying for these violations. Out of these, 57.8% were male (n = 185) and 42.2% were female (n = 135). In terms of distribution by age group, 10.3% were 18 to 22 years old (n = 33), 25.3% were 23 to 26 years old (n = 81), 23.2% were 27 to 30 years old (n = 74), 21.2% were 31 to 40 years old (n = 68), 11.9% were 41 to 50 years old (n = 38), and 8.2% were 51 to 60 years old (n = 26). The study wishes to find the demographics of those committing traffic violations. Table 1 shows the frequency and percentage distribution of the respondents who received a traffic violation. A total of 66% (n = 212) of the respondents received a traffic violation, with 124 males and 88 females. For both males and females, more respondents received a traffic violation than those who did not receive a traffic violation, n = 124 and n = 88, respectively. For the

Using theories and research from the psychology and work module, and Essay

Using theories and research from the psychology and work module, and with reference to your placement year, critically examine the importance of individual differences and organisational behaviour at work - Essay Example In this paper I will attempt to elaborate on how individual differences and organizational behaviour influence the work process. To better deliver and communicate my point I decided to focus on two topics – leadership and approaches to work motivation. The organization that I choose as placement is in the customer service industry, so the priority for the company is to keep the customers satisfied, creating company loyalty policies. Drenth (1998) outlines briefly that the history of work psychology dates back from hundred years ago, when scholars, researchers and psychologists started to analyze the circumstances of the industrialization on the overall work processes. The specificities around that workload, and the labour market in the industrial era posed significant questions about the sickness absences, child labour, occupational stress, welfare differences and training and development devices. All these led to the creation of organization psychologists who provided care for the workers (Drenth, 1998). Even though technology become all too important, human factor enriches the work process to an irreplaceable degree. Therefore, studying human factor determines the main tendencies in work psychology. People at work are constantly interacting with each other, they exchange skills, obtain new knowledge through training, though still each employee besides the particular work role that he is performing remains individual, with his unique behavioural characteristics, personal attitude, reactions and style. The topic of leadership is significant not only for the organization and psychology at work, but also for the whole social science field. Furnham (2005) notes that authors from various disciplines from literatures, economics, and management are trying to determine the factors that make â€Å"good† leaders and what are their strengths and personal

Dubai Police Website (Fines Section) and Privacy Concern Statistics Project

Dubai Police Website (Fines Section) and Privacy Concern - Statistics Project Example Incidentally, such monitoring is not exclusive to Dubai. Traffic monitoring in England and the USA is done through the use of cameras. Furthermore automated toll collection methods and traffic law enforcements have been carried out through an online system (Blumberg, Keeler, & Shelat, 2005). In effect, massive public surveillance is regularly and extensively being done on the road. However, while intentions for publicly exposing details of traffic violations and fine impositions are not malicious, certain individuals find that such an exposure is an invasion to their privacy. The negative reactions are common in many aspects of the motorist hierarchy, and complaints that such a system invades people’s privacy are abundant. Some people are wary that strangers or ill-thinking people will track them down with the use of the online system of the Dubai Police. However, there are also those who approve of the system because it allows for an easier and more effective form of tracking down one’s violations and paying for these violations. Out of these, 57.8% were male (n = 185) and 42.2% were female (n = 135). In terms of distribution by age group, 10.3% were 18 to 22 years old (n = 33), 25.3% were 23 to 26 years old (n = 81), 23.2% were 27 to 30 years old (n = 74), 21.2% were 31 to 40 years old (n = 68), 11.9% were 41 to 50 years old (n = 38), and 8.2% were 51 to 60 years old (n = 26). The study wishes to find the demographics of those committing traffic violations. Table 1 shows the frequency and percentage distribution of the respondents who received a traffic violation. A total of 66% (n = 212) of the respondents received a traffic violation, with 124 males and 88 females. For both males and females, more respondents received a traffic violation than those who did not receive a traffic violation, n = 124 and n = 88, respectively. For the

