Pesticide Resistance Essay

Insect attack is a serious agricultural problem leading to yield losses and reduced product quality. Insects can cause damage both in the field and during storage in silos. Each year, insects destroy about 25 percent of food crops worldwide. The larvae of Ostrinia nubilalis, the European corn borer, can destroy up to 20 percent of a maize crop. European corn borer:A major pest in southern and central Europe. Insect resistant Bt maize is already being grown in Spain, France, Germany, Portugal and the Czech Republic. Western corn rootworm beetles feeding on a maize cob. Certain cultivars of Bt maize are resistant to this serious pest. GM rootworm resistant crops are not approved for cultivation in the European Union but are now being grown in the US. The â€Å"Bt concept† – pest resistant transgenic plantsBacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, is a bacterium that has attracted much attention for its use in pest control. The soil bacterium produces a protein that is toxic to various herbivorous insects. The protein, known asBt toxin, is produced in an inactive, crystalline form.When consumed by insects, the protein is converted to its active, toxic form (delta endotoxin), which in turn destroys the gut of the insect. Bt preparations are commonly used in organic agriculture to control insects, as Bt toxin occurs naturally and is completely safe for humans.More than 100 different variations of Bt toxin have been identified in diverse strains ofBacillus thuringiensis. The different variations have different target insect specificity. For example, the toxins classified under Cry1a group target Lepidoptera (butterflies), while toxins in the Cry3 group are effective against beetles.Researchers have used genetic engineering to take the bacterial genes needed to produce Bt toxins and introduce them into plants. If plants produce Bt toxin on their own, they can defend themselves against specific types of insects. This means farmers no longer have to use chemical insecticides to control certain insect problems.| Critics claim that in some cases the use of insect resistant crops can harm beneficial insects and other non-target organisms. Extensive ecological impact assessments have been addressing these issues. In the field, no significant adverse effects on non-target wildlife nor long term effects of higher Bt concentrations in soil have yet been observed. New concepts on the way Bt crops have been planted commercially for more than eight years. Other naturally occuring insecticidal compounds are now becoming available as alternatives to the Bt approach. Among these are chitinase, lectins, alpha-amylase inhibitors, proteinase inhibitors, and cystatin. Plants genetically modified to express these defense proteins are still in early stages of development.

Brave New World Essay

I am a drug user, as is the bulk of society. Whether it be coffee or cocaine, any mind altering substance is defined as a drug. Even food these days is designed with addictive properties to make us want more, and thus, buy more. Illicit drug dealers have the same aim. The product is filled with foul substances but as long as people find it enjoyable to consume they buy it. â€Å"Crack Addict†, â€Å"Chocoholic†, ultimately they are both just by-products of an individual trying to make a dollar. The difference lies in what is socially acceptable and what is not. In Aldeous Huxley’s ideal society portrayed in his novel Brave New World, mind-altering substances are perfectly acceptable due to the government playing the role of the drug dealer. The difference between the dealers of today and Huxley’s dealers of the future is that the ones of the future were more intelligent. The World State didn’t introduce the drug â€Å"Soma† to make a profit from the actual drug but rather they made it freely available to allow the occurrence of the â€Å"brave new world† where mass production has lead to the wealth of the nation, and human life has lost its value. No one is anything more than an easily replaceable cell in the social body. No one can show their resistance if their mind is constantly numb from excessive drug use. Soma is not bought but given out in rations, as if it were as essential as food. The Delta’s reaction to having their Soma rations throw out the window leads one to believe that Soma was even more important than food. People die without food, but the Delta’s seemed to want to die without their Soma. The inhabitants of the Brave New World were conditioned to like Soma from their birth. Hypnotically taught lessons such as â€Å"A gramme is always better than a damn†. This is not such a crazy concept to grasp for this modern world. Hypnosis has recently been used in advertising. Advertising itself is everywhere; on the television, the radio, the local bus stop, on the bus, in the bus, outside the bus, on street walls, on huge billboards towering over the metropolis that we call our home. If that’s not enough you can even buy magazines, newpapers, books, catalogues and pamphlets, to look at what you’re going to buy next. This overload of information is frequently used by the drug industry of today. As musical artist â€Å"Lazy Boy† preached; â€Å"†¦we have more prescription drugs now than ever. Every  commercial on TV is a prescription drug ad. I can’t watch TV for four  minutes without thinking I have five serious diseases. Like, â€Å"Do you  ever wake up tired in the mornings?† Oh my god, I have this, write  this down! Whatever this is, I have this! Half the time you don’t even  know what the commercial is, there’s people running through fields,  or flying kites, or swimming in the ocean. Like, that is the greatest  disease ever! How do you get that? That disease comes with a hot  chick and a puppy!† Oh the appeal of sickness! In the â€Å"Savage Reservation† Linda drank excessive Mescal because she was in denial of that world, despite the sickness it created she always went back for more because she enjoyed consuming it. Then upon her arrival to the World State she ironically couldn’t handle it their either and went on Soma holiday. Her socially acceptable escape inevitably lead to her demise. It’s worthy of note that Huxley left this world in similar fashion, famously taking 100 micrograms of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) on his deathbed. To emphasise my point I’ll write a story that I concocted; There once was a boy playing football with his sister when he spied a blue moose,  It was a peculiar moose, not like any moose he had seen before.  He walked over to it and joked to his sister â€Å"What a fucked up looking moose!†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"No, you’re the one that’s fucked up† the moose replied.  The boy protested; â€Å"You are a talking moose!†Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"You are talking to a moose† satirised the blue moose.  And with that the moose gobbled up the boy and left his sister on the field crying. The moral behind the story of the blue moose was that if you take drugs, drugs will take you. I believe too many people are eaten alive by the desire to experiment with the subconscious. I suppose this more frequently applies to harder drugs such as methamphetamine’s and opiates. Huxley was a pioneer of self-directed psychedelic drug use â€Å"in a search for enlightenment†. The art of thinking is a valid one and should be explored but this should not require a mind altered from its natural state. To what point is thinking if thinking has no point? How could one express oneself when no one else understands your thoughts? I believe this styled search for enlightenment is futile. Hard drugs destroy people, not enlighten them. True self-revelation comes from individual thought, not experiencing what your brain can do when you mess up the balance. The inner self that one finds through drug use has no genuine authenticity to it. Anyone can taste good chocolate if they are fed it, just like how anyone can be â€Å"enlightened† if they inject the same shit. Karl Marx described religion as the opiate of the people. Huxley inversely comments in his text Brave New World Revisited that â€Å"†¦soma is the religion of the people†. Opiates are dominantly used for pain relief and to induce a state of calmness. Is this what religion is used for? I believe the answer to that would depend on the individual. Despite this modern worlds conditioning and discrimination against difference no two persons are identical and what one truly believes in is dependant on the individual. As for Huxely’s comment on the substitute for god being Soma; the truth behind the statement is evident in our own â€Å"brave new world†. Soma is a fictional substance and although it represents a drug in the story is could be used as a metaphor for a lot more. Money is just as addictive as the hardest methamphetamine. With the onset the Great Depression bankers jumped from the windows of their skyscrapers, I suppose that would be a side effect of greed and the dependence on materialist happiness. It’s ironic that the building their happiness was built from was also used for their suicide.  So ultimately, the consumerism of substance abuse leads to more than the demise of the individual. It was the consumers’ money that funded the World State; it’s our money that fuels the drug industry. This then backfires as we form a dependence on whatever they fed us.