Crim discus unit4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Crim discus unit4 - Essay Example Edwards F.3 d 117 C. A.8 (mo)1998 (McGraw 2011,para 2). The U.S Circuit Appeal Court upholds the conviction and finds that the District Court did not error in finding the accused guilty. I agree with the innocence project comments because the process of the Court of Appeal errors in stating the facts. The court of appeal misstates that the defendants where first prosecutors suspect while the defendants got arrested after eight (8) years. Secondly, the Court admits evidence of past theft from the Construction Company while there is evidence that nothing got stolen from the site. I agree with the opinion of J O’Connor’s in the case of Virginia v. Black, 538 U.S 343 (2003) (Find Law, 3012, par. 4) that Virginia cross-burning statute, is unconstitutional. The statute provides that, the intention of a person to burn or cross other’s property should be to intimidate. J O’Connor held that some cross burnings area political expression. I disagree with the dissent that the Virginia Statute is Constitutional. The First Amendment of the U.S.A constitution prohibits the making of any law that impedes freedom of religion and infringes the freedom of the press. The freedom is not absolute States can ban expression amounting to threats and unlawful expressions such as pornography. The Virginia statute generalizes burning a cross on others property to be evidence of intimidating hence violating the room for political expression. Therefore, for the statute to declare every burning a cross unlawful and by placing the burden to proof on the defendant remains misplaced and