Factors of Bullying

Bullying: The identify technique and its major risk factors Dr. Kasetchai Laeheem1, Dr. Metta Kuning2, Dr. Nittaya McNeil2 1. Department of Educational Foundation, Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University 2. Department of Mathematics and Computer Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, Prince of Songkla University. Abstract The purpose of this study was to study the technique for identifying bullying outcomes, and to investigate the risk factors associated with bullying behaviour at Pattani primary schools, southern Thailand. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,440 students.Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s chi-squared test, and logistic regression were used for data analysis. In this study, factor analysis and standardized score techniques were used to identify bullying outcome. It was found that 301 (20. 9%) students could be identified as a bully. Witnessing parental physical abuse and preference for action cartoons were major risk factor for bu llying others. Students having parental physical abuse experiences were more likely to bully others than were those who had never witnessed parental physical abuse (odds ratio 7. 11, 95% confidence intervals 5. 6-9. 60). Students who preferred action cartoons tended to bully more than did students who preferred comedy cartoons (odds ratio 2. 96, 95% confidence intervals 1. 99-4. 43). Key words: bullying, cartoon, factor analysis, parental physical abuse, risk factors The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 1 1. Background and significance of problem Bullying behaviour in primary schools is well-known to students, parents, teachers and educational personnel.School bullying is a serious problem which affects students’ quality of life, inflicting psychological, emotional, and physical damage and occurs throughout the world. School b ullying can be defined as any negative actions repeatedly inflicted by a stronger student or student gang toward another student (Olweus, 1999). This negative action must be deliberate and carried out with the intent of causing harm to the victim (Farrington, 1993). Bullying might be classified in a variety of ways including physical assaults and psychological or emotional or verbal harassment.Beale (2001) explained that physical bullying is action oriented and intended to intimidate or physically hurt the victim through pinching, pushing, kicking, and hitting, while verbal bullying is using words to humiliate or hurt someone’s feelings through teasing, insulting, or threatening behaviour. The major reasons that children bully others are to enjoy exercising power and status over their victims, boredom, jealousy, attention seeking, showing off, anger, revenge, and selfprotection (Besag, 2006). In this way, bullying eases the way for children to be drawn into a path of delinque ncy, vandalism and criminality (Junger, 1996).The targets or victims of school bullying are at risk of a variety of negative outcomes. They are more likely than nonvictimized children to become anxious, insecure, lonely, depressed, to be rejected by their peers, drop out of school, feud, or decide to protect themselves by carrying guns/weapons to school (Craig, 1998). There are many causes of bullying, such as domestic violence (Baldry, 2003), preferring cartoon violence (Blumberg, et al, 2008), older students (Wolke et al, 2001), and boys (Mouttapa et al, 2004).Studies have indicated that 38% of students in Netherlands (Veenstra, 2005), 30% in Nigeria (Egbochuku, 2007), 22% in Italy (Gini, 2008), 21% in Canada (Hawkins et al, 2001), 20% in Malaysia (Wan Salwina et al, 2009) and 42% in Thailand (Tapanya 2006). This study aims to study the technique for identifying bullying outcomes, to investigate the prevalence of bullying and the risk factors associated with bullying in Pattani pr imary schools, southern Thailand.By identifying students who are likely to bully others, educational authorities can introduce better strategies for reducing and preventing this problem. 2. Objectives 2. 1 To study the technique for identifying bullying outcomes 2. 2 To estimate the prevalence of bullies at primary schools in Pattani, southern Thailand 2. 3 To analyze the risk factors associated with bullying, in Pattani primary schools 3. Technical terms The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 â€Å"Bullying† has traditionally referred to a person’s actions to cause physical or psychological harm to another person. Physical bullying is the most visible and easily identifiable form of bullying. It might take the form of a kick, hit, bite, push, throw of something at someone, bite, or pinch. Psychological bullying includes name-calling, insulting the victim’s name, appearance, economic status, academic achievement, or parent’s occupation, or making negative statements about a victim’s physical disability. 4.Framework of the study Determinants School factors School type School location Demographic factors Gender Age group Environment factors Parental physical abuse Preference of cartoon type Number of close friends Outcome Bullying behaviour 5. Research methodology 5. 1 Study design and sampling technique This study used a cross-sectional study design involving interviews and surveys of primary school students attending school between November 1, 2005 and March 31, 2006. The participants were selected by using a multi-stage sampling method.The first stage involved selecting school location by using purposive sampling, with the criterion being a cluster of four types of school (public school of Basic Education Office (B. E. O. ), public school of municipalities, Islamic private scho ol, and Chinese private school). Pattani City was selected as the urban location and Saiburi district as the rural one, because these were the only two districts that met the school-type cluster criterion. In the second stage, public schools were selected by simple random sampling and private schools were selected by purposive ampling (there was only one of each such school in each district). Finally, participants in each school grade were selected by using a systematic sampling technique which was done proportionate to population size across each class; choosing every 4th seat number where there was a single class in a grade and every 6th seat number where there was more than one class in a grade. Sample size calculations followed an Italian study of bullying (Baldry, 2003) and were based on the main outcome and exposure to parental violence and non-exposure to parental violence.The prevalence of bullying by the Italian primary school students in the ‘nonThe 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 3 exposure to parental violence’ group was 45. 7%. This information was then used to calculate the required sample size for this study, obtaining an estimate by substituting ? = 0. 05, 1-? = 0. 2, OR = 1. 344 so Z? /2 and Z? are 1. 96 and 0. 84 respectively, r = 1 (ratio of non bully to bully subjects), p2 = 0. 6 (prevalence of bullying in non exposure to parental violence group), p = 0. 50, p1 = 0. 53, into a formula for sample size given by the following (McNeil, 1996), namely ? ? Z? / 2 ? ? 1 ? 1? + Z? ?1 + ? ? r ? p (1 ? p ) ? 1 1 ? + p1 (1 ? p1 ) rp 2 (1 ? p 2 ) ? ? 2 n1 = (InOR) 2 Where p1 = p2 p + rp2 , and p = 1 p2 + (1 ? p2 ) / OR 1+ r This gives n1 = n2 = 719. It was thereby concluded that a minimum sample size of 1,438 was required for this study. 5. 2 Data collection Verbal consent to participate in the study was obtained from students after assurance of confidentiality was given to individuals and group administered.The collection assistants were teachers in target schools, who volunteered to participate and were studying for a Graduate Diploma in Professional Teaching at Yala Islamic University. These teachers were trained in the interviewing techniques and the details of the questionnaire. They were asked to take care not to rush through the questionnaire and also to record responses accurately. The teachers interviewed students in the classroom after permission was granted by the school principal. Each individual was interviewed with grades 1 to 3 students. Interviewed lasted approximately 20 to 30 minutes.Group administered (narrated) surveys of grades 4 to 6 students took approximately 40 to 60 minutes. With older students, the interviewer read the instructions to them and then allowed the student to write their own responses. Most of these responses were uncomplicated a nd involved just ticking a box. 5. 3 Data management and statistical analysis The data were analyzed using Webstat (a set of programs for graphical and statistical analysis of data stored in an SQL database, written in HTML and VBScript), and R program Factor analysis was first conducted to identify possible factors for future analysis.Descriptive statistics were calculated as measures of the prevalence of bulling. Pearson’s chi-squared test was used to assess the associations between the outcome and the various categorical determinants. Logistic regression was used to estimate the relative odds of having bullied others, for risk factors. 6. Conclusions The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 4 6. Identifying bullying outcome The technique for identifying bullying outcome in this study is using statistical method; factor analysis and standardized score as follows. The first method involved an exploratory factor analyses using maximum likelihood method with varimax rotation, eigenvalue greater than one, and item loadings greater than 0. 30. Factor analysis resulted in the identification of four types of bullying: a serious physical bullying factor comprising ‘kick’, ‘hit’, and ‘bite’, a minor hysical bullying factor comprising ‘push’, ‘throw something at’, ‘beat’, ‘pinch’ and ‘scold’, a psychological bullying by maligning a parent factor comprising ‘insult parent’s occupation’, and ‘insult parent’s name’, and a psychological bullying by maligning the student factor comprising ‘insult students appearance’ and ‘insult students economic status’, as listed in Table 1. In the second method, the new scores for four types of bullying were calculate d by using discrete scores to compare with the criteria that were adapted from a Likert rating scale: loadings 0. 00-0. 25 scored as 0, 0. 26-0. 50 scored as 1, 0. 51-0. 5 scored as 2, and 0. 76-1. 00 scored as 3. The resulting new scores were thus as follows: kick, hit, and bite: 3, 3 and 1, respectively; push, throw something at, beat, pinch and scold: 3, 2, 2, 1 and 1, respectively; insult parent’s occupation: 3 and insult parent’s name: 1; and insulting students appearance is 3 and insulting students economic status: 1. The resulting new scores are listed in Table 1. Factor loading Psychological Bullying behaviour categories Serious Minor bullying (Maligning physical Physical parent) bullying bullying Kick 0. 822 (3) Hit 0. 825 (3) Bite 0. 380 (1) Pinch 0. 783 (3) Beat 0. 587 (2) Throw something at 0. 07 (2) Push 0. 458 (1) Scold/ name-calling 0. 366 (1) Insult parent’s occupation 0. 878 (3) Insult parent’s name 0. 399 (1) Insult economic status Insul t appearance Eigenvalue 1. 85 1. 77 1. 21 Variance explained 15. 4% 14. 7% 10. 1% Note: Number in the ( ) is resulting new scores for each type of bullying Psychological bullying (Maligning student) 0. 765 (1) 0. 448 (1) 1. 01 8. 4% Table 1: Factor loading scores and resulting new scores for each type of bullying The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 In the third method, the total scores for each type of bullying were calculated by using new scores for four types of bullying. The resulting total scores are thus as follows: serious physical bullying (scores 0-7): (3*hit) + (3*kick) + bite; minor physical bullying (scores 0-9): (3*pinch) + (2*beat) + (2*throw something at) + push + scold; psychological bullying by maligning a parent (scores 0-4): (3*insult parent’s occupations) + insult parent’s names; and psychological bu llying by maligning the student (scores 0-4): (3*insult students economic status) + insult students appearance.In the fourth method, the bullying scores were analyzed by combining the total scores for each type of bullying: serious physical bullying (scores 0-7) + minor physical bullying (scores 0-9) + psychological bullying by maligning a parent (scores 0-4) + psychological bullying by maligning the student. The fifth method, transform the bullying scores into Z-scores (standardized to a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1). Finally, the students were identified into two categories for bullying, ‘bullied’ or ‘not bullied’. The students who had a standardized score greater than 1 were identified as a bully. 6. Descriptive statistics of bullying and risk factors The distributions of seven determinants in this study involved half of students being from an urban school, 72. 2% were from public school, and 55. 4% were female. Slightly more than one third (3 4. 5%) were 8 years or less of age, 34. 0% were aged 9-10 years, and 31. 5% were 11 years old or more. Most of students (79. 7%) reported that they had not witnessed physical abuse between their parents. Nearly half (48. 2%) of the students preferred ‘mystery’ cartoons type, 26. 0% preferred ‘action’ and 25. 8% ‘comedy’. Regarding number of close friends, 41. % had 3-5 close friends, 32. 2% had two close friends or fewer and 26. 4% had six close friends or more. In this study, bullying outcome was identified as a dichotomous variables; ‘not bullied others’ (1,139 students) and ‘bullied others’ (301 students). The percentage of students reporting that they had bullied others in school was 20. 9%. 6. 3 Associations between bullying and risk factors The associations between the outcome and the seven study determinants are shown in Table 2. Bullied behaviour Determinants School type Private Public School location Urban Rur al Not bullied (1,139) 78. 2 80. 0 82. 5 77. Had bullied (301) 21. 8 20. 0 17. 5 22. 2 Total (1,440) 50. 0 50. 0 0. 7 27. 8 72. 2 0. 399 Chisquared 3. 9 p-value 0. 049* The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 6 Gender Female Male Age group 8 yrs or less 9-10 yrs 11 yrs or more Parental physical abuse Not witnessed Witnessed Cartoon type preference Comedy Action Mystery Number of close friends 2 persons or less 3-5 persons 6 persons or more 31. 1 84. 5 72. 4 82. 9 79. 6 74. 4 87. 0 48. 1 86. 5 64. 5 83. 0 80. 6 80. 7 74. 7 15. 5 27. 17. 1 20. 4 25. 6 13. 0 51. 9 13. 5 35. 5 17. 0 19. 4 19. 3 25. 3 55. 4 44. 6 10. 3 34. 5 34. 0 31. 5 213. 5 79. 7 20. 3 66. 9 25. 8 26. 0 48. 2 5. 9 32. 2 41. 4 26. 4 0. 000** 0. 006** 0. 000** 0. 000** 0. 051 * p-value < 0. 05 ** p-value < 0. 01 Table 2: Associations between bullying and study determinants Table 2 shows that school type, gender, age group, parental physical abuse, and cartoon type were strongly associated with bullying. Odds ratio plots of bullying categorized by five different risk factors are shown in Figures 1. Bullying behaviour (Bullying/Not bullying) (Public/ Private) (Male/ Female) School type Witness/ Not witness) Gender Parental physical abuse Years Favorites cartoon type Age (group) Cartoon type Figure 1: Odds ratio plots of bullying categorized by four different risk factors The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 7 Figures 1 shows that the students from public schools reported bullying others significantly more often than did students from private schools (OR 1. 35, 95% CI 1. 01-1. 82). More males than females reported that they bullying others (OR 2. 07, 95% CI 1. 59-2. 69).The students who had witnessed phys ical abuse between their parents were more likely to be a bully than did those who had never witnessed physical abuse between their parents (OR 7. 22, 95% CI 5. 39-9. 67). The students aged 11 years or more were more likely to bully others than students aged 9-10 years and 8 years or less, (OR 1. 49, 95% CI 1. 13-1. 95). The students who preferred action cartoons tended to bully more than students who preferred mystery or comedy cartoons (OR 2. 93, 95% CI 5. 39-9. 67). 6. 4 Logistic regression analysis of bullying Logistic regression was used to examine the association between bullying and risk factors.The results are shown in Table 3 and Figure 2. Table 3 shows the results of the logistic regression analysis after omitting determinants with p-values more than 0. 05 using backward elimination. In this reduced model the four factors least significantly associated with the bullying are omitted. The smallest p-values indicate the factors most strongly associated with the bullying were gender, age group, parental physical abuse and cartoon type. Determinant Gender Female Male Age group 8 yrs or less 9-10 yrs 11 yrs or more Parental physical abuse Not witnessed Witnessed Cartoon type preference Comedy Action MysteryOR 0 1. 87 0 1. 29 1. 89 0 7. 11 0 2. 96 1. 33 (95% CI) p-value 0. 000 (1. 40,2. 50) 0. 000 0. 001 0. 160 0. 000 0. 000 0. 000 0. 000 0. 000 0. 147 (0. 90,1. 85) (1. 33,2. 69) (5. 26,9. 60) (1. 99,4. 43) (0. 90,1. 96) Table 3: Reduced model of association between bullying and risk factors Figure 2 shows the odds ratio plot of the results from fitting the final logistic regression model. It was found that witnessing parental physical abuse was clearly the most strongly associated determinant for bullying others.Students having witnessed parental physical abuse were more likely 7. 11 times to bully others than were those who had never witnessed parental physical The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 8 abuse (95% CI 5. 26-9. 60). Preference for action cartoons was also a major risk factor for bullying others; students who preferred action cartoons tended to bully more than did students who preferred comedy cartoons (OR 2. 6, 95% CI 1. 99-4. 43). Among the age groups studied, older students (11+ years) were more likely to be a bully than did younger students (8 years or less); 1. 89 times (95% CI 1. 33-2. 69). Males were 1. 87 times (95% CI 1. 40-2. 50) more likely to have reported having bullied others than were females. Bullying others mystery Cartoon type action comedy Parental physical abuse yes no 11+ Age group 9-10 -8 boy Gender girl 1/8 1/4 1 2 4 8 Odds Ratio Figure 2: Risk factors of bullying in logistic regression; final model 7.Discussion In this study, factor analysis and standardized score techniques were used to identify bullying outcome; a student with a standardized score more than 1 was identified as a bully. Using an exploratory factor analysis for divided type of bullying is in accordance with a study by Parada et al (2005) in which six factors were found of 36 items. Beran (2005) found four factors of 21 items. Carlyle and Steinman (2007) found two factors. Using a standardized score for identifying bullying in which a student with a standardized score more than 1 was identified as a bully (Scholte et al, 2007; Gini, 2008).In this study, the identifying techniques led to findings that witnessing parental physical abuse and cartoon type were major risk factors for bullying. Witnessing parental physical abuse was clearly the most strongly associated determinant linked to bullying than those who had never witnessed parental physical abuse (7. 11 times more likely). Exposure to parental family violence has been found to be related to negative behaviours of students; the students who had witnessed parental physical abuse were more likely to bully othe rs, when compared to those who had not itnessed parental physical abuse. This is in accordance with the studies of Herrera et al (2001) and Baldry (2003) who all reported that parental modeling of aggression The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 9 and violence promotes the development of a child’s negative behaviour; the child might copy the parent’s physical actions and might then become a bully to gain success in their own social interactions.Preference for action cartoons was also highly associated with bullying (2. 96 times more likely). This finding shows that the children who watch action cartoons or cartoon with superhero images were more likely to display aggressive or bullying behaviour. This was consistent with the studies of Kirsch (2006) and Blumberg et al (2008), who argued that cartoon violence may also inf luence young viewers to transfer violent acts from programs to realworld situations and has a significant additional effect in predicting bullying others.Students often copy the physical actions of parents or of action cartoon characters and so through their life experiences learn to be aggressive. By personally observing others acting aggressively to achieve some goal the children might learn to act aggressively. With this modeling, the child might then become a bully to gain success in his or her own social interactions. This explanation is in line with finding by Larson (2003) and Williams (2007) who found that children use the same aggressive tactics that they observe; they learn to act aggressively when they model the behaviour of violent acts.The children are more likely to copy someone they are looking at, and children have a greater tendency to imitate the modeling of those with whom they have the most contact (Cooke, 1993; Kirsch, 2006). 8. Recommendations 8. 1 Implications of the study This study showed that bullying is a serious problem in Pattani primary schools. Witnessing parental physical abuse and preferring action cartoons were the highest risk factors associated with bullying. Parents are the most important persons in providing leadership and direction for the successful prevention and intervention of bullying.They should provide close attention and talk regularly with their children about their feelings and relationships with friends at school. They should work in partnership with the school to encourage positive behaviour. Moreover, they must have patience, try to avoid using violence, and closely advise and control the cartoon program viewing of their children. Findings from this study should help in the development of prevention and intervention policies in the primary schools and assist educational authorities to introduce better strategies for reducing the problem.School administrators and teachers are the next most important persons fo r preventing the prevalence of bullying in schools. The school environment should be safe, orderly, and bullyfree. Teachers have to provide positive and mature role-modeling in techniques to students and teach them how to interact with one another. They should develop a program that teaches The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 0 students about the dangers of bullying, develop school personnel in teaching bully-free practices and teach students about all forms of bullying: verbal, emotional, psychological, and physical, as well as teach students about disadvantages of cartoon violence viewing and physical abuse between parents. 8. 2 Recommendations for future studies Results of our study reveal the extent of bullying in primary schools within Pattani province to be a serious problem.Future research could focus on comparing prevalence rates among different types of schools or in one specific type of school across districts within Pattani province or nearby provinces, such as Yala, Naratiwat, and Songkhla provinces. Results may give the necessary information to teachers and administrators responsible for improving existing awareness programs, as well as continuing to educate our children in the safest and best learning environment possible.In order for bullying to be prevented or decreased in our schools, school personnel need to commit to the ideal that bullying is unacceptable, is serious, and should not be tolerated. Bullying is not a rite of passage that students must work out for themselves. When one incident of bullying occurs it is serious. Silence from students does not imply acceptance. Teachers need training that will help them to identify students who suffer in silence. The training needs to include strategies for victims as well as bullies. School personnel need to intervene appropriately in order to g ain the confidence of the students.To gain that confidence, teachers need to be aware that victims of bullying who remain silent will rarely take the initiative to tell teachers they are being bullied and would benefit from having someone pro-active and notice their circumstance and offer them help. There is also a large, silent majority of bystanders in our schools. These students are usually well-developed socially but they do not know how to reclaim the power from the bullies. Some of these students may be afraid to confront the issue and thus ignore or avoid bullying situations.If we can tap into this silent majority and teach these students the skills they need, we can create a positive school climate with this silent majority holding the power and helping to make the school safe and secure for all. Further research should examine specific teacher referrals after bullying incidents and whether there is a consistent method of reporting these incidents throughout the grade levels and among all teachers. The administration of disciplinary actions, when dealing with the types of bullying incidents should consistent throughout the school.An increase in student learning is an overall goal of this study. If students feel safe at school, if they are not worried about the atmosphere in which they learn, then greater student achievements will be likely to The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 11 exist. In order to create and maintain a safe and orderly school environment, all stakeholders must take an active role in combating the bullying problem in Pattani primary schools today. . References Baldry, A. C. 2003. Bullying in schools and exposure to domestic violence. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27, 713–732. Beale, A. 2001. â€Å"Bully busters†: Using drama to empower students to take a stand against bullying behaviour. Professional School Counseling, 4, 300-306. Beran, T. 2005. A new perspective on managing school bullying: Pre-service teachers’ attitudes. Journal of Social Science, 8: 43-49. Besag, V. E. 2006. Understanding girls’ friendships, fights and feuds: A practical approach to girls’ bullying. Milton Keynes: Open University Press.Blumberg, F. C. , Bierwirth, K. P. 2008. Schwartz AJ. Does Cartoon Violence Beget Aggressive Behavior in Real Life? An Opposing View. Early Childhood Educ J. 2008; 36:101–104. Carlyle, K. E. , and Steinman, K. J. 2007. Demographic differences in the prevalence, cooccurrence, and correlates of adolescent bullying at school. Journal of School Health, 77: 623-629. Cooke, P. 1993. TV causes violence? Says Who?. The New York Times. Craig, W. 1998. The relationship among bullying, victimization, depression, anxiety and aggression in elementary children.Personality and Individual Differences, 24, 123-130. Egbochuku, E. O. 2007. Bul lying in Nigerian schools: Prevalence study and implications for counselling, J. Soc. Sci. , 14(1): 65-71. Farrington, D. P. 1993. Understanding and preventing bullying. In M. Tonry & N. Morris (Eds. ), Crime and Justice (Vol. 17). Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Gini, G. 2008. Associations between bullying behaviour, psychosomatic complaints, emotional and behavioural problems. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. 44: 492– 497. Hawkins, D. L. , Pepler D. J. , and Craig, W. M. 001. Naturalistic observations of peer interventions in bullying. Social Development, 10 (4): 512-527. Herrera, V. M. , and McCloskey, L. A. 2001. Gender differences in the risk for delinquency among youth exposed to family violence. Child Abuse & Neglect, 25: 1037–1051. Junger, T. J. 1996. Youth and violence in Europe. Studies on Crime and Crime Prevention, 5(1): 31-58. The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince o f Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 12 Kirsch, S. 2006.Cartoon violence and aggression in youth. Aggression and Violent Behavior. 11: 547–557. Larson, M. S. 2003. Gender, Race, and Aggression in Television Commercials That Feature Children. Sex Roles. 48: 67-75. McNeil, D. 1996. Epidemiological research methods. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Mouttapa, M. , Valente, T. , Gallaher, P. , Rohrbach, L. A. , and Unger, J. B. 2004. Social network predictors of bullying and victimization. Adolescence, 39: 315-336. Olweus, D. 1999. The nature of school bullying: A cross-national perspective. London: Routledge. Parada, R. H. , Marsh, H. W. and Craven, R. G. 2005. There and back again from bully to victim and victim to bully: A reciprocal effects model of bullying behaviours in schools. Sydney, Australia: SELF Research Centre, University of Western Sydney. Scholte, R. J. , Engels, R. E. , Overbeek, G. , Kemp, R. T. , and Haselager, G. T. 2007. Stabilit y in Bullying and Victimization and its Association. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 35: 217-228. Tapanya, S. 2006. A survey of bullying problem of students in Thailand. Chiang-Mai: Faculty of Medicine, Chiang-Mai University. Veenstra, R. , Lindenberg, S. Oldehinkel, A. J. , De Winter, A. F. , Verhulst, F. C. , and Ormel, J. 2005. Bullying and victimization in elementary schools: A comparison of bullies, victims, bully/victims, and uninvolved preadolescents. Developmental Psychology, 41: 672-682. Wan Salwina, W. I. , Susan, M. K. , Nik Ruzyanei, N. J. , Tuti Iryani, M. D. , Syamsul, S. , Aniza, A. , and Zasmani, S. 2009. School bullying amongst standard students attending primary national schools in the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur: The prevalence and associated socio demographic factors, Malaysian Journal of Psychiatry, 18(1): 5-12.Williams, G. 2007. Gabriel Tarde and the Imitation of Deviance. Available at: http://www. criminology. fsu. edu/crimtheory/ tarde. htm. [Acce ssed date: September 21, 2007]. Wolke, D. , Woods, S. , Stanford, K. , and Schulz, H. 2001. Bullying and victimization of primary school children in England and Germany: Prevalence and school factors. British Journal of Psychology. 92: 673–696. The 2nd International Conference on Humanities and Social Sciences April 10th, 2010 Faculty of Liberal Arts, Prince of Songkla University Beliefs – Literature – Lifestyle_002 13