Factors Influencing the Use of Presidential Veto Essay Example for Free

Factors Influencing the Use of Presidential Veto Essay The democratic system of government relies mainly upon the proper functioning and the harmonious relationship between its three main branches: The Executive Department which has the power to execute the law; b) the Legislative Branch which has the power to propose, enact, amend and repeal the law; c) the Judiciary which has the power to interpret the law. Our constitution has divided these three most important functions to these three departments which are considered co-equal and supreme authority within their own domain. The principle of separation of powers has for its aim the prevention of the over concentration of authority in one person or group of persons that might lead to an error or abuse to the prejudice of the whole state. The idea is that the separation of power will produce greater action on the part of these three departments, prevent any of these three departments from over-extending their authority to the point of encroaching into the domains of the other department, to prevent the possibility of abuse by any department in the exercise of its power and to obtain maximum efficiency in the delivery of public service. Austin Ranney (1995) once said that any concentration of powers in a single branch is tyrannical and only true separation of powers will protect the liberties of the people against the aggressions of government. (Austin Ranney, p. 240) Checks and Balances The US Constitution has provided for the principle known as the checks and balances. Under this principle, the constitution has given each department certain powers by which it may restrain the other department from improvident action. This enables the whole state to maintain the right balance among them and preserve the will of the sovereign as expressed in the constitution. Thus, pursuant to the principle of Checks and Balances, one department is allowed to resist encroachments made by one department against another or to rectify mistakes and errors committed by the other department. The principle of separation of powers should not however be interpreted to mean that there is a sibling rivalry of some sort in the exercise of the powers of these departments. The fact remains that even if one department may control, interfere with or encroach upon the acts done by another department pursuant to the constitution, it is still the policy that each department have to interact with one another to achieve a unity of purpose. There is therefore no wall of isolation or animosity among the three departments. Blending of Powers Corollary to the principle of separation of powers and the checks and balances is the principle of blending of powers which is very evident in the manner every democratic government runs. In the performance of a constitutional task, one department acts in a manner complimentary to or supplementary to the other. The principles of separation of powers, checks and balances and blending of powers can be adequately explained in the manner of enactment of laws and statutes. The principle of separation of powers provides that to the legislative belongs the power and authority to enact, amend and repeal a law. To the executive department belongs the power to implement the law. Thus bills are passed by Congress and sent to the President for his approval. The principle of checks and balances is manifested in the way the president vetoes the bills passed by the Congress. The power to veto bills passed by Congress is stated under Article 1 Section 7 of the United States Constitution, to wit: â€Å"Every Bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate, shall, before it become a Law, be presented to the President of the United States; If he approve he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it, with his Objections to that House in which it shall have originated, who shall enter the Objections at large on their Journal, and proceed to reconsider it. (Article 1, Section 7, United States Constitution) Though the Congress enacts the law, the president has the prerogative to reject the law through his exercise of the veto power. In effect, the President, theoretically, can indirectly become a lawmaker by rejecting bills passed by Congress and by proposing to the Congress that certain bills be passed. The same is true for Congress which may greatly influence the exercise of the President of his authority to implement the law. It is clearly stated in the US Constitution that it has the power to override the veto power of the President provided it has the required numbers supporting it, to wit: â€Å"If after such Reconsideration two thirds of that House shall agree to pass the Bill, it shall be sent, together with the Objections, to the other House, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered, and if approved by two thirds of that House, it shall become a Law. But in all such Cases the Votes of both Houses shall be determined by Yeas and Nays, and the Names of the Persons voting for and against the Bill shall be entered on the Journal of each House respectively. If any Bill shall not be returned by the President within ten Days (Sundays excepted) after it shall have been presented to him, the Same shall be a Law, in like Manner as if he had signed it, unless the Congress by their Adjournment prevent its Return, in which Case it shall not be a Law. † (Article 1, Sec 7, United States Constitution) In addition, to its power to override presidential veto, Congress may opt to exercise pressure to the president by not confirming certain presidential appointments which the constitution has delegated to the Legislative Branch. In addition, the Congress may also exercise its power to commence and initiate its power of Impeachment. (Gary W. Copeland) In effect, the Congress if it really wants to enact a bill into law may convince the President with the exercise of its power to sign the bills into law. Factors Why the President Veto Legislation There are different views on the president’s exercise of his veto power. Some say that the more the president exercises his veto power the more effective leader he is. (Jong R. Lee) The theory is that a president who can influence the Congress is more likely to veto a bill and once vetoed this bill will not be overridden by Congress. This appears to be conclusive considering the following statistics: from the time of Washington to Nixon the veto was used 2,257 times. Out of these, only 75 vetoes or only 6% have been overridden by Congress. On the other hand, some say that the president’s exercise of veto is a sign of weakness on his part. The idea