Policy Report Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Policy Report - Research Paper Example The existence of these two arguing controversial ideas makes the issue about global warming not an exact science. Lately, this was the same argument used by those people in the industry that produces heat-trapping gases. The federal court in Washington lately declared based on Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) finding that industry and vehicles which contribute significant amount of heat-trapping gases actually would also result detrimental impact on public health (Wald, 2012). This decision was able to make up the mind of some companies to block the rule of EPA as they argued about the controversial issue of global warming. However, the court dismissed the existing argument about the science of global warming and some unreliable studies related with it. As a result, the court promulgated rules or policies that would set limits on greenhouse gas emissions from cars and other stationary sources. Those who opposed this challenged EPA’s timetable for enforce ment and even its target to have saturated effort over big polluters (Wald, 2012). Wald added that EPA’s line of defense on this issue emphasized the fact that it is not part of its rule to reprove whatever discovery in science that would come across scientific inquiry in the future. Lately, the federal government backs on this issue and even supported the decision of the Washington federal court. In response to this, there were fourteen states including Virginia and Texas which led a petition to block the ruling, while other fifteen states spearheaded by New York, California and Massachusetts came to support EPA emissions rules (Wald, 2012). It is clear that the regulation is now inevitable. The next challenge would be for congress to initiate action plan in order to ensure the implementation process to be efficient and less costly. However, the congress’s blow on this issue leads to the consideration of the harmful impact of EPA emissions rules on the economy as it w ould potentially drive energy prices higher (this would create strong economic impact, as oil is the lifeblood of modern economy), create joblessness, and slow down the US’s economic recovery (Wald, 2012). On the other hand, global warming issue and the existing argument about the exactness of its science would eventually remain a potential threat to policy makers as this would continuously become a significant source of controversial issues prior to their future decisions. As observed, there were more than one group trying to have essential stands or points on the environmental issue pertaining to global warming and associated EPA’s emissions rules on it. This issue does not only involve scientific matters, but it also leads to social, political, economic and environmental concerns. As observed, this environmental problem about global warming and emissions of heat-trapping gases poses remarkable concern about environmental sustainability. However, along the way, polic ies must be implemented, efficiently and effectively. Policy-making is not easy on this part as there are many other elemental things or concerns that need further considerations. Policy makers at this point must have substantial knowledge regarding group behaviors as there are varying groups

Action Research Reflection Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Action Reflection - Research Paper Example It is important to do careful planning before starting with action research. This prevents the group to divulge from what needs to be done, saves time and prevents giving rise to any disappointments and dissatisfactions. While researching for a problem, it should be made sure that the problem is both to the point and meaningful (Donna Kalmbach Phillips, 2009). In the data collection phase, the data should be organized in such a way that it becomes easy to deduce trends from it. Based on the data interpretation, a plan for change should be developed. It is important to implement one action at a time. But several actions are implemented simultaneously, it will be difficult to assess which action was responsible for the outcome and hence, the reflection will become difficult.Action research process has two main goals: Stimulating Learning and Making a difference. Action research as a process is both collaborative as well as participative and hence it is often called â€Å"Collaborative Enquiry†. This process can be adopted across all levels of education. Because of the flexibility this process offers, it can also be adopted in work setting. This process helped me reflect on what I did and also improved team communication. This process leads to empowering of all the team members. With the help of action research process, I discovered that being participative; open to change, and being a good communicator as three essential skill sets which can help me grow not even personally but professionally as well.

HRM - Journal Report Unit 9 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

HRM - Journal Report Unit 9 - Essay Example The factors are put into consideration before implementing any HRM strategies (Dickmann, Sparrow & Brewster, 2008). Identifying best HRM processes for the rest of the organization is not the MNC’s goal, but instead finding the best fit between the company’s overall strategy and the firm’s external environment and HRM policies. I learned that the transitional scope guide on having the HRM decisions based on international scope. Following international HRM strategy, decisions considers every employee needs in every nation where the firm operates. The issue is the ability to initiate standards fair to every employee, regardless of their location or country they operate. Additionally, transnational representation refers to the multinational compositions of the company’s executives and managers. Ideally, the MNC processes should base on transnational approach. The approach means that the multicultural understanding is into consideration, instead of trying to have the international employees fit within the domestic market scope, a more HRM holistic method get used. Thus, using a transnational approach shows that the HRM practices and policies are a significant part of the successful business as they act as mechanisms for control and coordination of the international operations. Culture is the key factor to managing HRM on the global scale. I reckon that understanding culture and also appreciating different cultures can help the HRM strategies be successful in any nation. There are different cultural dimension considered in HRM strategies. The first culture dimension is individualism-collectivism. The cultural dimension describes the individuals degree integrated into groups. MNC’s should focus on the person’s accomplishments instead of group accomplishments. Society base on cohesive groups in the collective society, thus, it is significant of focus on the group instead of the individual. Secondly, power distance

Crepe in Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Crepe in Japan - Essay Example Japanese crepes often offer several filling combinations, majority of them are sweet. Crepe business in japan needs many strategies to ensure that the business maintains its high standards in addition to retaining and attracting more customers. Japanese crepes are considered soft and crispy. They do not only serve as crepes for dessert but also crepes for savory that can be as a lunch meal. Crepes in japan do have several savory choices that make individual crave for it by just looking at it. Crepes In japan is almost reaching points of declining since less promotional activities are being used as strategies to enhance the sales. The consumer curiosity helps in enhancing the sales growth of crepe in japan. In japan, crepes products are directly distributed to the outlets to expand the markets. The crepes in japan come in various flavors including the crispy and savory crepes. Most of the crepes in japan are on the spot as desserts. Everything that entails the making of the crepes from the icing to the fruits, all are made on the same spot when an order is made. They are with no preservative being added on, and this offers an alternative to enjoy the dessert. The option of not using preservatives in the preparation of crepes in japan gives an alternative to the individuals who are not always seeking crispy crepes but also the yummiest at the same time. These desserts are one hundred percent made from the Japanese recipe that are original and thus attract several Japanese customers. Crepes in japan are sold just like any other foodstuffs; high quality and fresh. The outlets that serve to sell the crepes are made in a way that they look comfortable, cozy and have a unique atmosphere.

Biology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 14

Biology - Essay Example According to The American Lung Association (2007) pneumonia is a serious infection and/or inflammation of the lungs. The air sacs in the lungs fill with pus and other liquid. Oxygen has trouble reaching the blood. If there is too little oxygen in the blood, the body cells cant work properly. Because of this and spreading infection through the body pneumonia can cause death. Different causes of pneumonia manifest different signs and symptoms. In patients with pneumonia caused by bacteria (streptococcus pneumoniae), the temperature may rise as high as 105Â º F. The patient sweats profusely, and breathing and pulse rate increase rapidly. Lips and nailbeds may have a bluish color due to lack of oxygen in the blood. A patients mental state may be confused or delirious. If caused by a virus (influenza), there are fever, dry cough, headache, muscle pain, and weakness. Within 12 to 36 hours, there is increasing breathlessness; the cough becomes worse and produces a small amount of mucus. Th ere is a high fever and there may be blueness of the lips. In mycoplasma (are the smallest free-living agents of disease in humankind, unclassified as to whether bacteria or viruses, but having characteristics of both) pneumonia, there is a cough that tends to come in violent attacks, but produces only sparse whitish mucus. Chills and fever are early symptoms, and some patients experience nausea or vomiting. Patients may experience profound weakness that lasts for a long time. Other causes of pneumonia are fungi and other chemicals. Some types of pneumonia develop when the immune system weakened. Pneumonia can be acquired from community, hospital, and thru aspiration when foreign bodies enter the lungs (The Patient Education Institute, Inc., 2008). According to MayoClinic.com (2008), pneumonia treatments vary, depending on the severity of symptoms and the type of pneumonia that the patient have. Bacterial and mycoplasma pneumonias are treated with

Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 19

Communication - Essay Example This paper discusses this with certain examples. Let’s suppose a workplace in which a male employee is talking to a female employee. The two are in some sort of an argument over a matter related to work. The male employee finally says, â€Å"You know what? I give up. No man can win an argument from a woman.† The female employee becomes offensive and says, â€Å"So you suggest I am right because I am a woman? Not because what I am saying is actually right?† She snaps at the male employee and walks out of the room. This explains how the use of sexist language can serve as a barrier to communication. Now let’s suppose a scenario in which two colleagues are dining together at the cafeteria. One of them is an Indian and the other is an American. The two are having gossip and a good time together. The American colleague orders a Pizza for himself and asks the Indian colleague what he would like to have. The Indian colleague replies, â€Å"I would like to have chicken curry.† Suddenly, the American colleague says, â€Å"Now I know why you Indians smell like curry.† The Indian colleague replies, â€Å"For the same reason that you Americans are so obese.† Seeds of dislike are planted in the hearts of both for each other. Now let’s suppose a situation in which two friends are attending a party. One of them is straight while the other is a gay. The former doesn’t know the homosexual orientation of the latter. The straight guy suggests the gay, â€Å"Hey look, why don’t you pair up with that blonde in the skirt! She’s pretty.† The gay guy manages to change the topic. The straight guy again suggests a suitable match. The gay guy finally says, â€Å"I’m into men†¦OK?† The straight guy says, â€Å"Is that why you’re with me? OMG! All this while, I’ve been with a fag!† The gay guy thinks he has heard enough, and snaps out. Concluding, sexist, racist, and homophobic

United States Money History Essay Example for Free

United States Money History Essay Money is something societies have almost always had, whether it was in the form of trading, shells, or coins. Money is a currency of exchange, and exactly what is used as money doesn’t really matter, as long as the society agrees that it has value. In the United States, money has typically been coins made from precious metals or paper, all of which is backed by gold in the United States treasury. Around 1800 in the United States, the money system that is in place today was just beginning to be formed. At the beginning of the 1800’s, there was only one bank. By 1816, a second bank had begun, and it was chartered for twenty years. At this time, both coins and paper money were already being issued. When the charter was up on the second bank, about 1600 state-chartered private banks came into existence, and also issued paper currency, which was relatively new still (Pfiester). The â€Å"dollar† was already the official US currency, though, which had been issued in the late 1700’s (Factmonster). However, the paper money that the banks produced in the mid-1800’s was not standardized. Banks issued their own variety of money, which resulted in over 30,000 different designs. Money was easily counterfeited, and there was confusion in what was real money and what was not. By the late 1800’s, as the Civil War was gearing up, Congress was pressed into providing paper money via the US Treasury Department. These stayed in circulation until the 1970’s. This new money was designed with anti-counterfeiting measures, including blue and red fibers embedded in the money and the treasury seal (Pfiester). Until 1853, silver was the United States metal of choice. The silver dollar was the primary currency used. In 1853, the government replaced the silver dollar with the promise of gold. Dollar bills came out around this time, and other notes, with references to gold written on them (Davies). Until 1857, all foreign coins were considered legal currency in the United States, as most were made of precious metals like gold or silver. In 1857, the government finally decided that it had built enough support for its own currency that it did not need to accept these forms anymore. At this point, coins were only used for smaller exchanges anyway (Davies). In the early 1930’s, most currency had references to gold written on it. Gold was always used to back up money, and could be used instead of money if people owned some. A bank note, or dollar bill, was used as a promise that the government would pay. In fact, the phrase â€Å"Secured By United States Certificates Of Indebtedness Or One-Year Gold Notes, Deposited With The Treasurer Of The United States Of America† was printed on it. Gold continued to be a reference on the money through the printing of the 1928 $100 Gold Certificate. In 1934, the government stopped mentioning gold on all of the money, and made it illegal to own gold as currency (Privateer Market Letter). 1929 saw a standardization in design which, in combination with other measures, helped reduce the counterfeit rate from 25% of currency in circulation to only 1%. In 1990, microprinting and a security thread were added to further combat counterfeiting (Pfeister). Colors were introduced into the money in the early 2000’s, in addition to creating oversized pictures of presidents and placing them slightly off-center. Also, there was printing on the bills only visible under a microscope, then making it nearly impossible to counterfeit. Counterfeiting was a problem from the beginning of money, and as individuals got more sophisticated in their capabilities, Congress responded by issuing more measures against counterfeiting (Factmonster). Money has changed over the years, from being purely the trade of precious metals handled by private citizens or small local banks to being a nationally controlled system where bills and coins are backed by gold. The system developed out of necessity, primarily, and is useful still today. Money continues to change as the government issues new bills, different types of bills, and works to phase out the dollar bill, among other changes. The U. S. money history clearly lead to today’s money world. Bibliography Davies, Roy (2005). â€Å"Money in North American History. † Accessed December 17, 2006. Website: http://www. ex. ac. uk/~RDavies/arian/northamerica. html. â€Å"U. S. Money History (2005). † Fact Monster. Pearson Education, Inc. Accessed December 17, 2006. Website: http://www. factmonster. com/ipka/A0774856. html. Pfiester, Ron (2001). â€Å"History of US Paper Money. † Ron’s Currency. Accessed December 17, 2006. Website: http://www. ronscurrency. com/rhist. htm. â€Å"A History of U. S. Paper Money (2001). † The Privateer Market Letter. Accessed December 17, 2006. Website: http://www. the-privateer. com/paper. html.