here is that if the president really had control and influence over the Congress then they would not have passed these bills that prompted the president to override them in the first place. The veto power is one of the potent weapons which a president may exercise under our democratic system of government. It is even stated that it is the power of the President to veto legislations that make him a dominant American political figure. Copeland) The veto power of the president serves as a check to the power of the Legislative branch to make laws by exercising its veto power. One of the reasons cited for the exercise of the veto powers is because the bill is unconstitutional. The primary function of the President is not to please his political party or to please the electorates. His main responsibility is to protect the constitution and to ensure that the laws are passed i n accordance with the United States Constitution. As its protector, the Constitution has expressly given the president the power to veto bills which are unconstitutional. Thus, several presidents have in the past vetoed bills on the ground of their unconstitutionality. Thus, consider President Andrew Jackson who vetoed bills that seek to extend the charter of the Second Bank of the United States because he insisted the Bank was beyond the power of Congress to create. (Bruce Fein) Aside from the bill’s unconstitutionality, the president has also in the past vetoed bills based on serious ethical and moral grounds. One particular example is HR 810 or the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2006 which authorized the Secretary of State to conduct and support research that utilizes human embryonic cells. This bill was vetoed by the president. (â€Å"Message to the House of Representatives†) In his veto message dated July 19, 2006, President George W. Bush states that as though he is in favor of exploring the potentials of the research on stem cell, he however is apprehensive about the ethical repercussions of the said research. Signing this bill will allow the deliberate destruction of human embryos for the purpose of research which is damaging to our nation. In addition, it is widely acknowledged that the past president have used the veto power not merely to protect the constitution. The president has in the past used the veto power not merely as a means for protecting the constitution but also for various political purposes. It bears stressing that not all presidents have the support of the Congress. Several presidents in the past have to contend with a hostile Congress to get the needed legislations they wanted. If the president would not be firm in his response, it is possible that certain important pieces of legislations may not be passed at all. To avoid this from happening some presidents in the past have resorted to the extreme method of vetoing more laws to remind that that he holds the power. Consider the case of Franklin D. Roosevelt who in the past occasionally vetoed a piece of legislation simply to remind Congress that he is still in control (Richard E. Neustadt 1976) Harry Truman and Gerald Ford used the veto power for the purpose of determining differences in Congress to build a political base. (Neudstadt) It is the essence of democracy that the legislative and executive departments though they perform different tasks are co-equal. This may or may not be advantageous for the whole citizenry depending on the condition of the nation. It may happen that the country may experience economic difficulties. During this time, laws must be swiftly passed so that the needs of the people will be addressed more quickly. The ideal reaction would be that the Congress should communicate with the President so that they will have an understanding of what kind of laws need to be passed that can help improve the lives of the people. However, the exact opposite happens during economic difficulties. It is at this point that everybody wants to go grandstanding thinking that it is his best time to point the blame to another politician. It is at this time when every politician wants to be recognized for the littlest things he has done in the past. It is because of this reason that during economic difficulties and hardships there are more bills that are being vetoed by the president. Research has also shown that the president who feels that more voters are in his favor are more likely to use the veto power. The idea here is that the more the president thinks that he has the electorate on his side the more that he will tend to exercise this power to veto legislation. This could be measured by analyzing the results of the election in the past, the higher the votes the president gets the more likely it is that he will exercise this power. The political party who sponsored the bill may also influence the decision of the president whether he will veto it or not. The theory is that the more votes the bill receives from the members of his own party in Congress, the more likely that the president will sign the bill into law. On the other hand, the less votes the bill receives from the members of his own party, the more likely it is that the president will not sign the bill into law. Normally, when a bill is sponsored by a representative from a political party different from that o the president, the best thing for him to do if he seeks to have the bill passed into law is to compromise with the president and the other political party. Compromise can be manifested by deleting some portions of the bill which is objectionable on the part of the other political party. It bears stressing that if the sponsor of the bill refuses to eliminate these objectionable portions it is more likely that the president will likewise refuse to sing the bill into law and veto it. Conclusion The democratic system of government is indeed a complex system which requires the proper balance among its three branches. Based on the foregoing, there are many factors why a president may make use of his veto power. It could be because of the personality of the president. There are some presidents who are more inclined to veto legislations because they feel they have support of the electorate. President may also veto legislation because of the person sponsoring the bill. It is possible if the sponsor of the bill is someone other than a party mate of the president and the former does not make any compromises with the president such as deleting any objectionable portion of the bill then it is possible that the bill may be vetoed. Also, it could be because of the defects in the bill itself such as it is unconstitutional, unethical and immoral or may be because it is not yet timely.