Tao Heung Case Study Analysis

Tao Heung Case Study Analysis ABSTRACT Tao Heung is a listed company focusing on Chinese restaurant business in Hong Kong and Guangdong. By utilizing Porters five forces model, Chinese restaurant industry is identified to be intensively competitive. Nevertheless, Tao Heung still recorded slight growth by 2009 through successful cost control measures and operational efficiency. The company has strengths of strong financial position, cost efficiency, and good marketing and management capabilities, and weaknesses of imbalanced market presence, business portfolio, and capital structure. The business environment provides it new opportunities for developing new markets and businesses because of improving living standard and purchasing power. Major threats include severe inflation leading to soaring costs related to labour, rent, and food ingredients. TOWS matrix is a technique to formulate possible strategic alternatives matching internal factors to external opportunities and threats. In corporate level, Tao Heung is suggested to adopt market development strategy by using merger and acquisition and leveraging of debt. In business level, enhancing currently adopted cost leadership strategy is recommended. TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION Tao Heung is a catering company, focusing on operating Chinese restaurants and mainly operating in Hong Kong and China market. The company was founded in 1991 and was listed on the main board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited in 2007 (Stock code. 0573.HK). It is now operating 66 outlets, including various styles of restaurants, in Hong Kong and more than 10 outlets in Mainland China. The business philosophy of Tao Heung is Delicious and Value for Money. It is well known for its quality foods and quality services at relatively low prices, and innovative marketing campaign, such as One Dollar Chicken, at the minds of Hong Kong consumers. One Dollar Chicken campaign was a marketing promotion during the period of financial tsunami in 2008. Consumers could enjoy a dish of chicken for only One Hong Kong Dollars at the restaurants of Tao Heung. The campaign effectively enacted the companys Value for money philosophy. Chinese restaurant is a traditional industry in which there are many inherent shortcomings and flaws. However, Tao Heung is renowned for the use of innovative marketing strategies and modern management techniques in running this traditional business. The objectives of Tao Heung are to become one of the most esteemed and premier Chinese restaurant groups in Hong Kong and China, recognized for innovations and its capabilities to provide high quality food and restaurant service that promise customers exceptional dining experiences (http://www.taoheung.com.hk/eng/corporate/overview.jsp). The goal of strategic management is to leverage a firms capabilities to accomplish its strategic objectives with the balance of all stakeholders interest. Mr. Chung Wai Ping, who is one of the founders of Tao Heung, owns 36.7% of shares in Tao Heung and must be the key stakeholder. However, share owners of a firm are not the only group of stakeholders of the firm in the sense of strategic management. Stakeholders refer to the groups of people who have interests in a firms activities and affect or are affected by the achievement of the firms objectives (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Therefore, creditors, suppliers, customers, competitors, employees, governments, and public in the communities are the stakeholders of Tao Heung. Tao Heung tries to maximize profit through providing quality foods and exceptional dining experiences to its customers. As a result, it has the capability to repay loans to its creditors, pay taxes to governments, share profits with employees, satisfy the business need of suppliers, and contribute to communities. Meanwhile, its status as one of the most esteemed and premier Chinese restaurant groups in Hong Kong and China inevitably has impact on its competitors. 2. LITERATURE REVIEW AND METHODOLOGY Strategy is defined as a firms theory about how to gain competitive advantages (Barney Hesterly, 2010). Therefore, strategic management is a set of managerial decisions and actions that generates the firms competitive advantage, and, hence, gains above average return (Wheelen Hunger, 2010) (see Figure 1). Mission Objective External Analysis Internal Analysis Strategic Choice Strategy Implementation Figure 1 Strategic Management Process This article aims to critically evaluate the strategic position and direction of Tao Heung. Johnson and Scholes (2007: 16) point out that understanding the strategic position is concerned with impact on strategy of external environment, internal resources and competencies, and the expectations and influences of stakeholders. Therefore, this article will present external environmental analysis and internal analysis of resources and competencies for Tao Heung and evaluate its strategic options accordingly. By conducting external analysis, the critical opportunities and threats in external environment of Tao Heung will be identified, including macro-environment and industry environment in which the firm operates. Porter (1980) contends that a firms profitability is determined by the intensity of competition within the industry it competes. As a result, he developed Five Forces Model for examining the intensity of competition of an industry. In addition, generally adopt PESTEL framework for analyzing a firms macro-environment. The following factors are included in the analysis: Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental, and Legal factors (Harvard University Press, 2007). By conducting internal analysis, the organizational strengths and weaknesses of Tao Heung will also be identified. The resources and capabilities which are the source of competitive advantage will be identified by internal analysis (Barney Hesterly, 2010). Porter (1985) proposed that Value Chain Analysis is a technique for analyzing source of competitive advantage of a firm. However, according to the Resource-based View, competitive capabilities must be rare, durable, valuable, robust, and not easily be imitated (Grant, 2002). Then, external analysis and internal analysis are synthesized into a SWOT analysis. SWOT is an acronym used to describe the particular Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats that are strategic factors for a specific company (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Utilizing the result of SWOT analysis, a number of strategic options can be generated. A TOWS Matrix is produced to show how the external opportunities and threats facing a particular firm can be matched with the firms internal strengths and weaknesses (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). Finally, this article will critically justify the strategy that Tao Heung is using and suggest corporate and business level strategy that Tao Heung should use to improve its performance. Corporate level strategy refers to the strategy that creates value to the firm in line with the overall purpose and scope of the firm. Diversification, merger and acquisition, are examples of corporate level strategy. Business level strategy refers to the strategy about how to compete successfully in particular market and achieve competitive advantage (Johnson Scholes, 2007). Porter (1980) suggested three generic competitive strategies: cost-leadership, differentiation, and focus. They are examples of business level strategy. Secondary data from company annual reports, Internet, government statistics, academic journals, CEO interviews, magazines and newspapers will be collected for conducting analysis. 3. ANALYSES Four analyses will be presented here: Industry analysis, Macro-environment analysis, Internal analysis, and SWOT analysis. 3.1 INDUSTRY ANALYSIS According to Five Forces Model, the intensity of competition within Chinese restaurant industry in Hong Kong is determined by five competitive forces (Porter, 1980): Threat of new entrants New entrants are threats to the existing firms within an industry because they bring new capacity to the industry, and a new desire to gain market share and resources. If the entry barrier to the industry is high, the threat of new entrants is lower. The relatively high capital requirements and sunk costs create certain degree of entry barriers for Chinese restaurant industry. According to the information provided by Trade and Industry Department (2006), the capital requirements for opening a Chinese style cafà © was HK$1,275,500. The scale of a Chinese restaurant is 10 to 20 times greater than a cafà ©, the capital requirements are estimated to more than HK$15,000,000. Most of the investment is spent for decoration, facilities, and marketing activities. They are all sunk costs that cannot be recovered. Economies of scale also help establish barriers to entry. Therefore, the major rivals of Tao Heung are big Chinese restaurant groups such as Maxims and Star Seafood. Companies with limited capital have been not easy to start up a new Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong recently. Rivalry among existing firms Hong Kongs Chinese restaurant industry is dominated by several large restaurant groups now. They are Maxims restaurants, Federal Restaurants, Hsin Kuang Restaurants, East Ocean Victoria City Restaurants, Star Seafood Restaurants, and Tao Heung Restaurants. The relatively small number of competitors and roughly equal in size create intensively competitive environment. In addition, the growth rate of this industry is slow. The value of Chinese restaurant receipts and purchases for the first half of 2010 was HK$19,600 million, accounting for 6% increase compared with last year (Census and Statistics Department, 2010). Moreover, the exit barriers of this industry are high because of high sunk costs. Diversity of rivals and differentiation are low. These factors contribute to fierce competition within this industry. Threat of substitute There are many substitute products that can satisfy the same needs of dinning in Chinese restaurant. Consumers would like to gather to mingle and socialize in Chinese restaurants, besides of the dinning needs. But they could satisfy the same needs by going to Western restaurants, fast food restaurants, or even at home. According to Porter (1980), substitute limits the potential returns of an industry by placing a price ceiling. Chinese restaurants cannot charge profitably beyond the perceived values of dinning experiences. Bargaining power of buyers The bargaining power of buyers in this industry is high. The major reason is that consumers can choose their favorite restaurants free of switch costs. The restaurants can create greater product and service differentiation by introducing innovative recipe, and leveraging quality foods and services, in order to erode the bargaining power of buyers. Bargaining power of suppliers The major suppliers of Chinese restaurants are the food suppliers. They are numerous in the market. The products are not unique and restaurants have almost no switch costs to change suppliers. Substitutes are always readily available. Therefore, the bargaining power of suppliers is low. Overall, collective strengths of five competitive forces determine high level of competitive intensity in Chinese restaurant industry. The profit potential of this industry is limited. 3.2 MACRO-ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS PESTEL framework is employed for analyzing macro-environment: Political factors The economic transition policy of the government of Guangdong province intended to change the manufacturing-based economy into high-value-added economy. The results lead to severe factory closure in Southern China. It is a drawback for the market development strategy of Tao Heung since its physical presence in China is mainly in the cities in Guangdong province. On the other hand, after the 2008 financial tsunami, Chinese government introduced measures which aimed at promoting domestic demand and increasing welfare benefits. The purchasing power of Chinese consumers has been increased. Tao Heung is definitely benefited from these measures. Overall, the market potential for Chinese restaurants business seems to be optimistic in the long run. After all, factory closure in Guangdong province is a temporary phenomenon. It will recover when the transition is successful achieved. Economic factors Financial tsunami in 2008 created a very volatile economy for catering industry. Tao Heung recorded a relatively low revenue growth of 5.5% only in 2009 (Tao Heung, 2010). Fortunately, economic conditions both in Hong Kong and China are gradually recovering. However, another economic force has been negatively affecting Chinese restaurant industry since economic recovery. Inflation has been very serious for the recent two years. As a result, the costs of raw materials have been soaring. The profitability of Tao Heung is inevitably eroded. In addition, Tao Heung also faced rental and labour market pressure because of severe inflation. Indeed, rent, food and labour are three major inputs to Chinese restaurant industry. Increased Costs associated with rent, food and labour cause significant negative impact on the Chinese restaurant industry. Social factors Living standard is high in Hong Kong. Besides, as economic growth in China is substantially, living standard is improving accordingly. Thus, there is increasing demand for quality cuisine. Restaurant goers both in Hong Kong and China are not only seeking for food, but also for specialty recipe, quality service, and excellent atmosphere. In addition, there are rising concerns for food safety also. It may be because of recent food safety problems in China and the emerging environmental conservation sentiment. Increasing demand for quality and safety will impose challenges to that industry. On the other hand, it may be opportunities for Tao Heung. Tao Heung is a pioneer in adopting modern management and marketing skills to operate traditional Chinese restaurants. If Tao Heung can cope with the challenges, they can outperform its rivals. Besides, improving living standard in China means more market opportunities, for example, banquets market. Technological factor Advanced information system technology is an enabler of modern supply chain management. Tao Heung has utilized bulk purchase and direct food supply from its logistics centres to enhance cost efficiency. The advancement in food processing technology also creates new opportunities for food catering industry, chilled food trading business. Environmental factor Chinese restaurant operations pollute water when washing foods and dishes. According to the Polluters Pay Principle, restaurants need to pay additional sewage charges. Because of the increased environmental concern in our society, the sewage charges are expected to rise. Besides, consumers are more concern about food safety now because of severe pollution problems. Legal factor The minimum wage legislation process is about to complete in Hong Kong. The initial minimum wage rate will be HK$28 per hour. It is expected to come into force on May 1, 2011 (Labour Department). Tao Heung will face increasing labour costs and human resources pressure. 3.3 INTERNAL ANALYSIS Internal analysis is concerned with identifying a firms internal strategic factors which is the firms critical resources and competencies for success (Wheelen Hunger, 2010). With reference to resource-based view of strategic management, Grant (2004) suggested that an organizations sustainable competitive advantage is primarily determined by its strategic resources and competencies. The following internal strengths are identified to be critical for the success of Tao Heung: Strong financial position Tao Heung has very low debt ratio (about 1%). The value of cash and cash equivalents asset is 428 million at the end of 2009 (Tao Heung, 2010). In addition, Tao Heung is listed company so that it has capability to raise funds from shareholders or public when needed. The strong financial position can support Tao Heung to grow naturally or grow by merger and acquisition. Logistics centres Tao Heung owns a logistics centre in Tai Po (Hong Kong) and Dongguan (China). The logistics centre in China enables it to achieve bulk purchase of food ingredients from their sources. Logistics centres have another role of supplying food products to restaurants of Tao Heung. Foods have been processed before delivering to restaurants. The semi-processed food ingredients can help (1) save the cooking time in restaurants, (2) use less skillful chef, and (3) save kitchen space. Besides, the excess capacities of logistics centres are utilized to manufacture pre-packing chilled food supplied to its own outlets, supermarkets and food centres, providing another source of revenue. Marketing and management capabilities Tao Heung has profound marketing capability. The marketing team has launched some excellent promotion campaigns such as One Dollar Chicken. They have also developed brand awareness in China and have won some awards such as Top 500 Quality Brands in China 2009 and Top 500 Overseas Chinese Merchants in Chinas Market (Tao Heung, 2010). Tao Heung has a lot of innovations in Chinese restaurant management, for example, achieving cost efficiency by using operation of logistics centres. Moreover, Tao Heung will establish a training institute providing professional training to restaurant workers with the cooperation of VTC. The program can ease labour pressure of the industry. Although the economic situation was bad in 2009, Tao Heung could still achieve growth through stringent cost control measures and streamlining of operations. On the other hand, Tao Heung has some weaknesses. It has been too focus on Chinese restaurant business and Hong Kong market. Its peripheral businesses including airline catering, chilled food trading and bakery accounted for a relatively modest amount of total turnover (HK$52 million) in 2009. Besides, Mainland China business accounted for only 17.3% of total turnover in 2009. In addition, its use of debt has been too little. Better use of debt can enhance returns of shareholders, although high level leverage of debt will increase business risk. 3.4 SWOT ANALYSIS A SWOT analysis summaries the key issues from the external environment and the strategic capabilities of an organization that are most likely to impact on strategy development (Johnson Scholes, 2007). Figure 2 shows the internal strengths and weaknesses of Tao Heung, as well as the opportunities and threats from the external business environment. The strengths are strong financial position, cost efficiency, and marketing and management capabilities. The weaknesses are imbalanced market coverage, business portfolio, and capital structure. Opportunities include increasing purchase power, living standard, demand for quality cuisine, and advanced IS technology. The threats include inflation pressure, minimum wage, intense competition, and food safety concern. Strengths Strong financial position Cost efficiency through the use of logistics centres Good marketing and management capabilities Weaknesses Imbalanced market coverage Imbalanced business portfolio Imbalanced capital structure Opportunities Increasing purchasing power in Mainland China Increasing living standard leading to new business opportunities such as banquet Demand for quality cuisine Advanced IS technology enabling efficient supply chain management Threats Severe inflation pressure leading to rising costs related to rent and food. Minimum wage legislation leading to higher labour market pressure Intense competition in Chinese restaurant industry Concerns about food safety Figure 2 SWOT Analysis for Tao Heung TOWS matrix is used to illustrate how the external opportunities and threats facing a particular organization can be matched with that organizations internal strengths and weaknesses to result in four sets of possible strategic alternatives: SO strategies, WO strategies, ST strategies and WT strategies (Wheelen Hunger, 2010) (see Figure 3). Strengths (S) Weaknesses (W) Opportunities (O) SO strategies Generate strategies that use strengths to take advantage of opportunities WO strategies Generate strategies that take advantage of opportunities by overcoming weaknesses Threats (T) ST strategies Generate strategies that use strengths to avoid threats WT strategies Generate strategies that minimize weaknesses and avoid threats Figure 3 TOWS Matrix The possible strategies are listed in the Figure 4. In summary, Tao Heung is suggested to develop new markets, enhance its operation efficiency, rapid expansion into Mainland China, and better use of debt. The strategies can be consolidated into two levels of strategies: corporate and business level. Strengths (S) Strong financial position (S1) Cost efficiency (S2) Good marketing and management capabilities (S3) Weaknesses (W) Imbalanced market coverage (W1) Imbalanced business portfolio (W2) Imbalanced capital structure (W3) Opportunities (O) Increasing purchasing power (O1) Increasing living standard (O2) Demand for quality cuisine (O3) Advanced IS technology (O4) SO strategies Expansion to various food catering businesses (S1O2O3) Rapid expansion into Mainland China (S1O1) Enhance capacities of logistics centres (S2O4) WO strategies Acquire other catering businesses (W2O2) Merger and acquisition in Mainland China (W1O1) Threats (T) Severe inflation pressure (T1) Minimum wage legislation (T2) Intense competition (T3) Food safety concerns (T4) ST strategies Leveraging the use of logistics centres (S2T1) Stringent quality control (S3T4) More stringent cost control (S2S3T1) Improved employee training (S3T2) WT strategies Diversify into other market segments (W1W2T3) Figure 4 TOWS Matrix for Tao Heung 4. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Ansoff product/market growth matrix (Figure 5) suggests that a business attempts to grow depend on whether it should market new or existing products in new or existing markets (Johnson Scholes, 2007). Existing Products New Products Existing Markets Market Penetration Product Development New Markets Market Development Diversification Figure 5 Ansoff Product/Market Growth Matrix Concerning with Tao Heungs corporate level strategy, market development is a more suitable strategy. Both new geographical markets and new segment markets should be explored. Although Tao Heung has established its presence in Chinese market, it has only less than 15 restaurants in China by the end of 2010. All of these restaurants are located in Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Tao Heung should expand more rapidly in China market and open more new restaurants in other cities within Guangdong province. Regarding to segment markets, most of restaurants in Hong Kong are seafood restaurants targeting to medium income level families. Tao Heung has adopted multi-branding strategy. The different brands are targeting similar segments using different products. For example, Hak Ka Hut, Chao Inn, and Shanghai Inn provide different style of dishes but target the same segmented customers. Chao Inn and Shanghai Inn even located at the same place. HIPOT is a new brand of Tao Heung. This new brand target young customers. It is a good direction. Tao Heung is encouraged to explore more new segment markets by building more new brands. Tao Heung has mainly used internal development for growth. The only acquisition in the past few years is the acquisition of Tai Chong Bakery. Using companys own resources to develop new businesses is actually a play safe game. However, Tao Heung is suggested to use more merger and acquisition to expand into China market in a more rapid pace. Since Mainland China is a massive market, growth by acquisition could be better than by organic growth. Besides, Tao Heung can better use of debt to balance its capital structure. Porter (1980) suggests three generic strategies to compete with rivals in a market. They are cost leadership, differentiation, and focus strategies. Cost leadership is the strategy that Tao Heung is currently adopting. Tao Heung put much effort on achieving cost efficiency by utilizing logistics centres and stringent cost control measures. . It is a correct direction since Chinese restaurant is a very intensively competitive industry. However, Tao Heung is suggested to focus on maintaining quality cuisine while achieving cost efficiency. To complement cost leadership strategy, diversifying into other food catering business such as bakery and school catering to balance its business portfolio.

Knowles Separate Peace Essays: Self-Knowledge and Inner-Peace

A Separate Peace: Self-Knowledge and Inner-Peace The theme suggested in the closing paragraph of the novel A Separate Peace is that people create their own enemy and then they defend themselves laboriously and obsessively against their imaginary enemy. They develop a particular frame of mind to allay the fear that arises while facing their nonexistent enemy. In the novel, the protagonist, Gene, tries to fight a war with his best friend, Finny, not realizing that the enemy he sees is not Finny but is his own insecurity. At the beginning Gene believes that Finny is actually his enemy who is trying to sabotage him. Gene thinks that Finny envies his academic ability just as he envies Finny's extraordinary athletic ability. To feel better about himself, Gene lowers Finny to his level so that they are "even, even in enmity.† Gene's attitude toward Finny is a manifestation of his jealousy and lack of self-confidence. Finny, on the other hand is extremely confident. He never had the evil thoughts about destroying Gene's grades - he is too innocent of a person to have such thought. Furthermore, Finny, being a carefree person, does not even care about his own grades, and certainly not Gene's grades. Gene does not realize the truth, or perhaps he simply does not want to admit the truth. He has created an enemy to protect himself from acknowledging that he is not completely satisfied with his character, or lack of thereof. Gene finally realizes that Finny is not tryin... ...defenses that people have constructed are as useless as the "Maginot Lines"; they only prevent people from analyzing their emotions and characters. People should view the enemy and the war in a more objective perspective, and try to understand themselves. Only by doing so can they eventually find their identity.

Confessions Essay -- essays research papers

Augustine titled his deeply philosophical and theological autobiography Confessions to implicate two aspects of the form the work would take. To confess, in Augustine's time, meant both to give an account of one's faults to God and to praise God (to speak one's love for God). These two aims come together in the Confessions in an elegant but complex sense: Augustine narrates his ascent from sinfulness to faithfulness not simply for the practical edification of his readers, but also because he believes that narrative to be itself a story of God's greatness and of the fundamental love all things have for Him. Thus, in the Confessions form equals content to a large degree—the natural form for Augustine's story of redemption to take would be a direct address to God, since it is God who must be thanked for such redemption. (That said, a direct address to God was a highly original form for Augustine to have used at the time). This idea should also help us understand the apparently lopsided and unusual structure of the text. The first nine Books of the Confessions are devoted to the story of Augustine's life up to his mother's death, but the last four Books make a sudden, lengthy departure into pure theology and philosophy. This shift should be understood in the same context as the double meaning of 'confessions'—for Augustine, the story of his sinful life and redemption is in fact a profoundly philosophical and religious matter, since his story is only one exampl...

GMR Applications :: science

GMR Applications A Microcontroller-based scheme for measurement of magnetic field position using Giant Magnetic Resistor (GMR) in Contactless Measurement and Robotics Omidreza Esmaeili Motlagh Faculty of Electronic Engineering, Mazandaran University ( UMZ ), Babol, Iran Magnetic sensors in contactless applications: Magnetic sensors can be used for all sorts of applications where a contactless measurement of position and orientation is required. For instance in cars, where a large number of sensors are employed, magnetic sensors obviously have great advantages over their counterparts which involve the use of moving parts. Also they are variety of Magnetic sensors used in industry to simplify designs in different cases. For instance the current measurement using shunt resistor is in some cases impractical or impossible. For large currents the shunt resistors are heavy and they cause voltage drop and dissipate heat. They are not insulated and the conductor should be disconnected for mounting. Contactless current sensors may be used for remote conductors at high potentials, underground cables etc. Today a wide range of AC and DC contactless current sensors is produced. Also precise contactless magnetic sensors are always required by car industry, chemical industry and many other industries, for measurement of power and many other applications. Solid-state magnetic field sensors are moving into a growing range of new contactless applications because of their small size, low power consumption, and relatively low cost. The first aim of the project therefore will be to become familiar with different kinds of magnetic sensors, especially new GMR family and to investigate their characteristics and behavior in presence of applied magnetic field. [1] Giant Magnetic Resistor (GMR): Structure: The sensor consists of stack of magnetic and non-magnetic layers and Giant Magnetic Resistivity or GMR effects occur when these ultra-thin magnetic layers are set in close proximity to each other. Alternately magnetic and non-magnetic layers can be built up with the magnetic fields either parallel or anti-parallel, creating very sensitive low to high resistance components. The resistance of a GMR sensor as a measure for the applied field varies with the angle between the hard internal magnetization and the soft magnetic covering layers which follows the magnetic field. [2] The Giant Magnetic Resistor is a resistive device whose Ohmic value changes gradually only when a nearer external magnetic field changes its relative orientation and the originated field intensity or the distance between magnet and GMR are not relevant within certain limits. Any rotary button or knob containing a magnet on it, may work as a contactless switch when its rotation is detected by a GMR.