Religious Experience And Its Kinds Religion Essay

Religious Experience And Its Kinds Religion Essay First of all what is a religion. According to Immanuel Kant Religion is the recognition of all duties as divine commands, not as sanctions, i.e. arbitrary and contingent ordinances of a foreign will, but as essential laws of any free will as such . Another popular definition is by Karl Marx Religion is the general theory of this world, its encyclopaedic compendium, its logic in popular form, its spiritual point dhonneur, its enthusiasm, its moral sanction, its solemn complement, and its universal basis of consolation and justification. I can go on and on, there are countless definitions of religion. My personal definition of religion is that it is a state of mind in which an individual feels a need to be subject to a superior being, and therefore makes these beliefs as a way of his or her everyday life. They are several types of religion Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hindu, Buddhism, etc. But the major types of religion are Christianity and Islam. Every religion is believed to have p eople who have had a spiritual or religious experience. All these religions have some popular figures that have had an encounter with a supernatural being and have told the story of this encounter which has turned their lifes around for the better. They believe that this experience is scared, For example they are other popular examples of these experiences, in islam the Great Prophet Muhammad was said to be in a cave on Jabal al-Nour, when he received his first revelation from Allah (Quran 96). Arjuna was in a chariot on a battlefield, when Krishna revealed his divinity to him. Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, was bathing in a river when he was taken into the presence of God, and shown that there was one divine reality behind the cosmos (Guru Granth Sahib p.1). This examples show that religious experiences are very scared in religion, and play a very important role in a religious individuals everyday life. There are different ways to look at religious experiences; we can look at its universality, Diversity and its importance to religion. Universality: Its is a universal phenomenon, which is anyone at any point in time could experience, for example in the bible when Moses was out tending to his father-in-laws sheep, when he suddenly saw a burning bush from which God spoke to him (Exodus 3:1-4), he had his experience while tending to animals, which shows it could happen at any point in time in our everyday lives. From research and studies its been proved that spiritual or religious experiences has always been in our society. Diversity: There are different types of religious experiences; just the same way there are different types of people and different types of religion, but at the same time they are also some similarities which makes religious experiences very unique and rare in our society. Importance: To religion, religious experience is has so many importance, it is sometimes a life changing experience for example in the bible when Saul was on his way to Damascus to arrest the Christians, Jesus appeared to him in form of a bright light which blinded him for 3 days (Acts (9:1-11). After the experience he changed his name to Paul and joined the Christian community. Apart from being a life changer , religious experiences also alters a persons mentality, the way he or she views life, fellow human beings and the environment. During my research I saw that there could be two versions of religious experiences namely the weak version and the strong version; in 1896 William James in his The Will to Believe describes the versions as the strong version contends that religious experiences are evidence for the existence of God or other supernatural beings for everyone, whereas the weak version holds that they are only evidence for such things for the experiencer. According to my class note there are different kinds of religious experience which are namely regenerative, charismatic, and mystical. Regenerative religious: is one in which the experiencer undergoes a life transformation a conversion. Elsewhere this kind of experience is expressed as experiencing religion, experiencing salvation, or being delivered from evil. Through such experiences, individuals often find their lives to be changed, filled with meaning and newness, and full of love, joy, and hope. Along with conversion and salvation, another facet of the regenerative experience is moral transformation. In this case, prior to the experience, the individual may feel a sense of sin, guilt, or the inability to do what he or she knows to be morally appropriate. Upon having the regenerative religious experience, she senses that sin and guilt have been removed and a new vision of goodness is seen and sought after; a new or renewed emphasis on moral duties ensues in ones life. Such example of such an experience could be found in the bible when Moses was out tending to his father-in-laws sheep, when he suddenly saw a bur ning bush from which God spoke to him (Exodus 3:1-4). This experience of the burning bush (conversation we God) changed his life and made him the man we all know him as. Charismatic experience: This is a type of experience in which special abilities, gifts, or blessings are manifested. Prophecy, divinely inspired revelation or interpretation. Although prophecy is perhaps most commonly associated with Judaism and Christianity, it is found throughout the religions of the world, both ancient and modern. In its narrower sense, the term prophet (Greek: prophutus, interpreter, expounder [of divine will]) refers to an inspired person who believes that he has been sent by his god with a message to tell. In a broader sense, the word can refer to anybody who utters the will of a deity, often ascertained through visions, dreams, or the casting of lots; the will of the deity also may be spoken in a liturgical setting. The nature of prophecy is twofold: either inspired (by visions or revelatory auditions) or acquired (by learning certain techniques). In many cases both aspects are present. The goal of learning certain prophetic techniques is to reach an ecstatic state in which revelations can be received. That state might be reached through the use of music, dancing, drums, violent bodily movement, and self-laceration. The ecstatic prophet is regarded as being filled with the divine spirit, and in this state the deity speaks through him. Ecstatic oracles, therefore, are generally delivered by the prophet in the first-person singular pronoun and are spoken in a short, rhythmic style. Mystical experience: which, as described by James, includes four distinct characteristics: 1) Ineffability: the experience cannot be adequately described, if at all. 2) Noetic quality: the experiencer believes that she has learned something important from the experience. 3) Transiency: the experience is temporary and the experiencer soon returns to a normal state of mind. 4) Passivity: the experience occurs without conscious decision or control and it cannot be brought to happen at will. Some people claim to have experienced God in such an intense way, that they have literally been in the presence of God. Some people also believe they have become one with God at certain times. People who claim to have such experiences are often called Mystics. It is common for Mystics to use a variety of spiritual techniques, such as meditation, to come into the presence of God in this special way. Mystical experiences take different forms, but a common theme among many of them is identity or union with God in Western religion, or with Absolute Reality Brahman or nirvana or the dao in Eastern religion. A description of a mystical experience within the Advaita VedÄ nta school of Hinduism is given by Shankara. In my research I found more kinds of religious experience, first. Numinous: The German thinker Rudolf Otto (1869-1937) argues that there is one common factor to all religious experience, independent of the cultural background. In his book The Idea of the Holy (1923) he identifies this factor as the numinous. According to him the numinous has two aspects namely mysterium tremendum he explains this as having the tendency to put fear into the host, and the second is mysterium fascinas this has the opposite, which is the tendency to fascinate and attract. The numinous experience is said to describe the feeling that God is very different and superior to us. Rudolf Otto sees the numinous as the only kind religious experience. He states: There is no religion in which it [the numinous] does not live as the real innermost core and without it no religion would be worthy of the name (Otto: 1972) Miracles: This is usually said to happen when God acts in a special way in the world, which go against the laws of nature. In the bible Jesus the son of God exhibited lots of miracle; the bible says miracles could happen through any medium. And the bible also says that God works in mysterious ways. So therefore miracles as far as religion is consigned are very significant especially in Christianity. Ecstasy: this is the kind of experience where by the experiencers spirit lives the body, to go and communicate with the higher beings. This kind of religious experience is very similar to that which a shaman experiences. Enthusiasm: This the kind of experience whereby a scared power or being enters into the body or mind of a person and uses the body to manifest supernatural features such as miracles, etc and also uses the person to communicate its message to the world. The person who is used is called a medium. This kind of religious experience reminds me of the term we used in class Avatara the similarity is that the being enters in to a human body. Now lets look at how the science worldviews and translates religious experiences, according to in class video shown by my instructor science has explains religious experience as an epilepsy of the temporal lobe which causes the host to enter a trance and could make him or her believe that they just had an encounter with a supernatural being. It also showed that electronic devices could also cause an individual with a sensitive brain to hallucinate making them see and believe in things that are not actually there. According to the neurotheologist Andrew B. Newberg, neurological processes which are driven by the repetitive, rhythmic stimulation which is typical of human ritual, and which contributes to the delivery of transcendental feelings of connection to a universal unity. However, that physical stimulation alone is not sufficient to generate transcendental unitive experiences. For this to occur they say there must be a blending of the rhythmic stimulation with ideas. Once this occ urs à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ritual turns a meaningful idea into a visceral experience. Moreover they say that humans are compelled to act out myths by the biological operations of the brain due to what they call the inbuilt tendency of the brain to turn thoughts into actions. The scientists have been able to also show that religion and its beliefs are natural, that man always feels the need to believe in something, a higher and superior being. So therefore science explains religious experiences in another way and gives us all another point of view. In conclusion Religion experience from my point of view and experience is that they are real, they are actually cases where a being has manifested itself to a human being and also there cases where people have lied about these experiences, which has also put doubt the minds of some people that religious experiences do not exist, but because of my beliefs as a practicing Christian i believe that God could communicate with human beings thru different mediums. Work Citied. http://www.thatreligiousstudieswebsite.com/Religious_Studies/Phil_of_Rel/God/religious_experience_intro.php http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_experience http://atheism.about.com/od/argumentsforgod/a/religexperience.htm The Holy Bible (Authorized King James Version) Comparative religion slides