A Worn Path by Eudora Welty

The short story â€Å"A Worn Path† by Eudora Welty depicts the struggle of a black woman in a white society. The protagonist in the story is an old black woman, Phoenix Jackson who travels through a worn path in the woods to acquire medicine for her grandson.The hardships she faces during her journey through the woods is symbolic of the struggle, she faces in her life as a black woman. Eudora Welty brings forth the notion that the fortitude, wisdom and courage of Jackson aid her in winning the struggle against a racist society.FortitudePhoenix Jackson displays fortitude when she faces hardships in her life, and during her journey through the woods. Phoenix was aware that it was dangerous to travel in the deep woods, as there were wild animals lurking in the forest. But still she decides to travel through the forest and calls on the wild animals to stay out of her way, â€Å"Out of my way, all you foxes, owls, beetles, jack rabbits, coons and wild animals!† (Welty).The f act that the â€Å"The woods were deep and still† never deterred her from continuing with her journey. â€Å"At the foot of this hill was a place where a log was laid across the creek†, but Phoenix crosses the log with great dexterity. (Welty). It is the determination of Phoenix that provides her with the strength to carry on with her journey in spite of being faced by numerous obstacles in her path.Phoenix Jackson emerges as a wise woman who bears with her hardships patiently, hoping that the future will bring an end to her troubles. Even while her dress is caught up in a bush, she thinks that the thorns are carrying on their work, â€Å"Thorns, you doing your appointed work. Never want to let folks pass, no sir†. (Welty).She is wise enough to understand that the thorns were doing their duty and it was her duty to make her way through the thorns. She frees herself from the thorns, â€Å"Finally, trembling all over, she stood free†. (Welty). Instead of co mplaining about the impediments in her path, she endeavors to find a way out of them. She finds a way to pass through a barbed-wire fence, â€Å"spreading her knees and stretching her fingers like a baby trying to climb the steps†. (Welty). The wisdom of Phoenix aids her in overcoming the adversities of her journey and life.CourageAnother trait that aids Phoenix in her struggle is her courage. Even when the white man holds a gun towards her, she stays still. When asked by the white man whether she was frightened by the gun, she replies, â€Å"No, sir, I seen plenty go off closer by, in my day, and for less than what I done†. (Welty).Looking at her age, the white man advises Phoenix to stay at home so that she will be safe. But Phoenix refuses to listen and insists on continuing with her journey, â€Å"I bound to go on my way, mister.† (Welty). Phoenix never stopped until she reached her destination, â€Å"She walked on.† (Welty). Phoenix is a courageous w oman who faces the dangers in her journey bravely.ConclusionIn her short story â€Å"A Worn Path†, Eudora Welty brings forth the struggle of a black woman, Phoenix Jackson in a society where blacks were considered as inferior beings. The obstacles that she encounters during her journey through the woods are representative of the hardships she has to face in her society while leading her life as a black woman.With the aid of her fortitude, wisdom and courage, Phoenix emerges victorious in her journey through the forest and the journey of life. She reaches her destination after travelling through the dangerous forest. As far as her life is concerned, she is positive about her future in spite of the fact that she is struggling in the present times.Works CitedWelty, Eudora. A Worn Path. 2 March 2009.http://www.moonstar.com/~acpjr/Blackboard/Common/Stories/WornPath.html

Creative Writing – The Bliss Of Acceptance

The plane's contact with the ground woke me from my semi-conscious state and I looked around anxiously, to see where I was. We had finally landed, and I felt life flow back into my limbs as I stretched in my seat. A gentle murmur rose as the plane slowed down, and the reassuring sound of the pilot echoed through the plane. â€Å"Ladies and gentlemen, we have now arrived in Delhi, the temperature is a pleasant forty three degrees with cloudless skies, and local time is four fifteen PM†. Stewardesses strutted up and down isles collecting litter, and passengers began to abscond from the plane. As I lifted myself to my feet, still in a half alert state from jetlag-induced fatigue, I stumbled into the sunshine outside. The blue sky dazzled my agitated eyes, and I grumbled to myself in irritation. The scorching hot sun was already upon me, burning my unconditioned skin in a similar way to a magnifying glass burning an ant. Hours followed as we collected bags; showed passports and performed countless other tasks that made me want to curl up on the floor and lapse into hibernation. Whether I was in Delhi or London, I was still exhausted and cantankerous. Finally we managed to obtain our car, and, as I had suspected, a long trip hundreds of miles upwards to Northern India followed. On our journey, my irritation began to crumble. The first village we stopped at, where I could appreciate the scenery, was near the Punjab, in a rural area. The village itself looked primitive and simplistic, with buildings partially finished, abandoned with no roofs or waterproofing, like an unwanted animal abandoned on the street. Poverty reigned rampant, and incoherent languages flood towards me. We drew nearer to the village market, passing by unsavoury looking beggars and lone children. An old man peered at me through a half developed cataract, before falling into a coughing fit. The world around me seemed dismal. In a split moment, my impression changed. Just as the flood washes dirt from its path, so my notions about India changed. We turned the corner into the market square, and were met with a blissful scene; a crowded square full of laughing, shouting and commotion; stall owners bellowing at the top of their voices to advertise their goods, and amidst the joyful chaos young children scuttled around like playful insects. A rich variety of vivid colours met my eye in the form of scarlet apples, striking yellow bananas and earthy brown yams. Countless fruits held my gaze, which I had never known before. The poor no longer seemed menacing; a half smile on their face was noticeable, as if they were simply satisfied by the atmosphere. Everyone around me seemed happy; and the first question that I asked myself was, why? Back in London for a moment, the answer arrived. A grey sky enveloped the city, and people trudged in their various directions, minding their own businesses and keeping themselves to themselves. After living in my home for ten years, there were still people on my street I didn't know. However, the main question I was posed, which was how could people with little money, health care, and a low standard of living be happier than those living in a modernised world with excessive amounts of money and a high standard of living? The sad answer was, that we appear to have forgotten how to obtain happiness. Epicurus, a Greek philosopher living around 300 BC, spent much of his life finding out what was required to obtain true happiness. A well-known phrase of his is: The human soul is as material and mortal as the human body. To live a good life, is to exercise prudence and to enjoy life through stimulating the senses, subjecting oneself to tranquillity and scientific study. † Later, however, he concluded that to obtain true happiness one must have a number of things. Friends, a frugal lifestyle, time and thought were all considered prerequisites for happiness. Visualising the crowded metropolis of London in my mind, trying to ignore the shouting of the stall keepers intent on making me buy their spinach, I felt that we had all these. What was it that these people had that we did not? This question remained on my mind throughout my trip in India; through the bustle of the city in Jalundar; the peaceful tranquillity in the village; the faint sounds of gunshots near Kashmir; even during the humorous incident of seeing a man squat in the middle of a field only feet away from a road. Sitting back at home in London listening to the gentle drumming of the rain, I contemplated why it was so hard for the Western man to gain happiness. Like the correct document finally being found in a stack of papers, I finally produced the answer. A Ch'an (Zen) Buddhist once said: â€Å"Humans are afflicted with all external forms of life: we are subject to life and death, pleasure and pain, love and fear, good and evil, beautiful and ugly. We tend to sway, or strive towards one side, and reject its opposite. There is no real escape of one or the other, yet we somehow believe that sooner or later, we will be able to conquer the other side if we stay focused long enough. † The reason the average man in the West could not find happiness lies in acceptance. Driven relentlessly by the Capitalist machine, we are constantly told we must improve, do better, get promoted, find a better job, or save for the latest electronic gadget. The real obstacle in the way of happiness was an excess of opportunity in the West, which in turn sows the seeds in men's mind that they can achieve better all the time, leaving only a handful of people who achieve their goal, and reject the rest of the spoiled harvest of the population who are scarred with depression and left with an 'empty feeling' in life: that they have achieved nothing. It could be said that pain is essential for pleasure, if pleasure is to be known as pleasure. If we did not know of evil in the world, then how would we be able to distinguish good? Denial of one of these extremes is similar to denying the existence of both. If we believe that evil cannot exist, or that we can block it from our lives, then good cannot exist, because then there is nothing to measure it against. However, if we accept that both good and evil exist in our lives, it can allow us to feel more at home in the world, perhaps obtaining happiness. Looking back to India as evidence for this, I remembered an encounter with a family of peasants. The husband of the family was a peasant, working for the richer men as a farmer, constantly toiling at the fields every day with no hope of extra pay or advancement in his job. The wife of the family took care of their four children, all destined for the same lifestyle, in what many would call an endless, and pointless cycle. However, far from pitying them, I envied them. They were contented with their lives; they earned enough money to live under a roof with adequate food and drink. The end result of this was that they were happy; they had no ambitions to gain wealth, and were satisfied with their lot. To be truly happy we must not linger in the past, or hypothesise about the future, but live life for the moment, and enjoy its small pleasures. By losing the foresight of the future, or hindsight in the past, we open up that world of acceptance. Some people will steal because they see that they have something more in their future. Some people will perform good deeds because they desire to feel better about themselves. In this society, we can never truly be completely happy. From our first few years of life we have ambitions: to decide what we will be when we grow up, and how we will choose to live our lives. Without these ambitions society would, unfortunately, not function correctly; no one would have any motivation to do well at their jobs and get promoted, as the idea of a Marxist/Communist society shows. It seems to me the human population has dug itself into a pit where the light of true happiness is growing more and more remote as we dig further and further down. There will always be, even in the mind of a Buddhist monk or Christian nun, a growing desire to gain something else, no matter what it may be. This, I conclude, makes it impossible for anyone in the modern 21st Century to gain the status of ‘Buddha', or ‘The Enlightened, or Blissful One'.