Spirit and Matter, God and Chaos, or infinitude Finite Essays -- Phil

The Kingdom of Union and Joy can only be attained through the elevation and expansion of spirit which is influenced by its intricate relationship with matter. They reflect, inverse and alter one another depending on the nature of their alliance; and challenge the pervading intuition that one entertains concerning hierarchy, the superior and the inferior, rising and falling. Throughout the poem, the prophetic persona enlightens the reader on the manner to ascend to the spiritual realm via tales on base spirits, on praising and praised bodies -- thus, purveying a dynamic dramatisation of the fall. Mammon and the Son are two spiritual figures that typify the convoluted relation between matter and spirit. In their description, the persona invites the reader to compare the attitudes of these characters towards the material world and the fashion in which they apply their spirits to it. Mammon is the  «least erected Spirit that fell / From Heav’n » (1.679-80). Possessed by a boundless desire for  «The riches of Heav’ns pavement, trod’n Gold » (1.682) -- towards which his thoughts are bent -- he already manifests a vertical movement in his heavenly status as he sinks low within the highest realm of the universe. The narrator’s speech transcribes the discontinuity of Mammon’s spiritual rank through the juxtaposition of inversely connotative words such as the sequence least - erected - fell - Heav’n. Being the classical symbol of greed, he aspires to elevation by means of material abundance. Even when fallen, he persuades himself and his fellow companions of a possible good life in hell provided they exploit its treasures. From thence, directed by Mammon, the crew proceeds to violently abuse the earth who’s centre they  «Ransack » and  «with ... ... his  «Humiliation shall exalt » (3.313). The Son’s Grandeur shall ensue from his submission as the bounds established on matter shall, in due course, allow for the Kingdom of Union and Joy. While Mammon perceives obedience as a divine deception, the Son rationalises it by coupling subservient actions with gratifying results through grammatical conjunctions. Though, he first  «Lie[s] vanquisht »,  «yield[s] » to Death and  «suffer[s], he ultimately will  «rise Victorious »,  «subdue / [His] Vanquisher » and  «disarm » him. The Son portrays this outcome as inevitable by overusing conjunctions, such as though - yet - but - then; as well as by the repetitive use of  «shall », thus expressing the strength of his assertion (3. 234-65). Therefore, temperance leads to the profusion of spirituality as it mirrors creation and recognises the intimate connection between matter and spirit.

Nike Liu Xiang Essay

Crisis Management in Celebrity Endorsement Group 3 Shweta Zacharia Kern Rachita Swarooparani Nike * World’s leading supplier of athletic gear * A major sponsor of various global sports events and high-profile athletes and athletic teams * Entered into China in 1980 Considered to be the ‘coolest’ brand in China- success due to clever marketing Liu Xiang * One of Nike’s most important brand ambassadors in China * First endorsement signed in 2002- he won his first World Championship * New television commercial (TVC) launched in 2004- he won a gold medal at Athens Olympics- â€Å"Stereotypes are meant to be broken† What went wrong in this arrangement? Nike spent heavily on high-profile advertising campaigns centred on Beijing Olympics themes * It also invested a lot of money to design new sportswear and footwear for Liu and other athletes specifically for the Beijing Olympics * Liu was considered to be more valuable than Yao Ming (Chinese Basketball Team) as he was believed to have a higher chance of defending his title from Athens Olympics- so more money was spent on him * A couple of days before the event, Liu quit the race due to an Achilles injury after a false start by another athlete * This was believed to be a big blow to Nike as Liu was the cornerstone for their program What was the reaction to this? * Mixed emotions spread throughout China. Some of them were sympathetic while others were angry as the news that Liu was injured was kept in the dark till the last moment. * Online posts on a major Chinese portal even criticized Nike by saying that Nike forced Liu not to participate, as the odds in favour of Liu winning the race was unfavourable. Liu made a public apology and expressed his interest in the sport. His de sire for victory is still burning in him and he will soon return back to the sport. What did Nike do? * The day after Liu’s withdrawal, Nike placed a full-page tweaked advertisement depicting Liu’s love of sport despite setbacks * Subsequently, a revised TVC was launched under the same theme- â€Å"Love sport despite setbacks† What is expected to happen now? Although Liu’s existing contracts might not be terminated immediately, in order to avoid public backlash, his withdrawal might affect advertisers’ decisions on renewals. Questions that need to be answered: * Would Nike’s â€Å"Love Sport despite Setbacks† tweaking strategy work? Yes, we think it will work. * Would Nike be able to turn Liu’s withdrawal from the Beijing Olympics into an opportunity to further boost its brand image? Yes, Nike might be able to turn this crisis into an opportunity to further boost its brand image if it continues with Liu. This will give it an edge over other sports gear-brands, which have contracts only with successful players and forget them once a better player comes into the picture. Nike can project itself as a partner to the player through thick and thin. This will help to make it a trusted brand. * What alternatives did Nike and other global brands have to minimise the losses from Liu’s withdrawal? 1. Nike and other global brands can still endorse Liu but reduce the amount spent on him. 2. Though Liu was injured, they can still keep Liu in their campaigns, making him support the upcoming champions in the sport. 3. By keeping Liu (though he was injured), Nike can prove to the customers that ‘Nike is with them through thick and thin’. * Would Nike and the other sponsors drop Liu from their future campaigns? No, we think that they should not drop Liu from their campaign so soon but stick to the theme that they have adopted in this crisis. This is in keeping up with the spirit of sportsmanship – never give up. Tough times do not last, but tough people do!